Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield

INsIDE: sHOppING FOR THE HOLIDAYs IN bIRMINGHAM / pG 61

DECEMbER 2023

CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT NOW AT THE CROSSROADS RISING CASELOAD, RISING COMPLAINTS, INCREASED BUDGET WILL BE TRUE TEST

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DOWNTOWN12.23 37 THE STATE CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT CHALLENGE Since its establishment nearly 60 years ago, complaints to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights have continued to grow at a strong annual pace but critics and a state auditor general report of the department say it takes far too long to resolve issues. Will an expanded budget and staff solve this problem?

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

CRIME MAP

A look behind the scenes as David Hohendorf reflects on the past year at Downtown Newsmagazine – a new office, our ongoing remote approach to publishing and what it means to be part of a multi-platform news organization.

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

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

MUNICIPAL

McCready enters 2024 ring; John James joins House chaos; so long Perry Johnson, or not: U.S. Senate race field gets larger; could Karamo be on the way out?; Worm turns on fake electors; plus more..

New mayor and mayor pro tem chosen; township tax proposal; planners nix expansion plan for The Community House; Host problems continue; Cranbrook Art Academy embroiled in war controversy; plus more.

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DOWNTOWN12.23 77 NEXT NOTEBOOK Next Executive Director Braun tells readers about the organization's offerings and its efforts to create a welcoming and caring environment which she describes as the group's mission.

79 COMMUNITY HOUSE William Seklar, President & CEO of The Community House, writes about The Community House turning the page for its next 100 years and the importance of the Annual Fund.

82 METRO INTELLIGENCER Gigi Nichols provides readers with quick takes on what is happening in the world of food and drink in the metro area.

86 ENDNOTE Our thoughts on how city officials should go about writing ordinances for new development in the Triangle District and how time is up for city commissioner Brad Host's violation of ethics rules.

COVER Design by Chris Grammer from original photos by Flemming Jacobsen, Sixninepixels and Mimagephotography

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FROM THE PUBLISHER ith the distribution of our December issue each year I set aside some time for review and reflection on what those of us who bring you Downtown Newsmagazine have accomplished in the prior 12 months, and so I am sharing some thoughts with our followers.

W

Mid-November as we went to press with the issue you now hold in your hands marked our first full year at our new office on East Maple Road in Birmingham, just on the edge of the downtown area where we had office space for 12 years over what used to be the retail space for Astrein’s Jewelry. The Astrein brothers – Richard and Gary – sold their downtown buildings around Thanksgiving of last year in anticipation of retiring in the spring of this year. With the new owner’s plans not meshing with our needs for the future, we had to hustle finding new space for our office.

districts; the quality of your drinking water supplied by regional authorities; the attempts to tame Woodward Avenue traffic; and the threat from lead particulate matter in the air from the three airports owned by Oakland County. On this last longform piece, we take great pride of having beat The Washington Post by a couple of months on this same story, which happens more frequently than you may realize. Among my personal favorites, if you will, our publication over the last decade was the first to unveil efforts by Canada to bury nuclear waste along the shores of the Great Lakes from which we take our drinking water; detailing the existence of militia groups operating in Michigan; the toxic legacy of power plants with the coal ash left behind as the state moves to a carbon neutral future; the warming waters of the Great Lakes; the billions of gallons of water wasted in the region due to leaks from an aging pipe system, just to name a handful of instances where we beat both local and national daily publications.

Like other second-story office businesses in Birmingham and elsewhere in the country, we had spent the first two years of the COVID pandemic transitioning to a remote operation. We certainly had no need for the added space which stood empty most weeks and we certainly had no idea the basics of our business would never return to what they were.

I often share with others that we are fortunate because we serve what census numbers show is one of the most educated communities in the state so we know our work gets read.

We describe Downtown as a hybrid publication, mixing longform storytelling with hard news coverage, of local government, political news/gossip, personality profiles, dining information and editorial opinion.

The floor space was cut in half at our new office which was really envisioned as a meeting place when necessary for staff and outside visitors, with the majority of the floor plan dedicated as a production space in which we create anywhere from 72-120 pages for a monthly issue, along with designated personal office space which I occupy most weekdays and some weekend days.

But our monthly print product is just one part of our effort here. We like to think of ourselves as a multi-platform news organization, of which our monthly print issue is certainly a crucial part. But we also are working to develop further our presence online, anchored by our website (downtownpublications.com), which on an average month brings about 18,000 visitors, although some months that number spikes to as high as 30,000.

Our switch to a remote operation was certainly made much easier by the fact that founding members Lisa Brody, news editor, and Chris Grammer, manager of production and IT, and I worked together years prior to launching Downtown Newsmagazine and share the same passionate drive to produce a quality product. We all embrace the notion that journalism has a special role/responsibility in society. Thanks to Zoom meeting capabilities, an office phone system that now resides in the Cloud, cellphones and the internet, we are still communicating on a daily basis, often multiple times in a day. On the ad sales end, Mark Grablowski and I meet three mornings of the week but then communicate as we always have via cell phones and online during the course of the week and each day.

I never worried about any impact on productivity during the pandemic or today – we are a group of seasoned professionals who understand what it takes to produce a publication for local residents each month, which is critical because we do important journalism.

Take the longform stories you see in each issues, which generally run from 4,000-5,000 words. We start planning those pieces months in advance. For example, we started in October of this year for what you will see in our January issue. We do considerable hours of research in advance of even determining what longform feature will be assigned to a reporter, then we communicate or meet via Zoom sessions for weeks as the work on a story progresses with the writer talking to dozens of sources, often times across the country.

Our efforts have been recognized by journalism professionals across the country who judge our work in contests sponsored by the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), who have awarded us for a number of longform pieces just in the last two years in the writing categories of environment, education, social justice, etc. These same professionals have also selected us for recognition for cover and interior publication design, portrait photography and personal opinion columns.

This past year we have focused our longform storytelling on a variety of topics, among them: gang activity in Oakland County; school safety efforts in local

Along with current and all past issues hosted on our site in a flipbook format, we post news at least weekly to our website and then provide a weekly email update newsletter every Friday morning. Our Friday update newsletter goes out to over 2,000 people who have signed up to receive it. We also provide breaking news updates to the website when events dictate.

Along with our weekly update newsletter, we send out newsletters for Metro Intelligencer (1.4K) with monthly news and gossip from the restaurant scene; bi-weekly Threatened Planet (2.1K) environment information newsletter; and Oakland Confidential (3.1K), our monthly political news and gossip newsletter.

We also have a presence on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Threads and Instagram.

Despite the growing importance of social media platforms, we continue to resist falling prey to what others do – ‘click bait journalism’ – the overriding logic in many newsrooms which concern themselves more with how many online ‘clicks’ a story can generate as opposed to providing all information that the public may need to know.

Sure, we can tell you that when we broke the recent story about the Palestine/Israel controversy that erupted at the Cranbrook Art Academy, as one example, we tracked thousands of views in the first couple days, and we know the on-line origin of those who came to our website, where they reside, and on what type of device they read the story. But that is not what drives us to pursue a story to begin with. We hew to the traditional role of journalism by supplying essential information to keep our readership informed and leave the ‘click’ chasing to others.

I feel generally satisfied with what we have accomplished this past year and look forward to where we go in 2024. As always, feel free to let me know what else we can provide or where we can do better.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com

BIRMINGHAM | BLOOMFIELD

PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Hillary Brody Anchill | Cris Braun | Dana Casadei | Tracy Donohue | Stacy Gittleman | Austen Hohendorf Grace Lovins | Jeanine Matlow | Gigi Nichols | Susan Peck | Carla Schwartz | William Seklar PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Laurie Tennent | Mackenzie O'Brien | Chris Ward Laurie Tennent Studio ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 970 E Maple Road / Ste. 3, Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 MAILING PO Box 1630 Birmingham MI 48012-1630 DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE GOALS/MISSION The personnel at Downtown Newsmagazine bring a special commitment to the publishing effort, reinvesting in the local communities and working to make sure the Birmingham/Bloomfield area reaches its highest potential.

Our mission dictates that we strive each month to provide a solid news and advertising product that local residents look forward to reading. Our goal is to build a community of informed citizens through the efforts of our passionate team. We are innovators producing products that go well beyond what others offer.

DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills.

Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in Birmingham/Bloomfield.

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

INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community.

Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, PO Box 1630 Birmingham MI 48012-1630.

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

MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNER FROM SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE

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CRIME MAP

NORTH

Map key

Sexual assault

Assault

Murder/Homicide

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Larceny from vehicle

Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through November 16, 2023.

Placement of codes is approximate.

Want weekly updates on public safety stories? Sign up for our weekly update email newsletter at downtownpublications.com.

An interactive version of the Crime Locator map – linking to stories about crime incidents – can be viewed online. Scan the QR code above or look for the crime map link on our home page at downtownpublications.com.

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INCOMING SMART's horrible record Susan Peck's recent article (November/Downtown) about SMART transit in Oakland County is the most comprehensive report on the subject that I have read in many months.

Missing, however, is the fact that system-wide SMART skipped more than 3,000 runs in August and more than 2,000 runs in September, according to Bard, Google's AI. That is a horrible record that should be made public.

Jim Lang Royal Oak

Complaints about Host

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I am writing in response to all of the complaints coming from (Birmingham) City Hall regarding Brad Host.

From what I read, it seems that the city manager(s), other commissioners, and various commissioners don't want to be publicly questioned or challenged.

Personally, I appreciate a representative who can think independently about what appear to be legitimate support and concerns for his constituents.

My reaction to such continuous admonishments toward Host is that the city manager, commissioners, various committees are a bit secretive and thinskinned.

I have always appreciated the objectivity of the writing, research, and op-eds published in Downtown. Since I can't make hide nor hair on this issue, I am wondering if this constant battle between the city and Host could be sorted out in an article in your publication. Thank you for your consideration.

Peggy Peterson Birmingham

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I'm so sad that no new candidates ran for election.

He's trying to destroy the city with his 1960's hippie "stick it to the man" agenda.

Donna Dee Birmingham From Facebook

November issue well done I have “grazed” through the (November) edition I just received today and had to take a moment to tell you how much I have enjoyed the magazine.

I really enjoyed every section, starting with the zesty appetizer (From the Publisher), the spicy vegetable soup (Oakland Confidential), the hearty and satisfying entree (Oakland Mass Transit), the dessert selections (Faces, Municipal, Business Matters, The Community House, and Metro Intelligencer]), and the after dinner liqueur (Endnote).

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Truly stimulating, enjoyable, thought provoking and satisfying.Five-star restaurant quality.

Thanks again, and bask a moment in a job well done.

Dave Bridge Bloomfield Hills

Support wildlife corridors Recently, a friend gave me the standard Michigan farewell, “Goodbye everyone, and watch out for deer.” It’s such a common phrase I didn’t think much of it, until the next day when I went to work.

You see, I’m a nurse. I see people with all kinds of ailments, and in various stages of injury and recovery. And I’m all too familiar with the growing issue of wildlife and vehicle collisions on our roadways.

In fact, last year was the worst year for deer collisions in the past decade, with over a 20 percent increase from collisions compared to just a decade ago.

Michigan ranks fourth worst in the nation for collisions between vehicles and wildlife.

And this isn’t just a danger to Michiganders. Each year roughly two million automobile collisions with wildlife occur, resulting in over 22,000 injuries and approximately 200 hundred human deaths. As a nurse, I know we must do more to prevent these tragedies.

One proven solution is ‘wildlifefriendly infrastructure.’ Bridges and tunnels can be installed to help wildlife safely cross roadways, reducing wildlifevehicle collisions by up to 90 percent.

Two years ago Congress took a great first step by dedicating $350 million over five years to assist communities and Tribes in building this infrastructure.

However, wildlife-friendly infrastructure is more than just road crossings. It includes things like conservation, wildlife-friendly fencing, and connecting the places where wildlife needs to migrate safely.

Farmers and landowners I’ve spoken to want to help, but the voluntary programs that already exist, for example in the Farm Bill, have definitions that are far too narrow to accommodate this growing need.

Thankfully we can fix this, without spending more money. We just need more flexibility within existing programs to make it easier for farmers and landowners to support wildlife corridor connectivity.

Let's come together to solve this problem before even more damage is done and lives lost.

Suzanne Steinrueck South Haven 12.23

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Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown Newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com.

All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com where you can sign up to receive updates via email.

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Township, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Hills), has officially formed a committee to run for Bloomfield Township Supervisor in 2024 to take on incumbent Democrat Dani Walsh. McCready, who worked as economic development director for Oakland County following his sixyear stint in the state legislature and is currently economic development director for the city of Novi, is no stranger to local municipal government – prior to running for state government, he was a Bloomfield Hills City Commissioner for many years. Right now, he said, his goal is to “get out there and raise some money and see if we can run a campaign.” He said he doesn’t have any fundraisers set up yet, as his first MCCREADY priority is privately meeting with individuals in and out of the government to gauge their support – which at this point, he said, is very positive.

PARTY GAMES: Republican congressman John James (Rochester and Rochester Hills, along with the southern portion of Macomb County) has been a proud conservative since he first touted his support of former President Donald Trump in his failed campaign against Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) in 2018. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently put up billboards thanking him for his work in Washington. He was one of the 15 nominating representatives in former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) epic January 2023 effort to become speaker. He shored up his bona-fides to the party by supporting Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in proposing an amendment to slash Energy Secretary (and former Michigan Governor) Jennifer JAMES Granholm’s salary to $1, citing her past as a board member of a company in South Carolina. “The unrealistic, untimely, and unjust forced EV mandates she supports is building the Chinese middle-class on the backs of middle-class families in Michigan and so many other states across our country–it’s time for her to pay,” James said. “She failed in Michigan, and we can’t let her fail in America.” So it’s a surprise to hear that the far-right Michigan Patriots planned a protest rally at James’ district office in Warren on October 25 after James refused to support House Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan (R-OH) as House Speaker. “John James has left the House in chaos and weakened Republicans’ position, simply because he is loyal to lobbyists over his tax-paying constituents,” said Adam de Angeli, founder of the Rescue Michigan Coalition.

MORE THE MERRIER: One-term former Congressman Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids), who lost his bid for a second term in the 2022 Republican primary after voting in his early days in office to impeach former President Donald Trump (and Trump endorsed his opponent ), has announced he is joining an increasingly crowded Republican field to be the candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan in 2024. Meijer, an Iraq war veteran, is the grandson of the founder of the Meijer grocery store chain, so there shouldn’t be a problem with cash to run a race for a primary that now has seven – and counting – candidates, including former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Brighton and former Detroit Police Chief and failed gubernatorial candidate James Craig, among other less recognizable names. When Meijer ran for a second term, the cost of the race to the candidate committee was just over $3 million, one million of which he personally loaned the campaign. Meijer said he and his wife had prayed on his decision to join the race. “My family has taught me the value of hard work, Michigan values, and the importance of service.” Word is that Trump agreed not to make any disparaging statements against Meijer – if he wins the primary. Let’s see if he holds to his word. But the MAGA crowd isn’t likely to throw their support behind Meijer, with the Michigan Republican Party initially tweeting, “Peter Meijer voted to impeach President Trump.

Remember that,” before deleting it and blaming it on an intern. The National Republican Senatorial Committee said Meijer isn’t a viable candidate, and “the base would not be enthused in the general election.” Speaking of Craig, who

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EXIT STAGE RIGHT: Everyone but Bloomfield millionaire presidential candidate Perry Johnson saw the proverbial writing on the wall when he first announced that he would seek the GOP nomination to run for the nation’s top job. So it came as no surprise when he recently announced that he was pulling out of the race for the White House. After all, he failed three times to make the party cut for the debate stage, even after spending millions, much of his own money, to keep the campaign fires burning. According to the most recent federal election commission filing, Johnson’s campaign committee gathered $14.57 million in receipts. However, the report filing shows that $1.88 million of that total was a candidate JOHNSON contribution. Then there is a listing for a $12.5 million loan from the candidate to his own committee, something that he is likely never to see repaid, much like the nearly $7 million he loaned his committee when he tried running for governor in the last election. But that is not stopping Johnson from looking for another race to join. As pointed out by Oakland Confidential in late September, he is still talking about throwing his hat in the ring with the GOP members to run for the Stabenow’s U.S. Senate seat. One GOP insider said that the Johnson run for president was more of a vanity effort with the hoped-for end result being a position with the D.C.-based administration if a Republican wins in 2024, but we’re not sure how a run for the Senate fits into that scenario.

MAKE FRIENDS, NOT ENEMIES: The Israel/Hamas war has people lining up against one another across the country. Include in that camp U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Dearborn, Detroit, Southfield, Franklin, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms), who previously was known as a member of The Squad in Congress. Tlaib seems to court minefields like flies to rubbish.

After the Palestinian-American congresswoman verbally attacked Israel and voted against a resolution in support of Israel, she was censured on November 7 by the House of Representatives, a rare occurrence, 234-188, which included 22 Democrats – although none of her fellow Michigan Dems.

Michigan Republicans John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia); Bill TLAIB Huizenga (R-Holland) and Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) all voted to censure Tlaib. This after she had already survived another censure attempt a week earlier brought by of all fellow House members, MAGA queen Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). But she couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie. On November 4, she posted a video on X saying President Joe Biden’s support of Israel would cost him the election in 2024 and of supporting “genocide of the Palestinian people,” and showed protesters in Michigan yelling, “From the river to the sea,” a known Arab slogan referring to the eradication of Jews from Israel by driving them from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. After an uproar from fellow Democrats, with many from Michigan, including U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (DLansing), state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield, Bloomfield Township, Franklin) and Attorney General Dana Nessel, all of whom are Jewish, demanding she retract her post. Slotkin, like fellow Democrats Haley Stevens (D-Oakland County), Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and Dan Kildee (D-Flint) opposed Tlaib’s statements but noted “we all have the right to free speech,” Slotkin said after the censure. All of Michigan’s Republican state senators have called on Tlaib to resign, an unlikely occurrence. Since the 2022 redistricting, Tlaib represents significant Jewish population in the Oakland part of her district – much to their displeasure. Several politicos on both sides of the aisle confirm that a strong Democrat is being sought to primary Tlaib in 2024, although one acknowledged that in Dearborn and Detroit, Tlaib “is beloved.” A Democratic pro-Israel group, Democratic Majority for Israel, has begun running television ads in metro Detroit denouncing Tlaib’s votes against Israel. Mark Mellman, a president of Democratic Majority for Israel, and a Democratic pollster, said, “It’s important to us for people who live in the Detroit area to understand what her positions have been and just how out of step and radical her positions have been.”

WATCH YOUR BACK: Rashida Tlaib isn’t the only Democratic congressperson facing headwinds. It seems first term U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-most of Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, and part of Downriver and western Wayne County communities) enjoys campaigning, especially

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appearing in TV, ads, but not so much legislating. That’s according to reports from his former communications director Adam Abusalah. In a social media post, he said, “In my first meeting with Shri and another staffer (who also quit) he said ‘I don’t care about policies or legislation right now. I just need you to focus on my reelection.’” By law, office and campaign staff and work can’t mix. Abusalah also claimed that Thanedar was obsessed with the number of social media followers he had rather than helping constituents, and many have turned to Tlaib for assistance. According to Legistorm, Thanedar has the highest staff turnover of the Michigan delegation and the 14th THANEDAR highest staff turnover in Congress. Thanedar may turn out to be a one-term wonder if former state Senator Adam Hollier (D-Detroit) gets his wish. He has announced he will run against Thanedar in 2024, in a 2022 rematch. In 2022, following redistricting and the retirement of former Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) there were nine primary candidates, notably from the Black community, which many analysts felt split the African American vote, and Hollier HOLLIER came in second to Thanedar. Hollier is an Army Reserve Captain and since January, has served as director of Gov. Whitmer’s Michigan Veteran Affair’s Agency. Lawrence has already endorsed Hollier, along with a host of other notables, including former Gov. Jim Blanchard, state Senator Mallory McMorrow, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.

SPEED DIAL REPEAT: Poor Kristina Karamo. Despite the Michigan Republican Party voting her as their chairperson not even two years ago, they seem to persistently have a case of buyer’s remorse. The 2022 Republican Secretary of State candidate, who has yet to concede her loss despite being trounced (even with the former president’s anointment), can’t seem to raise money for her party or even hold a coalition together. A devout believer of a variety of conspiracy theories, members of the state GOP party committee are – once again – circulating a petition to replace her. Daniel Lawless, a committee member, has been emailing other committee members a removal petition, noting KARAMO they are “woefully behind” on fundraising and she had abandoned a campaign of transparency. Gee, he just noticed? While the goal of a state party is to raise big bucks for elections and get candidates elected, Karamo’s goal “is to save the country.” Hmm. That’s a lofty ambition.

Especially since they reportedly only have about $35,000 in the bank. A local Republican elected official confirmed the second petition effort, noting it has reached 50 percent of committee members, but per the state GOP, they need 75 percent to remove an official. Maybe a third time will be the charm.

THE WORM TURNS: The case of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel against 16 fake presidential electors, each facing eight felony charges for transmitting false documents in support of Donald Trump, just got a bit stronger as one defendant, James Renner, a 76-year-old retired police officer from Lansing, has agreed to cooperate with the investigation in return for felony charges being dropped. Some legal observers are speculating that there may be others from the pack of defendants who will follow suit rather than face fines and jail time if convicted, which is often times what takes place in cases such as this one. Not expected MADDOCK to flip are defendants Meshawn Maddock, of Milford, who was co-chair of the state GOP when the faux elector scheme was cooked up; Kathy Bergen, who was and still is the Michigan representative on the Republican National SHERIDAN Committee (RNC) and is considered a close confidant of RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel; and Marian Sheridan, of West Bloomfield, who is the grassroots vice chair of the state party, was one of the plaintiffs in the now dismissed lawsuit attempting to overturn the election returns when Trump lost and is a former member of the Oakland County Republican Party Executive Board.

The trio is considered the likely top targets of the investigation, given their roles in the Michigan GOP when the conspiracy to present fake electoral documents took place.

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Lisa Peers irmingham resident Lisa Peers became more focused on writing later in life, but she has always been creative. Her new romance novel, “Love at 350°,” published by The Dial Press (an imprint of Random House), combines love and baking with second chances for the perfect recipe. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, the Harvard graduate has an MFA from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where she and her partner lived with their son and had their two daughters before moving to Michigan in 2006.

“It was a family decision,” said Peers, who works in Detroit as a creative director for Jack Morton Worldwide, an international marketing agency. “My partner’s family is here and we’re all very happy with the decision.” Peers also acted professionally in San Francisco and produced TV and radio programs in Detroit.

She focused more on her writing when she came to Michigan. “During the pandemic, I decided to write about something really happy like the baking shows I was watching all the time,” said Peers, who didn’t have to look far for additional inspiration since she considers her partner, Dani, to be the world’s best cook.

Peers tried to get an agent for a previous book that was centered around a classic rock star, but she would eventually self-publish it instead. Still, that process led her to another local author, Tracy Gardner, who writes mystery and romance novels. “She really pushed me to submit my work to Hallmark Publishing during an open call for LGBTQ romance story lines. My proposal didn’t get picked up, but her agent became very interested and was able to sell it within three months,” said Peers.

She considers herself fortunate that her publisher looks for stories featuring protagonists who have not necessarily gotten their say. Not just queer characters, but plus-size heroines and women a little over 40 who are not always seen in romance novels.

Hers revolves around Tori, a high school chemistry teacher with a passion for baking and Kendra, a celebrity chef and judge for a TV baking competition.

The food theme seems to resonate with readers. “I think baking is something that unifies a lot of people and the competition makes it really accessible,” said Peers.

“The romance part shows that second chances are available later in life and we can still have fun.”

Her next story has a local spin. “I am planning for it to be centered in the Detroit Indie and garage rock scene. I love concerts and Detroit is such an amazing hub for all kinds of music,” she said.

In addition to the marketing that comes from her publisher, local author events and social media can be great outlets as well.

“A lot of readers are really loyal and try to find new people to read,” said Peers.

“They want people to tell their own stories and people are interested in these stories.

If they like you, they want everyone to know.”

Peers shared some advice for aspiring authors. “There is not one way to write a story or be a writer. Some people like outlines, some people find something interesting to write about. Some get up early and others like me have 15 minutes before I have to pick someone up,” she said. “Giving yourself that grace is what makes it important. Any work is good work.”

Lastly, she added: “Write about something you would want to take off the shelf and read. You are your own best audience. Find something you’re really connected with and have that guide you.”

B

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Chris Ward

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STARTING NOVEMBER 24TH, visitors can view magnificent, beautifully decorated trees & displays in restaurants and retail locations throughout downtown Birmingham and vote for their favorite tree by donating online at TheGreatDecorate.com through Dec. 31, 2023. 100% of these donations go directly to local foster teens to use toward their future when they turn 18.

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AT THE CROSSROADS RISING CASELOAD. RISING COMPLAINTS. AND NOW AN EXPANDED BUDGET. WILL MORE STAFFING SOLVE THIS?

BY STACY GITTLEMAN The Michigan Civil Rights Department is approaching a crossroad that will determine its success or failure to address complaints about its ability to handle the mounting number of cases that appear to take longer than expected.to resolve unlike when it was first established nearly 60 years ago.

It was in 1962 when delegates of the Michigan Constitutional Convention proposed the creation of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC), dedicated to safeguarding civil rights for the state’s most vulnerable populations. The framers of the MCRC viewed its role as so essential to state government that it was enshrined into the new Michigan State Constitution.

Voters approved the proposal the following year. By 1964, Michigan became the first state in the country to create such a commission dedicated to upholding civil rights. Its main mission was to become a government body to provide Michiganders a way to pursue reparations for civil rights violations committed against them outside the judicial system without the need for retaining an attorney. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) was established in 1965 to carry out the work of the commission. The passage of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) and the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act in 1976 further clarified the specific protections guaranteed under Michigan law.

But is the MDCR, as it stands today, robust enough to efficiently and nimbly fulfill the ambitions of the ElliottLarsen Civil Rights Act and other laws, bringing justice to

the thousands in the state who have filed complaints in recent years?

Currently, it seems like it is neither efficient nor nimble enough to meet the needs of those it is tasked with representing. But many working with the agency are hopeful that those needing remediation will see changes, due to a state audit which exposed massive flaws, as well as more funding in the next budget year.

In August 2023, the Michigan Office of the Auditor General released a stark study of the department. The audit had six major findings that show how the department has failed to process and investigate claims according to its benchmark of six months, properly assign a claimant to an investigator or respond to an appeal for a rejected claim, failed to develop a process to document and collect emailed complaints, failed to develop a process to document verbal intake interviews, and failed to remove access to the department’s information technology system for civil servants no longer employed with the department.

The audit examined 18 months of complaints from January 2021 through June 2022. During this time, MDCR completed 2,096 complaint investigations and had 2,405 ongoing investigations. The department completed eight percent of its cases within the allowable six-month timeframe, or 180 days. Another eight percent of the investigations completed during that time frame had taken more than three years.

According to the audit, in one sampling of 39 cases, the department failed to contact a complainant for an initial interview in five of those cases for between 141 to 529 days. It is the department’s goal to contact each person who submits a claim within five days – but the average wait in those 39 cases was 19 days.

The audit also found the department lacked a needed review by management for some of its assignment and denial decisions at the front end of the complaint process. Of the 54 complaints sampled, 17 assignment decisions, or 31 percent, lacked management approval; 15 of those 17 were denials.

In five investigations, MDCR investigators did not attempt to contact the claimant for an initial interview between 141 and 529 days after being assigned the complaint. For the remaining 34 sampled investigations, MDCR investigators attempted initial contact with the claimant, on average, in 19 days. MDCR policy establishes a five-day goal for this step in the claims intake process.

In 17 investigations, long periods lapsed with no evidence that MDCR staff were actively investigating the complaint. These lapses in communication ranged from two to 17 months.

According to the audit, nearly 85 percent of ongoing investigations of alleged civil rights violations had been open for more than six months. The department sets a six-month goal of completing investigations for claimants, but for the majority, their cases were open for 18 months after initially filing. This means that fulfilling any closure on alleged civil rights violations through the department was not possible for most claims.

A

ccording to interviews, a large part of the department’s failures lies in the fact that for decades it has been chronically underfunded.

Observers of the department’s activities are cautiously optimistic that a bump in money in the fiscal year 2024 state budget may mean new hope for thousands of Michiganders waiting to have their civil rights claims investigated.

The person who requested this audit was none other than Michigan Department of Civil Rights Executive Director John Johnson Jr., a member of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet.

Appointed in 2021, Johnson oversees a current FY 2023 budget of $14 million, with offices in Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Detroit.

“I requested first a preliminary audit and then a full audit when I came to the job,” Johnson said, pointing to his 40 years of managerial experience at posts such as United Auto Workers Legal Services Plans and Wayne County Legal Services. “Any good manager must know what you're dealing with to be effective.”

First, he tackled the most glaring problem: how incoming complaints are documented, managed and supervised. He combined what were once two separate working groups of civil rights attorneys and investigators so the attorneys could serve as direct overseers to create better communication and to more quickly determine which complaints qualify for a full investigation. That division, currently staffed with 36 investigators, is run by Marcelino Trevino, who has worked as a reconsideration attorney for the MDCR for 13 years.

According to the 2023 annual report by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, in FY 2022 the department’s Enforcement Division closed 1,299 complaints of discrimination and secured $566,162.58 in settlements for claimants. In 2022, the majority of complaints MDCR received were in the area of employment (49.6 percent), followed by public accommodation/public service (23.4 percent), housing (17.3 percent), education (5.4 percent), and law enforcement (4.3 percent).

In comparison, in FY 2021 the MDCR closed 1,374 complaints and secured $1,669,048 in settlements.

Johnson said investigators come from a variety of backgrounds.

Many have held previous positions in other areas of state

government, such as the Department of Health and Human Services or Child Protective Services. New investigators begin their job with intensive training on the Elliott-Larsen Act. With attorneys and investigators now joined in one division the attorneys are in more direct contact and communication with investigators and they are expected to provide investigators with legal guidance related to the complaints they are investigating.

Depending on their experience, Johnson said an investigator can handle between 85 and 100 cases per year. Johnson said he does not have statistics on how many cases each investigator closes per year.

To increase the workforce from 29 to 36 investigators, Johnson said he accomplished this by receiving a one-time infusion of $3.1 million for FY 2023. For 2024, the MDCR will receive an additional $8.8 million in the budget for ongoing money which will allow for the hiring of more permanent employees. By the end of 2024, he expects to have about 55 full-time investigators working on cases.

For a complaint to qualify for an investigation, Johnson said a case of alleged discrimination must fall within the parameters of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, height, weight and arrest record. Claimants may face discrimination in employment, education, housing, public accommodation, public service or law enforcement.

What disqualifies a complaint from being investigated? Johnson said it is a matter of timelines and time-bound jurisdictions. For a complaint to be considered for investigation, it needs to be filed with the MDCR within 180 days of an incident, as outlined within the Elliott-Larsen Act. Other complaints, if they center on employment discrimination, can be filed up to 300 days with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). If an investigator feels that an employment discrimination-related complaint has expired after the allowable 180 days, Johnson said the person, with the assistance of the MDCR, can have their complaint transferred to the EEOC. "Another reason why the intake of complaints has increased is that in the past, to file a complaint, a person had to get that complaint notarized,” Johnson said. “But now, people can file their complaint online or over the phone, so that barrier has been removed this year. For us, this is sort of sort of a self-inflicted wound but necessary to be able to really accommodate the public and take away a tremendous barrier to people being able to file a complaint.”

In another boost to the potency of the department, Johnson said that there is now more money in the budget for mediation, although the department could not define an exact amount. “With this funding, we are going to move more cases through mediation rather than investigation,” said Johnson. “We are always striving for reconciliation between parties, to get them together and get a matter resolved. This helps us avoid a long-drawn-out investigation and can produce quicker results.”

Johnson is hopeful about the increased budget for the department for the next fiscal year. The FY 2024 budget was passed to continue $5.7 million in funding for the department's complaint investigation and enforcement arm so it can reduce the backlog of discrimination cases and complete investigations promptly.

The approved FY 2024 budget also includes an ongoing $1.6 million to address complaints that occur when policies, practices, rules or other systems result in a disproportionate impact against jurisdictional protected bases. The budget increase also enables the department to hire additional higher-level special investigators to handle more complicated cases that will require more time to investigate.

“The way that the department has been chronically underfunded, we absolutely could not keep up with the backlog of cases,” Johnson said. “We have been trying to operate at a budget that stagnated at (an average of) $14.9 million. And meanwhile, inflation has ravaged

that budget with the costs of everything from employee salaries to operations continuing to rise. We have been allocated the smallest budget in the state, but it is mandated in the state constitution for us to take in complaints from across the state no matter who they come from, and wherever they come under all those protected classes, and all those issues in which we wish people have been separate from discrimination. And we can't turn the tap off.”

Johnson recalled his years working at UAW Legal Aid and fielding complaints from auto workers. There came a point that the volume of intake calls was so great, that periodically, they would have to put a cap on them.

“At those places, when we were so flooded with complaints, we would have to say we are shutting down for a week or two until we could regroup and get reoriented,” explained Johnson. “But at the Civil Rights Department, we just can’t do that here. As a result, our intake staff has had to weather a large amount of complaints that has only mushroomed in recent years, especially since the end of the pandemic. Monthly complaints in the past two years have increased from 500 to 634.”

Johnson said that as the pandemic has waned, the outreach and education arm of the department has visited vulnerable communities to hold educational summits on civil rights in addition to the Conference against Hate held last September. These outreach efforts have also attributed to an increase in complaints once people understand their rights. The department is also reaching thousands more people through programs on intersectionality as well as a conference emphasizing how discrimination, especially housing discrimination, negatively impacts one’s health.

“We consider housing discrimination a healthcare issue,” Johnson said. “Access to fair, affordable housing is crucial to the well-being of every vulnerable sector in the population, from people of color to those in the LGBTQ community, and will be a major focus for us in the months to come.”

Another community public hearing initiative, which kicked off in November in Detroit, will give voice to those who have experienced discrimination in buying, renting or obtaining financing to purchase a home. Subsequent public hearings on the topic will be held in February, March, and April 2024, across the state leading up to the June 12 Civil Rights Summit on Housing in Detroit.

In its most recent high-profile case, the MDCR in 2022 investigated the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) on four formal charges of discrimination, more than the department has ever filed against an individual law enforcement agency.

MDCR’s investigation found that the GRPD unlawfully discriminated against the claimants, which included a woman and her minor daughter, by treating them unequally based on race during a traffic stop for an expired license plate, pointing weapons at an 11year-old Black girl as she exited a house and placed her in handcuffs in a police cruiser, and in another incident from 2018, officers of the GRPD held three 11-year-old boys at gunpoint when they responded to a 911 call that the boys were armed with weapons. The boys, who were compliant with the officers, were walking with what appeared to be a toy gun. Despite their compliance, the boys were held at gunpoint by multiple officers, including one using a high-powered rifle. They were searched, handcuffed and questioned for approximately 20 minutes before being released to a grandparent who was called to the scene by a concerned witness.

As of December 2022, in addition to the four complaints that have led to formal charges, MDCR is investigating another 23 complaints of discrimination against the GRPD. In other areas of funding, in 2023, Gov. Whitmer gave the department a one-time appropriation of $500 million to investigate Michigan’s under-reported history around indigenous boarding schools. The findings of a statewide study of Native American

boarding schools in Michigan will be released in a report by the MDCR by January 30, 2024.

This influx of funding for the MDCR did not come without a fight.

In April 2023, The Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School released a jointly signed letter with several civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, the ACLU and Arab American Civil Rights to the Michigan House Appropriations Committee as state legislators worked to finalize the FY 2024 budget. The letter underlined the details of just how much the MDCR had been chronically underfunded, how this is a violation of the state’s Constitution, and how this underfunding curtails the pursuit of justice.

The letter put a special emphasis on housing, employment, and education discrimination. The letter stated: “Since 2015, the Department’s annual appropriation–excluding one-time appropriations – have fallen 18 percent when adjusted for inflation, despite a 22 percent increase in annual complaints through FY 2022.

Thus, due to inadequate funding, the MDCR is unable to effectively investigate civil rights complaints, resulting in an ongoing backlog of housing, employment, law enforcement, public accommodation, and education cases.”

It continued: “To be sure, these deficiencies do not reflect a failure of the MDCR, its leadership, or its hard-working staff, but a failure of the Michigan legislature to fulfill its constitutional obligations.”

“We placed the blame squarely on the legislature,” explained Michael Steinberg, director of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative, which serves as a law clinic for law students to work on civil rights cases on behalf of vulnerable communities who could otherwise not afford legal services. In Ann Arbor, the work largely falls under housing discrimination cases. “The number of complaints or violations of civil rights against employers, landlords or other public accommodations has increased exponentially. Funding for the (MDCR) since (Gov. John Engler’s administration from 1991-2002) has fallen, especially when adjusted for inflation. We wanted to point out that the legislature was abdicating its responsibility to the Michigan Constitution. Our state constitution is unique because the Michigan Civil Rights Department and the Civil Rights Commission are constitutional entities.”

S

teinberg emphasized that the drafters of the state constitution felt so strongly about civil rights that they codified it into the state constitution. They did not want a situation to arise where the legislature would fail to fund it through annual appropriations, therefore rendering it useless, he added.

Steinberg said the signatories of the letter were prepared to file a lawsuit against the state legislature if it did not fulfill its constitutional duties to properly fund the MDCR. However, there was a glimmer of hope with the infusion of $10 million into the department’s budget, Steinberg said.

"That's a significant increase. We hope that that will be enough to allow them to build its staff, to efficiently conduct investigations to bring the lawsuits and settlements to the people as it was designed to do. I have a lot of faith in John Johnson, but it's going to take some time because they're in such a hole. Hopefully, over the next year, we will see the department doing what it was created to do: to investigate and remedy violations of civil rights outside of the court system.”

In recent years Steinberg said the clinic has handled many housing discrimination cases. Under the Elliott-Larsen Act, housing cannot be denied to a person on a lease application based upon race, religion or ethnicity. Those who feel their housing rights have been violated can either retain a private attorney or file a complaint with

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the MDCR. But, Steinberg cautions, under the current backlog of cases, they may be waiting a while to have their case investigated.

Also, those suspecting housing discrimination may find support within the language of local municipal housing ordinances. Such is a case that Steinberg’s department filed against an apartment complex in Ann Arbor.

“For example, Ann Arbor has an ordinance saying it is illegal to discriminate against tenants who can pay their rent with Section Eight vouchers,” explained Steinberg. “We are representing a client whose landlord refused to rent to them because this is how they were planning to pay rent, and that is illegal. So, we have brought the first private cause of action under that provision. We also are representing a single mother who wanted to move into an apartment complex with lots of student renters. The landlord turned down her application, reasoning that it would be an inappropriate housing arrangement for young children. That’s also illegal.”

The initiative also sends “testers” on apartment hunts. That means that White testers are sent to fill out an application to rent apartments at properties where a landlord is suspected of racial discrimination. They complete the application for the same apartment reporting identical incomes as the applicant of color.

“For some reason, those same apartments that were not available to potential renters of color suddenly became available. In that way, we uncover which landlords are violating a potential renter’s civil rights based on race.”

Racial discrimination also denies Black students the right to a safe equitable education. And in the fleeting years of high school, Steinberg said justice delayed is justice denied.

In 2020, Steinberg said the Civil Rights Initiative filed a complaint with the MDCR on behalf of a Black student, an aspiring dental assistant at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, under the charges that she and other Black students faced a racially hostile environment there.

“It had been three years after filing the complaint with the department and she already graduated. Three years have gone by, and the MDCR still has not finished their investigation. So, although this young woman is moving on with her life and wants to put her high school years behind her, there is still a potentially hostile environment going on towards Black students at Pioneer High School that has yet to be investigated.”

P

eter Hammer is the director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. Hammer said over the decades, WSU Law School has had a constructive relationship with the MDCR and the MCRC. Hammer has appeared before the commission several times to give testimony or advice, including the Flint Water Crisis hearings. He described the hearings as one of the most authoritative legal assessments of the implications of the Flint Water Crisis and the emergency management that ensued.

After reviewing the audit, Hammer made two key observations.

Most notably, he said it was glaringly obvious that the department has been “historically” underfunded.

“You cannot aggressively enforce civil rights if you're not willing to pay the cost,” said Hammer. “The department has had to scramble for a lot of grants, which means that it's often rushing to do things like fundraising, which is not part of its core mission. The department cannot be fixed until the state legislature and the governor appropriates more funds.”

Secondly, Hammer said the department is woefully lacking in efficient administrative practices.

“They've gotten pretty slack in a lot of their administrative processes,” Hammer said. “There seems to be the need for some

important cleaning up, including professionalizing and streamlining its investigative systems, including some basic protocol, like who has access to what information, how information is retained and documented and reported.”

Hammer admitted that he has never gone through the hoops of filing a claim with the department so he never personally experienced the snags as others have. But on hearing that some who requested to see the vetting process of what qualifies as a valid complaint were required to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) document, Hammer said as a government and public entity, transparency is essential.

“Just as a matter of principle, people who make complaints should be treated well and should have contemporary knowledge of the status of that complaint and should have their questions answered,” he said. “I would be sympathetic to the person who just wanted to have some transparency on the most basic processes such as: what kinds of things it investigates; how it processes a complaint; and what are the decision points and thresholds for a complaint to go to a more formal level of investigation.”

He continued: “I would ask: ‘What does the general public need to know, so Michigan citizens can make informed decisions about whether and how to proceed with filing a civil rights complaint?’”

When considering the latest trends in progress for civil rights, Hammer said that rights for the LGBT community have lagged for decades but are finally seeing some light.

On March 16, 2023, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

“There was a time when we had a same-sex marriage ban here that was more aggressive than any other state. Now, we have made strides and progress with the ELCRA to address sexual orientation and gender identity,” Hammer noted.

To this, he gives great credit to the Michigan Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, of which Hammer said he has been a longtime member of its board. He also tips his hat to the ACLU for advancing voting rights in the state, especially in lieu of the most recent elections.

“In the last couple of election cycles, the voters of Michigan have stated their (voting access) preferences,” explained Hammer. “They want to make it easier to vote and protect voting rights. The current legislature is trying to make sure that all the necessary infrastructure is in place to make those rights actionable. In the last six years, there has been substantial progress. A lot of people outside the state are looking to Michigan as an example of how to protect democracy and get voter rights enshrined into the state Constitution. I think there's a lot of reasons why Michiganders should be proud of their current civil rights, enforcement, and protections.”

In private practice since 2018, Elizabeth Kahm Abdnour is an attorney whose expertise includes special education, school discipline, Title IX, civil rights, disability, employment, and sexual and domestic violence. Before opening her practice, she worked as a Title IX investigator at Michigan State University. Abdnour said she was suspended and ultimately fired for refusing to follow orders from a supervisor she believed acted unethically amid the scandal involving disgraced former Michigan State sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar.

Put to the question of whether or not the MDCR is falling down on the job in keeping up with the ambitions of the Elliott-Larsen Act, Abdnour put it succinctly.

“In a nutshell – yes. I think it’s absolutely correct in that the department is bombarded with complaints,” Abdnour said. “So, pertaining to the recent audit, I am not surprised about the statistic of the number of complaints that they receive that go uninvestigated.

As an attorney, I get an intake of complaints of people wanting to

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sue someone because of what was said to them or posted about them on social media. On the MDCR website, there is a form where people can lodge a complaint so it does not surprise me that the department is getting flooded with complaints that their staff cannot keep up.”

Sharing her own anecdote about the department, Abdnour, observed that there are always job openings listed on the department’s website, and she once applied for a job there back in 2018.

“I am an experienced lawyer at this point,” Abdnour said. “I had just finished three years of working as a Title IX investigator at Michigan State University, so I was highly qualified. I went in for an interview and they gave me some weird tests to take online. And then, I never heard from them again. I am assuming I did not get the job, but they keep posting openings for the same position. So just from there, you can see that that hiring process is extremely unorganized.”

R

enowned as one of the country’s leading civil rights attorneys, Deborah Gordon’s career arc has followed the MDCR from its earliest years. She began clerking for former Attorney General Frank Joseph Kelley in 1973 as one of the few women in her law school graduating class at the University of Detroit-Mercy. Now, her Bloomfield Hillsbased firm is rated one of the best civil rights firms in the country by U.S. News & World Report. She and her staff have won millions for their clients.

When she started practicing law, sexual harassment and sexual job discrimination had yet to be defined as illegal behavior. She remembers a time when job listings in the Detroit Free Press were segregated by gender. There were laws allowing for a man to take leave from his job if he had surgery yet none existed for covering pregnancy or maternity leave. Slowly, laws for equal pay, job discrimination based on sex, and laws against sexual harassment came on the scene.

“Civil rights in Michigan have really evolved since the earliest days when it was designed to allow women an equal opportunity to get a job,” Gordon said. “But very quickly, laws evolved and extended to cover pregnancy discrimination. Then, sexual harassment law moved to the forefront.”

As one of the few women attorneys practicing in the 1970s, Gordon said she did not get a sense that she was being discriminated in Kelley’s office or in private practice. But in court, she said it was tough to contest cases before an all-White, all-male bench. Gordon said, with determination, she kept “chugging along” as a female trial lawyer.

“Whether you were in Wayne County Circuit Court or federal court, it was an all-male, White bench with few exceptions,” recalled Gordon, “Over the years, I talked to many women lawyers who felt they were not given the same consideration in arguments by some of these judges. Now, though, I think more women are enrolled in law school than men.”

Gordon said as the decades have gone by, large corporations and organizations are very cognizant of race discrimination in the workplace, save for a few police departments and companies such as some auto dealerships that remain “bastions of male White employment.”

“In general, corporate America has long been put on trial for race discrimination,” Gordon said. “I still continually bring race discrimination cases to trial, but it's not as frequent as it was before.

Similarly, I am not seeing as many gender discrimination cases on issues like failure to promote. This has all changed because corporate America seems very interested in embracing diversity and equity.”

What has remained a constant in her practice are the intake of sexual harassment cases.

“There’s a lot of men out there that think the memo (on not sexually harassing women in the workplace) never really applied to them. I continue to hear outrageous conduct happening in the workplace.”

Gordon said that many employees may not even know what their rights are when it comes to sexual harassment at work. It just may be some vague language buried in a human resources manual.

A high-profile win for Gordon was in 2003 for her client Lisa Kesner, a stewardess who was harassed by members of the Detroit Tigers while working during a flight on a private chartered jet in 2001. But not all sexual harassment cases are as obvious as the case of Kesner vs. Olympia Aviation and Ilitch Enterprises, where she was completely subjected to an inescapable “boys club” flight and subjected to overtly sexual conversations. Gordon obtained a $200,000 verdict for Kesner.

“The case against the Tigers was a classic example, but there are plenty of other examples in our day-to-day work world which blur the lines between what is personal time and what is work time, especially with the prevalence of cell phones,” Gordon explained.

“Suppose a woman continually gets texts from her male supervisor.

At 10 p.m., you get a text from him saying he is just texting to say ‘hello.’ Maybe it’s about work, but maybe it’s not. As a conscientious worker wanting to please one’s supervisor, do you accept texts like that from a supervisor late at night? The lines are completely blurred.”

She continued: “This is something that I'm seeing a lot.

Sometimes sexual advancements in the workplace begin with a text.

And then these casual texts lead to more invitations and overtures.

And then women find themselves in an awkward position with their male supervisor and wonder ‘What do I do now? If I file a complaint with my human resources department, will it hurt me when it comes time for my annual review?'”

Echoing Gordon’s sentiments on the difficulty of successfully pursuing a sexual harassment lawsuit against an employer is A. Vince Colella, a civil rights attorney and founding partner at Moss & Colella in Southfield. He believes employment laws are set up to protect the employer and not the employee.

The first step in the process if one believes they were the target of sexual harassment is that the employee must first report a complaint with their employer.

“This is a prohibitive factor because most people do not want to lose their jobs,” said Colella. “Most people don't want to be viewed as a problem employee or someone who's being overly sensitive to things that others consider playful work banter.”

In other cases of employment discrimination cases, it can be a long wait to get a case heard and few are willing to risk losing their jobs or wait for justice while on unemployment.

“In terms of the MDCR, the department is slow to respond and investigate cases of discrimination at the workplace,” Colella explained. “It can take from six months to a year before an investigation begins and is completed. If an investigation is finally conducted, the (MDCR investigators) are not very thorough.

Sometimes, a year or even 18 months can pass after an employment termination before a complainant receives their right-to-sue letter. At that point, they have lost time, money, and the path to litigation can be two to three years after that phase.”

One example of a case Colella is still pursuing is a pregnancy discrimination case that dates back to September 2021.

“The case had taken so long to get an investigation underway that I got the MDCR to put the case into mediation protocol. But the mediation was completely worthless. We sat around for another six months waiting for a right-to-sue letter. Between contacting the

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Department of Commerce and EEOC, I couldn't get a single person on the phone to tell me the status of the right-to-sue letter. I have emails and calls to both agencies for months and could not get a call back and could not get a letter.”

Colella recalled that 20 years ago, he could confidently hand a client’s case over to the MDCR and be assured of a thorough and thoroughly documented investigation. When that investigation was complete, an attorney could ask for not only the right-to-sue letter but copies of all the documents associated with the investigation.

He explained: “This is vital to attorneys who may want to further investigate a variety of cases from civil rights to personal injury. But now, with the backlog of cases, if an attorney files a case for a client employee against their employer, it leaves that attorney flying blind.

“To build a case this way, I'm relying solely upon the documents that my client has gathered, the statements that my client has made to me, and perhaps a rogue employee who's no longer (employed at the company in question),” he continued. “Without the backing investigation and access to all those documents and witnesses when filing through the Department of Civil Rights, without that government investigation, the employers hold all the cards from an evidentiary standpoint until you file your lawsuit. You are solely relying on the credibility of your client and the limited information they can provide. That’s where we as attorneys are hamstrung in employment discrimination cases.”

While he has reviewed the FY 2024 budget and the money that will be going to the MDCR, he is not encouraged that it can help much.

“Receiving $10 million in funding and allocating the hiring of a few dozen employees when they have a backlog of about 2,300 cases is sort of ridiculous,” said Colella. “And within those hires, I hope they are highly qualified and have law backgrounds to properly and thoroughly conduct investigations. If you are an investigator and are not steeped in civil rights law, you won’t even know what to look for during an investigation.”

When asked about delays in attaining right-to-sue letters, MDCR’s Johnson clarified that it is not the MDCR but the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission that issues letters to sue to complainants.

“The EEOC is the agency that issues letters that allow an individual the right to sue,” Johnson explained. “Our (response to those filing a complaint) is more of an administrative process. We respond not on behalf of (private) attorneys, but as prosecutors for the state of Michigan on behalf of the people. I know that there have been instances of people not getting timely responses for the complaints they have filed, and to that we have no excuse. As an attorney, I know that not responding is a main complaint that people have and I know how sensitive people can be.”

Another large area of cases for the MDCR comes from possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. State Senator Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Novi, Northville, Orchard Lake Village, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Commerce Township, Plymouth, Walled Lake), who sits on the budget appropriations committee for the Civil Rights Department, explained that her elderly and disabled constituents have been giving her eye-opening lessons about the accessibility barriers they face in the state.

Shortly after she was re-elected in 2023, she met some constituents in a senior community center. Surrounded by people in wheelchairs, she was told that something as simple as crossing the street can be a barrier to civil rights when curbs are not set low enough for a wheelchair to approach or crosswalk buttons are placed out of their reach. Bayer said the backlog in cases at the MDCR, and the inability for some to be able to afford their own lawyer, had many discouraged.

“People had just given up in trying to get anything accomplished (in terms of accessibility rights),” she said. “Abusers of civil rights

have been emboldened because they figured they could get away with violations because there has been lackluster enforcement. We on the Appropriations Committee allocated significant funding to the MDCR to increase their staff to handle the backlog of cases. You cannot blame the staff who are already there, because there were just not enough people to do the work.”

B

ayer continued: “Civil rights is about accessibility for people with disabilities and mobility issues, and accessibility is just atrocious in Michigan. That visit to the senior center really made me pay attention. And because it’s been so long since we have properly funded the MDCR, there has been little enforcement of laws protecting people with disabilities.”

At Affirmations, the state’s largest center and resource for LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy, there is hopefulness on the horizon now that the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act includes protections for those with diverse sexual and gender identities combined with extra funding for the MDCR. Affirmations Executive Director Dave Garcia said the self-imposed audit helped the department clarify where its weaknesses lurked.

“Between changes to Elliott-Larsen, the audit, and next year’s increased budget, I'm actually optimistic,” said Garcia. “For the first time in a long time, the MDCR is finally getting an investment so that they can hire more people for investigation, education and outreach. When you do more outreach, that's going to make the numbers (of cases) rise once people understand their rights. I can only speak for the queer community, who face lots of discrimination when trying to rent an apartment. But the more education that we have in how this process works, the better.”

Garcia added that Affirmations with the MDCR in the first quarter of 2024 is planning information sessions about housing and employment discrimination and how to file a complaint with the department.

Michigan has long had a reputation for being behind when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. According to a 2019 study from the Williams Institute of Law at the University of California -Los Angeles, at the time, 311,000 LGBT adults and 61,000 LGBT youth were at risk of discrimination and harassment because the Elliott-Larsen Act lacked language protecting sexual and gender identity.

The study included data from other studies, including a 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey report that revealed 22 percent of transgender respondents from Michigan experienced harassment or mistreatment on the job in the past year, and 27 percent reported being fired, being denied a promotion, or not being hired for a job they applied for in the past year because of their gender identity or expression. In addition, one-quarter of respondents from Michigan said that they had experienced some form of housing discrimination in the past year, and nearly one-third of respondents said they had been discriminated against or harassed at a place of public accommodation in the past year.

“Affirmation’s responsibility is to educate our community about how to file civil rights complaints, and then we need to have the confidence that there will be follow up once they’ve been filed,” said Garcia. “When the department’s budget was consistently cut over the years, we understand that follow up is very difficult, and so I wasn't surprised to see the results of the audit, and nor was the current leadership at the department. It shows courage on their part.

“The MDCR has been a longtime ally of the queer community, even when we didn't have the protections under the state civil rights act,” Garcia said. “Obviously, many of us have been around a while and fighting to amend the Elliott-Larsen Act for 50 years. And so that's huge news for our community now that it's finally amended.”

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FACES

Ruth Holmes uth Holmes has done forensic work as an expert document and handwriting examiner for nearly 40 years, and like her namesake, the fictional Sherlock Holmes, she is known for her powers of observation and reasoning, solving legal mysteries both locally and on an international level. Having appeared on CBS News, Discovery, CNBC, BBC, Canada AM, Court TV and Dateline/NBC, Holmes is known as a ”sage of signatures and sentences,” using handwriting to shine a light on wrongdoings like fraud, forgery, bomb threats and murder. It’s been a storied career that utilizes her innate talents of communication and research, making it the perfect fit for her.

As a Certified Document Examiner (C.D. E.), Holmes is founder of forensic and personnel consulting firm, Pentec, Inc., advising individual, legal and corporate clients in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Located in Bloomfield Hills, Pentec works frequently for human resource divisions – as in the 100 employee profiles she evaluated for a local hotel that was opening. Other client cases are financial institutions, police departments and manufacturers, where she uses her expertise to examine documents and signatures on checks, contracts, wills, deeds and medical records, as well as assessing threatening letters like the one from a bomb threat case she’s currently working on. Holmes acts as a jury consultant with some of the leading attorneys in the country as a court qualified expert witness in federal, state and local courts.

Working primarily in forensic document examination, assisting on high profile cases comes with the territory for the Bloomfield Hills resident and mother of two.

She consulted on a murder trial seen on the television show Forensic Files II, called “Personal Penmanship,” about a Lake Orion woman.

“A big break in the case was the detectives found a handwritten note that helped to determine the outcome of the case,” Holmes said. “I also worked on five different trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, assisting in jury selection and was a consultant on three of the movies about him, including ‘You Don’t Know Jack,” with Al Pacino.”

And what does Holmes say the legendary doctor’s signature said about him?

“Kevorkian’s handwriting showed he was brilliant, mentally gymnastic and creative, and his disconnected letters are called 'print script,' something done when a person’s mind is moving faster than his hands can keep up.

“It’s important to note that while aspects of handwriting examination can be entertaining, we use full scientific methods in drawing a scientific conclusions when we take on a case,” explained Holmes. “Handwriting doesn’t take a side, and we evaluate if it’s genuine by specific elements like tremor, change of writing direction, speed, inaccurate letter forms and even ink blobs. Another important fact is that a forged document won’t ever be notarized.”

The future doesn’t have Holmes slowing down any time soon. She’s been a member of local women’s leadership groups such as Women’s Official Network and National Association of Women Business Owners.

“Also, National Handwriting Day is January 23, in honor of John Hancock’s birthday, and I’m passionate about bringing back the teaching of cursive writing in our schools,” she laments. “The omission of cursive has so many detrimental effects, involving brain function, language, learning and communication skills.

Thankfully, a bill to adopt curriculums for cursive writing passed overwhelmingly in the Michigan House of Representatives recently, now it’s hoped the option will pass in the Senate. After all, John Hancock’s legendary signature on our country’s Declaration of Independence is in cursive and it would be a shame if young people in the future aren’t able to read it.”

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MUNICIPAL City planners turn down TCH expansion

By Lisa Brody

A request by The Community House of Birmingham to change its zoning classification in anticipation of an expansion and redevelopment of the 100-year old non-profit was unanimously denied by the Birmingham Planning Board at its meeting on Wednesday, October 25.

The Community House, 380 S. Bates Street, is located west of Shain Park, south of the Baldwin Public Library, and is bound by W. Merrill, S. Bates, Townsend, and S. Chester streets. It is currently zoned R-7, and The Community House was seeking a rezoning classification to extend the community (C) overlay zoning district across the entire “L” shaped parcel, which is wholly owned by The Community House. The “L” shaped portion is currently undeveloped, but the business would like to expand and redevelop the site as a three-story building and include squash courts, a fitness center and locker rooms, among other uses.

Planning director Nick Dupuis said a rezoning request comes with certain requirements, including why rezoning is necessary for enjoyment of the property. He said they cited the new 2040 Master Plan, which they said does away with the R-7 zoning classification, “and they want to be in business for another 100 years.” He said they also stated that everything around them is community-oriented, and their expansion would enhance the city rather than being a detriment.

Dupuis noted that surrounding The Community House to the northeast is primarily public property, and to the west and east is multifamily, while to the north and east is commercial development and public spaces. He did note that other than Baldwin Library renovations and an upcoming five-story addition to the old post office on Martin Street, the area has been stagnant for development in the last 20 years.

Victor Saroki, architect for the proposed project, noted that “many months ago we were before you for a pre-application site plan,” and they have revised based on input. It originally was a four-story building.

They also met and worked with adjacent neighbors and stakeholders.

“The Community House has a mission to serve the community which The Community still serves, but the needs of the community have changed.”

Attorney Rick Rattner said, “It downtownpublications.com

Library tax renewal vote in February

By Lisa Brody

loomfield Township Public Library Director Tera Moon came before the township board of trustees on Monday, November 13, to discuss a library millage renewal proposal for the February presidential primary ballot.

Moon, along with library board president Dani Gilman, explained this millage is one of three library millages. It is a renewal of a millage first approved in 2014 for a 10-year period at the rate of .5047 mills. “The rate was a Headlee restoration and an increase to bring the library to two full mills as allowed by law,” Gilman explained, noting that this December will be the last payment for the existing millage.

Moon said the renewal request will keep the millage at the same rate of .5047 mills for another 10-year period, 2024-2033, inclusive. Moon said it is estimated that this millage will raise $2.5 million in 2024, which amounts to 27 percent of the library's total revenues.

“Losing that revenue would require significant cuts to current library services and would make it difficult to accomplish the goals of our strategic plan, including refurbishing spaces throughout the library,” Moon said.

Moon and Gilman both emphasized the important role the library plays in the community, with a collection of more than 300,000 items.

“The library serves a unique role in the Bloomfield Township community. Not only is it a place where residents can access a collection of over 300,000 books, movies, CDs, and more, it is also a place where families can attend free, high-quality entertainment and educational programs. It is the one spot in the community where residents of all ages can study, work, and connect with one another in a safe, welcoming environment,” Moon said. “Residents flock to the library during widespread power outages, and now the library serves as an early voting site. During the April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023 fiscal year alone, more than 191,000 people visited the library, approximately 615,000 items were checked out, and the library held 618 programs, which more than 16,000 people enjoyed.”

“It is truly a community center,” said Gilman.

The millage renewal proposal, to be placed on the Tuesday, February 27, ballot, reads: “Shall the Charter Township of Bloomfield, Oakland County, Michigan, be authorized to levy a renewal of the previously voted increase in the tax limitation, which expires in 2023, in an amount not to exceed .5047 mill ($0.5047 on each $1,000 of taxable value), against all taxable property within the Township for a period of ten (10) years, 2024 to 2033 inclusive, for the purpose of operating, maintaining, and equipping the Bloomfield Township Public Library and for all other library purposes authorized by law? The estimate of the revenue the Township will collect in the first year of levy (2024) if the millage is approved is approximately $2,500,000. The revenue from this millage levy will be disbursed to the Bloomfield Township Public Library.”

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provides for a renovation that is modern yet fits in with all of the existing buildings.”

Planning board chairman Scott Clein cautioned that board members are legally not allowed to look at the proposed site plan, which was in the packet, as they approve or disapprove of a rezoning.

In response to a question, Dupuis said the entire rest of the property is zoned R-7, which permits community center development.

“I'm not persuaded a rezoning is necessary to preserve the property

owner's right,” said board member Daniel Share.

“What is missing for me, and I've been involved with designing community centers, there are pro formas,” said board member Bert Koseck. “These are the people we've served historically, what you do today, what does not work, these are the people we need to serve in the future.

I haven't seen this. The debate is – you can do philanthropic things in the R-7 classification, and why does that not meet your needs?”

“With regards to this, I don't think

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the burden of proof has been shown and why the R-7 zoning does not work for them any longer,” Clein said. “The objectives of the 2016 Plan was to be a civic use. In my opinion the current zoning already meets the planning criteria… The Birmingham 2040 Plan does not talk about zoning at all.”

“It does not allow us to raise the type of revenue we need to continue,” responded Bill Seklar, CEO of The Community House.

Board members voted 7-0 to recommend to deny to the city commission rezoning the property. If requested by The Community House, it will go to the city commission for them to consider.

City leases parking spots to Daxton Hotel

By Grace Lovins

The Daxton Hotel, 298 S. Old Woodward, was unanimously approved to lease four parking spaces from Birmingham after city commissioners approved a lease agreement during the meeting on Monday, November 13.

City attorney Mary Kucharek explained that the company that owns and operated the hotel, Woodward Brown, wanted to enter a lease agreement with the city to accommodate their valet parking zone. The agreement provides Daxton with four parking spaces in the public right-of-way.

According to Kucharek, the city and the Daxton Hotel entered an agreement in January of 2021 that created a public valet parking system at the Daxton. At that point, the city already had valet services scattered around the city which has since stopped. Now that the 2021 agreement is up, the Daxton wanted to enter a new agreement where they could lease the spots from the city.

The agreement stated that The Daxton Hotel will pay the city $10,368 per year, coming out to $864 per month, to use the four parking spaces. City manager Jana Ecker further explained that the agreement between the city and Daxton is not fundamentally different from the last agreement. What’s different is that the hotel is not required to service the public with valet parking, although a representative from the hotel said they will still provide public valet services.

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Improper Host post made on social media

By Lisa Brody

irmingham City Commissioner Brad Host, brought before the city's ethics board in March 2023 by former city manager Tom Markus, who sought an advisory opinion regarding repeated actions Host had taken spreading personal opinions about the city's master plan on social media, flyers, and other means, has once again posted a message on social media which could be inferred to discredit actions by city officials, a violation of the ethics board opinion.

In a video posted on the social media site Next Door, Birmingham resident Frank Colasanti Jr., who lives on Chapin, expressed frustration, concern and anger over a new home being built next door to him, as well as the city's board of zoning appeal's denial of variance requests related to the proposed construction of a new garage on his property and his personal displeasure with the city of Birmingham.

In response to Colasanti Jr.'s video, in which he is threatening litigation against the city, and expressing his unhappiness with the BZA and its rules, Host responded, “Well stated Frank!”.

In an email to Host from Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker, which was obtained by Downtown Newsmagazine, Ecker wrote, “As noted in the Advisory Opinion that was issued by the Board of Ethics on May 15, 2023 regarding a similar comment made by you on social media in relation to the Planning Board, the City’s Code of Ethics requires public officials to safeguard public confidence by being honest, fair, and respectful. Public officials must avoid conduct that may tend to undermine respect for City officials and employees and for the City as an institution. Further, the Code of Ethics states that City officials must avoid any action which might result in, or create the appearance of adversely affecting the confidence of the public or the integrity of the City government.

“Your most recent statement “Well stated Frank!” regarding a resident’s displeasure with the Board of Zoning Appeals and the City is very similar in nature to the comment at issue before the Board of Ethics in May. While you may have been trying to be supportive of a resident, the Board of Ethics has previously held that public officials are obligated to be aware that their words can be misinterpreted or misread.”

According to sources, Host responded that he did not believe it was the same kind of situation, and claimed he was only agreeing with a resident. However, city officials have warned and advised all city commissioners, board members and city officials that they can in no way lead a citizen to believe that they are in agreement in any effort that would adversely affect the competency of the public trust in the city and its work.

“It is likely for the public to infer from his post that he's urging the public to object to the city and in my opinion, Mr. Host is agreeing that the BZA wrongly ruled against Mr. Colasanti, that the building department was negligent in dealing with him, and he is urging a citizen to take legal action against the city,” said Birmingham Mayor Therese Longe.

Ecker declined to comment, stating her email reflected her sentiments.

Host said he took his post down, but he did not agree with Ecker, according to Longe.

“It's likely for the public to infer that he's urging the public to object to the city,” Longe stated.

The advisory opinion provided by the ethics board to the administration and commission now provides guidance as to what to do in the future, which as board member John Schrot said, “While not every citizen may have voted for him, he has a fiduciary responsibility to represent every citizen. They want you to come to a meeting with an open mind. Your impartiality – that is what the city manager is trying to point out. It's important you understand the integrity of city government and the public trust… You're a politician. That's your third hat. You're not free to undermine the public trust. You can't say your property will be rezoned, because that may not come to pass.”

In their advisory opinion, the ethics board noted that his position “requires him to avoid conduct, appearance of, affecting adversely the confidence of the public.”

In response to a question of what could happen if Host violates the ethics board opinion a third time, Longe agreed that the issue could be taken as a formal complaint to the ethics board by any interested party.

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Host reminded again to follow ethics opinion

By Lisa Brody

Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker sent an email on Wednesday, November 8, to city commissioner Brad Host to once again advise and admonish him regarding his involvement and support of a neighborhood group in opposition to street improvements being studied by the city's multi-modal transportation board before they have rendered an opinion and before it has come before the city commission.

Per an email exchange, resident Jim Mirro reached out to Host as he and some other residents living on Shirley and Arlington streets are concerned the streets will be narrowed and sidewalks will be installed on both sides of the street.

In Host's responses, he indicated he would be of assistance to them, which Ecker pointed out is a violation of both the city's Code of Ethics as well as the Ethics Board opinion from earlier this year which stated, “Advocacy outside of proper governmental channels may result in or create the appearance that you have lost impartiality or independence of action. It also puts you personally at risk of a conflict of interest that could disqualify you from making a decision that you were elected or appointed to make.”

Ecker further pointed out to Host, “The Ethics Board in fact counseled you specifically (Decision 2023-1) to ensure that your actions do not call into question your impartiality or lead to a disqualifying conflict of interest.The Ethics Board majority opinion stated: 'The Code of Ethics is clear that Commissioner Host – and the planning board members, too – must be independent, impartial, and responsible to the people; he and they must make governmental decisions and policy in the proper governmental channels. (Birmingham Code of Ethics 2-320(1)-(2)).

Commissioner Host is required to avoid any action which might result in, or create the appearance of, losing complete independence or impartiality of action, of making a decision outside official channels, or affecting adversely the confidence of the public or the integrity of the City government.”

Specifically, Ecker noted that in his involvement with Mirro, Host stated “'I’m sure you are aware that it has been decided that the aging sewers that run along Arlington and Shirley are going to be replaced.

What has not been determined, however, is what improvements to the roads (surface, width, sidewalks, etc.) will be made once the sewer replacement work is completed.'”

These statements are not accurate, as the city commission has not yet conducted a public hearing or voted to replace the sewers on Arlington or Shirley….To say that it has been already decided that the aging sewers that run along Arlington and Shirley are going to be replaced is false and misleading, which is noncompliant with the Ethic’s Board’s direction.”

Ecker was particularly piqued pointing out he had compromised his impartiality when he “agreed 'to support the position of the majority of our property owners without regard to the final design from the city,' could be construed to create the appearance that you have already made up your mind on how you intend to vote on the matter outside of the official public hearing process, which has not yet occurred.”

Among other particulars Ecker takes Host to task for in her email, of note is her final admonishment, “It is very important when communicating with the public to be accurate in your statements, and not perpetuate false or misleading information that may undermine the city’s ability to operate effectively, openly and in the best interest of the people we are all striving to serve.”

Host responded to Ecker that he did not believe he had to correct any information sent to Mirro as he believes he is acting as a responsible member of the commission.

Both Ecker and mayor Therese Longe were unavailable for comment It is possible that a formal complaint could be filed before the city's ethics board against Host by a member of the administration, city commission or a member of the public for violating his impartiality and agreeing to support members of the public on an issue prior to the matter coming before boards and the city commission, of which he is member.

According to city ordinance, if Host is potentially found in violation of the board of ethics' advisory opinions, and/or hearing findings have been published, “the city commission shall be responsible for imposing any sanction for a violation of this code on one of its members or any person appointed by the commission to any city board.”

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MUNICIPAL Public safety millage okayed for Village

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township trustees, at their meeting on Monday, November 13, unanimously approved supporting millage rates of 1.195 mills for police and .360 mills for volunteer fire services, for Bloomfield Village, for the fiscal year of April I, 2023 to March 31, 2024.

An association of approximately 1,000 homes, Bloomfield Village is completely contained within Bloomfield Township. It covers an area of approximately one square mile from Quarton Road on the north to Maple Road on the south and from Lahser Road on the west to the city of Birmingham on the east. Judson Bradway established Bloomfield Village in 1924 as a nonpolitical entity within Bloomfield Township, and follows all of the ordinances of Bloomfield Township and pays taxes to the township, in addition to maintaining its own police force and volunteer fire department.

“The village has services in addition to what we offer,” explained Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh. “The village manager and board determine the police and volunteer fire services, as well as their millages. The township board is putting a stamp of approval on what they've determined.”

“It's a pass-through millage through us,” explained trustee Neal Barnett.

With a millage rate of 1.195 mills for police, it is expected to raise revenue of $540,000 this fiscal year.

For fire services, the .360 millage rate is anticipated to raise $163,000 in revenue. The taxable value of Bloomfield Village is estimated at $451,980,450 for fiscal year 2024.

Feedback sought on parks and rec plan The parks and recreation department in Birmingham is preparing a five-year master plan, and the city of Birmingham is inviting the community to share its feedback regarding a draft 2024-2028 parks and recreation master plan between November 1 and December 4.

According to the city, the five-year parks and recreation master plan is being prepared in accordance with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requirements. When completed, the plan will serve as a guide for the acquisition and 60

McLain named new Birmingham mayor

By Grace Lovins

ommissioners Elaine McLain and Katie Schafer were appointed by the Birmingham city commission as the new city mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively, during the Monday, November 13, meeting.

Following the November 2023 election, the commission spent a portion of the meeting discussing and selecting the next two individuals to fill the roles. McLain served as the mayor pro tem from November 2022 until November 2023, under previous mayor commissioner Therese Longe. During a workshop session held before the regular meeting, commissioners revisited their goals and expectations of the individual who will fill the role. The commission had common expectations for the new mayor, saying they are looking for someone who is dedicated to the role and the public and engaged.

Commissioners Therese Longe, Clinton Baller and Katie Schafer all stated that mayor pro tem Elaine McLain embodied those characteristics and would be well suited to take on a position as mayor.

“I think [McLain] has shown a tremendous dedication to being prepared to take on this role next. She’s become involved in – after having been the cable lady for 16 years – she has taken it one step further this past year and getting much more involved,” Schafer said.

McLain also took the opportunity to express who she thought would make a good right-hand to the mayor, noting that Schafer has the ability to meet the needs of everyone in the community.

“I would recommend that if we are going to meet the needs of all of our community…we need to look at our young families, single families, entrepreneurs and people who are going to build and come into the city make this a part of the fabric of their family, and we have a businessperson here who does that for a living,” McLain said.

McLain and Schafer received unanimous support.

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development of community recreation facilities and programs over the next five years.

The draft plan was created after extensive public engagement and work by the parks and recreation committee earlier this year.

Birmingham partnered with McKenna, a community planning and design organization, to ensure that every interested resident had the opportunity to participate and make their voice heard. According to Scott Zielinski, Birmingham director of public services, members of the public shared input through the city's online public engagement platform Engage Birmingham, as well as at inperson events at Kenning Park, the Birmingham Farmers Market, a summer concert at Shain Park and a movie night at Booth Park.

“We were pleased to have more than 200 people provide feedback on Engage Birmingham, and hundreds more who participated during our inperson field day events,” Zielinski said. “As we unveil this draft plan and begin our public review period, we look forward to continued input to create vibrant parks and recreation spaces that reflect the needs and desires of our residents."

As of Wednesday, November 1, the plan is available for online review at bhamgov.org/parksmasterplan. Hard copies are available at Birmingham City Hall; Birmingham Department of Public Services; Birmingham Ice Arena; and Baldwin Public Library.

Comments may be submitted in person at the department of public services between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Feedback can also be submitted by mail, or via email to parks and recreation manager Carrie Laird at claird@bhamgov.org.

The draft 2024-2028 parks and recreation master plan will go before the city commission on Monday, December 18.

Mixed-use building review continues

By Grace Lovins

Mixed-use building requirements in the city’s Triangle District was the topic once again of a study session of the Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday, November 8.

The discussion of mixed-use building requirements was brought on by a concern that buildings were not adequately proportioned in terms

DOWNTOWN NeWsmagaziNe

of the uses, which planning director Nick Dupuis noted during the board’s first study session. Discussion of an ordinance amendment has also brought to light concerns over activated frontage in specific areas, as well as giving developments bonus stories for receiving a LEED certification.

Since the last study session in October, Dupuis added language to the draft amendment that would require commercial use on the first floor of mixed-use buildings on Adams Road, Haynes Street, Bowers Street and Woodward Avenue.

Planning board members agreed that they want to bring more activated use to the frontage of mixed use buildings in the district, but ultimately decided they want to review the definition of “commercial use” before deciding if they want to limit the requirement to just those four streets.

Board members also dove into the district’s current incentive for developers to obtain a LEED certification in exchange for additional stories. Concerns were raised during previous study sessions about the certification level that developers aim for and the enforceability of requiring a LEED certification.

During previous study sessions, the question of enforceability was raised by the board regarding developers receiving extra floors for obtaining a LEED certification.

According to some of the board, if developers don’t follow through with the certification, they don’t face any consequences as it is unlikely the city would require them to tear down the additional floors.

The discussion of enforceability led the board to suggest keeping LEED certification as a requirement in the district, but scrapping the incentive for extra stories. Most of the board agreed that it would be a good option, with some recommending a different requirement to receive additional stories.

Board member Stuart Jeffares recommended changing the requirement for extra floors to require developers to provide a community benefit, like public parking. The board offered different suggestions for how to build out funding to provide a community benefit, eventually asking Dupuis to look into the feasibility of including it into the ordinance amendment.

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MUNICIPAL Birmingham Sushi liquor permit sought

By Grace Lovins

Downtown Birmingham restaurant Birmingham Sushi, located at 377 Hamilton Row, is moving forward in the process to regain its liquor license after the city’s planning board met on Wednesday, November 8, and reviewed a special land use permit and final site plan and design review for the establishment.

The restaurant underwent an ownership change, according to planning director Nick Dupuis, which resulted in the restaurant losing its bistro license back in 2021 due to some challenges with the transfer. In November 2022, the city commission approved an initial bistro screening application, according to Dupuis, so the restaurant could begin the special land use permit process.

According to attorney Kelly Allen, with Adkison, Need and Allen, PLLC, the owners of the restaurant applied for a license with the city’s police department, planning department and for a conditional liquor license with the state’s liquor commission.

The conditional license, per Allen, means that once you apply with the Michigan Liquor License Commission with certain conditions, an applicant is able to get a license within 20 business days, but they still have to go through the permanent approval process. The owners also applied for an SDM, specially designated merchant license, to be able to serve beer and wine to go.

Dupuis said the restaurant is proposing no changes or remodeling, but they need to obtain a special land use permit and final site plan review in order to get their license from the Birmingham City Commission. There were only two things, Dupuis said, needing the board’s consideration: dumpster screening and an outdoor dining platform.

The back alley behind the plaza houses the back entrances to the area's businesses, the businesses' dumpsters and a strip of public parking. Board members noted that they feel the whole alley needs work, and they don’t think it would be fair to impose it on the applicant.

Board members voted unanimously to recommend approval of both the final site plan and design review and the special land use permit.

Birmingham Sushi will head to the city commission for final approval.

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Baldwin House residents receive check

By Grace Lovins

esidents living at Birmingham’s Baldwin House, located at 200 Chester Street, who paid for parking at an adjacent parking structure in violation of an agreement between the city and the facility, will be getting their money back after city commissioners authorized the city attorney and finance director on Monday, October 16, to issue checks.

Last year, the city discovered that a number of residents living at Baldwin House between 2009 and 2022 had been charged for parking at the Chester Street parking structure that they should have received at no cost per a parking agreement between the senior living facility and the city.

According to city attorney Mary Kucharek, the city and Baldwin House entered into an agreement back in March of 1990 that provided Baldwin House with 69 parking spaces in the Chester Street parking garage for tenants and their guests, with parking to be provided free of charge to residents. Per the city manager’s report written by former city manager Tom Markus in July 2022, residents were being charged by Baldwin House at almost double what the public paid.

“What we were able to uncover and what made this so complicated was that there were many different fact scenarios. There was not a one scenario fitting each person,” said Kucharek.

“We discovered that there were persons who paid directly to Baldwin House for various times of various amounts of money. There were persons who paid directly to our third-party management company, SP Plus, for parking of different times and of different amounts. We also uncovered that there were likely some employees who used those spots without paying for them and who were not entitled to use them,” she continued.

The city worked with Baldwin House to crossmatch data and determine the final numbers from residents who paid the parking fee, per Kucharek, and who will soon be receiving their money back. She also noted that the data was compiled from records kept by SP Plus of people who paid directly to them and Baldwin House’s records of residents who paid directly to them. The city also used a resident survey.

Residents who paid directly to Baldwin House were reimbursed by the company directly. The city was also able to negotiate the cost for the employees who may have parked in the garage during that period, Kucharek said, which equated to $12,000. Ultimately, Baldwin House paid $25,000 as a “measure of good will,” per Kucharek.

Kucharek said the money being issued to the residents, amounting to roughly $66,800, is coming from the city’s parking fund. About 37 Baldwin House residents will be receiving a check. The city is reportedly communicating with self-appointed leaders of the residential community to discuss the process and the administration of the checks.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to authorize Kucharek and finance director Mark Gerber to issues the checks to Baldwin House residents that had unnecessarily paid for parking. Kucharek emphasized that if any Baldwin House resident who paid but has not been in touch with either Baldwin House or the city to reach out to city administration.

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Warby Parker coming to former Astrein's site

By Lisa Brody

Warby Parker, the eyewear company designed to create an alternative to high priced prescription eyewear, is opening store in the former Astrein's storefront at 120 W. Maple in downtown Birmingham.

While whispers have been churning amongst downtown merchants for months that the eyewear company was

planning to open in downtown Birmingham, the company made it official when they filed an application with the city's historic district commission for minor façade renovations, including the removal of an existing awning and paint on the existing storefront.

The building to house Warby Parker was built in 1895 as a part of the Ford Building. In 1925, the Ford Building was clad in limestone, according to planning director Nick Dupuis. It was once occupied by William McBride who

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later expanded his candy store and restaurant known as Billy’s Place eastward into the old Hallock Grocery Store.

Astrein's Creative Jewelry inhabited the space for 50 years, until owners Gary and Richard retired and closed the store this past June.

Warby Parker has a creative lineage.

The eyewear company state they were founded with a mission: to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style.

“Every idea starts with a problem.

Ours was simple: Glasses are too expensive. Our founders were students when one of them lost his glasses on a backpacking trip. The cost of replacing them was so high that he spent the first semester of grad school without them, squinting and complaining… The others had similar experiences and were amazed at how hard it was to find a pair of great frames that didn't leave their wallets bare. Where were the options?

“It turns out there's a simple explanation. The eyewear industry is dominated by a single company that has been able to keep prices artificially high while reaping huge profits from consumers who have no other options.”

The key to Warby Parker is that there is an alternative, which they began as an online-only company initially, gradually opening storefronts in areas where they recognize there to be a market. The charm of Warby Parker is to find five or six frames you think you like, and they're sent to you at home to try on. The one you like, you have made into your prescription pair.

“By circumventing traditional channels, designing glasses in-house, and engaging with customers directly, we're able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear at a fraction of the going price...We also believe that everyone has the right to see. Approximately one billion people around the world need glasses but don't have access to them—so to help address this problem, we work with a handful of partners worldwide to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

“To date, over 15 million pairs of glasses have been distributed through our Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program.”

Warby Parker will be joining a downtown flush with other eyewear options, including OPTIK, Shades and SEE. There is also currently a Warby Parker at the Somerset Collection.

Dupuis said they have begun both exterior and interior renovations as the retailer has obtained city approvals.

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Sports facilities at Bloomfield Christian

By Dana Casadei

fter much debate over operating hours and a pickleball court, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees approved on Monday, October 23, a site plan and special land use for the Bloomfield Christian School to add a sports court and two batting cages to its property.

Concerned residents' comments began during the meeting’s public comments at the top of the hour and continued during the public hearing, with concerns about noise levels – especially the way pickleball and the sound of hitting baseballs can carry – as well as the proposed 8 p.m. closing time for the batting cages, the same hours as the school’s soccer field.

Tony Antone, Bloomfield Christian School board member and Bloomfield Township resident, mentioned that he wished the residents who lived near the school at 3570 Telegraph Road had come to him prior to the public hearing, which they had not.

The school’s property is zoned single-family, and is abutting residential property.

Trustee Neal Barnett also mentioned that no one had come to them with this many concerns before now, and highlighted how agreeable school officials had been thus far with every board and commission they had met with.

In spite of all that, multiple trustees expressed similar concerns to township residents.

“Sound travels. You can put all the trees you want, but there’s still the sound,” said trustee Valerie Murray, who opposed the 8 p.m. closing time.

Trustee Stephanie Fakih brought up the concern of people not connected to the school coming to use the batting cages too, saying once you build it, they will come.

Antone said that no one comes to use the current playground or soccer field on the school’s campus, so he was not worried about that happening with the batting cages and sports court.

“Frankly, there’s way nicer facilities out there,” he said.

Antone said if he could get a do-over he never would have included a pickleball court in the original proposal, saying it came as part of the proposed plan.

He was thanked by supervisor Dani Walsh for taking pickleball off the table.

While many changes were made to the original plan, Antone was agreeable and willing to make them with little hesitation, saying that he trusted the board’s wisdom.

His only hesitation as the school’s baseball coach was the earlier hours for the batting cages, but ultimately agreed to go with the board’s decision.

Patti Voelker, director of the planning, building and ordinance, spoke in great detail about the site plan, noting that the sports court and batting cages will be in the rear of the school.

The sports court will be 50 feet by 84 feet, and replace the current basketball setup of moveable basketball nets in the parking lot. The proposed court will also have netting around it for a safer and more permanent solution for the children who use it.

All of this will be south of the school’s soccer field.

While there are changes to the property for the proposed plan, there will be no changes to the building’s entrance, the current curb cuts will stay the same, and the playground will not be affected.

It will also not affect the parking or school circulation pattern, nor the school's agreement with the Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church, located next door. There are 191 parking spots, far surpassing what is needed for Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church.

Before coming before the board of trustees, the proposed plan had gone before the township’s zoning board of appeals and planning commission, among other township committees, where it did pass prior to the changes made at the board of trustees meeting.

The final resolution for approval of the sports court and batting cages came with multiple amendments before a vote was taken.

It was decided that both the sports court and batting cages would only be used for school programming, and noted as so via placement of signs for school use only; the sports court will only include basketball lines and no longer the originally proposed pickleball court, and will be open until 8 p.m. like the soccer fields; and that the batting cages are only to be used until 7 p.m. on weekdays, 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and are not to be used on Sunday.

The board passed the resolution unanimously.

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Concern over student walkout at high school

By Lisa Brody

Some parents of Jewish students attending Bloomfield Hills High School (BHHS) expressed anger and concern to the high school's principal as well as the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education at their meeting on Thursday, October 26, over a student walkout in support of Palestinians on Wednesday, October 25, part of a national student walkout.

Karen Huyghe, director of communications for Bloomfield Hills Schools, said the walkout, attended by approximately 40 students, was not a sanctioned school district event. She said the students were told they had to follow the school's student code of conduct, and the walkout could not be on school grounds. The participants were on public property adjacent to the school between the parking lot and the school, and therefore the school could not prevent them from protesting, she said. However, Huyghe said, they did violate the school's student code of conduct by leaving school unauthorized and by participating in a non-school political event, and there have been repercussions. She would not elaborate or specify, however a reliable source confirmed that at least one of the participants, and likely several more, have been suspended from school.

“A small number of Bloomfield Hills High School students participated in a nationwide walkout, which was not a school-related or sponsored activity.

Our commitment to the education of our students across all of our buildings remains our top priority. As we do each day, our schools will address any disruptions to learning following our student code of conduct. Bloomfield Hills Schools follows consistent procedures for any school issue follow up and does not provide comment on any student records. Our district will continue to support all of our students, while focusing on student learning and safety,” Huyghe said in a statement.

The students chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” upsetting many Jewish students and their parents. The chant is long known by many as a reference to driving Jews from Israel into the sea, challenging Israel's right to exist as a nation. Some dispute the meaning, saying it is a call for peace and equity in the region, although the Anti-Defamation League says the phrase is inherently antiJewish.

As to word circulating on social media that a group of Palestinian or

Muslim students at the school held a sale of keffiyeh scarves, she said that was not true. Huyghe said an unsanctioned and unrecognized school group came to the administration and asked to hold a sale of the scarves to raise money for the Palestinian cause, but the administration noted they were not a recognized school group, and only clothing and accessories emblazoned with the school's logo or other identifying symbols can be sold.

She said no sale took place.

Keffiyeh scarves are traditional black and white Palestinian scarves that are used to express collective identity and solidarity through clothing.

As for the school walk out, BHHS Principal Dan Hartley reached out to parents and families, urging those who were concerned and upset to set up an appointment to speak with him.

Huyghe said several already had.

“This week has been challenging for all of us. I want to thank those of you who have reached out to share your thoughts and concerns. BHHS administration is offering individual phone conversations with every student, parent, or guardian within our school community to those who are interested. We want to understand your concerns, explain the steps that the school took this week, and partner together in supporting the well-being of our students and school community… I ask that our entire BHHS community of students, parents, families, and staff members to join us in the following: Unite our community around the common goal of providing a safe and supportive educational environment for all students.

Encourage our students to only participate in school action or activities that are inclusive of the entire school community. Let’s promote kindness and respect for all.

“Let our students know that it is not acceptable to say or do anything that results in another student feeling unsafe. Refrain from attacking students and each other on social media. We can model kindness and how to engage in civil discourse. School should be a place where each and every student feels safe and supported, where every staff member is proud to work, and where every parent/guardian is comfortable sending their student.

School should be a center for teaching and learning. I look forward to partnering with all of you in making this a place where we learn and grow together,” Hartley wrote.

Cranbrook Art students protest against Israel

By Lisa Brody

What first began as a protest by a Cranbrook Art Academy student or students on Saturday, November 4, involving hanging numerous Palestinian flags in the second floor windows of studios and other non-residential space facing out on a main entrance to the Cranbrook community has morphed into a movement of support by the student body “against the settler colonial ideology of Zionism and the occupation of their land by the Israeli apartheid ethnostate.”

Members of the Cranbrook community, students, parents of students, alumni and those viewing social media were confronted on Saturday, November 4, by images of studio windows at the Cranbrook Academy of Art filled with Palestinian flags. The windows faced out onto Academy Way, which is a public entranceway to Cranbrook off of Lone Pine Road.

According to a message sent by Aimeclaire Roche, president, Cranbrook Educational Community, “We discovered in several commonly shared educational spaces at the Cranbrook Academy of Art displays of flags representing Palestine.

Given the collective size, scope, and positioning of the flags along a main thoroughfare on campus, these displays had a threatening and unwelcoming impact on members of our community.”

A subsequent communication stated the flags were placed in “several commonly shared non-residential educational spaces of the Cranbrook Academy of Art.” “On Saturday, the Director of the Academy and I communicated with our Academy graduate students about messaging in our common spaces and the impact of these outwardly facing displays on our community, and they were removed from these common spaces,” Roche stated. “The decision to remove the displays is one that is aligned with our past practices and our respect for the many constituents of our community.

Institutionally, we do not take a public position on political causes or conflicts.

Our long-standing practice has been to keep the common, shared areas of our campus free of political messaging or activities. Moreover, political messages could be interpreted as political statements made on behalf of Cranbrook.”

However, by Saturday evening, the flags were once again on public display.

Rather than complying with a nonpolitical stance urged by the Cranbrook Educational Community, an open letter downtownpublications.com

Five-story building eyed for Triangle District

By Lisa Brody

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proposed five-story mixed use building for the former site of the Plant Station at 720 S. Adams Road in the Triangle District in Birmingham received approval for its community impact study at the Birmingham Planning Board's meeting on Wednesday, October 25, but board members sent the preliminary site plan back to the drawing board for revisions.

Birmingham Planner Brooks Cowan explained the site is currently vacant, and before there was the Plant Station, the site was a gas station. There are environmental concerns about underground storage tanks, hoses and other buried items which he said will need further investigation.

The developer, Ralph Faranso of Walled Lake, is proposing a building of five stories with one story of underground parking and another level of parking on the first floor. There will also be 1,600 square feet retail on the first floor, followed by 41 units of residential, including a penthouse suite.

Cowan said a mixed use building aligns with the city's uses for the Triangle District.

Architect John Marusich of Marusich Architecture in Bloomfield said the basement will go deeper than usual because they are looking to do elevator parking. He also said they will have LEED-certification.

Planning board members accepted the community impact study, 7-0.

However, they had great concerns over the preliminary site plans, notably if there was enough room for cars to turn in the parking lots, pointing out that there needs to be room for van accessible spots. There were also issues discovered with the lack of windows in bedrooms, package storage, trash pickup and the relationship between the building and the adjacent building under construction.

“I don't think the relationship is great. Nothing is lining up,” pointed out board member Janelle Boyce.

“We want to make sure these are good plans that function,” said board chair Scott Clein.

Board member Bert Koseck was not a fan of the design in total. “I think it looks like a parking structure. I think these are terrible units. I'm glad I'm not an investor in this project. I just see a lot of flaws.”

“At this particular stage, a postponement would be appropriate. This is a major project,” said board member Robin Boyle.

Board members voted unanimously to postpone the preliminary site plan to Wednesday, December 13.

in solidarity with Palestine was sent out and signed “representing a majority of the 2024-2025 student body at Cranbrook Academy of Art, with support from alumni, to establish our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their eight decades of impassioned and fervent resistance for liberation against the settler colonial ideology of Zionism and the occupation of their land by the Israeli apartheid ethnostate.

“We are unsettled by the administration’s decision to deploy security to abruptly remove Palestinian flags from the windows of our personal studios on the evening of Saturday, November 4, led personally by Academy Director Paul Sacaridiz…. Sending Academy personnel to walk through our hallways, our spaces, our homes for the duration of our degree, is an infringement on the very safety the Academy is ostensibly trying to ensure

through this act of censorship….

Supporting marginalized communities and standing in solidarity with liberation movements are fundamental to our rights to speech, expression, and creativity. The current stance taken by the Academy infringes on these rights, which are pivotal to academic freedom and resonate deeply with the broader global community. This campus is home to Black, Indigenous, and Brown students, people from the global South, diasporic students, and queer students whose liberation and freedom is contingent on decolonial struggle.

Censoring our dissent against colonialism and genocide as artists, makers, and people, is a heinous act that disparages the relationships we’ve built here within our community. We have a vested interest in supporting Palestinian liberation because it liberates us too.”

According to sources, at least one,

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and possibly more, galleries immediately cut ties with the students and alumni of the Academy who signed the letter, informing them they would no longer sell or represent their work.

Roche communicated that an ad hoc crisis task force has been created and Cranbrook has retained external crisis communications counsel at The Castle Group, a firm which has assisted Cranbrook in the past.

On Friday evening, November 10, Roche followed up her communications to the Cranbrook community noting that, “As a private institution, it is our responsibility – rather, our obligation – to ensure that our campus is welcoming to all of our many diverse audiences. We will not tolerate activities nor language that disrupts our campus, threatens the safety of our community, or that violates policies or the code of conduct that governs student and community behavior. The petition that has recently been circulated within the Cranbrook Academy of Art community by certain students and alumni in no way reflects the views and values of Cranbrook nor does it speak for the institution.”

She further emphasized that Cranbrook denounces in emphatic terms “all forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, and hate-based discrimination and they have no place on our campus,” while also providing students the opportunity to express themselves creatively and openly, as long as it is respectful to themselves and others.

In a pivot for the institution, Roche made it clear that those who are not respectful or engage in racist or intolerant language or behavior will risk expulsion – including those students at the Art Academy who have signed the petition.

“We will take prompt and decisive action if this type of behavior or speech finds its way into our community, including removing the offender(s) and alerting the appropriate authorities, to protect our campus and to ensure accountability for such conduct,” Roche wrote.

In response, unconfirmed reports say that it appears many graduate art students dug their heels in. During Open Studio hour on Saturday, November 11, which is an opportunity for the public, dealers, gallerists and others to visit art students' studios to view their art and purchase it, some students chose not to open their studios, posting signs on their doors stating that Cranbrook does not respect free speech.

Word is Director of the Academy Paul Sacaradiz, who began his tenure in May of 2022, resigned his position on Wednesday, November 8, in the wake of the controversy, reportedly for “personal reasons."

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City boards discuss zoning, sustainability

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners and planning board members held a joint workshop meeting on Monday, October 23, to discuss short-term fixes and long-term goals for the city’s zoning ordinance and sustainability efforts.

Commissioners and board members focused on two themes during the meeting, laid out by planning director Nick Dupuis. “In May 2023, about four short months ago, we did adopt the Birmingham 2040 Plan in its entirety, which has a lot of suggestions in its own right – 33 base recommendations and … over 150 subrecommendations,” Dupuis said.

“Because it’s so complex, we want to spend this time with you … to make sure you’re aware of the next steps we’re planning as it relates to the master plan, but also to inform you that we’re still keeping a keen eye on our current zoning ordinances while we go through the machinations,” he continued.

The first part of the discussion focused on potential “band-aids” for the city’s current zoning ordinances that the planning board could review while commissioners and city staff work to implement changes based on the recently adopted 2040 master plan. To start the discussion, commissioners were asked if they felt the planning board should consider any short-term tweaks to zoning ordinances while city staff looks to implement the recommendations of the master plan.

The Birmingham Planning Board has brought up various items in the zoning ordinance that likely need to be reviewed and altered in the future, including dumpster screening and the Triangle District’s mixed-use building standards. Commissioner Andrew Haig suggested the planning board take a look at addressing the consequences of non-conforming buildings.

Commissioners all agreed that they feel the planning board should come to the commission with things they think are important as experts, rather than asking for permission to review items. Commissioner Clinton Baller, along with multiple other commissioners, proposed ideas to strengthen communication between the two boards when it came to items the planning board feels are important.

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Commissioners look at sustainability issue

By Grace Lovins

irmingham city commissioners reviewed the city’s current sustainable landscaping efforts at their meeting on Monday, October 16, focusing on the importance of sustainability and biodiversity throughout the city.

Director of public services Scott Zielinski provided a detailed presentation about the city’s current efforts to increase sustainable and biodiverse landscaping. According to Zielinski, Birmingham currently has 13 areas where they have been focusing on restoration, native growth and fighting invasive species.

Currently, there are rain gardens, bioswales, stormwater capture beds and native perennials found throughout Birmingham. On top of this, multiple areas also have riparian zones which help to control erosion and provide solar protection to the plants and animals living there.

Zielinski additionally said that Birmingham is home to native, nomow spaces where native plants species can thrive. These areas increase the prevalence of native species that encourage pollinators from the insect population, like bees.

The department is aiming to slowly work into developing more locations, said Zielinski, but since some areas require extensive upkeep in the first three to five years, it can be a challenge with a smaller staff.

Zielinski said they are also waiting to plan out details of future projects until the Parks and Recreation Master Plan has been completed.

Commissioners Clinton Baller and Brad Host each offered up the idea of recruiting volunteers to help maintain the city’s efforts in light of the department’s slim staff. Commissioner Andrew Haig also suggested getting in contact with schools, places of worship and other large property owners to inform of the city’s goals and collaborate to accomplish them.

The department of public services isn’t the only department focusing on sustainability, according to city manager Jana Ecker. Since the commission laid out sustainability as a goal during strategic planning, all city departments have looked at ways to increase sustainability.

“We’ve all started talking together internally to look at what we can do across all departments. In the 2040 Plan, one of the large elements was sustainability, something that we heard from our residents loud and clear that this is something they want to do,” Ecker said.

The item did not require any formal action from the commission.

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Baller brought up making an agenda item for commissioners to provide their input on, and reports from the planning board so each commissioner is given the opportunity to express what they think is important for the board to tackle.

Part of the meeting also focused on how the planning board could implement sustainability into their process as the city has added sustainability as part of the master plan and a strategic goal. Dupuis asked the boards to talk about whether the commission wants the planning board to address sustainability directly, and how the two can work together to further the city’s sustainability goals.

Planning board member Janelle Boyce suggested having joint meetings between the planning board and sustainability board, which

commissioners supported. Planning board member Bryan Williams, referring to a recent encounter by the planning board on the Trangle District plan, suggested commissioners create their own list of sustainability items they want to check for in developments.

Since the 2040 plan includes a separate detailed section covering sustainability, Williams said planning board members and commissioners each having their own list of items to watch out for is a great way to make sure all the details of the plan are covered.

Ultimately, the boards agreed that the planning board, along with all city boards, should be reviewing and encouraging sustainability whereever they can.

No formal action was taken by commissioners or board members.

Planning board members Scott Clein,

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Stuart Jeffares, Jason Emerine and commissioner Katie Schafer were absent from the discussion.

Health club uses added to downtown

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham’s B4 downtown zone will now be allowed to have a new business use after city commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance amendment during the meeting on Monday, November 13, permitting health clubs and studios.

The city’s planning board spent multiple study sessions between June and September looking into adding the use to the city’s B4 zone. Health clubs/studios include businesses like yoga, Pilates, barre and personal training.

Planning board members agreed during their study sessions that the use should be limited to basements and second floors and above in the B4 zone. The Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) consulted with the planning board while they discussed the amendment and offered that allowing the use on the first floor could potentially interfere with the BSD’s plans for the future.

Commissioner Andrew Haig brought up a point that was raised during the planning board’s study session, asking planner Brooks Cowan if this is something the city has the ability to mediate. When consulting with commercial brokers, Cindy Ciura of CC Consulting stated that one thing to consider when allowing health clubs on upper levels is the noise of the business and structure of the buildings.

Haig noted that buildings have previously collapsed from the repetitive slamming and dropping of weights in buildings that were not structurally sound, while also offering his opinion that he doesn’t think older buildings are suited for this use.

Cowan said that in terms of structural concerns, if applicants come in for an occupancy permit on any kind of health club or studio, it is reviewed by the building department to make sure that everything is up to code such as structural load.

“Those requirements are all vetted through the building code and occupancy permit process,” said Cowan.

Commissioners voted unanimously, 7-0, to adopt the ordinance amendment allowing health clubs and studios downtown.

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CDBG for 2024 set for township residents

By Dana Casadei

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The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, October 23, unanimously approved the application for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2024 plan year.

Since joining the program in 2009, funding has focused on two areas: the township’s minor home repairs program and its Meals on Wheels program, and will continue to do so.

Bloomfield Township’s minor home repairs program has since its inception completed 140 projects, with five currently active. Projects include things such as repairs to porches, driveways, or electrical; replacing toilets, gutters, and sidewalks; removing large items or debris from around someone’s home and dangerous tree or limb removal; and correcting single code violations.

Trustee Chris Kolinski spoke about what a great program the CDBG is, as was echoed by fellow trustee Valerie Murray.

“There’s so many great benefits,” she said. “Thank you for doing it.”

Compared to years prior, there was one major change discussed for the plan, which is Oakland County’s 50 percent reduction in the public services cap, causing the $50,000 allocated for the year to be dispersed differently than before. Now, that money will have 85 percent going to the minor home repairs program, and only 15 percent to Meals on Wheels, compared to the 30 percent that went to Meals on Wheels in prior years.

“Though we need more public services, we understand the foundation for these block grant programs truly is housing,” said Christine Tvaroha, Bloomfield Township director of senior service.

“We understand and support the decision, and will look for other ways to help our Meals on Wheels program.”

The Meals on Wheels program has been quite successful for the township, serving nearly 5,800 meals last year, a 15 percent increase.

There was also a 32 percent increase in new clients and the number of people using Meals on Wheels for short-term needs.

Tvaroha noted that Meals on

Wheels isn’t just for people who don’t drive or are low-income, but also for seniors who have difficulty going to the grocery store or driving. She said they are working on making that messaging more widespread throughout the community so others will take advantage of the program.

While this was a public hearing for the application, no comments were made from residents.

Even though the township has participated in the CDBG program since 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires each county to review their cooperation agreement with participating communities every three years. Participation in this allows for access to the highest level of federal funding for those who participate.

The township’s current plan is through 2026.

Audit reveals township in excellent condition

By Dana Casadei

The UHY independent audit of the Bloomfield Township March 31, 2023, financial statements gave the municipality its highest level of opinion and was unanimously accepted by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at their Monday night meeting on October 23.

“It’s always nice to get good grades,” said trustee Valerie Murray regarding the audit results, which were consistent with the year prior.

Michael Santicchia, partner, and Marlene Beach, principal, both of UHY, LLP, presented the audit, focusing on the township’s governmental activities, businesstype activities, noting each major fund and the aggregate remaining fund information.

Santicchia noted they were giving the township the highest level of opinion they could with an audit.

Funds looked at included the township’s general fund, road fund, public safety fund, and many more, including the recent addition of the opioid settlement fund. This fund’s focus is on fighting the opioid crisis, and is used to account for the revenues and expenditures related to the settlements received from distributors and manufacturers of opioids.

The amount received for the opioid settlement fund is from a percentage of the amount of the nationwide settlement that is

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allocated to Michigan. And while there were no significant audit adjustments, there was an adjustment to record the present value of future opioid settlements.

Getting further into the numbers from the audit, Beach discussed the dip in Bloomfield Township’s pension funding status from 90.03 percent to 83.42 percent, while pointing out it still makes it one of the highest in the state, and commented that they saw a similar dip with other municipalities.

There were also increases in the general fund revenues, due in part to rising taxes and state revenue sharing, and there was an increase in the general fund expenditures.

As far as receivables go – the money coming into the township – the grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) was one of the largest at $4,407,946. Part of this grant has already been allocated for plans across multiple township departments, including a ladder truck for the fire department, estimated at $1,783,500.

Some of the other largest noted capital purchases for the township included safety path construction, safety equipment, and improvements to water and sewer infrastructure.

Beach emphasized that the water and sewer expenditures – which went from $23,539,483 to $24,576,378 – were very consistent with no major swings.

In regards to the public safety fund revenue, everything was identical from last year, except for the rise in taxes.

Multiple times throughout the presentation Santicchia said that their job was easy to complete on time because of the work of Jason Theis, township finance director, and his team, making for a seamless process.

Treasurer Michael Schostak asked if they found any concerns on a fraud basis while doing the audit.

Beach noted that they had not, and that they take that into consideration during the audit process, done through UHY conducting fraud interviews with management and a board trustee.

Beach also said that they had no concerns about the audit overall.

12.23

FACES

Brooke Taylor or Brooke Taylor, dancing has always been a part of her life. “I have been dancing since I was three years old. Dancing shaped who I am today,” she explains.

Taylor grew up dancing at Legacy Dance Studio in Southfield. “When I was at Legacy, there was a split and I became a student dance teacher...My interest in dance shifted and grew. During my senior year of high school, I was the president of the African American Awareness Club, and this helped my artistry and gave my art a clearer focus.”

After high school, Taylor attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance with a minor in education for empowerment this past spring. While in college, Taylor’s love of theater and sense of advocacy and activism grew.

Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Taylor was inspired to organize a DriveIn for Justice protest in West Bloomfield after attending a drive-in church service.

Since it was the early days of the pandemic before readily available treatments and vaccines, she wanted to make the protest safe for those most susceptible to COVID19 – especially her 90-year-old grandmother. “It was important to me that she could attend. She was in the front row.”

At U-M, she was involved in creating a program within the School of Music, Theatre and Dance called Black Scholars in Dance. The group is comprised of a network of dancers who foster Black dance education and knowledge, create community, and serve as role models for young people in underserved communities who are interested in dance.

During her junior year at U-M, Taylor became involved in theater by cochoreographing a one-act musical, “Once on This Island.” She said, “This was my introduction to loving theater. It was a beautiful experience to work with an inspiring group of people.”

Several months later, Taylor combined singing and dancing while performing in “Mamma Mia” at The Encore Musical Theatre in Dexter.

“My mom always wanted me to sing but I didn’t take it seriously until then. She ended up being right. So, last year I started taking voice lessons to build my vocal skills.” Taylor’s wise mother is WXYZ-TV anchor and journalist, Carolyn Clifford.

This past summer, Taylor moved to New York to begin actively auditioning for Broadway and New York gigs. She auditioned for the new musical “Boop!” and was quickly offered a role and started rehearsals. Broadway-bound “Boop!” is a familyfriendly musical comedy that celebrates Betty Boop, a sassy symbol of female empowerment who, for nearly a century, has been reminding the world, “You are capable of amazing things.”

Rehearsals for “Boop!” were held in New York but the musical’s opening is in Chicago at the CIBC Theatre, where the show runs from mid-November until December 24th. Of course, Taylor is hopeful that “Boop!” will be successful and transfer to Broadway in New York after its run in Chicago.

While she finds singing and dancing at the same time challenging, she said, “I love that everything happens for a reason and give the glory to God. ‘Boop!’ is a beautiful story about self-love. It is funny and for the whole family. It inspires me.”

For aspiring performers, Taylor offers this advice, “Your manners will take you further than your talent – and always lead with love. Art is about giving to others and making others feel good. While it can be exhausting, if you lead with love, you won’t deplete yourself.”

F

Story: Tracy Donohue

Photo: McArthur Stuckey

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NEXT NOTEBOOK Recently I was reading the Draft Master Plan currently being developed for the Birmingham’s Parks and Recreation Department. It is truly impressive to see the long list of parks and all the amenities offered to our residents. Twenty-six parks filled with playgrounds, tennis courts, greenspace and walking trails!

At Next, our mission is centered around fostering that sense of a caring community.

Later that day, as part of the Ad Hoc Aging in Place Committee, I was sitting around a table in City Hall with a group of dedicated residents working together to support Birmingham’s efforts to make our city the ideal place to enjoy retirement and beyond.

Walking back to my car, I passed the almost completed Baldwin Public Library addition that is so aesthetically pleasing but also very conducive to welcoming book lovers of all ages. As nearby crews were adding holiday lights to the trees throughout Shain Park while kids were playing, Norman Rockwell could not have painted a more idyllic picture of community.

a hot meal delivered to your door, a repaired leaky faucet, or a sidewalk shoveled to keep your walkway safe. It is the dependable reassurance that Next has, and will continue, to look out for those that could use a little extra assistance.

We are here to help you age safely and gracefully in your own home, while also offering a wide range of life-long learning and enrichment opportunities that will not only enhance your daily routine, but also connect you to your community.

Cris Braun

com·mu·ni·ty is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals.

It’s a simple, yet powerful concept, one that Next wholeheartedly embraces.

Building a stronger community that meets the needs of all residents is a shared responsibility. With the passage of the new senior millage in November, Birmingham has begun to put in place the needed structure and financial framework that is critical to supporting our rapidly expanding older population.

Thank you for supporting this new initiative – and making a positive and transformative impact on your community. In the next several months, look for more information to be shared on the developing plans for the updates needed to the YMCA building that will better accommodate older residents and community activities alike.

Community at Next means walking into the lobby greeted by warm, friendly smiles or making new friends at an art or fitness class. It is also members who gather for speaker presentations, book clubs, round table discussions, concerts and celebrations while discovering the joy of shared experiences.

Next is a perfect microcosm of our greater Birmingham community. Like Birmingham, Next is warm and welcoming with an active, full calendar of activities that offers so many ways to belong to your community. Join Next (BirmnghamNext.org) to see for yourself how many opportunities there are to stay active and connected!

Community also means reliable transportation to your next medical appointment,

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON! When buying, building, or refinancing a home, choosing the right mortgage lender is one of the most important decisions you can make. As a top-ranked lender with nearly 40 years of experience and a commitment to being attentive to my clients, I can make the mortgage process smooth and stress-free while saving you valuable time and money. Contact me and see the difference the right lender can make.

Get a fast preapproval at TimSmithPreapproval.com TIM SMITH Mortgage Banker | NMLS# 533266 248-770-3717 | timsmith@firstmerchants.com downtownpublications.com

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There’s No Place Like Your Home!

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Birmingham | Northville | Grosse Pointe 415 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, MI 48009

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE CHEERS TO A GENTLER, KINDER NATION Happy Holidays – Happy New Year!

The 2023 Holiday Season is upon us, and the New Year is quickly approaching.

During this sacred time of giving, we reflect on the extraordinary events of prior years, and how blessed and fortunate The Community House is to have had loyal and caring supporters like you. Our ability to remain open, and our ability to impact others - was and remains - only possible by the kindness, dedication, and generosity of others like you.

Holiday Season 2023 also signifies the grandest of milestones for the historic Community House – the beginning of our second century of service.

Unbelievable. 100 years – doing business and delivering services to all who enter our doors, in the same location, on the same corner (Townsend and Bates Street) for over a century.

Bill Seklar

To reach 100 years in existence, The Community House has certainly mastered resilience. It has overcome a World War, the Great Depression, 9/11 and so much more. The Community House has seen times of boom and bust, sometimes as part of the greater economy and sometimes specific to its own market. It has witnessed new competitors entering the scene and older competitors seeking an edge.

In the last year, we continue to recover from a global pandemic, navigated through historic economic challenges, stood courageously against the proliferation of extreme wokeness, attacks on cherished beliefs, tears at the fabric of historic institutions, and turned the cheek to damaging gossip, ill-informed inuendo, untruths and mean-spiritedness. This kind of behavior in today’s world is becoming commonplace and is truly an inexcusable disservice to the many in real need. However, throughout it all, like many of you, the century-old Community House has remained resilient and values the “high road.” We continue to stay focused, to serve, remain optimistic, full of hope, and look to an even brighter, more impactful future. Our children need us, our young professionals – leaders of tomorrow need us, our sick, our infirm, the lonely, the poor, the disenfranchised, and our aged need us. Despite the challenges, let us never, ever, forget charity, kindness, forgiveness, duty, paying it forward. Those that are entrusted with much, much is expected.

Blessed are we, blessed are you – fortunate enough to witness the turning of a page on one century, and witnessing the opening of a new page on our second century of service. Our never floundering core values remain self-improvement, philanthropy, education, friendship, and compassion - self-funded, absent tax dollars, without ongoing sustainable support. We have never asked for business investors or sought taxpayer millages. And never will. We are truly a gift to the community, with no strings attached. Really.

As our “community” heads into the sacred season of counting our blessings and giving back to others, so too are all of us at The Community House; our leadership, staff and TCH beneficiaries – counting our blessings. For it is without all our cherished supporters; our donors, corporate sponsors, class takers, childcare families, event guests, community partners and our dedicated corps of volunteers – that our work would not be possible. Saying “thank you” never seems to be enough, but it is a place to start.

As a now 100-year-old non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, The Community House relies solely upon the kindness and generosity of others who (truly cherish, respect and) appreciate the value of a “Community House,” especially via our allimportant annual fund appeal – to deliver on our mission – and to provide the community critical programs and services, education and experiences which benefit and enrich the lives of others in our great community – many, without the ability to pay.

It is during this time of sacred time of giving and celebration that The

Community House asks for your vital support while we also pause to humbly acknowledge and remember the many kindnesses already shared, and the extraordinary generosity from those that have been entrusted with little or much...and to offer all of you, from all of us - a big “Thank You.” Be safe, stay well. Happy Holidays.

BEGINNING A NEW CENTURY OF GIVING – THE COMMUNITY HOUSE ANNUAL FUND The end of the year annual fund appeal is here and reminds our loyal donors and supporters that it’s the final chance to support our critical Annual Fund Drive in 2023. Given the effects of a post-COVID world and the faltering economy, it is hard to overestimate how important this year’s end of the year Annual Fund Appeal is to the historic Community House. For the last three years (and counting) we have found ourselves, like so many, continuing to navigate through a perfect storm – COVID, supply chain issues, inflation, wage pressures, the economy, and ongoing repairs to an aging building. We need help. Will you help us?

By making an end of the year tax-deductible gift to The Community House, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization now, your gift will ensure that we continue to navigate through these challenges so that we remain the important educational, philanthropic and community resource that thousands of individuals have relied upon for more than a century. To make an end of the year gift now, you can send your donation in by mail at: TCH 380 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, Michigan 48009, give online at communityhouse.com/donate or by calling The Community House Foundation at 248-594-6417. Perhaps some of you might consider placing TCH in their estate plans. It is simple, and painless. For more information, please contact Christopher Smude, SVP, CMO, TCH Foundation at csmude@communityhousefoundation.org.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER - WINTER REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN The Community House’s Early Childhood Center is excited to announce we still have a few spots available for our preschool program. With the use of the nationally recognized Highscope curriculum our amazing teachers are ready to set the foundation of your child’s academic success. Our curriculum uses a whole-child approach to learning, where the child is encouraged to create and execute their plan through hands on classroom exploration. Our program encourages independence, decision-making, and conflict resolution and students graduate from The Community House ECC ready for kindergarten with confidence and the ability to creatively problem solve.

New to the ECC this is our Community Scholars program exclusively available to children enrolled in our school. The Community Scholars programs give children the opportunity to grow even further than in the traditional classroom setting.Parents can support their child’s individual needs and interests with additional focus on Phonics, STEM, Music, Yoga, cooking etc. all while they attend their normal school day.

Additionally, the Early Childhood Center has created a new program to help fill an educational need in our community. Our Junior K+ program will enrich and challenge young five’s students that have completed Pre-K but are too young to start Kindergarten. Junior K+ stops the regression of repeating a second year in a program by providing and exclusive environment with enhanced focus on phonetic awareness and sound blending, developing sentence building, independence and self-help skill sets, science exploration, and critical thinking skills. Reach out to secure your enrollment before spaces are filled for the fall.

Contact the Senior Director of our Early Childhood Center, Ms. Sarah Schuster, at 248-594-6411 or sschuster@communityhouse.com.

SAVE THE DATE – PURCHASE OR RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW! Storytime with Santa 2023: He’s back. Bring your loved ones together for an experience filled with heartwarming holiday spirit at Storytime with Santa on December 9th (9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.). Jolly ole Santa himself will be the star, captivating young and old and creating magical moments. The enchantment continues at the craft stations, where little hands can create their own holiday memories. Guests of all ages can treat themselves to a variety of cookies and cups of hot chocolate (and the adults can add a touch of extra holiday cheer from the hot chocolate bar). Learn more at www.communityhouse.com/event/storytime-with-santa/

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

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12.23

PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.

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

248.646.2220. 220restaurant.com 5th Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. 5thtavern.com Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor.

Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.540.5900. adachirestaurant.com Andiamo: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.865.9300. andiamoitalia.com Beau’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.626.2630. beausbloomfield.com Bella Piatti: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. bellapiattirestaurant.com Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Lunch, Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations Liquor. 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, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily.

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. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com Café Dax: American. Breakfast, daily, Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com Café ML: New American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township.

248.642.4000. cafeml.com Casa Pernoi: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.647.4555. churchillscigarbar.com Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long

downtownpublications.com

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, Lunch & 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, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com Hazel’s: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

1 Peabody Street, Birmingham.

248.671.1714. eatathazels.com Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301.

248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American.

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

248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.

248.333.7522. Ihop.com Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily.

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

248.792.9609. joemuer.com Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. kerbyskoneyisland.com La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily.

Reservations. 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. lamarsacuisine.com La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com

The Birmingham/Bloomfield area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publication—Downtown.

Contact Mark Grablowski for advertising rate information.

O: 248.792.6464 Ext. 601 MarkGrablowski@downtownpublications.com

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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.

Tapas anyone?

There’s a new place to dine and drink in Detroit, and along with Spanishinspired dishes and classic cocktails, it’s serving up some of the city’s best views. Kamper’s, nestled on the 14th floor of the historic Book Tower at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Grand River Avenue in downtown Detroit, it pays homage to the Book Tower’s original architect, Louis Kamper.

The rooftop lounge, Detroit’s largest of its kind, features spacious indoor and outdoor seating with expansive skyline views of the city. The menu emphasizes flavors of Barcelona, with Spanish-style tapas such as queso garrotxa with aged goat cheese from Catalonia, membrillo; tortilla di patate – a classic potato, egg omelette, aioli; escalivada – charcoal grilled eggplant, red peppers, onions, aged sherry vinegar; and croquetas de jamón, featuring creamy croquettes of Jamón Ibérico. The beverage program focuses heavily on gin & tonic, negroni, sangria, and sherry cocktails. “Kamper’s, which we consider to be an ‘instant classic’ within the Book Tower, is the perfect addition to our slate of upcoming dining concepts,” said Randall Cook, CEO and co-founder of Method Co. “Our team has been hyper-focused on curating this special space, with distinctive culinary flare and flavor, and is excited for guests to experience Detroit from our vantage point atop the 14th floor of this historic building.” The 4,350 square-foot space offers seating for up to 40 guests, with an additional 14 seats at the bar and 86 seats on the patio. The warm and inviting cocktail lounge boasts sophisticated yet cozy indoor and outdoor seating options with features including hand-clipped marble, mosaic flooring, a limestone grand staircase, antiqued mirrors, velvet drapery, wood beam ceilings, multiple fireplaces and a paneled millwork bar.

1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit kampersrooftop.com

The flavors of Mexico Vecino, a new restaurant in Detroit’s Midtown, will focus on contemporary Mexican cuisine with Oaxaca and Mexico City influences. Led by executive chef Ricardo Mojica, formerly of Sava’s in Ann Arbor, and head chef Stephanie Duran, former chef de partie at The Aviary, Chicago, the duo will serve up modern Mexican cuisine with a focus on high quality local and seasonal ingredients and the rich flavors and spices of Mexico. At the heart of the kitchen is a wood fire hearth used to create a mix of salsas, small plates and shareable dishes like charred peppers and crispy Oaxacan cheese served with house made heirloom corn tortillas. Diners can also enjoy delicate raw fare like ceviche and crudo and larger dishes such as pollo al carbon and whole snapper. Vecino is the first project by Midwest Hospitality, a Detroitbased company founded by Adriana Jimenez, who grew up working at her family-owned traditional Mexican restaurants in Detroit, and the owners of interior design studio Midwest Common, Colin Tury and Michael Haener.

Their vision is to create unique and innovative food and beverage experiences that bridge design and hospitality. “We believe in the idea and practice of placemaking, which means creating inspiring spaces with a focus on strong connections between people and the places they enjoy together,” said Haener. “Vecino was designed to be an elevated yet casual establishment, a perfect place for the unique take on Mexican cuisine that Chefs Ricardo and Stephanie are bringing to Detroit.” 4100 Third Street, Detroit vecinodetroit.com

The Eagle has landed Billing itself as a “food and beer hall,” The Eagle has opened on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. The restaurant, which is part of the Thunderdome Restaurant Group based in Cincinnati, is one of seven locations throughout the country and the first location in metro Detroit. The chicken-centric menu features whole, half and quarter-sized servings of all natural, free range, brined-in-house fried chicken. Southern-style accompaniments include collards stewed with ham hocks and bacon; spoonbread with maple butter; sweet potato crock with mini marshmallows; and succotash with corn, edamame, green beans, bacon and bell pepper. There’s also an array of salads and specialty sandwiches to choose from. Southern-themed cocktails complement the menu with concoctions such as a peach margarita with tequila blanco, peach liqueur, peach & citrus sour, jalapeno, pacific; a maple

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. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.5525. maremediterranean.com Market North End: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.712.4953. marketnorthend.com MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican.

Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. mexbloomfield.com 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, Friday & Saturday. 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, ThursdayWednesday; Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.800.6568. zanabham.com Zao Jun: Asian. 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, 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

old fashion with four roses single barrel, Gran Marnier, maple and pepper ginger bitters; and an apricot martini with vodka, gin, lillet blanc and apricot agave. The Travel Channel recognized The Eagle as one of the “10 most hype-worthy” fried chicken restaurants in the country, and shared that “This midwest restaurant mini-chain specializes in delicious comfort food and uses only cage-free, free-roaming chickens from local farms. Choose from a whole, half, or quarter chicken that’s brined, double-dredged in seasoning, then fried. You’ll be wowed by the spicy hot honey that sits alongside the chicken, as well as a la carte sides like collard greens, succotash, and homemade biscuits with blackberry jam and honey butter.” 3461 Woodward Avenue, Detroit eaglerestaurant.com

Jolly Pumpkin shutters-Bandit opens After serving up their iconic brews in Royal Oak for over five years, The Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant and Taphouse on Main and Fifth Streets in Royal Oak has called it quits. In its place, Mission Restaurant Group has launched a new southern-style eatery dubbed “Bandit Tavern & Hideaway.” “The menu is a fun, unique blend of scratch-made traditional and creative combinations,” said Kristin Anderson, executive chef, Bandit Tavern & Hideaway. “We’ll be featuring dishes that include our pimento cheese dip, bison chili and a bone-in ribeye with chimichurri sauce. Everyone will find a favorite. We work to handcraft distinctive dishes in a friendly, casual environment. From time-to-time, we’ll throwback to some of our favorite dishes from previous concepts or show off some new creative recipes.” Bandit features a full-bar, hand-crafted cocktails and a large list of Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak beers. There will also be zero proof offerings, local craft beer and a top-notch wine list. Downstairs from Bandit, the Hideaway will host seasonal pop-ups such as Griswold’s Hideaway, a holiday bar inspired by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which will debut after Thanksgiving. 419 S Main Street, Royal Oak, bandittavern.com

Blitzen’s on Bagley returns For the second year in a row, pop-up tavern Blitzen’s on Bagley has returned for the holiday season. Located in Detroit at 2545 Bagley Street, Blitzen’s will feature select seasonal libations, red and green jello shots and lots of holiday fun. The tavern is operated by InLaws Hospitality, owner of local favorites Green Dot Stables, Johnny Noodle King and Yellow Light Coffee and Donuts. “For the next two months, when you want to meet someone for a holiday hello, Blitzen’s will be the place to be,” said Christine Driscoll, owner of the holiday pop-up. “We’ll have special holiday-themed drinks, over-the-top decorations, and the coolest seasonal music around. Mistletoe is optional. We want every Cindy Lou Who or Kris Kingle with a need to celebrate to feel welcome here. Detroiters deserve to cut loose this season in an environment complete with twinkling lights, Christmas cookies and the best holiday music. We’ll be all that and more,” added Driscoll. Parking is available in the back parking lot. Hours for the tavern are Thursday - Sunday 5 p.m.-12 a.m., with the addition of Wednesday, November 22 for Thanksgiving Eve. For more information, visit 2545 Bagley Street, Detroit onbagley.com

Argentinian late-night spot James Beard Finalist Chef Javier Bardauil has announced that his latest concept, PUMA, is set to open in Detroit’s Core City in November. Inspired by the largest big cat native to the Americas and Bardauil’s life in Argentina, PUMA will offer its patrons the space to commune around fire with cocktails and chóripan, as Bardauil did in his youth. PUMA’s all-black interior and relaxed atmosphere reflects a completely different vibe than its upscale counterpart, BARDA. Bardauil aims to cater to Detroit’s younger crowd with more approachable menu items and late-night service. After typical restaurant hours, PUMA will transform into COUGAR, a full-service cocktail bar, with live DJ sessions. During weekends, chóripan will be available until close, providing a perfect, post-bar bite to the city’s night crawlers. Chóripan is an Argentine culinary staple, consisting of grilled chorizo sausage and chimichurri sauce sandwiched within a toasty French baguette, with alternative vegan and beef options available. PUMA will feature a ceviche bar with countertop service overlooking the roaring flame at the choripanería. Customers can also expect a refreshing cocktail program which pairs nicely with the assortments of ceviche and chóripan. 4725 16th Street, Detroit

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084.

248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. orchid-cafe.com P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. pfchangs.com Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084.

248.614.5390. recipesinc.com RH House: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. No reservations.

Liquor. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.586.1000. rh.house.com RH Social: Pizza/Sports Bar. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6870 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306.248.759.4858. rochesterhillssocial.com Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. ruthschris.com Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083.

248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com

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

248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor.

6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoattavern.com Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor.

Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.626.8585. dineshangrila.com Stage Deli: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.855.6622. stagedeli.com Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322.

248.737.8282. yotsuba-restaurant.com

West Bloomfield/Southfield

Detroit

Aurora Italiana: Italian. Dinner, WednesdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor. 6199 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.782.3000. auroraitaliana.com Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034.

248.356.6600. baccoristorante.com Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor.

29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com Bigalora: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034.

248.544.2442. bigalora.com The Fiddler: Russian. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. fiddlerrestaurant.com Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323.

248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com

Ash-Bar: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 1509 Broadway Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.277.4736. ash.world/hotels/the-siren.com Bar Pigalle: French. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201.

313.481.2703. basandetroit.com 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

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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

table. Lunch and Dinner, Wednesday-Monday.

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 Le Supreme: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226. 313.597.7734. lesupremedetroit.com Mad Nice: Coastal Italian/American. Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 4120 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201.313.558.8000. madnicedetroit.com Mario’s: Italian. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201.

313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com Mezcal: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 51 W Forest Avenue, Detroit, 48202. 313.974.7441. mezcaldetroit.com Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201.

313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine.

470 W. Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201.

313.832.2700. motorcitybeer.com Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, 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.

DOWNTOWN NeWsmagaziNe

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 Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Steakhouse. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1128 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226.

313.591.2495. sullivanssteakhouse.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: Asian/French influenced cuisine. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 644 Selden St, 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 Zuzu: Asian Fusion. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 511 Woodward Ave suite 100, Detroit, 48226. 313.464.7777. experiencezuzu.com

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ENDNOTE

Consistent zoning key for Triangle District fter years of wishing that Birmingham's Triangle District would develop and become an active and vibrant part of the city, city leaders are seeing their dreams fulfilled in a variety of ways.

At the long vacant parcel at the corner of Maple and Woodward, a proposed development is in the planning stages for a six to nine-story, mixed use building. Lavery Porsche is building a new three-story dealership on Woodward which will also act as a catalyst for a reconfiguration of Elm Street. A six-story, 157-unit luxury apartment building at 770 S. Adams is in the midst of construction on the former site of Citizen's Bank.

And a proposed five-story mixed use building with 41 units of residential for the former site of the Plant Station at 720 S. Adams Road recently received approval for its community impact study by the city's planning board, but was sent back to the drawing board for its preliminary site plan.

All of the developments are welcomed by the city, notably as ways to revitalize long vacant and at times blighted properties on the eastern portion of Birmingham. The city's Triangle District is roughly bounded by E. Maple to the north; Woodward Avenue to the east; Adams Road to the west; and the “triangle” of Adams and Lincoln to the south.

At issue are zoning ordinances requirements for buildings on the eastern side of the city. In the

A

central business district – referred to by most as “downtown Birmingham” – city administration, the planning board and city commission spent several years determining exactly what a mixed use building was; what was permitted in each floor of a mixed use building; that retail must be located on the first floor spaces of all commercial (non-residential) buildings in the central business district, and what kinds and types of businesses qualified in which areas as “retail;” how tall a building could be in each area of downtown, which is primarily five-stories for most of the downtown area; what was permitted above the first floor retail; how much residential is allowed; and how much parking is required for each of the building's uses.

As the Triangle District has now outgrown its long-dormant infancy, requirements for each of these uses must be adapted, determined and strictly adhered to for this part of town.

Developers have to know what they are building to so they can abide by the city's ordinances, or they should be penalized. Planning board members decried that only two percent of the 770 S. Adams building will have retail, despite 157 apartments – yet there has been nothing requiring the developers of the property to provide more.

“Two percent, I think most of us would agree, isn’t mixed use. It’s residential and just happens to have a little bit of retail,” planning board member

Stuart Jeffares said. “The zoning ordinance isn’t specific enough to deliver the direction.”

The goal, as in the downtown and adjacent areas, should be street activation and walkability.

That has been the priority throughout the city for all kinds of ordinances, and we feel strongly that should extend to the Triangle District as well. It would help link the neighborhoods and businesses on the east side of Woodward together and with the downtown.

Currently, study sessions appear to try to link LEED certification for buildings in the district with permitting developers to add additional stories. That sounds like a quagmire waiting to happen. If a builder doesn't comply, there is no way to knock a floor off after the fact. As the city has already established a sustainability committee, it's more important to require LEED certification for all new buildings, and set the mixed use building height where planners feel it best benefits the city.

We also know parking in the Triangle District will become an issue. Yes, we know there have been suggestions of building parking structure(s) but we are not sure just where. This issue must be resolved before more development arrives.

On a parting note, after years of stalling in the Triangle District, it's time to hit the gas and move to integrate it into a cohesive city plan.

Third time would not be a charm for Host lected officials, whether city commissioners in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, or board of trustees members in Bloomfield Township, have a duty to residents and businesses in their community to be fair, trustworthy and impartial in order to perform their job, which is to listen to agenda items which come before them, read up on those items and then come to a decision with their fellow officials in a collaborative manner. Depending upon the item, they may have set opinions, knowledge or experience – perhaps from their career or from previous work on a committee in the community.

A strong and reliable elected official is able to put this aside and let planning boards and other committees do their job to work on ordinances, zoning items, strategic and master plans – all the work of a municipality on which a commissioner or trustee must make the final decision. If they offer their opinion before then, whether verbally, in writing, on social media, amongst the members of the community, then they cannot be impartial.

And even worse, they risk influencing members of other boards – and the public – before the item has gone through its proper channels.

In its worst case scenario, false information

E

can be spread by an elected official.

We note all of this because unfortunately, in recent years, we have witnessed just these events play out on the Birmingham City Commission, including in recent weeks.

In 2020, a complaint was filed against commissioner Clinton Baller by a resident who claimed he libeled her on a social media site and via a newsletter he disseminated through email in which he was known as a city commissioner.

While Baller alleged free speech, the Birmingham Ethics Board determined, “All city officials and employees must avoid conflicts between their private interests and the public interest. Public officials and employees must: Be independent, impartial, and responsible to the people.”

Baller has since performed according to protocol.

More recently, commissioner Brad Host seems to have not learned that once elected, you always wear the hat of an elected official. In January 2023, former city manager Tom Markus took Host repeatedly to task for posting videos on social media and letters to residents perpetuating false information about part of Birmingham’s 2040 master plan, and when the behavior continued, in

March, Markus sought an advisory opinion from the ethics board. The ethics board provided an opinion which stated to Host that “you cannot intentionally misrepresent the facts,” further adding: “'The Code of Ethics is clear that Commissioner Host – and the planning board members, too – must be independent, impartial, and responsible to the people; he and they must make governmental decisions and policy in the proper governmental channels.”

Host was also cautioned that despite his dialogue, he represents every citizen and business in the city as an elected official.

Despite the admonishment, in early November city manager Jana Ecker had to once again warn Host he had crossed a line by providing a citizen group with false information and telling them to take action against the city, and that they “had his support.” Host denied wrongdoing.

There's no reason to believe there won't be a third time, and the third time won't be a charm.

Any resident can bring Host before the ethics board on violation of charges of duty – and if he is found guilty, the city commission would be forced to censure him for his rogue actions.

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