Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield by Downtown Publications Inc.

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DOWNTOWN05.11

The aura of local coffee houses The Birmingham/Bloomfield area offers a variety of choices for coffee drinkers but there are a number of true coffee houses and each offers a different personality, along with a different approach to how the coffee is brewed.

CRIME LOCATOR

57: Sarah Earley

CITY/TOWNSHIP

The Bloomfield Hills school district looks at a $6.1 million shortfall while it moves forward on a hybrid plan for one consolidated high school.

DISTRIBUTION: Mailed monthly at no charge to homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills. Additional free copies are distributedathighfoot-trafficlocations. Forthosenotresidinginthefree mail distribution area, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual fee. Phone 248.792.6464 and request the Distribution department or go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions”inthetopindexandplaceyour orderon-lineorscantheQRCodehere.

NuImage MedSpa/Vein Center of Birmingham; Four Seasons Garden Center; Rediscovered Furniture; Urban Kids Photography; Quattro; and more.

Beverly Hills Grill owner Bill Roberts has followed a high-energy blueprint for the past 23 years for this popular, cozy 80seat eatery, and it works.

SOCIAL LIGHTS

Dog park fees set; Churchill's Bistro postponed; vendor ordinance on hold; Baldwin contract talks continue; transit center opt out; plus more.

EDUCATION

A quick look at how group homes for the disabled developed in the state and their numbers in Birmingham/Bloomfield.

AT THE TABLE

75: Bud Liebler

Group homes in area

The Freedom of Information Act allows citizens to unearth most government records from municipalities and schools.

FACES

FOIA in Michigan

BUSINESS MATTERS

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

29: Richard Persiani

31 41

THE COVER A partial view of downtown Birmingham from atop the Pierce Street parking structure.

ENDNOTE

DOWNTOWN P U B L I C A T I O N S DOWNTOWNBIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD 124WESTMAPLEROADBIRMINGHAM48009 P:248.792.6464 downtownpublications.com facebook.com/downtownpublications.com twitter.com/downtownpubs

Publisher:DavidHohendorf AdManager:JillCesarz Graphics/ITManager:ChrisGrammer NewsEditor:LisaBrody

NewsStaff/Contributors:HillaryBrody, SallyGerak,Eleanor&RayHeald, AustenHohendorf,GarrettHohendorf, KathleenMeisner,LaurieTennent

DOWNTOWN

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

Our recommendations for the Bloomfield Hills City Commission and a word of caution for the Bloomfield Hills Schools.

INCOMING: We welcome feedback on both ourpublicationandgeneralissuesofconcernin the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. The traditionalLetterstotheEditorinDowntownare published in our Incoming section, and can include traditional letters or electronic communication. Your opinions can be sent via e-mailtonews@downtownpublications.com;or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 West Maple Road, Birmingham MI, 48009. Letters must include your full name, address and daytimephonenumberforverification.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

e have added a new dimension to the print version of Downtown with the May issue, thanks to one of our advertising accounts, LaVida Massage, which began using QR (Quick Response) codes in their marketing in January of this year.

As we were assembling an issue of Downtown at the start of this year, La Vida Massage at Woodward and Long Lake Road in Bloomfield Hills introduced QR coding into their new outlet's print advertising. At the time we were vaguely aware of QR coding, but this was the first instance of an account incorporating it into their advertising in Downtown. Readers have probably seen QR codes, although they may not been aware of their purpose. QR codes appear as a black square matrix barcode pattern against a white or contrasting background and they can contain countless codes within the small space. They can be scanned by either a dedicated barcode reader or nowadays by smartphones, and the codes themselves either contain text or url information. If your smartphone does not have an app for scanning, a number of free apps can be downloaded to your phone to scan these codes. QR or two dimensional barcodes were first created in 1994 by a subsidiary of Toyota so vehicle parts could be tracked much easier and quicker than traditional barcoding allowed. QR codes are very big in Japan and South Korea and are now taking off in Europe. In this country, larger advertisers, (Coke, Thermador, Starbucks) and major municipalities are starting to incorporate QR codes in their efforts to reach the public. Take the city of New York, for example, where a current day tour of Central Park is guided by placards with QR codes throughout the park. Scan the code with your smartphone and you can connect with a video explaining the portion of the park through which you are walking. The codes are starting to be used for payments, ordering, alerting customers to special sales and any number of mobile applications. We have started to incorporate QR codes in the print version of Downtown with this issue. On the index page of this issue you will see a QR code that will take you to our website, and a second QR code that connects with the paid subscription order page on our site. With the feature on coffee houses (page 17), you will find a code that will connect your smartphone with the audio of the interview with Commonwealth co-owner Hugh Yaro. And our Crime Locator map on page 15 contains a code that will take you to our interactive online map. In future issues we plan on expanding this to include videos and photo galleries that accompany the stories we write. Yes, some of these added features have been available on our website (downtownpublications.com), but QR codes allow us to expand our editorial offerings as you are reading the publication. A number of our advertisers, as they became aware of our efforts, are using QR codes in their print marketing in the May issue. If you are curious, check out the ads in this edition from Blu Arch Collection (page 14), Caruso Caruso (page 7), J&S Landscaping Maintenance (page 18), LaVida Massage (page 36, Legacy Jewelry (page 16), Shades Optical (page 10), Stacked Deli (page 82), and Steel Dragon Limousines/Tours (page 47). As a value added service, we are creating QR codes for our advertisers at no charge. As part of the service, we are also supplying a link to an analytics report that will tell them how often in a month the QR code is scanned. We are also supplying window stickers for advertisers who want to add QR codes to the front of their stores. Like everyone else, we are just beginning to explore the possibilities for Quick Response codes so it will be interesting to see how this mobile marketing effort develops in the months ahead. But we are excited to be adding one more dimension to our efforts at Downtown Publications. As always, I welcome your feedback. David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com

INCOMING

Let's talk ethics Lets talk “ethics.” Somebody has to love you for tackling such a subject (Downtown/April 2011). I love (Bloomfield Township Treasurer) Dan Devine's comment. "We have a clear investment policy .... it follows prudent investment standards ...it clearly spells out what we can and cannot invest in." But the township does not have an ethics policy. Say what? And then he goes on to say we cannot afford to have even a whiff of impropriety. How is that even measured with no ethics policy? And (county commissioner) Shelley Taub says "we know what we can and cannot do." Oh really? And just where does one draw their line of ethics when there are no lines to be found? In the eyes of the beholder I guess. Allow me to suggest the biggest impropriety of all is having no ethics guidelines. (Birmingham Commissioner) Stuart Sherman says you are not going to legislate morality. People either act ethically or they don't. Yeah, but what is one's definition of morally and ethically correct if nothing is spelled out? And what about all of the gray, Mr. Sherman? Real simple. They like lots of wiggle room. Rich Andrews, Bloomfield Hills

Just seeking the truth I have never made a penny from my childhood friend's death (Oakland County Child Killer/Downtown/ October 10) and loss to us all, and never would. All of my actions in reporting this have only cost me financially, put me in an unpopular position in my life's chosen profession, and caused me ridicule by those who are not in the know, or who have something to lose from the full truth coming out. That said, no regrets at all; as I owed this effort to Timmy (King) my friend, his family, the other victim's families, and my family, and within my faith. We all loved Timmy and the other kids by extension; and just plain old had to do all I could to assist in this case which has been carried in our hearts for a generation now. Timmy was taken and killed 34 years ago and I am just humbled to have played any role in being in the position to push the first domino in a 8

sequence that has led to the King family knowing more now about "who" did this, and their recent further discovery granted them by a wise judge. Since your article back in 2010, some have written me to say they felt I was a hero, but it is not the case. It is rather that this was a life's test of character for me, and would I just do the right thing plain and simple. So then, no, not a hero; just someone living out his conscience for the right thing to be done with what he knew, and for no selfish motive at all.I have never sought to stir up the families, and am content with my life so I don't want to be famous as had been alleged. Perhaps (Lawrence) Wasser and (James )Feinberg (who challenged Coffey's assertions regarding Wasser's statement about having polygraphed a possible suspect) have both learned that the world is a smaller place than they perceived it to be, especially in the age of the Internet; and were mistaken about my probably not reading your original article with it's false allegations about me since I lived out of the Detroit area, and on the west coast. In signing an agreed retraction (following my lawsuit for defamation), and true to my word, I did not seek any money from them in this case, nor anyone else; and with their retraction I have let it go, and paid my own attorney bills. Truth has a price, and I paid it, and will pay it further if need be. Patrick Coffey, San Francisco, CA

Endnote on nightclubs After reading the article (Endnote/Downtown/April 2010) regarding perceived problems at two local bars, I was appalled by one particularly glaring portion. The article stated the problem is the bars attract non-residents and "have become gathering places for a problem segment of one particular culture." There was a desire expressed that they "strut their stuff" elsewhere, in another community. No need to sugarcoat what was said. It was clear you were equating the problems to Chaldean American customers who you thought were thugs. As a Chaldean American, I was disgusted at the negative and ignorant stereotype being perpetuated. What are you basing your contention on that Chaldean

Americans have caused the majority of the problems? Could it simply be that any nightclub that serves alcohol to a large number of young people will have some incidents, whether they involve Chaldean Americans or not? Why is this any more acceptable than stating problems in other areas are due to Jewish, African American, Irish, or Latin American clientele? The problems could be caused by any race, culture, or ethnicity. It is naive to blame all the problems at the establishments with the problem segment of the Chaldean American community. To infer that the problems are specific to or more prevalent in their culture is particularly insulting. Chaldean Americans are active members in their community and are educated, devout and honest people. Many are in fact residents of Birmingham. There are also multiple Chaldean American owned businesses in Birmingham. However, Chaldean Americans are still dogged by the negative stereotype you so willingly spread as thugs, as you so eloquently put it. This opinion is the same sort of bigotry that some other cultural, religious, and ethnic groups have been fighting against since the dawn of time. Most establishments in the area appreciate and rely on business from the Chaldean American community. Truthfully, most do not see them as different from any other patron. Maybe a local business owner advertising in this publication who does not share the same uninformed opinion should "strut their stuff" elsewhere. Steven S. Samona, Birmingham (Editor's note: We recommend Mr. Samona reread the editorial opinion. At no point did we mention Chaldeans. We treated the “cultural group” as euphemistically as the city commission, which referred to the problem as one of “demographics.” Further, we conceded that the “majority of patrons pose no problem.” We also noted that the “thug” element “can show up in any demographic group.”)

Consolidated high school As a member of the Bloomfield Hills School District Leadership Team (and a CPA), I am troubled by the school board pushing forward with the phased-in hybrid of remodeling and new construction at Andover.

DOWNTOWN

Fielding Nair (FNI) was pushing to move forward saying that if they did not get the go ahead to proceed with schematics, they would move on to other projects and they would reassign people now working on this project and that these people may not be available when we made a decision to move forward. We were continually told that the report was FNI’s, not the committee’s. So when we were each asked which two options merited further study, we all agreed that the hybrid option was worth further study. While I agreed it deserved further study, I in no way was endorsing it as a final solution. I am troubled by the fact that the process has been called fair and open. If anyone took the time to examine the process, they would discover that the committee was first formed with six employees of the district, the president of the board of education, two parents and two community members. Only later were four additional community members added to make it look fair and balanced. Fielding Nair was well paid with over $860,00 of taxpayer money, yet has nothing but contempt for this community. In one report Fielding Nair referred to some community members as having extremist views, being obstructionists and nay-sayers. In it they placed themselves as judge and jury as to what this community could afford by citing its high median income and high median household value. In FNI’s discovery workbook dated February 27, 2011, they stated that Plante Moran had confirmed an annual savings of $2.5 million. The truth is that up to that time Plante Moran had not confirmed any figure. When Plante Moran finally did present their report dated February 28, 2011, their figure was only $2,365,100. After I questioned the representative from Plante Moran about some of the assumptions they used in arriving at this figure, he admitted that they made an error and that the $2,365,100 figure would need to be revised downward. The board is trying to balance its budget by using the projected cost savings of a consolidated high school. The board is afraid to address the real issue, which is that structural changes need to be made to wages and benefits, which make up over 80 percent of the budget. In my opinion 05.11

Fielding Nair was hired to “sell” this community on a $73 million bond millage and a consolidated high school. Time will tell if they succeed. Paul Taros, Bloomfield Hills

Important points missed I read with great interest the recent article about the impact of funding cuts on local communities and our schools (Downtown/April 2011). Though it was well presented you left out two very important facts in telling the story. First, there was no mention at all of the additional $1.8 billion "deficit" Gov. Snyder's budget proposal created by the elimination of business taxes for all but "C" corporations. During the campaign, Snyder promised to revise and simplify the Michigan business tax but never once indicated that it meant a nearly complete elimination of it and the associated cuts and tax increases for the rest of us to make up the difference. I think all of us in Michigan were ready, willing and able to endure a level of cuts and/or tax increases necessary to eliminate the original $1.3 billion deficit but I wonder how many of us would have voted for Mr. Snyder if he had been honest enough to tell us that he was going to more than double that deficit. Secondly, you gave only a passing reference to the heart of the issue of municipal and school funding, namely the fact that our tax revenue is tied to real estate values which have been declining and apparently will continue to decline. Due to our inane tax structure, Proposal A and the ill-conceived Headlee Amendment, revenues for both municipal services and public school education are "unsustainable" almost by definition. Rep. Moss has effectively memorized all the talking points about sustainability but, like the rest of the legislature, has no idea how to address the issue itself other than cuts, cuts, and more cuts and more taxes. They can call it what they want and put whatever spin they want on it but a tax increase is a tax increase. So what's the answer? I believe what we need to do is to completely revise the very basis for assessing taxes and create a new system which is equitable, predictable, and reflective of the actual cost of delivering services. What I think could satisfy that criteria is a land use downtownpublications.com

SPEAK OUT We welcome your opinion on issues facing the Birmingham/Bloomfield communities. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 West Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009.

based tax. Under a land use based tax every property in a city would be assessed an amount based on its use and the area of the lot. The presumed real estate market value would have no bearing on the taxes assessed just as it bears no relationship to the cost of delivering services to that site. A formula would be developed for each zoning classification and a cost per square foot would be attached to that use regardless of the value of the building on that lot. This would accomplish several things. First, it would be equitable. As it stands today with Proposition A and Headlee in place, two adjacent properties with the presumed equal real estate value could be paying vastly different taxes depending upon when the property was purchased. Someone who had been there for years has his assessment "capped," while a new resident is assessed at whatever the going real estate price is estimated to be at the time of purchase. Second, a land use base tax would be predictable. No more would revenues be subject to the fluctuations in the real estate market "value" as estimated by the assessor. Municipal governments would be certain of the amount of revenue they would receive from year to year and could set budgets accordingly. If revenues were insufficient, a simple up or down vote on an increase per square foot could be voted on by property owners who would know exactly what they were voting on. No more of the mythical "$100,000 house" nonsense which never seems to reflect the actual tax increase and no

more tax tribunal second guessing the first guess of the assessor about the supposed "market value". Third, a land use tax would reflect the actual cost of the delivery of services. The lot area, more than any other factor, determines how much of a particular service is needed and how those resources are distributed. Simply put, a more dense neighborhood , i.e., one with more homes in a given area, requires fewer services such as streets, public lighting, sewers, water lines, sidewalks, etc., as well as fewer police to patrol the area or fire fighters to respond to calls. The point here is that we can no longer continue to tie revenues to something as mercurial as an estimated "market value". That is what is unsustainable. If we have learned nothing else in the past three years it must be that. Our legislators are simply rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship if they think that we can cut our way out of the situation we are in. No amount of shifting of costs from one group of taxpayers to another will compensate for a system that is flawed at its core. Gov. Snyder's "atom bomb" budget does nothing whatever to address the issue and neither does the rhetoric of Rep. Moss and the other "bomber pilots" dropping damage and destruction on our cities and our schools. I enjoy reading your publication and am glad that you've stepped up to fill a real need in our community. Roger Gienapp, Birmingham

A call to common sense I appreciated your recent description of modern villains as “the extremists we encounter in the current day world of politics… preventing us from solving important issues facing us because extremism prevents compromise, which is what we need if we are to make progress on critical issues”. This is gravely evident in how we are handling the issues of drinking drivers in our community. The widespread public misperceptions propagated by powerful pressure groups on this issue have led directly to extreme practices that often do more harm than good. A review of the latest statistics published by the Michigan State Police in their 2009 Criminal Justice Information Center Annual Driving Audit blame sober drivers for over 90

DOWNTOWN

percent of the mayhem on our highways. Sober drivers are those who do not have any alcohol or drugs in their system. In Oakland County, 93 percent of injury crashes and 97 percent of property damage crashes were a result of sober drivers. These statistics expose the fallacy of the public’s perception. Why is it, if we were to ask our neighbor or spouse to estimate the percentage of accidents involving alcohol or drugs, they would likely choose a number much higher than the actual 3 percent to 7 percent? This is where we can begin to understand the exaggeration that has allowed the development of so many current practices in our courts that have replaced common sense with nonsense. As the first attorney in Michigan to specialize in this area of law, I have written and lectured extensively on the subject, appeared in court on behalf of over 5,000 drinking drivers and watched many more undergo the legal process. I have taught courses to police, prosecutors, and judges, and I have participated in and closely watched the evolution of many positive improvements in our laws and attitudes. It is with my 35 years of focused experience that I recognize the unfortunate significance of what’s happening within our community regarding drinking and driving. I have never been more alarmed than I am today by the extremes that are being performed by the legislature and the courts. It’s important for the public to know that the pendulum has swung so far that it is now working contrary to the needs of our community. The public should be questioning to what extent legislators and judges, particularly those who stake their reputation on being tough on drunk driving, inflate the severity of the problem as a platform for electability, ultimately clogging up our jails, impeding our liberties and expanding the criminal class at a great cost to taxpayers. By sheer volume, drinking and driving is the most frequent circumstance of which Birmingham and Bloomfield citizens will interact with the courts. With almost 6,000 arrests in Oakland County and 60,000 statewide for drinking and driving, this area of law is in the forefront of the battle to preserve personal liberties which are increasingly under attack these days. What the public 9

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generally doesn’t know often surprises them to learn, and by the time they do find out, it’s too late and perhaps they have already unknowingly supported an extreme agenda that with full disclosure and common sense, most would not. Most judges, attorneys and sheriffs understand that the courts and jails have been hijacked to promote wellfinanced pressure group agendas but are reticent to act unless the public becomes deprogrammed. Drinking and driving is now used as a platform by elected officials and used against them under threat that these pressure groups will support, or put forth, their competition in the next election. I have heard statements from many judges who don’t agree with the penalties they’re required to impose on first offense drinking drivers because they are not reflective of the cases that come before them. I often speak with sheriffs who are frustrated with the inflated volume of alcoholrelated offenders, as compared to other more dangerous inmates, who they are sometimes forced to release to prevent overcrowding when there are better alternatives like Oakland County’s highly underutilized, state of the art, GPS tether program that is capable of measuring alcohol in someone’s body and can pinpoint a person’s location within a three foot radius, 24/7. Progress can be made both socially and economically if the laws and courts would recognize the difference between a driver who will probably never again offend and one that probably will. Two thirds of those who commit a first offense drinking and driving, never offend again, this without jail time. However, the remaining one third is likely to offend more than one time after the first conviction. The public would be better served by avoiding costly jail time for the larger segment and ensuring alcohol treatment for the latter. Currently, there is little differentiating between a driver who has the disease of alcoholism, a drunk driver with no regard for the safety of others, and the majority of drivers who miscalculated the lawful levels of alcohol with all other mitigating factors before getting behind the wheel. Any drinking and driving conviction stays on a citizen’s record for life. When you consider the current and future ramifications of employability, educational downtownpublications.com

opportunities and overall potential productivity in society, especially with our young people, this is a very important issue, worthy of serious legislative reconsideration. In comparison, for example, if an individual is convicted of breaking and entering into one of our homes, that felon’s criminal record can be expunged after five years. Does this make sense? We should be acting in the spirit of increasing employability for the economic benefit of our state rather than increasing membership in the criminal class. People who have not conferred with proper counsel are going into court today charged with first offense drinking and driving and pleading guilty without the knowledge that the charge, even if reduced to impaired driving, will remain on their record for life, that they won’t be allowed into Canada for a minimum of five years, and that their court costs and fines will be in the four figure range in addition to the state’s assessment fee for the conviction which will also be in that four figure range. At present, there is no legal obligation for the courts or their appointed counsel to inform the defendant of the above information and the courts don’t make any money unless there is a conviction. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more technical aspects of this issue in need of consideration, such as the effects of ADHD medication, over-the-counter acid reducers, bariatric surgery, the possible 20 percent variation between the whole blood testing by the state vs. the serum analysis measured at Oakland County hospitals, air bag deployment effects on Michigan’s Data-Master breath machines, the approximate 15 percent variation between men and woman of equal weight and equal alcohol consumption, among others. It’s time for a truth seeking, common sense evaluation of how we are specifically addressing these issues and at what economic and social costs to the public. Robert W. Larin, Bloomfield Hills

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Admire Downtown I read Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield from cover to cover. It is so informative and well written. Congratulations on producing a fine product that so aptly represents our community. Dorie Shwedel, Bloomfield

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05.11

CRIME LOCATOR

NORTH

Map key

Sexual assault

Assault

Murder

Robbery

Home invasion

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Burglary

Vehicle theft

Larceny from vehicle

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through April 15, 2011. Placement of codes is approximate.

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o paraphrase Shakespeare, to those of us coffee drinkers, a bean by any other name would smell as sweet. Coffee. Java. Cuppa joe. Go juice. Kona, mud, bean juice, liquid gold. Whatever you call it, if you're a coffee drinker, you can't wake up without the aromatic liquid sliding down their throat. The question is, where do you get it? Some brew a pot at home, choosing among beans from simple to complex. Others stop at a Tim Horton's or Dunkin' Donuts on the way to work. But for many in Birmingham and Bloomfield, coffee is serious business, whether for the taste or the ambiance, and coffee shops, both locally-owned or part of national chains, abound to provide meeting grounds for moms with tots, students, business people, or retirees and their card games or readers and book clubs. It's believed the first coffee shop in Birmingham was Richard & Reis on Pierce, owned by Bill Roberts of Streetside Seafood and Beverly Hills Grill, in the 1980s. An eclectic coffee house, it was an early purveyor of cappuccinos, espressos, oversized muffins, overstuffed arm chairs and table seating. When other coffee shops entered the city, Roberts exited the coffee scene, re-imagining the space as the iconic Streetside Seafood restaurant. Quite an evolution to present day, where in some cities, there is a Starbucks on every corner. In the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, coffee drinkers can find a number of places that serve coffee but there are a number of true coffee houses that dot the landscape.

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muffins, vegan cookies and banana bread, scones, carrot cake, and brownies. ZUMA COFFEE HOUSE Breakfast items, available at any time, include an egg sandwich and a Richard Spicko bought Zuma Coffee House, 207 S. Old Woodward in breakfast burrito. They have made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, salads, and Birmingham, in November 2008, when it was known as Java Hut, and long before that, as Lonestar. An independent coffee shop, it is large and open, with snacks. They always have homemade soups, including vegan options. “A lot of people began demanding nooks and crannies, book shelves with vegan soups and baked goods, and we books that responded to customer requests,” said can be Spicko. “We keep raising the bar.” pulled off the shelves offee as we know it is a brewed drink prepared from COMMONWEALTH CAFE to be read, roasted seeds called coffee beans from the coffee plant. The newest kid on the block, large red Coffee beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees Commonwealth Cafe, 300 Hamilton Row, leather in over 70 countries, but are cultivated primarily in Latin Birmingham, has been open just six armchairs, America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Coffee has a stimulating months, but has established itself as lots of tables effect on people due to its caffeine content, and is one of the where the hip, cool people go to hang out, and chairs, most consumed beverages in the world. from elegant business people to the some long The berries, which contain the coffee seed, or bean, are young, urban set. They offer free wireless. and ideal for produced by several species of small coffee evergreen bushes. “We thought the city could use an large The kind most commonly grown are the highly-regarded coffea independent groups, and arabica and the robust form of the hardier coffea canephora. coffee shop,” others small, better for only one or two Once ripe, the coffee berries are picked, processed and dried, said Hugh people. then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired Yaro, who The hallmark of Zuma is that it is open flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. owns the 24/7 and has free wireless Internet, Depending on the color of the roasted beans, they are shop with making its busiest times “8 p.m. to 1 a.m. labeled as light, medium light, medium, medium dark, or very Jim Hayosh. due to the large amount of students dark. Darker roasts are generally bolder because they have This is their studying during that time. It can be hard less fiber content and more sugary flavor. Lighter roasts have second to get seats during that time,” Spicko said. a more complex, and therefore a perceived stronger flavor from venture; they Zuma attracts local high school aromatic oils and acids that usually are destroyed by longer also own students, but also medical students from roasting times. Ronin Sushi Wayne State University, law students from Love coffee, but not the bounce it gives you? Try decaf. in Royal Oak. Cooley Law School, and undergraduate Seeds are decaffeinated when they are still green. There are He said their students from Oakland University and many methods that can remove caffeine from coffee, but all two main characteristics are quality and Oakland Community College. involve either soaking the green beans in hot water (which is consistency. “We get rock stars and actors from The often called the “Swiss water” process), or steaming them, “We have an independent spirit,” Yaro Townsend (Hotel), baseball players, hockey then using a solvent to dissolve the caffeine-containing oils. said. “We’re owner/operated and curated. players, basketball players. In the early Decaffeination is usually done by processing companies, and It’s evident from our design, spirit, and morning and afternoon, people from Yoga the extracted caffeine is often sold to the pharmaceutical the staff we’ve chosen. We’re here Shelter; in the early morning we get a lot industry, where it is used in certain medicines. everyday. It’s a very hands-on day-to-day of business people and lawyers meeting It seems there are as many ways to enjoy coffee as there operation.” with their clients before court,” said are people. Turkish grind is the finest grind, while coffee Yaro said Commonwealth attracts manager Paul Keller. “On weekends, we percolator or French press are the coarsest grinds. Medium people looking for quality in a setting that get the movie crowd, kids on dates, chess grind is used most often for home coffee-brewing machines. is neither streamlined nor corporate. “It’s players from 18 to 80 at all times of the Brewing coffee by boiling was the earliest method, of which for people who want something a little day. We get a foreign mom's group, whose Turkish coffee is an example. It is prepared by grinding or more special.” husbands are auto executives from Great pounding the beans to a fine powder, and then adding it to Commonwealth roasts its own beans in Britain, Belgium, China, Japan, Germany, water and bringing it to boil for an instant, which produces a house, and makes all and Italy; there's a knitting group. Late at strong coffee with a layer of foam and some sediment on the of its food from night, we get a lot of Albanian guys who bottom, which should not be drunk. scratch. Every cup of have grabbed a couple of beers around Automatic coffeemakers brew coffee using gravity. The coffee or tea, and town, and then they'll come in here to play liquid drips through the coffee and the filter into a carafe or breakfast or lunch chess and sober up. pot, and the hot water seeps through the ground coffee, order is made to order. “It's fun and interesting,” he said. “You extracting its oils and essences while allowing the spent “We’re not looking to might have in line a millionaire and then grounds to be retained in the filter above. be fast in terms of food Scan for Yaro audio two spaces back is a guy asking for French press uses a process known as steeping. Ground or coffee. We’re not trying to appeal to change for the bus.” coffee and hot water are combined in a cylindrical vessel and everyone; but enough to keep us busy,” Keller and co-manager Amanda Harris left to brew for a few minutes. A circular filter which fits Yaro said. They serve breakfast daily from are thrilled at the mixture of people they tightly in the cylinder fixed to a plunger is then pushed down 7:30 to 11, lunch from 11 to 3, and get at all times. to the top to force the grounds to the bottom. Because the pastries and beverages from 3 to 7. They “A coffee house is a place to go to chill grounds are in direct contact with the water, all the coffee oils are open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 7 for 10 minutes or 10 hours, and not feel remain in the beverage, making it stronger. p.m. guilty that you’re wasting your time, Espresso forces hot pressurized and vaporized water They serve only Arabica coffee beans. reading a book,” said Keller. “We’re here through ground coffee. As a result, espresso is more “They’re from a higher elevation, of a because people enjoy coffee.” concentrated and has a more complex flavor and constitution. higher quality,” Yaro said. He urges people They both feel Zuma’s coffee is All of the other choices we see on coffee shop menus? to try the coffee black the first time. “We significantly better than coffee from a Variations and recipes. do not roast it too dark or too bitter. We chain. The earliest known evidence of coffee drinking appeared in spent a lot of money on a water osmosis “This is an art form, and I take pride in the middle of the fifteenth century in the Sufi monasteries in system. It’s a reverse triple filtration my job,” said Harris. “At Starbucks, it’s Yemen. This is where coffee beans were first roasted and system. It comes out very pure and clean. cookie cutter. I have my regulars. I know brewed, similar to how they are today. By the 16th century, The temperature is regulated to be at 200 how they like their coffee, and I know coffee had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia (Iran), degrees, so it’s not scalding hot, and it’s things about their lives.” Turkey, and northern Africa. The first coffee house opened in not bitter.” Zuma offers its menu items round the Istanbul in 1554. From there, travelers spread it north to He said they made a conscious decision clock, from fresh-baked goods like bagels, Europe, east to Asia, and south throughout Africa.

A PRIMER ON COFFEE

to have no additives of any kind in food or beverages, staying consistent to their vision to maintain quality. “Our prices reflect our sources and that we’re making everything from scratch, of a high quality, and to order,” he said. Breakfast features yogurt, granola and fruit; steel cut oatmeal; omelettes; poached eggs; buttermilk waffles; and mediterranean quiche. The quiche is also on the lunch menu, as well as seasonal soup; 5-bean chili; salads, sandwiches, and grilled cheese and soup. “We love diversity, all kinds of people are welcome, especially people looking for a unique experience and if they’re open to trying our coffee the way they are and our food the way the chef has prepared them. We really want people to try it our way,” Yaro said. “Commonwealth is an extension of who we are—whether it’s what’s in our magazine rack, what’s hanging on the wall, or what we serve. We trust ourselves and do not outsource our talents. We trust our visions.”

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BIGGBY COFFEE Rose and Joe Glendinning, sister and brother franchise owners of two local Biggby Coffee locations, one in downtown Birmingham at 112 S. Old Woodward, and 1952 S. Telegraph in Bloomfield Township, next to Carl’s Golfland, across from Costco, are utilizing their finance (Rose) and law (Joe) backgrounds to be part of the reverse migration back into the metro area. Residents of Bloomfield Township, they’ve discovered a newfound love for the area they grew up in, and for the life of owning friendly coffee shops. They are franchise owners of Lansing-based Biggby. The Bloomfield location will be three years old in July; Birmingham celebrated its first birthday in March. They both offer free wireless. Joe, an attorney with an MBA, was living in Chicago when he decided he wanted to come back to Michigan and “put my MBA to use. I interviewed with law firms, and something told me to check out Biggby’s,” Joe, 33, said. “I almost took a law firm job. I went to a franchise seminar event, and I was blown away. It was a company to grow with. I felt I could use my legal experience and my business education. I also figured I was young enough to take a chance. I called Rose and asked her if she wanted to work with me, and she said no way. Then she was promoted (she was working in Boston in investment banking), and working a 1,000 hours. She reconsidered. She couldn’t resist the opportunity to work with her brother!” They both appreciated that Biggby only uses Michigan products, roasting their coffees in Lansing, and that whether the baked goods or the tables, chairs, mugs, or prints on the walls, everything in the store is created in Michigan. “Biggby is all about energy, fun and good coffee,” Rose said. “It’s important to have good energetic staff. If they’re not really enjoying working here, they’re not going to be sending off a good energy across the counter. Most of our staff stays with us a long time. We really care about the people who are here.” Rose, 30, notes they do not have defined duties, but that she handles the books, accounting, and more of the back end. They are both at the shops every day, and do the overall business planning together. “What I love is that a coffee shop is a meeting place. That’s the real function of coffee shops,” said Joe. “As a lawyer, I felt disconnected from the community. For Rose and I, it’s the personal touch that’s the important part. It’s not just making the drinks, but getting to know who’s in the stores, and how they’re involved in the community. I also find out from feedback how I can improve. People love talking to the owner. It’s crucial to us, so that quality is maintained. But also, I love talking to people, to say hello, how was your kid’s softball game? It’s the personal touch.” At the Birmingham location, it’s common to see both neighborhood people and Birmingham city officials. “It has more of a community feel since it’s in a downtown area,” said Joe. The Bloomfield Township location is extremely busy first thing in the morning, especially with a drive through window on Telegraph. Later, it attracts moms, community people, and high school students. Joe and Rose say they believe in giving back to the community, donating a window in Birmingham highlighting a charity of the month. “We also invite people from the organization to work as a barista for four to five hours, and donate $1 per drink to the organization during that period,” Joe said. At each location, they donate to locale high schools, like Seaholm and Andover, to assist with community events. “We donate a lot of coffee to anyone who asks for it. Rose and I feel, especially in Birmingham, like we’re very much a part of the community. They’re supporting us, and it’s our responsibility as a business owner to be involved and not just take. We live here, and we work here. We’re cognizant of the fact that it’s our responsibility to be part of the community,” Joe said. “Our mother owns businesses and always taught us to give back.” Besides an assortment of coffee, tea and frozen beverages, Biggby offers bagels, DOWNTOWN

05.11

berry nut mix, yogurt and granola, muffins and baked goods, muesli, chocolate covered cherries, candies and gum, Jones soda, Red Bull, Perrier, coffee beans, teas and accessories. And they welcome dogs with a water dish and dog treats. STARBUCKS Starbucks has come to define coffee not only in America, but around the globe, with 7,100 stores in the U.S. alone. Five of them (a sixth is a walkup location within the Kroger at Maple and Woodward) are located in Birmingham and Bloomfield. To some, Starbucks is a home away from home. To others, it’s anathema, cursed and reviled as not a “true” coffee experience. Yet, over its 40 years, Starbucks introduced many to lattes and cappuccinos, to rich and bold coffee, and to the brewed experience. Without a question, without Starbucks, many of us would not crave coffee as often as we do, would not drink as much, whether from independents or from chain coffee houses. Every Starbucks coffee shop offers the same menu, and the same coffee experience—that is what Howard Shultz, Starbucks CEO, dictates. When inconsistencies were occurring and the company had grown too fast, with corporate competitors, such as Dunkin’ Donuts and MacDonald’s nipping at their heels in 2007, Shultz reorganized the company, closing approximately 900 stores, and reinvigorating his employees, training, the coffee and the menu. On the afternoon of Feb. 26, 2008, Starbucks customers at all of the U.S locations discovered closed stores, with this sign on the door: “Great espresso requires practice. That’s why we’re dedicating ourselves to honing our craft.” That day, they retrained all of the company’s 135,000 baristas in the art of pouring the perfect shot. They also returned to grinding the beans in the stores, and tossing brewed coffee after 30 minutes. New machines were brought in to make better coffee and restore the art of theater in creating the coffee making experience. They introduced oatmeal and breakfast sandwiches into the stores, reduced smells for their cooking, and recently added cake pops, 200 calorie treats, as well as mini muffins, to their coterie of cookies and baked goods. All Starbucks now offer free wireless. While serving the same items, each location has its own customers and vibe. The downtown Birmingham location, 135 S. Old Woodward, is smaller, with a cozy, urban, New York feel. Morning runners and yoga devotees bump into business people seeking morning drinks. Later on, window chairs are often occupied by New York Times and other newspaper readers. Laptops are propped at small tables, and quick meetings happen throughout the day as Birmingham business people, shoppers, moms and tykes, teens and others pop in and out for their beverage of choice. Starbucks at 3584 W. Maple at Lahser in Bloomfield is large and spacious, and the local meeting place for philanthropic meetings, school meetings, business meetings, local au pair groups, tutoring sessions, knitting groups, retirees looking for a place to read or to play cards or chess, book groups, law students, high school students, or to rediscover a lost friend or neighbor. Filled with tables, chairs, areas with arm chairs and a fireplace, it is a central meeting place for the community. Down the road at 6558 Telegraph at Maple in Bloomfield, the Starbucks is similarly bustling; it is a meeting place between Birmingham and Bloomfield and West Bloomfield. Smaller than Maple and Lahser, it is less cozy but more active, filled with moms meeting after exercising nearby, young moms with toddlers getting together, people working on laptops, retirees reading the newspaper or books, phone ringing and people talking, keeping a constant din. At various times, there are groups of men who meet to play cards and chess, or just for the camaraderie. At Long Lake and Telegraph, at 4036 Telegraph in Bloomfield, next to a deli, pizza shop, and a sandwich shop, the Starbucks tends to be a stop in and pick up place, more than a let’s-stay-for-a-while-and-work place. Quick meetings do happen, and there are cozy arm chairs in the corner, but often they sit vacant. It’s a popular spot for high school students from Andover, Lahser and Cranbrook high schools. There's hardly a high-schooler at the Starbucks at Square Lake and Woodward, 42825 Woodward, in the after school hours for their combination of sugar, gossip, and perhaps even some coffee. Instead, the men and women who make their way into the Starbucks for their afternoon pick-me-up have earned their true caffeine dependency. The barristas even knew how to make a proper cappuccino--their customers clearly enjoy more than a blueberry strudel muffin and a caramel frappuccino. This location is filled with men and women having meetings, women catching up over coffee with young children in tow, laptops on a handful of tables, Kindles and hardcover books being read in the plush armchairs. Yet through the steady flow of traffic, the most noticeable and distinguishing feature at this location is that, over the din of voices, one could hear the faint melodies of Starbucks' carefully cultivated soundtrack, which lends to its ambiance as a meeting place, not just a corporate caffeine joint. downtownpublications.com

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Nanci J. Rands Associate Broker

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Bloomfield $3,750,000 Prominently gracing the North shore of Wing Lake, this outstanding 2000 built New Englandstyle stone and cedar home is truly beyond compare. Over 10,000 sq. ft. of elegance and style in architecture, quality, and detailed trim work. Six bedrooms including a private apartment. Six full and two half baths. Exquisite two-story, barrel ceiling Living Room with panoramic lake views. Arts and Crafts, book shelf lined Library with screened porch and “secret door” to a private Office. Fabulous walk-out Lower Level with entertainer’s Kitchen, Exercise Facility. Multiple Bluestone Terraces. Boat Dock. Four car Garage.

Birmingham $1,695,000 Ralph Lauren model residence offered furnished at Woodland Villa, in-town Birmingham’s intimate residential enclave. Luxurious lifestyle and unparalleled location. Architecture by Alexander V. Bogaerts & Associates. Sophistication and elegance throughout. Three Bedroom Suites up plus fully finished Lower Level with Guest Suite. Elevator. Three car garage.

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LOCAL EXPERTISE...INTERNATIONAL REACH

Meredith Colburn Associate Broker

248.762.5319 www.randscolburn.com

Franklin $4,250,000 Exceptional 2001 Tringali-designed 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English Tudor replica on 2.48 acres nestled in the heart of Franklin Village. Winding gated drive opens to stunning views of the slate roofed home with pond, fountain, arched walkways, and ivy draped trees. Over 10,000 sq. ft. of luxury with four bedroom suites, four full and three half baths. Refined cherry paneled two-story Library. Chilton country blend granite island Kitchen with Hearth Room and Breakfast Area. Knotty Pine paneled Family Room. Meticulously crafted, temperature controlled wine cellar and tasting room. An impressive Exercise Facility houses a professional Dojo. Two heated garages with 8 car capacity. 5 Fireplaces.

Birmingham $3,695,000 A stunning blend of sophistication and functionality. French-inspired architectural masterpiece with premier in-town location. Over 6,000 sq. ft. of living space on three levels plus additional 2,800 sq. ft. in the exquisitely finished Lower Level. A showcase of extraordinary interior spaces, exquisite details and finishes. Three car garage. Elevator.

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Bloomfield Hills $5,300,000 Beyond a sweeping tree-lined gated drive lies PARK HAVEN, an impeccably maintained 1929 manor on seven lush acres with a courtyard entrance. Wide bluestone terraces overlook perennial gardens and magnificent verdant grounds. Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet of living space and designed by architect George DeWitt Mason, the estate was superbly renovated and expanded in 2006. A gracious foyer opens to the stately beamed Great Room with a carved limestone fireplace. Handsomely paneled, the Library is adorned with bas relief and a dark marble fireplace. An elegant Dining Room with a tray ceiling overlooks the north lawn and the terrace. The Kitchen, with a brick chef’s alcove, and adjacent Butler’s Pantry are both finished in white marble.

The home features five primary and two additional Bedrooms. The four-room Master Suite, reached by a private entry, has a Sitting Room and dual Dressing Rooms. The impressive Lower-Level Retreat is enhanced by a striking fireplace and maintains its original terrazzo floor. Evident throughout the residence is incredible attention to detail, including intricate woodwork and decorative ironwork. This is truly an extraordinary offering.

Nanci J. Rands Meredith Colburn Associate Broker

Associate Broker

248.701.9000 248.762.5319 www.RandsColburn.com

Selected photography: Beth Singer

CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Nanci J. Rands

Meredith Colburn

Associate Broker

248.701.9000

248.762.5319

Bloomfield $790,000

Birmingham $489,000

Metamora $998,000

Gracious soft Contemporary on lovely North Wabeek site. Two-story Living Room with fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows. Island Kitchen. Master Suite with great closet, Sitting Room and marble Bath. Finished Basement with full Bath.

2000 built custom home. Quality craftsmanship. Extensive built-in cabinetry by Caden Design. Granite island Kitchen. Elegant Master Suite with 2 walk-in closets & luxurious bath. Professionally finished Lower Level with full Bath. Outstanding 3rd floor. 2nd Floor Laundry.

Historic “Red House Farm” set on 24 acres featuring a meticulously renovated and restored 1860’s Main House, Guest House, 2 Barns with fieldstone foundations, 13 Stalls and 2 Tack Rooms. Four car Garage. Outdoor pool and gardens. Generator.

Bloomfield Hills $725,000

Bloomfield Hills $259,000

Franklin $649,000

Wonderful home on premiere 1.56 acre private site in Chelmsleigh neighborhood. Gorgeous views of picturesque grounds. Five bedrooms, three full and two half baths. Cook’s Kitchen with large island. Saltwater pool and spa. Finished walkout Lower Level.

Charming, updated Cape Cod cottage-style home on nearly 1 acre. Entry level bedroom could be Office with separate entrance. Close proximity to the Franklin Cider Mill. Perfect to live in as is, use as investment property, or build your dream home on gorgeous site.

Elegant French-inspired home with courtyard entrance on an idyllic acre bordering the 8th fairway of Franklin Hills Country Club. Large first floor Master Suite with spacious Dressing areas. Fantastic views. Full house generator. Franklin mailing with Farmington schools.

Vacant Land Birmingham $385,000 Rare opportunity to build your custom dream home within a block of the Townsend Hotel.

Franklin $599,000 Gorgeous 1.92 acre parcel along private road in area of multimillion dollar homes.

Bloomfield Village $759,000 Great opportunity in the Estate Area of Bloomfield Village. Site is 0.83 acres with 150’ frontage.

Birmingham Lakefront $995,000 Last remaining

Huntington Woods $399,000 Beautiful 2003 renovation & expansion to classic center entrance colonial in front of the Woods. Kitchen w/maple cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances opens to Family Room w/custom built-ins. Master Suite addition with large walk-in closet & luxurious stone Bath. Also for lease $2400/month.

buildable site directly on Quarton Lake.

Bloomfield Hills $3,250,000 to $6,800,000 Spectacular sites on the East shore of Turtle Lake from 1.6 acres to 4 acres, in the premier gated community of Turtle Lake.

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Bloomfield $1,950,000 Magnificent limestone and cedar design by architect Michael Willoughby. Superbly landscaped 1.5 acres. 170’ of frontage on Chalmers Lake. Garden and lake views from every room. Open island Kitchen/Family Room. First Floor Master. Screened Adirondack porch and large deck.

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Ginny Fisher

JoAnn Buesser

Realtor

248.593.0518

248.330.3148

www.HallandHunter.com

www.Michiganhomes.bz

NEW PRICE

Birmingham $825,000 Turn-key perfect in Quarton Lake! Corner lot with elegant landscape and a classic/ contemporary design. Fabulous new gourmet kitchen featuring custom cabinets, quartz counters and stainless. Charming breakfast room & new laundry/mudroom. Baths updated, beautiful moldings & wide-planked floors. Family room open to screen porch. Front/back staircases. 3 fireplaces. Second and third bedrooms each have a bonus room. 4th bedroom currently used as library. Multiple upgrades throughout. Finished lower level recreation area.

Detroit $625,000

Detroit $325,000

Historical Georgian Revival colonial on 1.42 gated acres. Historically restored & maintained with cast plaster ceilings, grand staircase and custom features throughout. 248.250.2951

Historically preserved Italian Renaisance colonial. Leaded glass doors, original hardware, tiled roof. Remodeled kitchen with cherry cabinets & granite counters.

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Bloomfield $479,900

Sterling Heights $310,000

Traditional 4 bedroom colonial with a finished lower level & beautifully landscaped yard. Great floor plan for entertaining plus numerous recent updates.

Exquisite 4 bedroom home with 2-story foyer, remodeled kitchen & baths, extensive interior detail and custom paint treatments. Professionally landscaped fenced yard.

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THE MARKET IS HEATING UP. Homes are selling faster than we can list and we need more listings in all price ranges. Call us for details. Lynn Baker

Deby Gannes

Associate Broker

Realtor

248.379.3000

248.379.3003

lbaker@hallandhunter.com

dgannes@hallandhunter.com

Rich

Oakland Township $899,000

Oakland Township $2,800,000

Backing to serene ponds with wildlife to enjoy. Decorator’s delight with every upgrade, former Moceri model. 5,338 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and 2 lavs, master suite has separate sitting room with dual fireplaces and private exercise room, fully paneled library, multiple fireplaces, back hall with mud room and neutral décor. Finished walkout with theatre, kitchen/bar, bath, game area and 2nd family room. One of the best developments on the billion dollar mile. WHI211036170

Magnificent Estate in the prestigious gated community of Orchard Ridge. Sits high on a hill with private wooded yard, multiple decks with cement ballisters on 1.44 acres. 7,870 sq. ft. with 5 bedrooms, 7 baths and 2 lavs. Dream kitchen (23 x 17) opens to family room and breakfast room. Enormous first floor master suite with sitting area and fireplace, all bedrooms are suites plus apartment with bedroom, bath, kitchen, dining room and living room with fireplace. Walkout ready to finish. Too many custom features to mention. 6 car heated garage. ORC210058837

Bloomfield Hills $849,900 or lease for $5,300/month Original carriage house for the Chalmer’s Estate. Rich in history, renovated in 2007 with all of the details, charm & elegance to reflect the era. Oversize rooms, extensive limestone, hardwood, wainscoting and trim. First floor master plus 5 additional bedrooms, 3 baths, 3rd floor family room/game area, 7,611 sq. ft. Private, wooded 1.25 acre estate with perennial gardens and views/privileges on Chalmers Lake. CLA211026446

Franklin $749,900

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Opportunity of a Lifetime! Home custom designed by architect Don Paul Young in the estate section of Franklin. Almost 2 acre wooded site on a private lake to enjoy the natural surroundings. Interior is totally redone, taken down to the studs and finished to perfection. Never been lived in this 4,351 sq. ft. home has 5 bedrooms, 5-1/2 baths with a first and second floor master suite. CAN210124300

Not just the view to enjoy, but the beauty and serenity in this luxury home on Minnow Lake. Located on one of the premier lots in The Hills of Lone Pine gated community. 4,828 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms, 5 baths and 2 lavs, has a first floor master suite with fireplace and luxurious bath, great room with soaring ceilings and wall of windows to view the lake. Finished walk out with full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and 2nd family room. Heated greenhouse, private courtyard entry, 2 decks and brick paver patio. Excellent value! WIC211003385

Walk to downtown Rochester, sit in a private fenced yard with birch patios and a wonderful Pergola. This home was totally redone in 2005 with 1815 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, extra moulding, plenty of storage, kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, tumbled limestone floors (1st floor) and hardwood on 2nd floor. Master with sitting area. 2+ car garage. HEL211034125

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SOLD Upper Peninsula Price upon request Almost two miles of white sandy beach south facing Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. 300 continuous acres of natural beauty. A rare opportunity! Includes a 3 bedroom ranch home.

Bloomfield Hills $899,000 Wonderful family home on over 1 acre. Large backyard, granite kitchen opens to vaulted-ceiling family room, in-law suite with full bath plus 5 additional bedrooms. Finished high-ceiling lower level. 4 car garage. Birmingham schools.

Bloomfield Hills Beautifully renovated 4 bedroom home with fabulous chef’s kitchen, family room with fieldstone, heated year-round Florida room. Great master suite with adjacent study. Magnificent grounds plus 3-car garage. Birmingham schools.

Franklin (vacant land) $650,000 Winding driveway leads to an estate setting of 2.3 acres in the heart of Franklin. Beautiful treed lot for privacy and seclusion. Includes building plans for a dramatic contemporary home. Walk to shops & restaurants while enjoying the country lifestyle.

Bloomfield $249,000 Completely renovated & updated 1850’s farmhouse overlooking Hadsell Lake. Old world charm with all modern amenities. Open floor plan with large rooms. Kitchen with granite and stainless steel, tumbled marble master bath, hardwood floors.

SOLD Royal Oak Beautifully updated with outstanding open floor plan and larger room sizes – a great home for entertaining. Open kitchen with granite, newer baths. Partially finished lower level with daylight windows. Huge deck.

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Richard Persiani r. Richard Persiani came from humble beginnings but has emerged as an esteemed dentist and philanthropist who is giving children all over the world a reason to smile. “I grew up in the inner city with nothing,” he said. Persiani put himself through dental school at the University of Detroit Mercy, specializing in prosthodontics, with a degree from Indiana University. Now with a a successful practice in West Bloomfield and a beautiful Birmingham home, he spends much of his spare time giving back to organizations that focus on the care of underprivileged children. “Operation Smile is an international organization providing care for children with facial deformities,” said Persiani. “It’s been in existence since the mid-‘80s. I have traveled pretty much throughout the world treating children with facial abnormalities such as cleft lip, cleft palate and burn victims.” Through Operation Smile, Persiani has traveled to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Africa, Madagascar, Paraguay and Haiti. “We may operate on 300 kids on a mission, as well as educating the doctors there.” Persiani began going on these mission trips in 1998, traveling once or twice each year for twoweek periods. He performs dental surgeries on children and infants who may need the surgery in order to take in nourishment. Through the organization, Persiani has given children a chance at life, but in exchange he has learned appreciation and humility for his own. “What most people don’t know is how lucky they are,” he said. “We are so blessed to be born in the United States of America. It’s not just that the parents don’t have the money for their child’s operation; there aren’t people who know how to do these surgeries in these countries. These people have no place to take their kids for care.” As a Detroit native, Persiani became increasingly interested in helping local children who could benefit from his skill. “Each time I returned from a medical mission, I was asked why I travel when there are so many children in need here in southeast Michigan,” he said. “About four years ago, I was contacted by Paula Tutman, a reporter with WDIV-TV, to assist with the development of a foundation to provide dental care for children in the underserved population of southeast Michigan.” Persiani became co-director of the Paula Tutman Children's ToothFairy Foundation, which provides dental care to children living in shelters and foster care in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties. “If a child has no insurance coverage and family finances do not allow for care, there are no options available to deal with pain or infection,” said Persiani. “Children's ToothFairy Foundation is the safety net for these children.” Persiani finds little time for leisure, but his talent and devotion continues to reach around the globe. He has received numerous awards from the Michigan Dental Association, yet what is most valuable to him is his unique capacity to change the world, one smile at a time.

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ACCESSING GOVERNMENT RECORDS WITH FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

BY LISA BRODY e're living in an information era. We can access the Internet on our smartphones, tweet about a revolution half-a-world away or the lunch we ate down the block, and Facebook our status, where we've been and what we're up to. Sometimes it seems like we're living in TMI time—too much information. Except when we need to know something, and have difficulty gaining access to it. Then it's time to get access to it through the Freedom of Information Act, known as FOIA. Herschel Fink, a First Amendment attorney with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP in Bloomfield Hills and Detroit, who has created most of the case law in Michigan for FOIA, said, “FOIA is essential to a democratic government.” The federal Freedom of Information Act allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the U.S. government. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1966, and went into effect in 1967. Its goal was to give the American public greater access to the federal government's records. It generally permits any person the right to access federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose their records upon receiving a written request, except for records that are protected from disclosure or exclusions. This right of access is enforceable in court.

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The FOIA provides that certain information be made available to the public on agency FOIA websites on the Internet, as more and more government agencies are routinely posting a wide variety of their documents on their websites to inform the public about their activities. In 1974, Congress amended the FOIA with the Privacy Act of 1974, allowing nine exemptions to it to address issues of sensitivity for the country and to protect personal rights in light of the Watergate scandal. Those protections include exemptions which are specifically authorized under criteria established by an executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, and are properly classified by executive order; items related to internal agency rules and practices; information that is prohibited from disclosure by another law; trade secrets and other confidential business information; inter-agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges; information involving matters of personal privacy; certain information compiled for law enforcement purposes; information relating to the supervision of financial institutions; and geological information on wells.

fter the September 11, 2001 attacks, President George W. Bush issued an ordered to restrict access to the records of former presidents, but that order was revoked by President Barack Obama on Jan. 21, 2009 by an executive order. Public access to presidential records was restored to the original extent of five years (12 for some records) outlined in the Presidential Records Act. The three exclusions, which are rarely used, pertain to especially sensitive law enforcement and national security matters. In July, 2010, The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act included provisions which shield the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requests under FOIA. It was initially motivated by concern that FOIA could hinder SEC investigations involving trade secrets of financial companies. Later, Congress passed an act amending the provision. FOIA does not apply to Congress, the courts, or the central offices of the White House, nor does it apply to records in the custody of state or local governments. However, all state governments have their own FOIA-type statutes. Michigan's Act 442 of 1976 Freedom of Information Act became effective on April 13, 1977, and covers the same issues as the federal law, but for state agencies and local governments. “It's an important device to hold lawmakers accountable on spending taxpayer money,” noted Robin Luce-Herrmann, a media lawyer with Butzel Long in Bloomfield Hills. “It's important to note that requests can run the gamut from city councils, school boards, police departments, fire departments—any government service that is

provided with taxpayer dollars. It allows citizens access so that they can make informed decisions when they vote.” Not every kind of material or information requires the use of a FOIA. A FOIA does not need to be filed in order to obtain information which is routinely available for public inspection, including records for docketed cases, broadcast applications and related files, petitions for rule makings, various legal and technical publications, legislative history complications, and similar intelligence. When information is desired that is not readily available or accessible, that is when it is time to file a FOIA request. To file a FOIA request, you can fill out an electronic FOIA request form on the FOIA website and simply submit it to them, or write to them via surface mail. It is also possible to fax the form . If you do choose to use the U.S. Postal Service, it is imperative that you write “Freedom of Information Act Request” at the top of your letter and on the outside of the mailing label; the date of your request; give your daytime phone number and/or your daytime email contact address so staff members can get in touch with you and provide as much information as possible regarding each document you are seeking. It's also very important to specify the maximum search fee you are prepared to pay for the request. Agencies request that you identify the records that you seek as specifically as possible in order to increase the likelihood that the agency will be able to locate them. Any facts that can be furnished about the time, place, authors, events, subjects and other details of the records are helpful to the agency in deciding where to search for the records. However, as a general rule, FOIA requesters are not required to state the reasons why they are making their requests. If you think it will help the agency locate the records or information you are seeking, you can include the reason, but it's your option. If you're not sure whether the records you are interested in are exempt from disclosure, you can still request them by FOIA, and governmental agencies can exercise the legal discretion to disclose information, even if it falls within a FOIA exemption. The governmental agency must respond in a quick and timely manner, usually five to 20 working days of receipt of the request. If you have not heard back from the agency by the end of that time, you can contact the agency to find out the status of your request. Sometimes agencies need more time to find the records, examine them, and consult with other agencies if they need to regarding whether to disclose all of the information requested, and prepare the records for release. Some agencies, particularly law enforcement agencies, receive a large volume of requests, some of which involve voluminous records or in-depth care to process. At times, there can be a backlog of requests, and in this day and age of short staffing, requests are often processed on a first-come, first-served basis, not on urgency of requests. “Some government agencies hide behind FOIA requests,” said media lawyer John J. Ronayne of Bernardi, Ronayne & Glusac, PC in Plymouth. “They'll often insist upon five days plus an extension, then they'll string it out, when there's no need to and there's a time-sensitive item. Or they'll use the privacy exemption when it's non-applicable. 'Ongoing criminal investigation' is one that gets invoked a lot. It's where they're just playing jackaround. “On the other hand,” Ronayne continued, “some

school districts have gotten to the point where they will put their budget on their web site, where in the past there was a resistance to making it (the budget) public. Some municipalities are doing that as well. Some are making it very difficult to make out; others are providing it to the public in a usable and useful format.” “FOIA's a very valuable tool, where everyday citizens can find out information and bring it to the attention of other citizens and their newspaper, if they choose,” said Lisa McGraw, public affairs manager for Michigan Press Association. “Most government entities want to be open and transparent to the public. It gives people a tool to find out how government is working, and how it's doing it's job. It keeps government transparent, so people know how much money is being spent, and how well government is doing.”

uce-Herrmann points out that everyday citizens use FOIA frequently, and the news media employs FOIA on a daily basis to get access to information the public needs to know, as do bloggers and citizen journalists. “Most agencies receive several FOIA requests a week,” she said. “They're from all different people who are concerned about what's going on in their backyard.” Fink said the most important criteria is accountability. “Citizens cannot hold their public officials accountable if they do not have information,” he said. “FOIA and the Open Meetings Act gives the public, the electorate, the information to hold them accountable. The public cannot hold a government accountable behind closed doors.” Fink recalled that Hon. Damon Keith, Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, said ten years ago, when ruling in favor of Fink's client, Detroit Free Press in Free Press v. Ashcroft, “Democracy dies behind closed doors.” An agency can only deny a request or withhold the records in response to a request if they are exempt from disclosure under FOIA, or are prohibited from release by some law. “Public bodies routinely fight in order to avoid complying with requests,” said Fink. “It's totally illegal. So that is a constant fight.” If they do deny a request, the agency must clearly state why they are offering the denial. The letter should tell you the office to which your appeal letter should be addressed. Under FOIA, the agency has 20 working days to decide your appeal. They may extend it another 10 days. If the appeal is denied, or the agency does not respond within the statutory period, you have the right to file a lawsuit. If you win a substantial portion of your case, the court may require the government to pay your court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Fink noted that this is a very important part of the law. “There can be significant penalties. In the Kwame Kilpatrick text message case (he represented the Detroit Free Press vs. the former city of Detroit

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mayor), I recovered for the Free Press $400,000 from the city of Detroit for attorney fees,” he said. Another area where agencies struggle with the press or individuals requesting information from them by FOIA is by imposing unrealistic fees. “I see agencies do it all of the time. It's one of the biggest problems I see in my practice,” said Fink. “Legislation in enacting FOIA expressly was put in that public bodies cannot charge fees, except copying fees. They cannot charge labor fees except in the most extreme cases. Yet, many routinely do, and that is illegal. “I routinely see a city charge for an hour of work. How is that unreasonable? Or they say they have too many requests. But that is not what the law says. They are hiding behind it. So that is a constant fight. Public bodies routinely fight complying with requests. Too many public officials, in my experience in Michigan, find them to be a nuisance, and they increasingly resort to illegal tactics to undermine the usefulness of these laws,” he said. The city of Birmingham receives approximately 450 FOIA requests a year, according to city clerk Laura Broski, mostly pertaining to building department information and police reports. “They're looking for incident reports, and details about crimes. We cannot release any information regarding ongoing investigations, because if we're looking for someone or something, we don't want to let them know. Anything else, we let them know,” said Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt. “In my experience, most people asking for FOIA are reporters. The general public, not so much.”

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aptain Steve Cook of Bloomfield Township Police Department finds he only gets FOIA requests occasionally from the press, if it's a newsworthy item. “It falls the gamut from nosy neighbors to people who need information for litigation,” he said. “Neighbors want to know what's going on in their neighborhood; there are a lot of attorneys' offices wanting information for their clients. Any kind of a police report is requested, depending on what people are looking for.” Cook said that in 2008, Bloomfield Township Police received 279 FOIA requests; in 2009, 281; in 2010, 324; and so far for 2011, they have had 77 FOIA requests. Cook said they typically charge $1 a page for a FOIA request, and if it's a disc file, they charge $50. “Sometimes if it's a large file, we take a deposit, because I have seen large bills of $1,000 or more, for photographs and stuff. When it's going to be a large project, we tell them up front, so we don't run up a bill and then they don't pick it up,” he said. “We really try to be as transparent as possible and provide it if we can.” Studt said during the city's building boom, “people would FOIA the architectural plans, then they wouldn't have to pay for plans. People would say it's the public record, but it's work product. Eventually, the building department changed it and excluded them because they were just ripping off people's work and plans.” Birmingham does not have a set amount it charges for a FOIA request. According to Broski, the cost varies based on the information requested; the length of time to research the request and number of copies. Bloomfield Township Deputy Clerk Tina Barton said the township keeps a FOIA log of every FOIA request made, including public safety. “We started doing that in 2006, when our board enacted policy and procedures for dealing with FOIA,” she said. In 2006, Barton said, the township averaged a little more than 400 requests a year. In 2007 and 2008, they received 450; in 2009 it jumped to 523, and in 2010, they had 527 FOIA requests. “People are moving into the township, and would like plans of the house, building permits over the years, and if there was ever a variance granted,” she said. “Those are the most consistent FOIAs. Attorneys request documents for parcels involved in litigation,and they'll want copies of that. During elections, people will request copies of absentee ballot labels to send election materials. Contractors will request head of household labels, and there are contractors or companies, like Lowe's, that subscribe every month to the building department

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for all of the permits pulled that month to send coupons. FOIA gets used not just for information, but also for litigation and marketing,” Barton noted. The township charges $1 a copy, and $40 a CD. Anything greater than $50 requires a 50 percent deposit. Jay Cravens, city manager for Bloomfield Hills, noted that they regularly receive FOIA requests from one resident, “for anything under the sun,” Cravens said. “We have past, and probably ongoing, litigation with him.” Cravens said residents present FOIA requests to the city for everything from millage proposals for library usage to rezoning issues. “Sometimes an attorney will request FOIA material for a client, or, if they do not, we ask that they do, so it does not show favoritism among parties,” Cravens said. “That's a fairly popular practice among municipalities. It protects us as well from the aspect of people asking 'why did you give that information out?'”

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loomfield Hills Clerk Amy Burton said they average about 150 FOIA requests a year, not including public safety FOIAs. “We get building department requests the most,” she said. “Requests on permit history, what kinds of permits have been pulled. There are a lot of FOIAs for sales, also. So if there is a fence company or a pool company, they want to know if there are new homes or remodels being done so they can target their sales to them. That's the most common FOIAs we get. People also request FOIAs for pet licenses for pet grooming services. We get FOIAs for the city's finances and general city information, correspondence, engineering. They want things that might not be available on our website, but is available.” Burton said the fee the city charges is 50 cents a page for copies, plus labor, which is the cost of the lowest rate for the person qualified to do the work, including overhead, approximately $30 an hour. School districts are frequent targets of FOIA requests. Marcia Wilkinson, community relations director for Birmingham Public Schools, said they have received 22 requests so far for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. “We get FOIA requests from all sorts. We get them from vendors who bid on a service and may not have gotten the contract, and wants to find out why, or a parent may want information on a policy and think we have it, or documents relating to discipline issues on a student, or on a teacher's qualifications, ” she said. “We receive quite a few FOIAs from the Mackinac Center. If we get a FOIA from them, we know that other districts have gotten one also. They might be FOIAing for privatization of services or teacher contracts. Most recently we got one for emails we did not have.” Wilkinson noted that parents and press comprise actually the lowest amount of FOIA requests for the district, with service providers, contractors, union representatives and non-profits FOIAing more frequently. Wilkinson said they charge a copying rate for FOIA per page, and then a labor charge at the lowest paid clerical position they have, even if a higher paid person will be doing the work. “The newest thing we are receiving are FOIAs for email,” she said. “You can imagine how difficult it is to find pertinent emails.” Betsy Erickson, spokesperson for Bloomfield Hills Schools, noted that they have had “a handful of people requesting lots and lots of information.” Since October 1, 2010, the district has had 54 FOIA requests. One individual alone had nine requests. The district held a bond and millage request in the Nov. 2010 election, and Erickson said 20 of the FOIA requests were before the election, primarily for requests for proposals (RFPs) for a proposed new high school or election information, as well as salary and enrollment information, which is available online. “Post-election, the requests are all over the map,” Erickson said. “We've had requests about board attendance, for attendance records from strategic sessions, about law firms we have used, information on the farm (Bowers Farm), on investment interest earned, about candidate information when a former board member resigned because he moved out of the district.”

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ook around your neighborhood. You might be surprised to discover a group home down the block from you, as part of a national effort begun in the 1960s to deinstitutionalize those with physical and mental disabilities and place them in community-based centers. Group homes are specialized noninstitutional houses where a small number of people in need of care, support, or supervision, such as the elderly, can live together. Typically, they are small, residential facilities located within a community and are designed to serve children or adults with chronic disabilities. These homes usually have six or fewer occupants and are staffed 24 hours a day by trained caregivers. Group homes can be found in all communities, all cities, villages and townships, regardless of socioeconomic level, and by state law are permitted in any residential area in Michigan. Most group homes are standard, single-family homes, purchased by group home administrators

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or licensed individuals or business people who have hired administrators, and adapted the home to meet the needs of the residents. Except for adaptive features, such as wheelchair ramps, group homes are usually indistinguishable from any other home in the surrounding neighborhood. Residents of group homes typically have some type of chronic mental disorder which impairs them from living independently. They may have physical handicaps, have a traumatic brain injury, be mentally ill, developmentally disabled, have Alzheimer's disease, or a combination of any or all of these issues, plus be aging. Many residents also have physical disabilities, such as vision impairment or the ability to walk. They require continual assistance to complete daily living and self-care tasks on a day-to-day basis, and cannot live independently. Some may require further supervision because their behavior may be dangerous to themselves or to others, such as aggressive behavior or the tendency to run away. Group homes are utilized in many different ways. Most provide long-term care, and are available for both children and adults. Some residents over time acquire the necessary skills to move on to more independent living situations. Group homes for children are usually temporary placements, providing care until a successful foster family situation can be secured. Some other children may return to their families. Sometimes, halfway homes for people released from prison, or discharged from a substance abuse program, may be referred to as a group home, and those are usually short term or temporary. Group homes as we know them have not always existed. Prior to the 1960s, institutionalization was the primary way doctors and other medical and mental health care professionals dealt not only with mental health problems, but with physically handicapped individuals, those who had sustained traumatic brain injuries, and were developmentally disabled. Elderly suffering from dementia were also often locked up in institutions, creating atmospheres like those we recall from the movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.” In 1955, the U.S. Congress passed the Mental Health Study Act, leading to the establishment of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Mental Health. The Mental Health Study Act called for "an objective, thorough, nationwide analysis and reevaluation of the human and economic problems of mental health." The resulting Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health prepared a report, "Action for Mental Health", resulting in the establishment of a cabinet-level interagency committee to examine the recommendations and determine an appropriate federal response. That federal response was the Community Mental Health Act of 1963 (CMHA), to provide federal funding for community mental health centers in the United States. The legislation was passed as part of President John F. Kennedy's New Frontier, and led to considerable deinstitutionalization. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the largest research organization in the world specializing in mental illness of various kinds, assumed responsibility for monitoring the nation's community mental health centers. The CMHA provided grants to states for the establishment of local mental health centers, under the overview of NIMH. The purpose of the CMHA was to provide for community-based care as an alternative to institutionalization. However, in

many cases, states saw this as an excuse to close expensive state hospitals without spending some money on community-based care. The development of group homes occurred in direct response to this deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s and 1970s. As psychiatric hospitals closed, discharged patients needed places to live. Group homes were designed to provide care in the least restrictive environment and to integrate people with disabilities into the community, to reduce their stigma, and improve their quality of life. In Michigan, Act 258 of 1974, known as the Mental Health Code, codified the rights and laws pertinent to mental health. It is an act, still relevant and in effect, which codified, revised, consolidated and classified the laws relating to mental health, as well as prescribing the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials, and certain private agencies and individuals. It regulates the agencies and facilities providing mental health services, and determines their charges and fees. The act also establishes civil admission procedures for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities, and established guardianship procedures for individuals with mental illness or development disabilities who are in the criminal justice system. It also makes

THE ENVIRONMENT OF A GROUP HOME IS INTENDED TO SIMULATE THE FEEL AND SENSIBILITY OF A TYPICAL FAMILY LIFE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. EACH GROUP HOME IS DIFFERENT, JUST AS EVERY FAMILY IS UNIQUE.

provisions for penalties and remedies for violations against those individuals. The environment of a group home is intended to simulate the feel and sensibility of a typical family life as much as possible. Each group home is different, just as every family is unique, and designed to create surroundings which are comfortable for those who live there. Initially, many people were skeptical about how a group home could provide adequate care in comparison to psychiatric hospitals or other institutions. Over the past 25 years, many studies have examined the impact of group home care on residents. These studies have consistently shown increases in adaptive behavior, productivity, community integration, and level of independence. That's not to say that a group home is the right atmosphere for every patient. Some patients do not successfully transition to a group home, and psychological deterioration is seen, including severe cognitive or physical impairments. Some patients deteriorate physically, becoming nonambulatory, especially in the senior, 70 and older population which may be experiencing dementia. Like any other situation, group homes are not a one-size-fits-all panacea. Before a family or caregiver considers a group home placement, especially for a high-risk patient, extensive planning and a complete assessment of the

individual's needs occur with the agency responsible for meeting the person's medical needs. The individual's strengths are always considered, and incorporated into the plan. If there is a supportive family, that is identified as a strength, and the preferred group home ideally would be in close proximity for frequent family visits. One of the key goals of group home living is to increase the independence of its residents. Group home staff members, depending on the residents living in the home, often teach their residents skills of daily living and self-care, providing as little assistance as possible. Daily living skills include mail preparation, laundry, housecleaning, home maintenance, money management, and how to appropriately interact socially. They are also taught self-care skills, such as bathing and showering, dressing, using the toilet, eating, and taking their prescribed medications. Not every group home can advocate for such independent living. Many are for more moderatelyindependent individuals who need more ongoing care and assistance. Some homes are staffed with minimal caregivers, others with aides who provide one-on-one help to residents. Staff at homes also make sure that residents receive the necessary care and services they require from community service providers, including the right medical care they need, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational training, education, and mental health services. Most group home residents are assigned a case manager from a community mental health center or other government agency who oversees their care. These case managers review group home documentation regarding the skills they have learned and the services they are receiving, and then make recommendations for adjustments in their care. In Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham, care is overseen by the Oakland County Mental Health Authority, which provides the case managers to oversee how residents are managing in their group homes, review the documentation, visit the group homes to personally assess how well the group homes are meeting their obligations, and determine if any violations have occurred. Currently, there are eight group homes in Bloomfield Hills, 10 in Bloomfield Township, and none in Birmingham. “Philosophically, the movement from institution to group homes was a real mind shift towards normalization for the mentally challenged,” said Jack Donaldson, director of rights and advocacy, Oakland County Mental Health Authority. “There was an effort to see what was the best way to service patients in a normal setting, to make things more homelike, the way we would all like to be. Our authority works to follow the laws, which follows the philosophy for the treatment for those who need treatment for mental health issues.” A great and concerted effort is made at all times towards recipient rights, Donaldson said, towards protecting those receiving mental health care from mistreatment no matter where they are. Part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes protection for those with disabilities. It was further enhanced by Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability in both the public and private sector, including the federal government. For those receiving funding from the state, Rick

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Loewenstein, CEO of JARC in Farmington Hills, which has 20 group homes for developmentally disabled individuals in Bloomfield Township, Beverly Hills, West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills, explains that all funding comes from the state to the county through Oakland County Mental Health Authority, and then to the local providers who provide service. “Usually Common Ground in Bloomfield will make the assessment, and determine if it's a case of mental illness, in which case it's overseen by Easter Seals, or developmental disabilities, and then it will be overseen by Macomb-Oakland Regional Center (MORC),” Loewenstein said. As a private, nonprofit, human services agency, MORC provides services and support for more than 5,000 children and adults with developmental and psychiatric disabilities. Primary to all of the agencies is patient care. “A support team is provided to each individual in a group home, and it is composed of different clinical backgrounds,” said Donaldson. “Different treatment plans are developed by the team, along with the individual, based on that individual's needs and demands for the upcoming year to facilitate growth for independent living.” He noted that some care recipients can live independently in an apartment, while some others need the support that a group home can provide in terms of assistance. “The needs of the individual are determined by their needs,” he emphasized. “Some may need hands-on, regular support, and some don't.” “We are always looking at the health and safety of the individual when determining where that person is placed,” said Marquipa Massey, manager of quality management and audit, Oakland County Mental Health Authority. Vicki Suder, manager of community education and consumer empowerment at Oakland County Mental Health Authority, concurred. “We really look at the least restrictive environment a person can live in. If a group home is too restrictive, we do not place them there.” Suder said every person has a person-centered plan developed in conjunction with them. Unless mentally-incompetent, they are involved, along with a circle of support, which is anyone the person wants included and involved in their life and their care. “People who typically support them are parents, other relatives, friends, neighbors, family, their pastor, as well as anyone the person would want to invite into the decision-making process, to talk about their life as a whole,” said Suder. “It might be medical care, but it's not just about the kinds of things that are part of our system. It's all kinds of services. It's anything you want to have family support in, or church or community support. For example, maybe you want to go to the YMCA, and a friend goes there, and will assist getting you there and back. Or you want to go to church on Sunday, but you can't drive. It can be getting a church member to pick you up and drive you.” Person Centered Planning is actually the law in Michigan, under the Michigan Mental Health Code, 1996. It says that “A Person Centered Plan builds on your strengths. This means the plan looks at what you can do, not what you can't do. A Person Centered Plan considers your needs, wishes, and desires in all parts of your life.” It emphasizes that you make your own choices and decisions; it includes people who care about

HOMES IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS Bloomfield 2563 Lahser Road, Bloomfield Hills 48304 6 people Physically handicapped No violations Highland 269 Highland Street, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 6 people Physically handicapped; mentally ill No violations Kingsley Trail 637 Kingsley Trail, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 6 people Developmentally disabled; mentally ill; traumatically brain injured No violations Loveland Adult Foster Care 5151 N. Adams Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 6 people Physically handicapped; mentally ill; developmentally disabled; aged No violations Phoenix II 631 Fox River, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 6 people Mentally ill No violations R.C. Mahon Home 4765 Tullamore, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 5 people Developmentally disabled No violations St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home for the Aged 39315 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 30 people Aged No violations Wattles Manor 760 Wattles, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 6 people Developmentally disabled; mentally ill; aged Violations: 10-18-10: resident missing numerous doctor appointments; not receiving his allowance in timely manner. Violations established. 1-29-10: Resident, a diabetic, not having diet followed. Violation established. 2-5-10: Roman bleach left unlocked; no soap, toweling in bathroom; resident's nebulizer dirty; smoke detector battery not changed; Violations established. 1-21-10: Patient died unexpectedly; determined patient had repeatedly not been taken for his psychotropic medications. 5-17-10: Staff not trained adequately; staff not passing out medication; residents not getting their allowances; patient weight records tampered with. Violations established. In all cases licensing kept as is. HOMES IN BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP Bloomfield House 5545 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 6 people Traumatically brain injured No violations Bloomfield House 6661 Inkster, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 6 people Mentally ill; developmentally disabled Violations:

May 26, 2010: Did not have one-on-one staff supervision as required. No license changes. Freedom House 5575 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills 48301 6 people physically handicapped; traumatically brain injured Violations: April 22, 2008: House manager physically and verbally abused resident Violation established; no license changes. Golden Girls of Bloomfield 6820 Mark Court, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 6 people Traumatically brain injured; Alzheimer's No violations Jo Ann Morgan Goodman 277 Alice Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 6 people, family setting Physically handicapped; developmentally disabled; mentally ill; traumatically brain injured Violations: 7-31-08: Resident bit caregiver; 8-12-08 unannounced onsite inspection after several calls made to home without response; violations established. 3-11-09: Licensee went out of town leaving residents without qualified caregivers; 4 violations established. License still in place. Hearthside Home 4778 W. Quarton, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 6 people Developmentally disabled No violations Royal Care Residential—Hedgewood 4693 Hedgewood, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 6 people Physically handicapped; developmentally disabled; mentally ill; aged; traumatic brain injury; Alzheimer's Violations: 11-16-10: Determined there were 8 people in a home licensed for 6; corrected; license still in place. Square Lake II 1674 Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 6 people Developmentally disabled; mentally ill; traumatically brain injured Violations: 9-10-08: Resident drank Windex; taken to ER; staff member grabbed from him as he was drinking. 7-22-09 – 11-16-09: Dead mice in basement. 7-23-09: No soap, toweling, other supplies in bathrooms; moldy onions, lettuce in kitchen. Soiled mattress in corner of basement where mice were in basement. Violations established. 11-5-09: Poor maintenance of facility. Violation established. 10-22-09: Poor nutrition for residents. Violation established. 11-5-09: Non-compliance of fire safety rules. Violation established. Given 60 days of license probation. 12-08-08: Resident walked away, went to grocery and back without staff noticing. Violation established. 8-4-09: Resident left facility several times, broke into neighbors' homes; violation established. Resident criminally charged. JARC 7024 Woodbank Drive, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 Developmentally disabled No violations

ROCK SOLID IN REAL ESTATE Strong Commitment, Clear Communication and Comprehensive Real Estate skills are the keys to the success for Jackie Aubuchon and Sarah Cameron, one of Prudential HWWB’s top producing teams. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” - Pablo Picasso. We pride ourselves in the action we take in our everyday service we provide our clients. 2010 was a very successful year for us due in part in part to our wonderful clients, to whom we are very grateful. With the outstanding support staff and management at Prudential HWWB Realtors, as well as the unprecedented reputation and marketing techniques of Prudential Real Estate, we are able to exceed our client’s expectation. We look forward to our continued success and to servicing all your real estate needs in the remainder of 2011. Sarah Cameron & Jackie Aubuchon

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you, from family members, friends, people you may work with or go to school with, or sometimes, paid helpers; it helps you figure out the kind of life you want to live, because the choice is entirely yours—a far cry from the days of institutional living; it plans for the future, for what you want to happen, when you want it to happen, and where you would like it to happen; it finds support to help you get where you want to be; and it works with you to make sure your plan is doing what you need it to do. In essence, it recognizes a mentally or physically disabled person as a whole person, with cares, interests, needs and desires, fully capable of engaging in the mastery of their own life. Group homes are licensed and violations are monitored by the Department of Human Services. Act 218 of the Public Acts of 1979, later amended as the Adult Foster Care Facility Licensing Act of 1996, regulates home licensing, which states that once approved, a regular license is valid for two years unless revoked or modified. An adult foster care facility is a governmental or non-governmental facility that provides care to adults; it can include homes, such as foster care family homes for adults who are aged, mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, developmentally disabled, or physically handicapped who require supervision on an ongoing basis, but who do not require continuous nursing care. An adult is anyone over 18. A small group home is one that has 12 people or less. A large group home has between 13 and 20 people. A congregate facility is permitted to have more than 20 adults. Their definition of supervision is consistent with the mandate to create much greater independence for these individuals. It urges guidance in the activities of daily living, including reminding them to take their medicine on their schedule, reminding them of the important activities they must perform, assisting them in keeping appointments, and being aware of a resident's general whereabouts, even if they can travel independently around their community and keep a job. “Group homes are everywhere,” said Donaldson. “There are provisions under the state law that permit group homes in all communities. There are restrictions to insure that there are not pockets of group homes.” Nonetheless, group homes have often received opposition from communities. NIMBY (an acronym for Not In My Backyard) describes the common reaction of some residents when they discover that a group home is going to be going into their neighborhood. People always claim it's not usually based on racism or prejudice, but on concerns over personal security, declining property values, or a generalized threat to the neighborhood's quality. Some researchers believe that prejudiced attitudes such as ignorance, fear, and distrust are the true reasons for protest. Neighborhood opposition is usually unsuccessful due to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which protects the rights of everyone. Mental health experts and advocates for the developmentally disabled believe this NIMBY phenomenon hurts everyone, and curtails the goal of integrating residents into the community. As noted, Birmingham has no current group homes, but Donaldson said licenses for a couple of group homes in Birmingham recently expired. Since he hasn't spoken to the former operators of those facilities, he speculated that the area may have just become too expensive. Group homes are licensed and run by independent administrators, investors, individuals, organizations or others interested in running a group home. As to the location, “it's up to the individual investor, because it's up to the individual to come up with the funding for the group home,” said Suann Darmody, quality analyst audit specialist, Oakland County Mental Health Authority. “Group homes make great neighbors and great community partners, because in all cases they are friendly people who enjoy the same things that everyone else enjoys—a warm home, friends, hanging out,” said JARC's Loewenstein. “The homes are, in many cases, maintained as well as all of the other neighbors.” While DHS regulates licenses and monitors violations, anyone can report a complaint or concern. As a matter of fact, it is important as good neighbors that those nearby, whether police or citizen, report worries or questions about a group home or a resident's care or a worker's attitude or wardship. Darmody from Oakland County Mental Health Authority also checks on homes, providing another layer of protection for residents. Their reports, available per home on the DHS website, chronicles any valid complaint. Group homes create true diversity, and are in our neighborhoods because a resident could be our child, our parent, a sibling, or a friend. Whether to allow a dementia patient to age gently, with care and grace, or to permit a mentally or physically disabled person to reach heights they could not have previously imagined, is the mark of a compassionate and civilized society. downtownpublications.com

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M ore Birmingham and Bloomfield homeowners choose SKBK to market their properties than any other Brokerage.

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According to Realcomp statistics, housing inventory in Oakland County has decreased 26% when comparing March 2010 to March 2011, resulting in a more of a balanced market. With less homes on market buyers are acting quickly and we are experiencing multiple offers on quality and competitively priced homes.

Ronni Keating rkeating@skbk.com

248.644.7000

Lower Long Lake Frontage - Spectacular setting on Lower Long Lake! Warm and inviting Country French Estate featuring walk out lower level to private landscaped pool area with brick deck and walkways. Six bedrooms with 6.2 baths. 210033030. $2,850,000.

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Leadership â&#x20AC;&#x201D; For continued growth & success, every business, industry and community must have leaders who can see change that is needed, organize resources, and engage those around them. SKBK Sotheby's encourages their agents to be involved with the local, state and national association. Giving our agents the competitive edge in the marketplace.

Birmingham - This Longe designed and Derocher built home boasts a fabulous kitchen, enormous 1st floor master suite with spa bath. An amazing finished lower level. Five bedrooms with 4.3 baths. 210116511. $3,400,000.

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Birmingham - Exceptionally updated Colonial on a great tree lined street. Gorgeous hardwood floors, stylish decor, stunning baths and updated kitchen. Three bedrooms with 1.1 baths. 211036991. $319,900.

Birmingham - In the heart of downtown. Granite kitchen with premium stainless steel appliances and cozy eat-in-area. Beautiful hardwoods and millwork throughout. Three bedrooms with 1.1 baths. 211023802. $299,000.

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The Sotheby’s Realty Mobile application (SIR Mobile) allows consumers to view properties based on GPS location, address, city or zipcode. The application displays detailed property information including price, bed/baths, taxes, estimated mortgage, features, maps, high-quality photos and more. When you’re ready to see a property hit the “call” feature and you’ll be immediately connected to a Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate. Go to Sothebysrealty.com to download the app.

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Birmingham - Magnificent shingle style home overlooking Birmingham's Quarton Lake. Designed by C. Longe, built by Kojaian Homes. Open floor plan with nine foot ceilings on main floor. Tailored grounds with large yard, Bluestone porch, patio and walkways. Five bedrooms with 6.1 baths. 211035590. $2,450,000.

Birmingham - A bit of Paris in this beautifully presented French Townhouse! European elegance and sophistication. Custom millwork, wrought iron and exquisite stonework throughout. Located on a very private cul-de-sac. Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 210130933. $799,999.

Bloomfield - This wonderful traditional Colonial on over two acres is a very special home! Meticulously constructed and maintained. Hardwood floors throughout. Four fireplaces. Five car garage. Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 210104744. $795,000.

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According to National Association of Realtors, on average, 90% of home buyers use the first agent that contacts them and feel that an agent's response time is very important-second only to their knowledge of the buying process. At SKBK Sotheby's our agents are notified via cell phone, within 20 seconds of the online inquiry and are trained to respond without delay. No lead goes unanswered. Birmingham - Stylish and Elegant Townhouses! Adorned with high end contemporary finishes. Features include large living room opening to dining room, stunning kitchen. Minutes from downtown. 210138799. Three units. $1,300,000 - $1,650,000.

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West Bloomfield - Stately home in much sought after Chelsea Park subdivision! Elegant two story foyer, great room with soaring windows opens to a spacious eat in kitchen. Formal dining room and study with fireplace. Four bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 211021222. $499,000.

Birmingham - Turn Key home. Elegant eat in kitchen with white cabinets and granite counters opens to a stylish family room with gorgeous custom built-ins leading to patio and sun porch. Three bedrooms with 2.2 baths. 211040541. $459,000.

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Bloomfield - Transitional soft Contemporary master piece designed by Dominic Tringali. Water front setting and extraordinary architectural details. Six bedrooms with 6.3 baths. 210138060. $2,290,000. Marjorie Hirschfield.

Franklin Village - Spectacular home situated on almost two acres. Entrance into the 2 1/2 story great room abounds with light and true beauty of workmanship in moldings and beautiful Brazilian cherry floors. Six bedrooms with 5.2 baths. 210099347. $1,695,000. Donna Barlow.

Bloomfield Village - Captivating interior renovation and floor plan is absolutely perfect! French doors lead guests from interior living spaces to beautiful brick terrace. Expansive finished lower level. Five bedrooms with 4.3 baths. 210137579. $1,595,000. Darlene Jackson.

Birmingham - Gorgeous updated home on magnificent acre lot on one of Birmingham's most sought after streets. Beautiful 1st floor master, elegant living room and private, sophisticated den. Five bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 210108151. $1,399,000. Kris Barich and Molly Henneghan.

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Birmingham - Built with the best materials. Open floor plan masterpiece, great for entertaining large gatherings. Great room and dining room with French doors open to pool with private yard. Four bedrooms with 4.1 baths. 210121487. $849,000. Andrew Tietel.

West Bloomfield - Elegant and Gracious home in a Cul-De-Sac location. Blue Stone walkway and patio. Huge lot with pool and waterfall. Completely updated in 2006. Five bedrooms with 4.2 baths. 211028954. $689,000. Andrew Teitel.

Bloomfield - Beautiful updated home in the Hills of Lone Pine. New entry foyer, powder room, kitchen appliances and window blinds throughout. Walk out lower level with full kitchen, bath, bedroom and recreation/theatre room. Five bedrooms with 4.1 baths. 210117634. $679,000. Jim Casey.

Bloomfield - Fabulous renovation on beautiful 2/3 acre site. Master suite with steam shower, jacuzzi tub and tray ceiling. Gourmet cherry kitchen opens to great room. Bloomfield Hills Schools. Four bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 211040342. $649,000. Heather Salesin.

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Spectacular 1.73 Acres BLOOMFIELD Unsurpassed beauty and "up North" feeling with breathtaking views. 125' of frontage on private Gilbert Lake. Wellbuilt home with many upgrades. Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 211038153. $630,175. Bill Tracy

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Enjoy the Privacy FRANKLIN Open European style floor plan provides for easy family living and entertaining. Updated kitchen with granite, cherry and high end appliances The lower level boasts an additional 2000 sq. ft. Five bedrooms with 4.2 baths. 210130681. $539,900. Jenny Turner

Large Fenced Yard ROYAL OAK

Terrific location on Pine Lake. Spotless townhouse, neutral colors, great lake views, first floor master suite, laundry room and office. Finished basement. Bloomfield Hills Schools. Three bedrooms 2.2 baths. 211032802. $399,000. Bill Tracy & Chris Johnson

Spacious open floor plan. Beautiful kitchen with granite counters, SS appliances and tons of cabinets. Stunning Indonesian Cherry hardwood floors throughout first floor. Great room with lovely slate fireplace. Three bedrooms with three baths. 211039957. $399,000. Candice Cuyler

Private Setting

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TROY Shows as if Model. Bright spectacular floor plan including dramatic vaulted ceilings, spa like master suite and bath. Finished basement with exercise room or extra bedroom. First floor laundry. Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 211032527. $379,000. Joanne McGuire

Outdoor Entertaining BLOOMFIELD Colonial offers hardwood floors, a bedroom suite in addition to the master bedroom. Partially finished lower level walk out to inviting brick paver patio. Newer furnace, AC, exterior paint and vinyl siding. Birmingham Schools. Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 211031626. $319,500. Avery Weisling

Great Neighborhood BLOOMFIELD Classic Colonial offers a wonderful master suite and three nice sized bedrooms! Lower level is partly finished with room to work and play! Wood floors throughout. Bloomfield Hills Schools. Four bedrooms with 2.1baths. 211021563. $249,000. Bill Tracy and Chris Johnson

Home Sweet Home BEVERLY HILLS VILLAGE Traditional living and dining room with bay window, natural fireplace and builtins. Open kitchen with spacious nook overlooking deck and private yard. Three bedrooms with two baths. 211036743. $219,900. Beverly Napier

ROYAL OAK Beautiful 1925 home, professionally updated. Three car heated garage, landscaped double lot with patio and built-in grill, completely enclosed back yard for a lovely private setting. Three bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 211028135. $359,900. Candice Cuyler

Add Your Decorating Touch ROYAL OAK All the expensive updates have been done; new roof, drive, windows, two new furnaces and air condition units, kitchen appliances and updated baths. First floor master. Four bedrooms with three baths. 211012491. $279,000. Jim Casey

Completely Updated ROYAL OAK Spectacular kitchen with slate floor, coffered ceilings, granite counters and custom cabinets. First floor master suite with cathedral ceilings and French doors leading to deck. Three bedrooms with two baths. 211035259. $245,000. Erin Keating-Dewald

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Sarah Earley arah Earley has been a gardener all her life, and after raising four children, she is putting her green thumb to use by helping to bring Detroit’s Belle Isle back to its original picturesque setting. While researching the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Belle Isle in the 1880’s, she became interested in a project to improve the Detroit landmark. Her love of landscape design and volunteerism soon turned into a mission to help preserve and restore Belle Isle. “It just needed some attention and a few dollars and it would be glorious again,” said Earley. In 2004, she founded the Belle Isle Women’s Committee (BIWC). “I saw the needs of the cause,” she said. “I just talked to some of my other women friends and we thought, ‘We can do this.’ We worked together with a whole group of women and decided to get together to support the park.” Earley envisioned a park with a full range of recreational facilities and beautifully-restored buildings. “I want it to be a well-maintained, safe and clean place where people can really enjoy being outdoors in a lovely environment.” BIWC created an annual fundraising event called “Polish the Jewel Belle Isle Legacy Luncheon” as a means of funding their efforts. The organization has raised more than $2 million for select projects in the park. This year’s luncheon will be held on May 18 and is open to the public. “This is the seventh luncheon, and it has become one of those go-to

events for women,” said Earley. “I think people just want to rally around the cause. Almost 500 people come to the luncheon and they believe in the cause.” With the help of these funds, Earley has been instrumental in building sidewalks and installing benches, lighting, landscaping and a new comfort station at Sunset Point, located within the park. Earley’s enthusiasm has been met with an abundance of public support. “I can tell by the way they use the space,” she said. “You see people with strollers and you see older people out there sitting on the benches. I think that anyone who cares about Detroit wants to see it come back. Everyone sees that park as such a beautiful amenity in the city. We all want to see parks that are well-maintained.” When Earley is not making plans for Belle Isle, she is working in her own garden, nestled on two acres of property in Bloomfield Hills. “There are gardens all over the place,” she said. “It’s very peaceful and therapeutic. It’s kind of a healthy living environment. I think this is one of the best places to live. We just love every minute of it.” As the grandmother of four, Earley enjoys teaching her grandkids about plants. “When they’re here visiting us, we go out in the garden and pick flowers.” With family to love, projects to drive and many gardens to maintain, Earley’s life is fully in bloom. Story: Katey Meisner

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CITY/ TOWNSHIP walkways, with an English flair and booths. People will have to be seated to be served alcohol. It will have a significant wine list, but also high end single-malt scotches.” Possible approval of Churchill's Bistro, a cigar bar, Matt Baka, planning department intern, stated that at 116-118 S. Old Woodward in Birmingham, was the proposal is for American cuisine with several items postponed by Birmingham's City Commission on unique to Churchill's, with 64 seats, eight at a bar, and Monday, April 11 after commissioners determined they 12 on the sidewalk recessed in to the restaurant. The didn't have enough information about ventilation applicant is also proposing to renovate the existing issues to issue the final site plan and special land use façade with a new clear glass storefront on a marble permit. sill, clear glass transom windows and the addition of The petitioners for the bistro were expected to marble façade treatment on a portion of the building to return on Monday, April 25 with engineer studies match the existing marble. In addition, they are detailing how cigar smoke will potentially ventilate out proposing new signage and lighting, including cast of the restaurant without impinging on neighboring stone lamp posts with glass shades, in keeping with businesses and the outdoors before commissioners will vote on the bistro license. the feel of the historic district in which the building is situated . Churchill's Bistro, proposed for the former Jennifer's Convertibles location on Ron Rea, who is designing the restaurant, said it will have a “very glassy, very Old Woodward just south of Maple in downtown Birmingham, will be owned and classy, tailored adaptation of a small town storefront; a 2011 Ralph Lauren operated by the owners of Churchill's Tobacco Shop, which would cease to exist. storefront. A British accent, but an American feel.” Paul Weisberger, attorney for Churchill's, spoke on behalf of the owners at the Commissioner Rackeline Hoff asked Weisberger who their target market is at commission meeting, and introduced Ron Rea of Ron & Roman Architects in their cigar bar in West Bloomfield, where they do not serve food. Birmingham, who created the design and interior; Bill Gwynn, the building's “People who like fine cigars and fine scotch,” answered Weisberger. “We will be landlord; and Pete Ginopolos, who will oversee food operations. He noted that serving food, so it will be the same demographic.” Churchill's has been operating as a tobacconist since the 1960s and under current “Whenever I have had a cigar, it has been after a meal. Am I missing ownership for the last 10 years. By becoming a restaurant and cigar bar, something?” asked mayor Gordon Rinschler. He also asked what the percentage of “Churchill's will be giving up on the tobacconist concept and featuring only food sales vs. beverage sales would be by becoming a bistro license. cigars,” said Weisberger. “There will be no cigarettes, pipes, or any other tobacco. Weisberger responded that he did not know, but “I would say it's significant or There will be a beautiful humidor, and a large selection of the highest end cigars. they would not be setting it up this way. This is designed as a restaurant. It will This is a major evolution. It will not look like the current Churchill's. It will be a have a chef. We're going to put a great deal of effort into the food. It's a place bistro with a cigar influence in the center.” people find themselves at lunch, and at 4, 5, 6, for a drink and cigar, and they find According to the Michigan smoke free law, which went into effect throughout themselves hungry.” Commissioner Tom McDaniels asked if their ventilation system was designed to the state May 1, 2010, in order to qualify for any smoking exemptions, which are not smell the cigars inside. Weisberger said “it was to present a high ventilation casino gaming floors and cigar bars and tobacco specialty retail stores, cigar bars system to make patrons comfortable, but smokers will not smell nothing, no.” must file an affidavit for an exemption with the Michigan Department of Rea said that “We have to seal the box, so to speak. There are businesses up Community Health on or before June 1, 2010 and must renew that exemption by the stairs, and next door.” Jan. 31 of each subsequent year. Commissioner Scott Moore wanted Churchill's did do that prior to the to know if it would be a cigar bar first, smoking ban taking effect in or a restaurant with a cigar bar. anticipation of creating this By Lisa Brody Weisberger said it would be a restaurant/cigar bar. The cigar bar restaurant with a cigar bar second. wo national retailers have signed letters of intent to open stores in must also demonstrate that it generated “This is a unique concept. Having downtown Birmingham, the first visible sign of progress in the city's 10 percent or more of its total gross been one of the founders of the bistro effort to bring in larger chains to the downtown area. annual income from the on-site sale of license, this does not fit the bistro While leases have not yet been formerly signed, John Heiney, cigars and the rental of on-site concept,” Moore said. executive director of Birmingham's Principal Shopping District (PSD) humidors. Further, the cigar bar must be During a public hearing, residents noted that it was a culmination of almost two years of work by Julie and business owners had mixed located on premises that are physically Fielder, an independent leasing consultant who has been working with feelings about the cigar bar. Some felt it separated from any areas of the same the PSD since July 2009 to help the city acquire national and regional did not fit with the bistro concept. establishment in which smoking is stores. It is also a further sign that retail in Birmingham is continuing to Others were excited about the prohibited. There must be an installed, grow after a long recessionary period. uniqueness it would add to on-site humidor. No minors under the One of the stores is a high-end stationary and paper goods store. The Birmingham. Richard Grinstein, owner other is focused primarily on the fashionable teenage market, with casual age of 18 may be allowed in at any time of Grinstein Jewelry & Design a couple dresses, jeans, skirts, and inexpensive tops and sweaters. It is believed that the cigar bar is operational. The of storefronts away from the proposed the casual women's boutique has other locations in the marketplace. only smoking permitted on the premises restaurant, wanted some kind of Potential locations in Birmingham for the retailers have not been is cigars that are available for retail for guarantee that the air ventilating out of confirmed. at least $1 each. the restaurant would not flow back into A third national retailer, which Fielder had been working with for The smoking exemption, to permit his store. months, recently chose not to go forward with plans for Birmingham. smoking in the bistro, will have to be Mayor Rinschler proposed, and all of Heiney did say there are others she is continuing to work with, but that approved at the state level. the commissioners concurred, that all talks are at very early, preliminary stages. “This will be one of the few places cigar smoke was controversial, and “Julie has learned about the process,” Heiney said. “You have to work where people can eat, drink and smoke they requested the petitioners return in about 18 months ahead with nationals. She has also had to learn how to cigars. It will draw from Shelby two weeks with more information on work with different property owners, and discover which leases are how the ventilation system would work Township and beyond,” said coming due. It's what working with a downtown is all about.” to combat cigar smoke both inside and Weisberger. “That speaks to its Fielder previously had been a leasing agent with Taubman Cos., a outside the restaurant. uniqueness. It will have cozy, narrow mall developer and management company.

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Baldwin Library presents 2011-12 spending plan By Lisa Brody

The Baldwin Library board has adopted a budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year that includes an increased millage from the current 1.11 mills to 1.32 mill in addition to the elimination of four positions from the library staffing. The new fiscal year budget, which must now go before city commissioners for final approval covers the fiscal year beginning July of 2011 through June 30, 2012. In a budget report to the library board, Baldwin Library Director Doug Koschik noted that library revenue is down in all areas, and is anticipated to fall more in the 2011-12 fiscal year. The proposed millage increase would provide the library with an additional $388,000 for a total budget of $2.3 million. “Between 2003 and 2008, the library’s millage rate was gradually reduced from 1.57 to 1.47 mills because of the Headlee cap. The library currently has a legal cap of 1.46 mills (a voted rate of 1.75 mills reduced by Headlee to 1.46) for its operations. For fiscal years (FY) 2008-09 and 2009-10 the library operated with a rate of 1.0 mill and for FY 2010-11 at a rate of 1.1 mills. These reduced millage rates have required the library to significantly draw down its fund balance in order to continue operations. This year the library is requesting a millage rate of 1.32 mills— 1.1 mills for operating expenses, plus an additional 0.22 mill that will be used for designated capital projects. An increase in the library’s millage rate for FY 2011-12 would provide funding for four major technology enhancements, which will provide greater efficiencies and lessen the demand for staffing. Even at the proposed 1.32 millage rate for FY 2010-11, the library will still be in a deficit position and will spend $147,296 from

Baldwin offers library proposal By Lisa Brody

aldwin Library Director Doug Koschik sent Bloomfield Hills City Manager Jay Cravens a counterproposal for library services on April 21, focusing on two areas the library's board of directors were not comfortable with in Bloomfield Hills' March 28 offer, which included the length of the contract and the contract price. “The Board thanks you for the offer, but regretfully I must inform you that the contract length and contract price in the proposal are

its fund balance in FY 2011-12,” the report said. Koschik further wrote that the library hopes to maintain a fund balance of 15 percent of its annual operating expenses in case of emergency. Additionally, the library has been informed that the fund balance is the proper place to set aside money for future capital projects. “It will now designate a portion of the fund balance for that purpose,” Koschik said. The report stated that there will be a gap of $147,296 in fiscal year 2011-12 between revenues and expenditures, with a projected fund balance of $660,606 by June 2012. Total revenues are projected to be $3 million, with $2.3 million coming from Birmingham tax revenues (millages);

not acceptable to Baldwin. In the interest of bargaining in good faith, the Board now wishes to send you a counter-offer,” Koschik wrote. The Bloomfield Hills' library proposal was for one year, for a contract price of $166,103 for the year. The library counterproposal is for three years, which the library said offers them better financial stability. The starting date would be on any date the two sides would find mutually agreeable. In the counterproposal, the library proposed a price of $317,266 per year, to be subject to yearly increases due to inflation. “The amount is based on the average cost per household of library service in the Baldwin service area–ie,

$514,000 from service contracts with Bingham Farms and Beverly Hills; and $129,000 in patron use revenues. Projected expenses for fiscal year 2011-12 are expected to run to almost $3.2 million, with personnel costs amounting to $1.8 million. Building up and maintaining the collection will cost $417,000 and capital outlays, $378,000. To reduce costs, Baldwin's proposed budget calls for three full-time staff positions to be cut in 2011-2012. A part-time position will be eliminated due to retirement, reducing expenditures by $184,558. Currently, the library employs 18 full-time people and 46 part-time staff members. To further offset expenditures, Koschik said they are looking at reducing hours at the library, but have not yet made a decision how they will do that. He said they have the choice to remain open their current 67 hours, “stretching out staff, yet providing less coverage, less desk coverage, and less programming, or full services, but with reduced hours. We will decide that in the next month,” he said. He said his preference is to provide full service to patrons, reducing hours to 62 hours per week, perhaps in a combination of cutting Sunday hours during the summer months, and an evening or two during the work week the rest of the year. He noted that library officials are hoping to undertake certain capital projects, such as four self-check out machines for $45,000, a material sorting machine for $125,000, and a new integrated library system, costing $55,000, which will lead to cost savings. The library is also in preliminary talks with the city of Bloomfield Hills about possibly providing library services to its residents. “It definitely would help if we had a contract with Bloomfield Hills,” Koschik said. “It would help us maintain our current hours and some of our reductions in staffing levels.”

Birmingham, Beverly Hills and Bingham Farms combined. The amount is $191.59. The amount is then multiplied by the number of households in Bloomfield Hills, which is 1,656,” Koschik explained. Cravens said he would present the counterproposal to city commissioners at a commission budget meeting on Tuesday, April 26, but does not think commissioners will approve the counterproposal. “Because of the amount of the contract, I think it will (likely) go before a vote of the people,” Cravens said. “Something in the low 300s (thousand) flies in the spirit of the turnout of the recent elections.” Voters in Bloomfield Hills have

repeatedly turned down library service contracts, most notably with Bloomfield Township Library, since 2004. In Nov. 2010, a citizen group put a ballot proposal forward for a Bloomfield Hills library. It was turned down, 60 percent to 40 percent. However, Cravens noted, he has been receiving a lot of calls recently from residents. “There are not a lot of other (library) opportunities out there. I'm getting a lot of citizens asking 'when is Baldwin going to consider it?' A lot of people are calling in and attending meetings. They seem to be in the condos and are retired; it may just be a coincidence, but they are expressing a lot of interest.”

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THE CHOICE Vendor ordinance reworked, tabled By Lisa Brody

A proposed food/merchandise vendor ordinance ended up being reconfigured by city commissioners, and ultimately tabled pending further input from Birmingham's Principal Shopping District (PSD) at the Monday, April 11 city commission meeting. A frozen confection vendor ordinance, to allow ice cream trucks in residential neighborhoods, was unanimously approved. Commissioners set a $500 permit fee. The proposed food/merchandise vendor ordinance has been a debated issue in the city for the last several months, and 21 restauranteurs and retailers showed up to contest the ordinance the city had placed on the agenda, which “would allow vendors in designated locations within the downtown area. These vendors will be defined as moveable vendors as they will be permitted to occupy a particular location each day, but their cart or stand must be removed every night. The draft ordinance sets out standards for the aesthetics of the cart or stand, regulations on the hours of operation, the size of the public space to be rented, the type of product to be sold, and ensures provision of the required 5foot minimum clear pedestrian path at all times.” The idea had been to allow vendors to sell hot dogs and potentially other food and beverage items in Birmingham's Shain and Booth parks. As written, the ordinance would also allow for artisans and merchandise to be sold from seasonal carts. Proponents of the ordinance liken the carts to “hot dog” carts in New York City, and sought to “enliven” the city, alleyways and parks. Some city commissioners had stated at previous commission meetings they would have liked to see the ordinance enacted in time for this summer season. At the meeting on April 11, it appeared the commission had done a 180 degree turn from the last time the issue had come up. Mayor Gordon Rinschler and commissioner Tom McDaniel proposed having existing Birmingham businesses rotate with a cart in Shain Park, having every restaurant, and possibly every business, have a couple of days where they could use the cart to showcase their wares. Rinschler suggested that the PSD coordinate the efforts to highlight its Birmingham membership. “It seems to me we have to be very downtownpublications.com

careful how we proceed on this,” McDaniel said. “We should do a test case with one of our restaurants with a test kitchen in Shain Park; we do not need an ordinance for that. Stay out of city alleys and other properties and leave it at that, and evaluate it after the season.” City Manager Bob Bruner concurred. “We probably need a license agreement and not an ordinance on that. If the whole commission is on board with that, we could have a motion tonight for a pilot program,” he said. Commissioners debated who would design and provide the cart, as well as tables and chairs in the park. “Why not have the PSD develop a cart on a rotating basis to promote the town's businesses, and turn it into the home team's?” asked commissioner Scott Moore. Several business owners spoke up against this idea, as well as the original ordinance, citing the difficulty of coordinating two locations. Holly Anselmi of The Italian Dish said, “I think we're opening up a huge can of worms. It's costly to move your stuff to another location, staff your store, and if it rains, you're out of luck. In a down economy, do not pull business out of the streets of Birmingham. We have to bring people into the stores of Birmingham instead of driving them away.” Barry Murphy, owner of Batteries Plus, said, “A word that keeps being brought up is 'need.' I don't see people clamoring for food in the park. Within one, two, three or four blocks of the park are all kinds of unique eating establishments. You're talking about experimentation, but I think one thing leads to another, and you're opening a Pandora's Box.” Walter Stone, who owns Sweet Things, emphasized he was completely against vending in the park, suggested “advertising or a large kiosk map in the park directing people to places they would like to see and eat before cutting business out of the core of Birmingham.” After listening to the public, Rinschler said the PSD should investigate the possibilities for the future, “because the PSD wants to raise the boat for everyone.” McDaniels agreed. “Maybe we should forget about this summer and move at a more deliberate pace. Maybe take it to the PSD and see how they feel about it, and move from there.” “If it floats everyone's boat and it increases business, then we do it. Otherwise, we don't. We don't want to hurt business A or B,” Rinschler said. DOWNTOWN

Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield Our print edition, mailed to over 26,500 homes in Birmingham/Bloomfield, plus newsstands, at the start of each month. Full-color. Upscale design. Strong editorial environment. DowntownPublications.com Our on-line rendition of the print version, plus updates during each week as news breaks in the local area.Averaging 23,000 visitors each month. Facebook.com/DowntownPublications Our latest web effort, with a unique design unlike any other social network page. Constant updates from our publishing group. Twitter.com/DowntownPubs One more way to keep local residents updated on quick items of interest in Birmingham/Bloomfield. Sign up to follow us today! Downtown Deals An e-mail newsletter issued once each month keep everyone up to date on what is happening in the business community in terms of sales and special events. Sign up on our website. DowntownPublications.com.

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Bloomfield Hills 2011-2012 budget Bloomfield Hills treasurer Lisa Dolan on Tuesday, April 12, presented the city's 2011-2012 budget at the Bloomfield Hills City Commission meeting for resident consideration and ultimately a vote on it at the city's May 10 meeting. The key points Dolan highlighted were the decrease in revenues the city faces in the upcoming fiscal year , primarily from declining taxable values of 8 percent in 2011-2012 due to declining property values. The city also will see a $40,000 decline in revenue sharing, and there has been a significant decline in new construction, which has reduced tax and permit revenue. At the same time, expenditures continue to increase, with pension costs rising and returns on investments down. Health care costs continue to increase for active employees and retirees. The road construction program, it was pointed out, has a debt of $8.9 million, and there are other rising expenditures. Expenditures are expected to be $8.8 million, with $4 million to public safety, $3 million going to wages and overtime, and $1.4 million to health care. Anticipated revenues are $8.2 million, of which $6.8 million comes from property taxes. Fines from the district court amount to $425,000, and licenses and permits account for $350,000. “We're facing a 8 percent decrease in taxable value in the upcoming fiscal year, which translates into a $590,000 taxable revenue loss to the city,” said Dolan. “The loss puts us in a $500,000 operational deficit for next fiscal year. In light of this, we need to do something. We've cut significantly, but we need to do something on the other side of the coin, on revenues. I'm recommending a millage increase. We need at least a .75 mill increase to balance the budget.” Dolan said there will be one more budget committee meeting, on Tuesday, April 26, before the budget is voted on May 10, and she will present the millage increase then. “We have kept most of our expenditures in check. Our non-union employees are not getting raises, and our union employees have small raises, but smaller than comparable 312 bargaining communities,” noted city manager Jay Cravens. “We have kept capital improvement projects in

check, only spending on installment payment programs. We're just doing maintenance operations. I think we're at the bone now. It seemed to me that the residents last year said they did not want to change our public safety, so the only thing left is to increase the millage, and to work with the unions as (contracts) expire.”

Wedding rental pack sent back Birmingham city commissioners on Monday, Mar. 21 sent a proposed resolution to charge staggered fees to residents and non-residents to perform weddings in the city's parks back to the city's parks and recreation department for revision. Originally on the commissioner's consent agenda, which means it would have been part of a blanket approval with other items, several commissioners asked to have the resolution pulled from the consent agenda to discuss it further. Commissioner Rackeline Hoff said, “I'm not clear why we are charging residents $75 to stand in the park for five minutes to get married now that Shain Park is redone. There are no costs; there is no clean up. We built our parks for our residents.” Commissioner Tom McDaniels said, “I echo those sentiments. That's really absurd. Five hundred dollars (nonresident fees) is not an insignificant amount of money. It's outrageous. We're fee happy.” Lauren Wood, director of public services for Birmingham, said, “This is a really good agreement. It's been promulgated by the clerk's office. It's not just for when the mayor's performing weddings. We get a lot of requests for weddings where we have to coordinate a lot of things for them. Weddings have been having a significant impact on our parks. It first began with Quarton, and we feel it is warranted, especially when we compared it with other communities. It's the coming of the times. The deposit is steep because there are always the unforeseen costs.” Commissioner Stuart Sherman said, “Many of the couples who we married had a tough time with a contribution. This (fee) takes it away from the realm of possibility. Maybe we should bifurcate it if the mayor is officiating.” “There needs to be some specifications. It does not seem to me to be fair. If we do a wedding inside city hall, it's free,” noted Hoff. The commissioners took no action, saying they would deal with the resolution when it was revised.

Birmingham opts out of transit center By Lisa Brody

irmingham's involvement in the Birmingham/Troy intramodal transit center is officially over. The final nail in the coffin came at Monday, April 11 city commission meeting when commissioners unanimously voted to reject a counter-offer of Edgemere Enterprises for the property owned by the Erb family that was planned as part of the project. It was determined the counter-offer was twice what the city had valued it at, and twice what the city recommended it should be acquired for. By rejecting the acquisition, commissioner Tom McDaniels said it meant Birmingham would no longer be partnering with Troy to build a regional transit center to be operated by both municipalities. “With this action, that's it. That's the end of our participation,” McDaniels said. “We have been very prudent with our funds, and we have exercised our fiduciary obligation to explore an opportunity for the residents of the city, and we've determined that this is not going to work,” said commissioner Stuart Sherman. “The final straw, from our standpoint, was that we could not reach an agreement to purchase Edgemere property, a piece owned by the Erb family. They wanted twice what the city felt it was worth. We were not going to waste city or federal dollars for an opportunistic land owner.” While Birmingham has had a train station for over a century, the idea for a multi-functional transit center first came about in 1999, when Grand/Sakwa, a Farmington Hills development firm, attempted to buy the former Ford New Holland Tractor site in Troy. They filed a lawsuit against Troy to get the zoning the firm wanted for the site. After lengthy mediation, all parties agreed to a consent judgment that would allow for the development Grand Sakwa wanted, with the stipulation that the city of Troy receive a 4-acre parcel of the land along the railroad tracks at the Troy-Birmingham border for use as a transit center. In the agreement, there was a mandatory proviso that construction begin by June 2010. The railroad company, C&N Railroad, would not permit access to the trains, run by Amtrak, from the Troy side of the tracks, only on Birmingham's side, necessitating a pedestrian walkway under the tracks to be built and land acquired by Birmingham to accommodate this. On the Birmingham side, they have one of two desired parcels under contract, having purchased it from Birmingham Schools. It is located on Holland Street. A second parcel, on Edgemere, had an offer proffered by the city, but the landowner came back with double the appraised value— $900,000. That is the property the city rejected April 11. There were continual problems with the transit center project, from funding, to a lawsuit from Grand/Sakwa in 2010. The developers contended that the project was not fully funded by June 1, 2010, as the consent judgement decreed. Birmingham and Troy countered that they had federal dollar commitments. The suit is ongoing. Federal stimulus money totaling $8.4 million was committed to the project but none has yet been awarded, and it has been questioned if the money will be. Also, budgets were never prepared by either Birmingham nor Troy for maintenance and security, key issues which must be addressed for an unmanned station. These costs would add to Birmingham's future long-term expenses. Also, neither Birmingham nor Troy had yet dealt with requirements from the railroad. “Requirements from C&N tend to be very stringent,” said Sherman. “There would have had to be an indemnification agreement, where, if you are digging around railroad tracks, such as for a pedestrian tunnel, and at some point there is a derailment, you're liable.”

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New dog park fees established by city A resolution from the Birmingham City Commission Mar. 21 consent agenda to approve an annual dog park pass application was unanimously approved by commissioners following concerns regarding the application itself, altering it to raise non-resident fees to $200, while residents will pay $50 for a park permit. Consent agenda items are usually lumped together on a meeting agenda and routinely passed by commissioners rather than being placed on the agenda separately where they get more discussion and scrutiny. Of greatest concern to the commissioners was the stringent amount of dogs permitted into the dog park at one time, which in the resolution is 10. The city's new dog park, located adjacent to Lincoln Hills Golf Course at 14 Mile and Cranbrook roads, came about following great public interest and request. The city investigated numerous sites over a two-year period, finally deciding upon the Lincoln Hills location because it would not cost the city to procure land, it needed minimal improvements, it is easily accessible to residents, and can be maintained with minimal work. The commissioners were also dismayed about the limited number of resident and non-resident passes to be sold. In the dog park pass application, the annual fee would be $50 a year for residents, and $100 a year for nonresidents. There would be a limit of 255 resident passes sold, and 50 nonresident passes available. “I think having this resolution on the consent agenda does this a real disservice,” said commissioner Rackeline Hoff. “I'm also concerned

Play Birmingham okayed by planners By Lisa Brody

lay Birmingham, proposed for 270 N. Old Woodward in the former Buca di Beppo and Arhaus Furniture locations and involving a restaurant, bowling, interactive video games, billiards, golf simulator, basketball, a bar and candy shop, was approved by the planning board on a 5-1 vote on Wednesday, Mar. 23. Planning board member Carroll DeWeese was absent, and member Janelle Boyce voted against the plan. Play Birmingham is to be owned by the Dali Group, owners of Chen Chow, Hamilton Room, and the former restaurant Quattro, which closed last month to undergo a renovation and reopen in May as Barrio, a Mexicanthemed restaurant. The Play Birmingham complex would feature a restaurant, candy and pastry shop in the former Buca di Beppo restaurant on N. Old Woodward, next to Chen Chow. Downstairs and in a part of the former furniture store location there would be an eight-lane bowling alley, bar area, four pool tables and interactive games, including electronic golf, darts, basketball. They are also looking into the possibility of karaoke. The two levels are proposed to be connected by stairs and a slide for young children. The Dali Group submitted a business operations overview to the city's planning commission and a report entitled “Hours of Operation & Customer Projection” to answer questions the city had. The proposed hours of the Play Sweet Shop, a retail store on Hamilton, would be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, with it open until midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The proposed hours for Play Birmingham, which include the restaurant, bowling alley and games area, are to be 11 a.m. to midnight Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. After 9 each night, the establishment will only be open to those 21 years of age and over, and families with children under 21 accompanied by an adult. By city ordinance, the bowling alley and billiards area would have to close at midnight.. For better crowd control, the Hamilton Row entrance would be closed late at night, alleviating congestion from the Palladium movie theater. The proposal now goes before the city commission for a final decision.

about only allowing 10 dogs in at a time, and having a limited number of passes. In all my years on the commission, I've never seen an issue that residents have been so passionate about.” Director of Public Services Lauren Wood responded that was the number the city determined they would break even. “For the number of dogs, it's a

matter of capacity. We did put a limitation, and it's 10 dogs. It will be 20 dogs in the off-season.” When asked, she noted there are 1,400 licensed dogs in Birmingham, so the department does not know what the demand for passes will be. To maintain the park, Wood said they will create an entry system. She also

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Bistros review at upcoming meeting Birmingham city commissioner Rackeline Hoff has convinced mayor Gordon Rinschler of the importance of reviewing the city's bistros, and honoring a letter from Principal Shopping District (PSD) chairman Geoffrey Hockman. Hockman had sent the commission a letter earlier this year, requesting that the commission review the bistro concept, and perhaps utilize bistros as an economic development tool, placing them in areas of Birmingham which need greater revitalization, such as the Rail District, Triangle District, or North Old Woodward. Recent bistro licenses have appeared to concentrate in the downtown business district, and some worry that there is an overabundance of bistros and restaurants, eating up valuable retail space in the downtown area. Previously, Rinschler had dismissed the idea from being broached or discussed amongst the commissioners. At the city's Mar. 11 meeting, Hoff brought up the importance of having the discussion, and Rinschler and the other commissioners agreed. It was determined that a bistro concept review will be put on the agenda of the upcoming joint city commission/planning department meeting.

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proposed a part-time park attendant for $32,000 a year. Commissioner Tom McDaniels asked if non-residential fees could be doubled to $200. City attorney Tim Currier responded, “The courts have said you cannot charge an unreasonable amount for non-residents.” Commissioners decided $200 was an appropriate amount for non-residents, and approved the resolution at $50 for residents, and $200 for non-residents.

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Bloomfield Township Trustees unanimously approved on Monday, April 11, proposed 2012 water and sewer rates that provide for water rates at their current level but a 24 percent increase in sewer rates. Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dave Payne pointed out that the township was recently approved to become a water customer of SOCWA, the South Oakland County Water Authority, which is a customer of the city of Detroit's water. As a member of the water authority the township will be able to buy water at a lower rate. Previously, Bloomfield Township received their water from the city of Detroit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are still a lot of issues to be resolved,â&#x20AC;? said Payne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are hydraulic studies being done to determine where the best place to put the connection to SOCWA. It's an engineering decision, but there are a couple of choices. There's reliability, pressure issues, back up, and we're exploring interconnectivity with Bloomfield Hills because they're a customer of SOCWA also.â&#x20AC;? Wayne Domine, township director of engineering and environmental affairs, said the township had an opportunity to buy water from Detroit through the water authority at a lower, bulk rate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we stayed with Detroit, we would have been looking at a 10 percent increase in water rates. Instead our cost to water will be 17 percent less. There are provisions in our contract with SOCWA that include having to pay certain fees and there are certain costs we will have to incur that we just don't know what they will be yet,â&#x20AC;? Domine said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We probably won't know all of the costs until July. We presented all of this to the board back in November and December when we decided to join SOCWA.â&#x20AC;? He said that because the township has insurance for this year, there will be no increase in water rates to customers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our recommendation to the board was to keep the water rates the same. It's the first time in over a decade to not have to have a water rate increase. By doing so, we have prevented the average customer from paying some $60 dollars more a year in water.â&#x20AC;? Sewer rates will be going up 24 downtownpublications.com

percent because the Oakland County Water Resources Commission (OCWRC) determines those rates, and has changed the formula and method of calculating billing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oakland County Water Commissioner (John) McCullough is charging on the flow of sewage of the pipe, and we can only charge the enduser by water meter, because there is no technology existing to measure sewage released from homes,â&#x20AC;? said Domine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They've (OCWRC) made it complicated for us, Birmingham, and Beverly Hills. They just overwhelm us with data. It's ridiculous. The amount he charges us does not correspond to the amount the community is charging the customer. He keeps saying it's fair and equitable, but he hasn't shown us how it is.â&#x20AC;? Domine said OCWRC is running a deficit, and trying to put the deficit on communities, rather than themselves, and that is the reason for the increase in sewage rates.

Sewer rehab begins in Hickory Heights Bloomfield Township trustees have unanimously approved a sewer contract for a northeast area of Bloomfield Township in need of sewer rehabilitation. The Hickory Heights subdivision, off of Adams, north of Wattles, will see work begin soon and run through the summer months, to internally rehab the sewer linings. The contract is for $714,669, part of which will be matched by a 40 percent federal grant received from the Rouge Program Office administered by Wayne County, as Bloomfield Township is part of the Rouge River watershed. According to Wayne Domine, engineering and environmental services director for the township, the sewers will not need to be dug up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will be relining the sewer pipes internally, using a technique we have successfully been using in the township for the last 15 to 16 years. The project will probably last throughout the summer,â&#x20AC;? he said. The work will be performed by Lanzo Lining Services of Roseville. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This area is found to have high water infiltration and inflow into the sewer system, higher than other areas, of outside water. This will alleviate that problem,â&#x20AC;? Domine said.

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EDUCATION Hybrid plan for one school authorized After months of consensusseeking, the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education has authorized moving forward on exploration of a hybrid plan of partial renovation and partial new construction for one consolidated Bloomfield Hills high school. Consultants Fielding Nair International (FNI) presented five options to the board of education to address what the district has determined are antiquated facilities at Andover and Lahser High Schools. Last week, the board approved the option known as C for further analysis. Option C is the hybrid option. Architects from FNI will now move forward to develop the plan to 50 percent of schematic design. The board also gave them the go ahead to develop a life cycle cost analysis of Option D, which calls for new construction on the Andover site, without any schematic design.

The board approved the appointment of architects/engineers SHW Group of Berkley, Mich., to help FNI develop the plan, and hired construction manager Barton-Malow of Southfield to provide preconstruction services. The district will negotiate their contracts and bring them to the board for approval. “It’s important to remember that this decision is not an end, but part of a thoughtful, deliberate process,” said Supt. Rob Glass. “We will continue to engage the community every step of the way with help from FNI, which has done a great job for us.” Betsy Erickson, spokesperson for the district, said Option C emerged from general agreement among the members of a community group tasked with evaluating the options. “A 14-criteria decision matrix highly rated Options C and D. The matrix was developed from extensive community input led by FNI, and reflected the weight and importance of considerations like educational functionality, programmatic offerings, safety and security, traffic impact,

and environmental sustainability,” Erickson said. With confirmation by accounting firm Plante Moran, the district estimates that consolidating Andover and Lahser on one campus will result in at least $2.3 million in operational savings each year. Currently, BHS spends $150,000 annually for 52 shuttles between the two high school campuses so that students can take specific classes.

Schools seek shortfall solutions Bloomfield Hills Schools is looking at an estimated $6.1 million shortfall in the 2011-2012 operating budget, and said it could be overcome through a combination of wage freezes and reductions, small program reductions, and the use of their fund balance. At their board of education meeting, Plante Moran CPA Bob Brazda, who is serving as interim superintendent of business services, presented a draft budget he said is “conservative and reasonable.” By

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Bud Liebler hile Bud Liebler was born and raised in Pittsburgh, his professional ambitions led him to Michigan, where he found success as an entrepreneur, restaurateur and advocate for the Motor City. A journalism graduate from Marquette University, Leibler dreamed of becoming an anchorman on the evening news, but quickly changed course and distinguished himself with a career in public relations. “I just always liked writing,” said Liebler. “When I was younger, I wrote a play and had all these ideas for books. But after starting a family, I needed to put food on the table.” Liebler worked as a public relations executive for Chrysler until 2001. “I loved every minute I spent at Chrysler,” he said. His departure came during the DaimlerChrysler merger; he decided to start the Liebler Group, a public relations firm. “Everything was changing, and I felt like it was time to make the move.” While Liebler no longer was actively working in the automotive industry, he still remained a strong proponent of Detroit. “I think there’s been so much tragedy, but I think there’s so much potential. I believe this city can be what it wants to be and there is an opportunity for young people to make a difference,” said Liebler. “I hope it’s fallen as far as it can fall. The auto industry is back and there is good stuff happening.” Liebler’s devotion to Detroit was a compelling determinant in his decision

to purchase The Whitney Restaurant, an iconic Detroit landmark, in 2007. “I had no experience in the restaurant business,” he said. “I was actually looking for office space in Detroit.” Liebler had the opportunity to preserve the historic Woodward mansion, a symbol of more prosperous times for Detroit. “I care about the city and I’ve watched it go downhill. It occurred to me that there was an opportunity to save something worth saving and I wanted to do it. If it were any other restaurant, on any other street, in any other city, I wouldn’t have done it.” Currently a Bloomfield Hills resident, Liebler has lived in the Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills communities since 1966, and is a devoted chairperson for The Community House's Annual Fund Drive. “When our kids were kids, they took advantage of The Community House,” he said. “They say, ‘It takes a village.’ In Birmingham, we say, ‘It takes The Community House.’ It’s a unique asset to the community.” Although Liebler has managed to create a successful public relations business while operating one of the city’s great landmarks, it's his sense of community that he hopes to pass on to his three children and 11 grandchildren. “I hope my kids have learned to give back and support the communities they live in.” Story: Katey Meisner

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BUSINESS MATTERS Dr. Derderian relocates NuImage MedSpa and the Vein Center of Birmingham have relocated to 538 N. Old Woodward Ave. from their prior space at 700 N. Old Woodward Ave. in Birmingham. “We were at the previous location for three years,” said Dr. Gregory Derderian. “This new space is a

bigger space with more exposure. We were able to come in here and do the build-out ourselves, so we were able to make it more efficient.” Derderian, double board certified in general and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, is on-site daily offering consultations and treatments. “I oversee treatments, I’m involved in a lot of treatments and I do treatments.” NuImage MedSpa offers laser and light treatments, facials, massage therapy, waxing, Botox and other cosmetic medical services. The NuImage staff includes experienced makeup artists, aestheticians, laser technicians, and massage therapists. In addition to offering cosmetic nonsurgical procedures, NuImage provides acne and vein treatments to patients. The Vein Center offers a full range of specialized treatments for venous diseases. Derderian is joined at the Vein Center of Birmingham by Dr. James P. Caralis and Dr. David A. Forster, both board certified in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. The three physicians combined offer over 90 years experience in treating vein disease.

Shades Optical trunk show Shades Optical is hosting the Old School Spectacle Trunk Show on Thursday, May 12 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will celebrate the California Classics by Oliver Peoples designer eyewear. The show will be held at Shades, located at 193 W. Maple Rd. in Birmingham, and will feature the Spring/Summer 2011 collection, including the limited edition Vintage Circa 1987 re-release. “We are the only shop in Michigan who is carrying Oliver Peoples vintage collection,” said salesperson Tom Matich. Included in the collection are the O’Malley frames, downtownpublications.com

worn in the film “American Psycho” by Patrick Bateman. Shades will also feature product from the Paul Smith and Mosley Tribes lines. The trunk show will include refreshments and music by DJ Soulprovidah.

Sharon's Salon moves After 15 years in business, Sharon's Salon has moved from 245 Hamilton Row to 970 E. Maple Rd in Birmingham. “I’m two blocks from downtown now,” said owner Sharon Bailey. “I went a little smaller, but we have a parking lot and it’s all totally remodeled. The location is great and the parking is great.” Sharon’s Salon offers haircuts, highlights, perms, waxes, manicures and pedicures. Bailey has six stylists on staff.

Four Season's anniversary Four Seasons Garden Center and Custom Landscape Services at 261 E. Maple in Birmingham is celebrating its 30th anniversary in business. At 15, owner Glen Goldberg started mowing his neighbors’ lawns for some extra money. From those small entrepreneurial seeds, grew Four Seasons Garden Center and Custom Landscape Services. According to Goldberg, Four Seasons Garden Center is thriving and will continue to grow strong. “People are feeling better about the economy and showing an interest in investing in and beautifying their homes. There is a definite trend to spending more time at home, so having a beautiful landscape that you can enjoy and be proud of has never been more important, and it’s something we are delighted to provide,” he said. As for the future, Goldberg remains optimistic, debuting a satellite office in Traverse City this spring. “We have a large number of clients who have properties in the northwest Lower Peninsula, places like Charlevoix, Petoskey and Traverse City,” explained Goldberg. “Now we can help them enjoy their outdoor spaces on vacation as well as at home in Detroit.” In addition to their design center in Birmingham, Four Seasons Garden Center carries plants, flowers and accessories at their retail store in Oak Park.

New office location In an effort to consolidate all of their services under one roof, Cardiology and Vascular Associates, P.C. has

recently moved from 43344 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills to a newly renovated building in the Woodward Medical Center at 42557 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills. The new building, located between Hickory Grove and Square Lake roads, offers a more spacious atmosphere. “Previously, we had our testing at another location, and now we have everything under one roof. It’s a onestop shop,” said Michelle Walker, CNA. “We’ve got everything here. You don’t have to go from place to place. You can have your labs done, see the doctor and pick up a prescription.” Prior to the move, the building was completely remodeled. “There were a lot of changes made,” said Walker. “It was dark and dingy and they completely restructured it.” The new center is appealing for its proximity to the expressway and St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Troy. Cardiology and Vascular Associates provides a full range of diagnostic and interventional cardiology and vascular services. Also located in the Woodward Medical Center are the St. Joseph Mercy Oakland’s Laboratory and the Woodward Pharmacy.

Jewelry competition The Annual Jewelers of Birmingham High School Jewelry Competition is in progress and will be ongoing through April 30 at participating Birmingham jewelers. Every year, area high school juniors and seniors submit original jewelry creations in order to compete for recognition and monetary awards. “This year, the entries came from Andover, Lahser, Detroit Country Day, Cranbrook Kingswood, Groves,” said Richard Grinstein, owner of Grinstein Jewelry & Design. “It is open to all public and private schools within a four mile radius.” All student work is currently displayed at Jewelers of Birmingham member stores, and the public is encouraged to vote for their favorite piece in each store. “We came up with the idea about six years ago and formed an association,” said Grinstein. “We wanted to do something to give back to the community that has supported us. We all feel strongly that jewelry is a valuable career for people. With high school art programs stretched, we are letting people know there are careers in the arts.” Participating jewelers include:

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Grinstein Jewelry & Design, David Wachler & Sons, Wachler Estate Collection, Astreins Creative Jewelers, Heartwear Designs, Halina Fuchs, My House of Style, Greenstone Jewelers, Legacy Jewelers, Schubot Jewellers, and Birmingham Gemological Services. The winners of this year's competition will receive $500, $250, and $100 respectively, and the winner of the “People's Choice Award” will win special prizes donated from area merchants. The awards ceremony will be held at the Palladium on May 4. The High School Jewelry Scholarship Competition has taken place since 2006.

BABS Salon and Spa After two years in business, BABS Salon & Spa at 1077 S. Worth has done some light remodeling and are reintroducing themselves as a Paul Mitchell Signature Salon. “I like the Paul Mitchell Products and there are none other in this area,” said owner Bernadette Blanchard. “They carry quality products and they also came out with a new keratin treatment. I think it’s a quality line and people love it and we also carry their pet products.” Blanchard updated the space with new shelving and décor. “We made it a more open space,” she said. “It’s a neater, cleaner and more inviting atmosphere.” BABS is a multi-cultural salon, specializing in all textures of hair. They offer hair services, massages, facials and full body waxing.

Urban Kids Photography Urban Kids Photography, specializing in stylized boutique photos, has recently opened at 251 E. Merrill St. in Birmingham. “I’ve been in business for six years,” said owner Karen Lippowiths. “I’ve been going on location, and will continue mostly to go on location. I prefer the natural light, but we will also offer the studio.” According to Lippowiths, Urban Kids Photography takes a much more stylized, creative approach. “We don’t do a lot of newborns or show-up-andshoot work. We style the children. We’ll have a stylist or a hair and make-up person.” The studio strictly photographs children, college 77

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students and models. Lippowiths chose to open her business in Birmingham because much of her clientele lives locally. “About 85 percent of my clients are located within five miles of downtown.” Lippowiths began shooting photography professionally six years ago after living in New York City and undergoing several personal life changes. “I thought, ‘What did I want to do with my time on this planet,’” she said. “Photography was the answer.” Lippowiths won the Nickelodeon “Best Detroit Children’s Photographer Award” and a Professional Photographers of America award in 2009.

Rediscovered Furniture The Rail District keeps getting terrific new additions. The latest is Rediscovered Furniture, which has moved in at 663 S. Eton St. “What we do is we take furniture that we have found, bought or was donated, and we breathe new life into it,” said Becky Jaglois, owner. “We can take grandma's old vanity and we can decoratively paint it and make it a beautiful piece of furniture for your house.” The studio offers both custom work and retail items for sale at the warehouse. Jaglois, who also lives in the Rail District, has been painting for many years and previously worked for designers out of her garage. “I decided to open my own business and it’s very convenient,” she said. “I can walk out my door and be at work.” Jaglois, who owns the business with fellow artist Mary Hopkins, realized there was a demand for these unique pieces. “I think there’s a market for things that are recycled and not a whole lot of money,” she said. “I’m so happy that I did it because I outgrew my garage and now I can work on six pieces at once.” Jaglois and Hopkins have received a warm reception from patrons. “I cannot believe the people who have walked in already,” said Jaglois. “I’ve sold a piece and Mary has sold a piece.” Jaglois calls the space “cool and eclectic.” Rediscovered Furniture offers a range of items from painted wine glasses and coffee mugs to downtownpublications.com

chairs, tables, dining sets and other furniture items.

Laurie Tennent Studio Another Rail District business, Laurie Tennent Studio at 929 S. Eton St. in Birmingham, will be hosting an art exhibition entitled phoneArt, from May 6 to June 30. The show kicks off at the studio with an opening reception and party on May 6 at 7 p.m. “The gallery has different shows during the year and this one is called phoneArt,” said owner Laurie Tennent. “Everything in the show has been taken by a phone camera. Cameras have gotten so advanced and there are really interesting applications.” Five artists will be featured in the show. “These are really great photographers and the fun thing is that it’s a new tool to use,” she said. “It almost makes your phone a computer with Photoshop. It’s great technology and its right with you all the time, too.” Tennent also conducted a contest on Facebook where amateur photographers could submit camera phone photos. “We’ll show 50 of the finalists and the three top winners will get a printed canvas of their piece and it will be on exhibit here.” Tennent, a Seaholm High School graduate and Birmingham resident, specializes in wedding, portrait and fine art photography. Tennent has been in business for 20 years.

Delux Floral now open For those looking for something out of the ordinary, Delux Floral, an upscale floral and bridal bar, which has moved into the space at 568 N. Old Woodward Ave in Birmingham, from Ferndale, might be just the ticket. Owner Christopher Patros decided to make the move because many of his clients live in the Birmingham area. Patros, himself a Birmingham resident, said the aesthetic of the new boutique is akin to what can be found in New York or France. “Right when you walk in there are cool home accessories and vases,” said Patros. “I’m also launching this new deluxe bridal bar. It’s a one-stop event experience, and brides get to meet all different vendors at my location.” Brides can get ideas about everything from spray tans to linens

and invitations. Delux carries unique designs and fresh floral arrangements. “We’re not your traditional florist,” said Patros. “You won’t find any wicker baskets in here.”

Barrio Tacos & Tequila Quattro Pizzeria & Wine Bar at 203 Hamilton Row in downtown Birmingham has closed. The Dali Restaurant Group will be opening Barrio Tacos & Tequila, a Mexican restaurant, in the space in May. Barrio will offer lunch, dinner and late night fare. The Dali Restaurant Group is releasing no further details at this time.

Blockbuster store closed Blockbuster Video, located at in the Bloomfield Commons/Plum Market plaza at 3611 W Maple Road in Bloomfield Hills, has closed. Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection in September, 2010. The rental and retail movie and game provider plans to close 182 locations by the end of the first quarter in an effort to strengthen the corporation following the bankruptcy. Operations at their DVD vending kiosks, by-mail and digital businesses will continue to serve customers.

Bangkok Thai Bistro Bangkok Thai Bistro has opened at 42805 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Township. The bistro, located in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Woodward and Square Lake roads, is a first business venture for Lee and Julie Lieberman. “We actually have all the recipes, menus and the chef from Rexy’s Bangkok Cuisine in Royal Oak,” said Lee. The husband and wife team opened the restaurant at the suggestion of chef Rexy Arpachinda, who closed the Royal Oak restaurant and is now the head chef at Bangkok Thai Bistro. The new eatery offers a laid back, casual atmosphere. “It’s a quick in-and-out restaurant,” said Lee. “There are no servers and nothing is over $10. We tried to create an upscale flare with inexpensive prices.” Bangkok will offer the usual Thai cuisine, along with sushi and Bubble Drinks. Al Hassan is also part owner of the restaurant. Business Matters for the BirminghamBloomfield area are reported by Katey Meisner. Send items for consideration to KathleenMeisner@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

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PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.

220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.2150. Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. Beau Jacks: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday; Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7078. Big Boy: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.642.0717. Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 245 South Eaton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774. Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, MondayFriday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879.

Boston Market: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42983 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.334.5559. Brandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 South Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.338.4300. Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8800 Cameronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.1700. Chen Chow Brasserie: Japanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 260 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.2469. China Village: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1655 Opdyke, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.758.1221. Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220. Commonwealth: Coffee Shop. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. Cosi: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 101 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.9200. Crust Pizza and Wine Bar: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6622

Telegraph, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.855.5855. Deli Unique of Bloomfield Hills: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 39495 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.7923. Dick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 176 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.9888. Also 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. Elieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. Forest Grill: American. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9400. Forte Restaurant: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7300. Fuddruckerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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No Reservations. Beer & wine. 42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.333.2400. Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. Hogan’s Restaurant: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6450 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.1800. House of India: Indian. Tuesday-Sunday; Lunch & Dinner. Reservations. 1615 Opdyke Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.451.0201. Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Breakfast, Monday-Saturday; Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. Kirk’s Open Pit Bar B Que: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday- Sunday. No reservations. 33766 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7010. La Feast: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily. 297 East Maple, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7768. Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.647.3400. Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. Max & Erma’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 250 Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.1188. Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.3663. Mountain King: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 469 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.2913. New Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Breakfast, Monday-Thursday; Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. No reservations. 183 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.2181. Northern Lakes Seafood Co.: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 39495 North Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.7900. Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 138 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2760. Also 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. Panera Bread: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 100 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7966. Also 2125 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.253.9877. Peabody’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 34965 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.5222. Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

AT THE TABLE Beverly Hills Grill showcases Robert’s high-energy blueprint By Eleanor Heald

rom the first morning omelettes to the last dish served at night, Beverly Hills Grill owner Bill Roberts follows a high-energy blueprint. With some tweaks and remodels here and there in this cozy 80-seat eatery, he’s done it for 23 years. In September last year, corporate executive chef Patrick Roettele celebrated 20 years with Roberts. He is part of the success equation. He knows that area foodies want creative, high-quality food at reasonable prices and he gives them just that with fresh, contemporary, comfort foods. Ron Rea of Ron & Roman Designer Architect in Birmingham created the current interior design. In the hands of Ann Arbor artist Barney Judge, Rea's rough "pool" sketch became featured wall art. The painting's vivid colors enliven mahogany tabletops and window trim. A loyal throng jams a small bar area. Neighborhood chatter adds ambiance. Along with a printed menu, strategically located chalkboards announce daily specials, expressive of a contemporary American menu that Roberts calls "great food, casually,” in an eatery best known to regulars as BHG.

$10. Since chef Roettele has an affection for southwest cuisine, the Huevos Rancheros $10 are made the way he likes them – with vegetarian black bean chili, salsa, whole wheat tortilla, Cholula sour cream, Jack cheese and a fried egg. An abbreviated lunch menu is also a brunch option. But don’t forget the chalkboard for something special like German Chocolate pancakes! Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes $11 are the favored lunch appetizer. Salad lovers opt for Pulled Chicken & Mixed Greens $12 or Chopped Doc Green with grilled chicken breast $12 or sautéed shrimp $13. Among sandwiches, Jumbo Lump Crab Melt $13 with Swiss cheese and tomatoes on sourdough is popular, as are the Turkey Vegetable Burger $10 or the ultimate “Blue Ribbon” Cheeseburger $11, an exclusive BHG premium steakhouse blend on a brioche bun with choice of Tillamook cheddar, bleu, smoked gouda, Swiss or jack cheese. Dinner hits Not surprising, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with tartar sauce $11 is appetizer number one. Then, choices split between chalkboard items and the standard menu. Yet, Kobe Meatloaf $18 with asparagus, mashed potatoes and cabernet wine sauce outsells any other item. Keeping it light is a main Warm Tenderloin & Mixed Greens Salad $15 with bleu cheese, red onions, walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette. For sweet endings, the housemade Cobbler a la Mode $7 is most ordered, followed by the BHG Chocolate Brownie $7. I asked Roberts about his choice in wine from his well-edited wine list, focused on varietal bottlings. For white, he chooses among sauvignon blancs, preferring a bythe-glass pour of 2009 Duckhorn $12. Among red wines, Roberts’ preference is pinot noir with Paul Hobbs 2008 Crossbarn from California’s Russian River Valley at $15 by the glass.

Chef's style "When I graduated from culinary school (Florida Culinary Institute, Palm Beach, Fla.),” Roettele explains, “I worked in corporate kitchens and country clubs. These did not appeal to me. At BHG, I can express my style of cooking every day." With three restaurants under the Roberts Restaurants Group umbrella, chef Patrick oversees not only BHG, but also Streetside in Birmingham and Town Tavern in Royal Oak. Since 2007, chef de cuisine at BHG is 32-year-old Pleasures Chris Johnson, a culinary gradu- Beverly Hills Grill chef Chris Johnson. Downtown photo: Among his pleasures as a ate of Oakland Community Laurie Tennent restaurateur, Roberts includes College. For seven years prior to seeing guests enjoying the experihis current position, he served as chef Roettele’s sous chef ence. He’s also pleased when he notices staff development. at BHG. “This is a people business,” he concludes. Roettele and Johnson have meshed their creative skills with each other and Roberts to create a team. So, who deter- Beverly Hills Grill, 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 248.642.2355. Open: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. mines food style? “Our guests,” responds Johnson. “We have core items on the menu. Many have been there Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. No for years and diners would be disappointed if they did not find reservations. Parking on site. them on the menu. Chalkboard selections allow us to be creQUICK BITES ative. If the item is very popular when it’s featured, we post it Shortly, several new restaurants will open in the again. That’s how new items get on the standard menu. If the Birmingham-Bloomfield communities. Proprietors have supchalkboard special doesn’t move, we chuck the idea.” plied the following as target opening dates: Fox Grill, 39556 Woodward Ave. (in Bloomfield Crossing at Early favorites Breakfast regulars choose healthy items such as Muesli, Long Lake Road), Bloomfield Hills: May 2. Bella Piatti, 167 $7 with yogurt, apples, bananas, honey, oats, raisins and Townsend Street, Birmingham: late May. Townhouse, 180 nuts. Both a fresh fruit bowl and oatmeal with seasonal Pierce Street, Birmingham: first two weeks of June. fresh fruits are $7. Weekend brunch brings in orders for the number one Eleanor Heald is a nationally published writer who also writes the favorite, Jumbo Lump Crab Omelette $10 with smoked wine column in a double byline with her husband Ray for bacon, avocado, tomatoes, onion and blue cheese. Also pop- Downtown. Suggestions for Quick Bites section can be e-mailed ular are Crab Cake Benedict $13 and Classic Eggs Benedict to QuickBites@downtownpublications.com.

FOCUS ON WINE Simply stated: one is impossible By Eleanor and Ray Heald

requently, we’re asked, “What is your favorite wine?” Our response, “we can’t answer that.” One, in this world of so many wonderful wines? Impossible. What we can answer is a question about some of our favorite producers. For starters, let’s talk California and new statistics. According to data from the respected Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates consulting firm and cited by the Wine Institute in California, the U.S. surpassed France as the world’s largest wineconsuming nation in 2010. Among our favorite producers (discussed in alpha order) are those that consistently craft some of California’s best wines.

Beckmen Vineyards Since founding Beckmen Vineyards with his son Steve in 1994, Tom Beckmen focused on the cultivation of his estate vineyards and new innovations for winegrowing in the Santa Ynez Valley. He established Purisima Mountain Vineyard as a world-class wine-growing site, and the source of some of North America's most highly prized Rhone varietal wines. Cultivating Purisima Mountain Vineyard, now biodynamically certified, helped solidify Steve's winemaking style, evidenced in the following 2008 releases from Purisima Mountain Vineyard: Grenache $48, Syrah $48 and Syrah Clone #1, $52. Marimar Estate Named eponymously after founder and proprietor Marimar Torres, of the internationally famed Spanish winemaking Torres family, the Don Miguel Vineyard (named after her father) is, since 2003, a meticulously farmed organic vineyard. “Located only 10 miles from the ocean, it’s cooler at Marimar,” says winemaker Bill Dyer. “This is where pinot noir and chardonnay thrive.” You’ll understand Dyer’s remarks when you try wines from the Don Miguel Vineyard including 2008 Marimar Acero Chardonnay $25. In Spanish, acero is the word for steel

and used here it refers to the fact that this wine has never seen any oak. Its flavor purity and pinpointed stone fruit, lemon, mineral and floral notes make it the best unoaked chardonnay on the market. A different style is achieved with balanced use of French oak, 42 percent new from three coopers, in 2008 “La Masia” Chardonnay $30. “La Masia” 2007 Pinot Noir $35, a blend of six clones and 33 percent new French

oak from five coopers is elegant and a steal at this price!advance. Patz & Hall Although Patz & Hall was not the first California winery to make vineyard-designated chardonnays and pinot noirs, they were one of the first to focus on introducing these wines to a broader audience outside of wine clubs and winery tasting rooms. Building on an emerging appreciation for site-specific bottlings, Patz & Hall honed a style of winemaking that is consistent wine to wine – an approach underscoring the identity and character of each vineyard. The following four examples showcase this. Hyde Vineyard 2008 Carneros Chardonnay $55, Hyde Vineyard 2008 Carneros Pinot Noir $65, Chenoweth Ranch 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $55 and Pisoni Vineyard 2008 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $80. St. Francis "I'm given the freedom,” veteran winemaker Tom Mackey told us, “to find the best grapes available and make the wines in a style I prefer.” In fact, Mackey has been with St. Francis for so long that his name and the winery are intertwined. "There is an incentive to stay in one place,” he adds, “when owners don't interfere with what you're doing." Sonoma County, St. Francis’ vine-

yard home, is the go-to appellation for well-made, reasonably priced red wines. And St. Francis is our choice. Proving what Mackey can do with a red varietal blend is 2007 Sonoma County Claret $18, a juicy blend of merlot, cabernet, malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc. Then there’s merlot, the varietal that Mackey used to put St. Francis on the map decades ago. Sonoma County Merlot 2007 $22 exemplifies what merlot should taste like – cherry and plum fruits with chocolate notes and a lengthy finish. For a slightly bigger wine, try 2007 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon $24. Two wines are simply zinsational: 2008 Sonoma County Old Vines $24 and for a bigger, bolder style, 2007 Pagani Vineyard Zinfandel $35. Sbragia Family Vineyards “Sbragia Family Vineyards,” says proprietor/winemaker Ed Sbragia, “is a dream that I’ve had for some time, a small family-owned winery making limited, individual lots of wine from grapes grown in select blocks of my favorite vineyards.” Even though he spent decades as Napa Valley Beringer Vineyards winemaker, he says, “I’ve always had one foot in Sonoma and the other in Napa. Both areas mean a lot to me emotionally. I’m more attached to Dry Creek because it’s where I raised my kids. But the wines I’ve made at Beringer are like children, so Napa is also a very special place to me. Either way, the wines are intensely personal, an expression not only of terroir, but of my family’s winemaking heritage.” From Sbragia’s current 2007 cabernet sauvignon releases, we recommend: Monte Rosso (Sonoma Valley) $50 with intense dark fruit flavors, balanced and structured with a long, smooth, stylish finish. Wall (Mt. Veeder) $75 reveals the secret that Sbragia loves mountaingrown cabernet. It’s bigger than the Monte Rosso with superior concentration, depth and richness. Brimming with ripe black fruits enhanced by spicy oak, classify it as outstanding. Two sites on Howell Mountain are the source for Sbragia Cimarossa $75 and Rancho Del Oso $75. Eleanor & Ray Heald are contributing editors for the internationally respected Quarterly Review of Wines among other publications. Contact them by e-mail at focusonwine@aol.com.

588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122. Pita Cafe: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 239 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.6999. Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 795 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.988.8941. Quattro Pizzeria & Wine Bar: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 203 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.6060. Quiznos: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 185 N Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.540.7827. Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 172 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. South: Mexican. Lunch, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8133. Stacked Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Delivery available. No reservations. 233 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.5300. Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. The Corner Bar: American. Dinner. WednesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2958. The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.  248.851.0313. The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. The Phat Sammich: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 34186 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0860. The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. Tokyo Sushi & Grill: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 225 E. Maple Rd., Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6501. Village Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 653 S. Adams. Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7964 Whistle Stop Cafe: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.5588 Zazios: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 34977 Woodward Ave, Birmingham, 48009. Phone: 248.530.6400

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE s my friends and family know, May is my very favorite month. I love to see my garden, the parks and The Community House come to life. Enjoy this beautiful month in downtown Birmingham and at The Community House. Be sure to put several important May events in your calendar: On Thursday, May 5, join us when Faye Nelson speaks at our Influential Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Breakfast. Faye is President & CEO of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy where she oversees the massive restoration and permanent stewardship of the riverfront. Prior to joining the conservancy, she was Vice President, Governmental Affairs for Wayne State University. $16 pre-registration or $20 at the door (includes breakfast). Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the opportunity to bring your mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt, niece, friend or babysitter to celebrate with the favorite women in your life at our Mother and Daughter Tea on Saturday, May 7. Also, the perfect way to celebrate the big day itself is by attending our Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Cabaret Concert and brunch which is part of our Classical Brunch series. The Sunday concert will Shelley Roberts feature vocalists Lauren Skuce and Dan Gross and the Cliff Monear Jazz Trio. On May 11, join us for our program on The Empowered Patient: Using Medical Directives to Choose the Care You and Your Family Want. You will learn exactly what you need to do to become an empowered patient by creating a comprehensive medical directive portfolio and learning how to make certain that your wishes are followed. On May 11, our 3-D Video Game World series begins. This class for ages 9-12 will cover the fundamentals involved in creating your own 3D video game world! On May 21, see TCH Dance Academy at Seaholm High School. Performances are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and tickets ($15) are only available in advance. This is a great way to see our talented TCH Dance Academy students in action. For information about all Community House programs, events and trips, go to www.communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832. On April 11, at our annual Volunteer Recognition Reception, we celebrated and thanked the many volunteers who gave 10 hours up to 200 hours of service to The Community House in 2010. We could not do the important work we do in the greater community without their dedication and support. Community House volunteers help staff the front desk, plan special events, serve as docents at our special events, manage event mailings and host our many classes. In addition to honoring our special volunteers, each year, one volunteer is chosen for his or her commitment, and for going above and beyond in their service to our organization. This year we were very pleased to announce Gil Gottlieb as our 2010 Volunteer of the Year. Gil has been a Community House volunteer since 2004, after retiring a president of an electrical distribution company. He started as a volunteer for the 21st Century Leaders program, which is designed to give middle school students an opportunity to discover new abilities within themselves, form new friendships and experience a new awareness about the world and community in which they live in. Gil has volunteered for DogTown, Tiger Town, Green Breeze Eco Fair and numerous other events and activities. On behalf of The Community House, congratulations Gil and thanks to all of our outstanding volunteers for choosing to share your time and talents with us, ensuring that we continue to remain a vital presence in the community. Finally, I would like to tell you about an important change that we have made in our operation. In the past, The Community Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Food and Beverage staff prepared and served all food at The Community House. However, in order to lower fixed costs and give our customers a choice, we decided to adopt what we refer to as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hybrid modelâ&#x20AC;? effective, April 18. With this hybrid model, The Community House staff will continue to provide delicious meals, snacks, etc. for our Early Childhood Center, our sponsored groups, the civic clubs that meet at The Community House and small meetings and events during the work week. Customers who wish to host large events during the work week or events on the weekend will have the choice of Epoch, Forte Belanger and Lakeland as their caterer. In addition, customers who have special needs, like Kosher food, will be permitted to use other caterers. So far, with the assistance of our new Catering Manager, Lisa Knaffel, the change has been seamless. We are pleased to be able to offer the community these new options. Plan your next event at The Community House and enjoy great food and wonderful ambience. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that our Van Dusen Terrace is the best outdoor venue in town, so plan your summer party there! I look forward to seeing you at The Community House. Shelley Roberts is President and CEO of The Community House.

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170 AND COUNTING

Nearly 170 businesses have thrown their support behind Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield since the launch of our direct-mail news magazine in the fall of 2010. We like to think we are producing the the best looking and most professional product in the local area, and the overwhelming support from the business community leaders says we are off to a good start. Find out how you can join the leaders in our June issue, which deadlines Wednesday, May 18, by contacting Jill Cesarz at 248.792.6464 Ext. 600. JillCesarz@downtownpublications.com.

ELISSA & TONY SCIGLIANO PERSONAL TRAINING STUDIO LOCATED IN

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ELISSA 248-417-3517 TONY 248-568-6235 85

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

Erin Go Bragh Party

1. Dr. Ann Rehm (left) of Bloomfield with event host Kathy Broock Ballard and her mother Joy Broock of Orchard Lake. 2. Patty Ghesquiere (left) and Andrea Guttilla of Bloomfield. 3. Patti Prowse (left) and Diana Johnson of Bloomfield. 4. Group shot of guests at Ballard’s first annual “Erin Go Bra” party. 5. Kay Ponicall (left) of Bloomfield and Peggy Fallcon of Clarkston.

Detroit Symphony Classical Roots Celebration

Detroit Symphony Classical Roots Celebration Since 1978, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has celebrated African-American contributions to classical music with a concert and celebration. This year’s was held March 5 at the MGM Grand. An ensemble from the youthful Civic Jazz Orchestra enlivened the cocktail hour, especially for Dr. Clyde Wu who has long cherished and supported the DSO education program. He said it now includes 750 children. The celebration crowd of more than 120 included Marjorie Saulson who had just returned from Boston and the board meeting of the Association of Symphony Orchestra Volunteers (AMSOV), which she serves as president. She said that’s where she bought her beaded, music theme evening bag from another board member’s orchestra shop. Saulson’s two-year term will conclude in April. It was highlighted, she said, by the AMSOV’s 37th biennial conference in Detroit in May 2009. Classical Roots guests enjoyed a strolling buffet before the concert. It featured the students of the Honda Power of Dreams program, the Detroit School of Arts’ male vocal ensemble, DSO Civic Jazz Orchestra and the Brazeal Dennard Chorale. The latter incorporated a tribute to its founder the late Brazeal Dennard. Thanks to sponsorships, the evening raised more than $115,000 for the DSO’s African-American programs.

1. Sponsor JPMorgan Chase’s Christine Kageff (left) of Beverly Hills with event co-chairs Rita Jordan and Chacona Johnson of Detroit. 2. DSO board president Stanley Frankel (left) of Bloomfield with Dr. Arthur Johnson of Detroit. 3. Leroy (left) & Julia Richie of Birmingham with Al Nelson of Troy. 4. Tiffany (left) & Greg Walker of Bloomfield, Fritz Morsches and Kareen George of Franklin and Art & Rebecca O’Reilly of Grosse Pointe. 5. Marjorie & Saul Saulson of Franklin. 6. Sponsor Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Herman Gray & his wife Shirley of W. Bloomfield. 7. Mandisa Smith and Motown Museum CEO Audley Smith of Detroit. 8. Matt Piccirilli (Left) of Detroit,, Kyle & Stacey Sheiko of Waterford, Allen & Madeleine Phillips of Grosse Pointe.

Sally Gerak

Erin Go Bragh Party Kathy Broock Ballard put the accent on the “bra” as in “Erin Go Bragh” for the midday St. Patrick’s Day party she tossed for gal pals at the Village Club. She did this when she learned about the need at women’s shelters for good, new bras which are never donated. “These women are leaving their pimps and we need to support them,” Ballard declared with her trademark enthusiasm. Guests brought bras, sipped (no green beer in sight), buffet lunched and had fun donning the St. Paddy’s Day party favors Ballard stockpiled for them. The hostess, a Realtor, followed her father into the firm her grandfather Max founded. Kathy’s mother Joy Broock, who said she’s been a club member for 51 years and couldn’t remember a similar party there, was in the crowd, having returned from Florida for another event that occurred earlier in the morning. “Kathy got the state’s Top Individual Producer Award for 2010 this morning and Bo (her father) presented it,” she noted, smiling with pride.

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PATH’s Window to Spring Style Some 120 supporters of PATH got a preview of spring styles at the evening Saks Fifth Avenue staged to benefit the Lighthouse subsidiary agency. It provides transitional housing and essential support programs for homeless women and their children. Before and after the runway show, guests also socialized, sipped, supped, shopped and bought raffle tickets, raising $19,750 for PATH. Some in the crowd, like Julie Goddard, were looking for the perfect outfit to wear to PATH’s Salute America fundraiser, Friday, June 17 at the Village Club. It will honor both the Junior League of Birmingham and former 05.11

Lighthouse director Noreen Keating. The co-chairs are Goddard, Teri Fenner, Robin Schirs, Pattison and Deborah Ridenour. Patty Ghesquiere is the honorary chair. To get an invitation call, Jennifer O’Byrne at (248)-9206000 ext. 2123 or visit. Uptown Film Festival Charity Premiere People are still talking about the inaugural Uptown Film Festival. It was launched at a VIP Charity Reception with 325 guests and concluded with an Afterglow following the 2011 Michigan Film Awards ceremony in which Birminghamer Amy Weber was named Michigan Filmmaker of the Year for “Annabelle and Bear”. In between, 3,300 people hustled between the Palladium and the Birmingham Theatres to see 30-plus Michigan-made films that screened over two days. During a welcome program preceding the premiere showing of “Kill the Irishman” on Friday night, festival producers Jeff Spillman and Kirk Miller thanked the large coterie that enabled them to pull off the festival in record time (less than three months). This included Uptown Entertainment’s event director Laura Bayoff-Elkins and festival sponsor Oakland County Film and Digital Media, an economic development office of Oakland County whose Executive L. Brooks Patterson declared his support for the film industry. The producers also announced next year’s UFF will be expanded to three days, March 8 to 10, 2012. In the meantime, as people like Karl Walby, father of “Annabelle and Bear” star Olivia Walby, said, “We (must) encourage our legislators to recognize that competitive film tax incentives are absolutely essential to keep this emerging industry alive here…We’ve seen first-hand significant stories of entire businesses that have been saved or started up as a result of this industry. (We’re all hoping) our legislators will better understand the far-reaching benefits by the time they cast their final votes.” Sacred Heart Wild at Heart Gwen and Doug North’s committee obviously had lots of fun planning the Academy of the Sacred Heart’s 2011 benefit around the Wild at Heart theme. They moved the party from the school field house to Oakland Hills Country Club where animals and great animal print motifs abounded – both as décor and as fashions. Had there been a prize for the latter, alumna parent Dona Tracey’s fluttering collage of prints would have won the Head Turner downtownpublications.com

PATH’s Window to Spring Style

3 1. Event chairs Vickie Venn (left) of Birmingham and Tracy Nystrom and Noelle Cassel of Bloomfield. 2. Jan Hoge (left) of Bloomfield with honorary chair Vicki Vlasic of Orchard Lake. 3. Committee members Amy Hoglund (left) of Birmingham and Teri Fenner of Bloomfield. 4. Nora Hamill (left) of Bloomfield, Julie Goddard, Kim Kelly and committee member Trisha Stanton of Birmingham. 5. Alessandra Dietz (left) and her mother Alia of Bloomfield. 6. Committee member Ruth Tyszka (left) of Bloomfield with Katy Dobrowitsky of Birmingham and Amy Purcell of Royal Oak. 7. Jeanne Bourget (left) of Bloomfield and Nancy Winkler of Rochester Hills.

6 DOWNTOWN

SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Uptown Film Festival Charity Premiere

1. Festival executive director Jeff Spillman (left) of Bloomfield with “Demoted” director Southfield native Warren Zide of Santa Monica, CA. 2. Karl, Olivia & Patty Walby of Bloomfield (Olivia was two-years old, the youngest leading actress in film history, when she starred in “Annabelle and Bear”). 3. Gleaners board member Ellen Rogers and Dr. Scott Grant of Birmingham (who has served as the production physician for films made in Birmingham). 4. Michigan Movie Magazine’s Kendra Ray (center) of Birmingham and Chris Aliapoulios (left) & Kuba Ingram of Ann Arbor. 5. Michigan Film Group CEO Richard & Eileen Jewel of Detroit (Jewell played FBI agent Mike Malloy in ‘Kill the Irishman”). 6. Larry & Linda Juracek-Lipa of Birmingham. 7. Denise & attorney Bruce Seyburn of W. Bloomfield and their son, attorney Marc Seyburn of Commerce. 8. Actors Ron Sakowski (left) of Troy and Korky Zschering of Hamtramck (played bikers in “Kill the Irishman”).

DSO Musical Feasts Kick Off The 24th annual series of intimate dining events in unique locations accompanied by musical performances by DSO musicians kicked off in March at a tea co-hosted by MF co-chairs Marlene Bihlmeyer and Debra Partrich at the latter’s Bloomfield Village home. The tea was catered by Opus One and the music was played by violinists Kyoko Kashiwagi and Ron Fischer. Twenty more MFs are on the docket including: A Bistro Dinner hosted by Linda Dresner Levy and Edward Levy, Jr. in their Birmingham home Thursday, May 12; French Countryside (dinner) hosted by Marilynne and Alan Kiriluk in their Bloomfield Hills home Friday, May 20; Rhapsody at the (St. Hugo of the Hills) Rectory hosted by Monsignor Anthony M. Tocco, Sue and Paul Nine and Cuisine Restaurant’s Paul Grosz Friday, May 20. To make reservations or view the entire Musical Feasts XXIV descriptive booklet, go to or call the VC office at (313) 576-5154.

Academy of the Sacred Heart Wild at Heart

1. Event chairs Doug & Gwen North of Bloomfield. 2. Live auction co-chairs Karen Kearns (left) and Lauren Fisher of Bloomfield. 3. Elise Hayes (left) and Kari Ross of Bloomfield with Clune & committee member Lee Walsh of Birmingham. 4. Committee member Kathleen McInerney (left) of Birmingham with Dona Tracey of Troy and Kathy Carroll of Bloomfield. 5. Janet Seaman (left) of Troy with Andrea Ferris and committee member Yvonne McCready of Bloomfield. 6. Dan Carroll, Tom Alterman, Grant Beard and Tom Betrus of Bloomfield. 7. Pam Hildebrand (left) of Birmingham with Lori & Brian Brice of Bloomfield. 8. Kathy (left) & Jim Finley and Michael & Tracy Woods of Bloomfield. 9. Virginia Antakli (center) of Bloomfield with her sons John (left) of Sylvan Lake & Mark of Dubai. 10. Mary Jo Dawson (left) with Nolia & Larry Lloyd of Bloomfield. 11. Carol Shaya of Bloomfield (beside her giraffe and the raffle prize – a 2011 Ford Escape from North Brothers Ford). 12. Samir (left) & Hilmari Noujaim of Troy with Roger & Elissa Noujaim Pinto of Rochester.

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award. There were great prizes for three 52-card raffles and a dice game raffle that raised more than $27,000 and the grand raffle - a two-year lease on North Brothers Ford’s 2011 Ford Escape XLT 4WD that raised nearly $39,000. But most of the 275 school loyalists aimed to bag bounty in the silent auction (nearly $30,000 in bids) and live auction conducted by Rip Hayes. He started out on a high by getting the same bid ($6,200) as the luxury suite at a Tigers game had brought in pre-event online bidding, thus doubling the income. But the highest price for one item was the $9,000 paid for the final lot-a backyard bash for 75 catered by Red Coat Tavern. Counting the live auction total of $150,000, Wild at Heart grossed more than $450,000 to enhance the Catholic education at the oldest independent school in Michigan.

ORT’s Generations of Style More than 130 women of all ages, including the three generation trio of Shoshana Kestenberg, her daughter Sandy Shecter and granddaughter Shayni Shecter, gathered at Saks Fifth Avenue last month to sip, sup, see fashions, shop and raise more than $10,000 for ORT. Before the show of 55 ensembles narrated with pizzazz by Cheryl Hall Lindsay, co-chairs Michelle Blau and Nicole Kovacs spoke convincingly about the significance of ORT’s educational projects around the globe and thanked Saks and contributors to the 29-prize raffle. Coming up on ORT’s 05.11

fundraising fun calendar is WINGO, Wednesday, May 18 at Beth Ahm; Ruba-Dub Thursday, Aug. 25 at Franklin Hills Country Club and Camp Hermelin Sunday, Sept. 18 at Doreen Hermelin’s home. For information, call the ORT office at (248) 723-8860 or visit. Brother Rice Golden Gala Auction Brother Rice High School loyalists put the wraps on the school’s 50th anniversary celebration at the Golden Gala Auction last month. It attracted 220 to the San Marino Club for socializing, dining, dancing and bidding in a small super silent auction and small live auction (11 items) that raised more than $75,000. The $18,000 bid on alumni parents Tom & Vicki Celani’s donation of a trip for six to their California vineyard via their private plane topped the evening’s bidding. The couple also generously donated some of the premium wine served at the dinner. The Saturday night festivities were preceded on Friday night by a casual silent auction event that attracted 360 alumni, parents and alumni parents to the Bloomfield Township Catholic high school for boys. It brought in some $65,000. Both events featured raffles for IPad 2s and donations from proud alumni across the country. Bear Hug Hibernation Celebration If any of the 200 people partying at The Townsend March 26 wondered where their Hibernation Celebration sponsor, ticket and silent auction bid dollars were going, Tim Brown and his adopted daughter Shirley solved the mystery when they spoke. Shirley and her brother Timmy were Orchards Children Services foster kids when the Bear Hug Foundation bankrolled their stay at Camp Tanuga, one of the camps the foundation uses for their qualified (needy, at-risk) kids in Northern Michigan. The two youngsters have since been adopted by the Brown family, but Shirley and her dad told the crowd that going to camp where “…everybody’s a foster”, was a desperately needed confidence builder. Folks also sipped, supped, socialized, danced and bought silent auction donations ($12,000). The eighth annual event raised more than $50,000. The committee comprised Amanda Wolfe, Dana Sturtz, Erin Krugel, Erica Yaker and Mary Macias. Newcomers’ Club’s Dinner Dance Although the Patrick Philipses and the Andre Cornets had practically been neighbors in Belgium, they did not discover this fact until they met downtownpublications.com

DSO Musical Feasts Kick Off

1. DSO violinists Ron Fischer (left) of Oak Park and Kyoko Kashiwagi of Bloomfield with Musical Feast co-chairs Marlene Bihlmeyer and Debra Partrich of Bloomfield. 2. VC president Janet Ankers (lleft) and committee member Mary Beattie of Beverly Hills with Marion Smith of Berkley. 3. Judy Pardonnet (left) of Farmington Hills, Dorothy Barnes of Dearborn and Alice Haidostian of Bloomfield. 4. Coco Siewert (left) of Birmingham with Bob & Paulette Koffrom of Farmington Hills.

ORT’s Generations of Style

1. Event co-chair (with Nicole Kovacs) Michelle Blau (right) of W. Bloomfield,) her mother-in-law Fayclare Blau and her mother Donna Schwartz of Bloomfield and sister-in-law Liz Fields of Franklin. 2. Committee members Linda Mossman (left) of Bloomfield and her daughters Wendy Yourofsky and Brooke Wolf of Franklin. 3. Committee member Marcie Orley (left) of Franklin with Julie Nelson Klein of Bloomfield. 4. Julie Rubin (left) of Birmingham, Linda Hayman of Bloomfield and Lois Rubin of Farmington Hills. 5. Jessica Miller (left) of Bloomfield and her mother Margo Grossman of Franklin. 6. Marni Feldman (left) of Birmingham and Forest Wolfe of Bloomfield. 7. Roz Blanck (left) of Franklin, Wendy Kippelman of Bloomfield and Betsy Heuer of W. Bloomfield. 8. Sally Marx (left) with SFA’s Ken Dewey of Bloomfield and Kim Nye of Troy.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK and were chatting at the Birmingham Bloomfield Newcomers’ Club’s Annual Dinner Dance last month at The Reserve. The two couples were among the 142 partiers at A Night in Venice who posed for photos near a gondola, cocktailed on the heated, tented patio and danced ‘til midnight. Among the 232 BBNC members, quite a few are from other countries but the club, which is sponsored by The Community House, is open to all who are new (three years) to the Metro Detroit area. Kathy Finley presides over the executive board comprised of Mona Schmatz, Kim Franks, Karen West and Cheryl Facchini. The club hosts monthly coffees, scads of interest groups and socials like the dinner dance. To join, contact membership chair Karin Losch at or visit .

Brother Rice Golden Gala Auction

1. Event co-chair Cathy Weissenborn (center) with board president / BRHS ’87 Ed Schwartz & his wife Nancy of Bloomfield. 2. Anniversary co-chairs Tom & Vick Celani of Bloomfield. 3.Committee members Arlene (left) & Ken Alessi of Bloomfield with school president John Birney & his wife Kathy of Beverly Hills. 4. Committee members BRHS ’75 Brad Simmons (center) of Birmingham and BRHS ’64 Pat & Kathy McQueen of Bloomfield. 5. Decoration co-chairs Terry King (left) of Rochester Hills & Karen Duncan of Bloomfield. 6. Committee members BRHS ’82 Jack & Kathleen McInerney of Birmingham with Julie & BRHS ‘81 Mark Pulte of Bloomfield. 7. Scott (left) & Rebecca Schilling with committee members BRHS ’83 Chris & Michelle Lievois of Bloomfield. 8. Committee members Cheri & BRHS ’67 Chuck Taunt of Bloomfield. 9. BRHS ‘91/ alumni association president Mike (left) & Kristen Rondeau of Troy, school president John Birney of Beverly Hills and BRHS ’98 Patrick & Meghan Rivard of Bloomfield. 10. Committee members Ed (left) & Lisa Holinski of Livonia with Tom & Jeanne Petzold of Birmingham. 11. Nora & BRHS’77 Schuyler Hamill of Bloomfield. 12. Committee members Tom (left) & Marti Gotshall of Bloomfield, Michele & Nick Becharas and BRHS ’74 Roger Denha of Beverly Hills. 13. Pam (left) & Deric Righter of Bloomfield and Jim & Mona Jehle of Troy. 14. Committee member Michelle Lievois (left) with Marina Gleeson of Bloomfield and Carol Grombala of Beverly Hills.

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CARE House Housewarming Party Before the week-long celebration of CARE House’s new facility some 75 supporters convened March 25 for a proper housewarming luncheon. They brought necessities from the CARE House gift registry - things like 50 matching dishes, a coffee maker, platters, linens and a cutting board – stuff that make a house a home for the abuse victims that find safety and care there. The gift-bearing guests also were treated to a demonstration of how to create themed herb gardens and windowsill planters by designers from Goldner Walsh Garden & Home. Dance Studio Spring Showcase More than 200 people gathered at the Marriott ballroom March 27 for Bloomfield Hills Fred Astaire Studio’s Time Machine Showcase – a dance tribute to some of the best tunes from several decades. They applauded enthusiastically the high energy and ballroom pizzazz of the students and professional dancers. They also bid in a silent auction of donated goodies, raising $3,380 for wards of the state at Lutheran Child & Family Services of Michigan and Christ Child House. According to Fred Astaire Studio owner Evan Mountain, the money will be used to purchase computer systems and educational toys meant to increase the development of the kids’ education and motor skills. Dancing for a good cause made for a good Sunday afternoon. Who’s Your Bartender? You would have thought it was St. Patrick’s Day the night of March 29 at Dick O‘Dow’s. Instead, it was a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation and more than 500 people got there, not all at the same time, but the Irish pub was jammed and noisy. The challenge 05.11

was to get to the section of the bar where “Your Bartender” was taking orders because the most orders (and dollars for NKFM) meant winning the “title”. When all the receipts were counted, Marcus Connor was the winner with $3,596. Kelly LaFontaine came in second with $2,870 and Stacey Kives was third with $2,197. Other good sports tending bar included Christine Cowan, Kelly Lodish, Kelly McKay, Bela Kogler, Terri Macksoud, Brenda Nwicki, Suzanne Faber, Rudy Stonisch, John Girardot, Bill O’Connor, Nicole McElroy and Jerry Hall. Hall co-chaired the event with Laura Beckman and their efforts raised nearly $20,000 for NKFM. Many of the young professionals plan to reconvene for NKFM’s big golf fundraiser Monday, June 6 at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club in Clarkston. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams will be invited to play in the NKF Cadillac Golf Classic at the famed Pebble Beach in January, 2012. Call Kristen Mumma at (734) 222.9800 or go to . Fine Arts Competition at the BBAC More than 300 well wishers and art buffs turned out April 1 for the opening reception of the MFAC at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. The exhibition, juried by Houston, Texas artist John Ross Palmer, features work by more than 100 artists from 50 Michigan cities. Palmer had more than 600 entries to consider and one very happy accepted artist was Connie McEwan, who said she was thrilled to get a work in the show the first time she entered. But Liz Davis of Ann Arbor who won the $5,000 Grand Prize for her oil “After Bonnard”, was probably even more thrilled. Sandy Rice of Troy won the First Prize of $2,500 for her “Brother”; Heather Kelly of Bloomfield Hills won the $1,500 Second Prize for her “Twinkle” and Stephen Palmer of Commerce won the $1,000 Third Prize for “Sawtooth”. All the work may be viewed online at but it’s more satisfying to see it in person. The exhibit runs free and open to the public through May 6. ART X DETROIT Reception at MOCAD More than 1,000 artists, art lovers and Detroit boosters crowded into MOCAD (Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit) April 6 for the kick off of the five-day, free arts festival ART X DETROIT. One guest with a broad smile was Barbara Kratchman, who was credited by Kresge Foundation’s Laura Trudeau with the concept when she led ArtServe Michigan. Since that seed was planted four years ago, the foundation has provided 36 $25,000 grants to visual, perdowntownpublications.com

Bear Hug Hibernation Celebration

6 1. Host committee member Robert Wolfe (center) of Royal Oak with event sponsors Brenda & Ira Jaffe of Farmington Hills. 2. David Rabinowitz (left) of Chicago and foundation board member Eric Clark of Bloomfield. 3. Host committee members Justin & Jodi Trivax of Birmingham. 4. Mike (left) & Nikki Raimi of Birmingham with sponsor Gary Fields of Franklin. 5. Erin Shafritz (left) of Huntington Woods and Jodi Caden of Bloomfield. 6. Jon Dwoskin (left) of Huntington Woods and Jeff Gunsberg of Bloomfield. 7. Foundation board member David Chernow (center) of Birmingham with Michael (left) & Daniel Yaker of W. Bloomfield. 8. Jeweler Link Wachler (left) of Troy and his daughter Eli Janosko of Rochester Hills.

Newcomers’ Club’s Dinner Dance

2 1. Event co-chairs Dagmar Lembke (left) of W. Bloomfield and Heidi Jueckstock with BBNC president Kathy Finley of Bloomfield. 2.Former Belgium residents Andre (left) & Genevieve Cornet of Lake Orion and Patrick & Chantal Philips of Bloomfield. 3. Tanjaaa Ranki (left) and Silvia Aussmuth of Bloomfield with Lucy Niemczycki of Rochester Hills. 4. Jumana & Scott Cooper of Bloomfield. 5. Collin & Debra Malcolm of Bloomfield. 6. Michael Lembke (center) of W. Bloomfield with Raiver Jueckstock (left) and Jim Finley of Bloomfield.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK forming and literary artists. Their talent was displayed in 21 venues throughout Midtown Detroit April 6 – 10. All 50plus performances, readings, exhibitions were free. At the opening party, musician Marcus Belgrave, along with visual artist Charles McGee, received $50,000 as a Kresge Eminent Artist, played his signature jazz for an enthusiastic audience. Before Belgrave’s concert all applauded when Mayor Dave Bing told them, “”…I think we’ve hit bottom….Detroit is poised for greatness…this corridor is the hot place in Detroit. You are part of that.”

Who’s Your Bartender?

1. Volunteer bartenders Marcus Conner (left) of Bloomfield and Rudy Stonisch of Birmingham. 2. Event co-chair Jerry Hall (center) of Birmingham with Amy Ordona (left) and volunteer bartender Kelly Lodish of Bloomfield. 3. NKFM’s Keil Porter (left) of Ann Arbor with Jennifer Novak of Royal Oak and event co-chair Laura Beckeman of Birmingham. 4. Anne Hall (left) of Birmingham with Stephanie Ashley of Bloomfield, Rick Burkhardt of W. Bloomfield and Lauren Eaton of Bloomfield. 5. Andy Basile (left) of Birmingham with his sister Molly Markley, Greg & Debbie Klezek and Maria Serra of Bloomfield. 8. Volunteer bartender Terri Macksoud (left) of Birmingham with her brother Tom of Farmington Hills, John Bommarito of Southfield and Frank Masteromatteo of St. Clair Shores. 6. Linda Krause (left) of Novi, Kim Prodan of Birmingham and Diane Shaheen of St. Clair Shores. 7. Kelli Damman (left) of Beverly Hills, Lisa Migoski of Berkley, Royce Gavan of Birmingham and Jennifer Christensen of Troy. 8. Volunteer bartender Terri Macksoud (left) of Birmingham with her brother Tom of Farmington Hills, John Bommarito of Southfield and Frank Masteromatteo of St. Clair Shores. 9. Kellie Aiken (left) of Sylvan Lake, Joanna Wright of Royal Oak, Chris McLogan of Birmingham and Alex Arbabi of Troy.

Fine Arts Competition at the BBAC

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1. Second Prize winner artist Heather Kelly of Bloomfield with juror John Ross Palmer of Houston, TX. 2. Ian & exhibitor Connie McEwan of Birmingham (Connie’s painting “Sharmila” in background). 3. Kelly Ashton (left) of Berkley, Martha Littrup and exhibitor Kathy Haefner of Bloomfield, Nancy Bolyard and Anita Mitton of Birmingham (Haefner’s painting “One Tree” in background). 4. BBAC board member Lynn Forbush (left) and Eileen Harned of Bloomfield.

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Dance Ensemble Celebration Spirits (and feet) were really high at Eisenhower Dance Ensemble’s gala celebration April 8 at The Community House. Following a convivial social hour, company dancers performed high energy sets, confined in breadth by the limited ballroom space but not in height. Moving testimonials followed the dance performances. Speakers included dancer Mary Bischott who said that artistic director Laurie Eisenhower has “changed my life.” The seven-year EDE dancer , who is also the director of the EDE Center for Dance, then thanked the 100 dedicated supporters for “…the coolest job in the whole wide world.” For her part, Eisenhower said for a non-profit dance company to survive 20 years requires three things: strong administration, a wise board, and a strong contributor base. “And I have all three.” Pioneer EDE supporters Carol Halsted, Jimmie Sue Daniels and Marty Testasecca were then saluted for their vision. In the live auction that also preceded dinner, Dodie David, Maggie Allesee and their husbands bought a dinner party that will be prepared by Eisenhower and executive director Maury Okun. Volunteer auctioneer/lawyer Greg Bater also got guests to pledge outright another $12,000 bringing the event total to $29,000, counting a silent auction and card raffle for wine. The latter provided a serendipitous moment when one of the winners, Ilene Beninson, met EDE board member Mona Scott’s husband Tony Rothschild. They had actually chatted as strangers earlier in the day in the Costco wine department when Rothschild sought her advice about purchasing a wine for a fundraiser he was attending that night. He took her advice (a Duckhorn white) and she selected the basket containing it. Angels’ Place shopping The framed Townsend Hotel poster behind the counter at the Stacey 05.11

Leuliette Gracious Living shop in Birmingham catches the eye. Under the glamorous image of a woman in white dancing with a handsome man are the words, “Timothy and Cynthia, March 12, 1977.” Bloominghamers who have lived here a while know that the Townsend did not exist in 1977 but the artful poster is an example of unique things the shop can custom order. As we were puzzling over the date at the Angels’ Place Charity Shopping event April 7, shop owner Stacey Leuliette explained that “Timothy and Cynthia” are her parents and the date is their wedding anniversary. As if on cue, car dealer Jim Seavitt, the best man at that wedding, came up to the counter to pay for a purchase. He said he came not only because he has known Stacey since she was gleam in her daddy’s eye, but also because his pal Doug North, another car dealer, had told him about the Angels’ Place fundraiser. Doug’s son Colin is on the AP Youth Council, along with 15 other teens from seven area schools. One of the kids’ missions is to break down stereotypes about persons with developmental disabilities like the residents of the AP homes. It was a nice circle of coincidences at an event for AP, which recently won the 2011 Provider of the Year award from ARC of Oakland County. Girl Scout Cookie Gala More than 400 good scouts attended the Cookie Gala fundraiser staged by the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan at Greektown’s Atheneum Suite Hotel late last month. Maggie Allesee and Irma Elder chaired the sweet gathering that featured hors d’oeuvres and dessert presentations incorporating Girl Scout Cookies created by 12 top chefs. They labor for votes. The results: The Lark won the CEO’s Choice; 220 Restaurant won the Judges’ Choice; St. Clair Inn won the Girls’ Choice; Hill Seafood and Chop House won the Presenting Sponsor’s (Ford Motor Company) Choice; Sweet & Savory Bake Shop won the People’s Choice. Other participants included Ocean Prime, Mosaic, Redwood Lodge, The Roostertail, Andiamo Detroit Riverfront, Atheneum Suite Hotel and Fifty-One-O-One. Counting a silent and live auction the event raised more than $82,000 for programs serving the 30,000 scouts in the eight-county council. Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390. downtownpublications.com

ART X DETROIT Reception at MOCAD

1. Ann Marie Erickson (left) of Detroit, founding ArtServe Michigan president Barbara Kratchman of Bloomfield with Mira Burack of Hamtramck and Kresge Fellow Chido Johnson of Detroit. 2. Kresge Senior Project Director Laura Trudeau with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. 3. Ken Gross (center) of Bloomfield with Kresge Fellows Abigale Newfold of Pleasant Ridge and Hartmut Austen of Rochester Hills. 4. Joan Abraham (left) of Birmingham with Christina Lovio George, Maggie Allesee and Bud Liebler of Bloomfield. 5. Kate Ostrove (left) & her husband gallery owner David Kein of Birmingham with Sarah Abend and Allison Horowitz of Royal Oak. 6. Kathleen Kakin (left) of Dearborn with Daryl Toby of W. Bloomfield and architect Karen Swanson of Birmingham.

Dance Ensemble Celebration

1. EDE board chair Debra Bernstein-Siegel of Bloomfield and event co-chair Dodie David of Oxford. 2. Event co-chair Amy Jidov (left) of Brighton, honoree Carol Halsted of Bloomfield and EDE artistic director Laurie Eisenhower of Rochester. 3. David (left) and honoree Jimmy Sue Daniels of Rochester Hills with Sandi Reitelman of Birmingham. 4. Jim Langan (left) of Shelby Twp, Jamie (J.J.) Vercammen and his mother Lynn Medow of Bloomfield. 5. Tom Halsted (left) of Bloomfield, Larry David of Oxford and Kent Jidov of Brighton.

Angels’ Place shopping

1. Jim Seavitt of Orchard Lake with shop owner Stacey Leuliette holding Miles & Mackie. 2. Sara Droubi (left) and her mother Essam of Bloomfield. 3. Erin Ladd (left) of Bloomfield, Amanda Smith of Waterford and Heather Sorgen of Birmingham.

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ENDNOTE

Current commissioners deserve to continue loomfield Hills is holding an election on Tuesday, May 3, in which three city commissioners will be elected, and an amendment to the city's charter is requested. Voters in the city have the choice of four candidates running for three open city commission seats. The candidates are incumbent Pat Hardy, who has been a city commissioner since 2003; current city mayor Mike McCready, a commissioner since 2007; Connie Salloum, who is currently a planning commission member, but has not served as a commissioner; and incumbent Michael Zambricki, who has been a Bloomfield Hills commissioner since 1989. Visit www.downtownpublications.com to read each of their responses to our questions. Bloomfield Hills commissioners serve for two years, and are paid $5 a month, with a minimum of one commission meeting a month. They also serve on various committees of the commission. Bloomfield Hills is going through a a financiallydifficult period, experiencing financial shortfalls, as are many municipalities, and the city's financial director, Lisa Dolan, is calling for a millage increase in the 2011-2012 fiscal year to maintain basic city services and not cut public safety, which residents have repeatedly stated that do not want to change in any way, shape or form. However, legacy and union costs are creating hardships for current residents, and are unsustainable. Property values have experienced double-digit decreases, which has translated into significantly lowered property

taxes coming into the city's coffers. Even with the modest millage increase, the city will likely experience shortfalls. The city is currently negotiating with Birmingham's Baldwin Library to provide library services to Bloomfield Hills residents. The city has offered to pay $161,000 a year for services; the library has proposed in the neighborhood of $317,000. With the city's current budget, neither appears feasible for a city that, currently, has rejected consolidation of services with neighboring communities, has limited resources coming in, and a declining tax base. HARDY, MCCREADY and ZAMBRICKI, currently city commissioners, understand the city's conundrum and its constituencies. We endorse each of them for another term. They have each sat in commission seats, repeatedly making the hard decisions that have needed to be made over the years. Zambricki, with 22 years of service to the community as a commissioner, is a knowledgable, resourceful and reliable conservative who can be counted on to thoroughly research a subject, understanding every nuance of an issue. His thoroughness and detailed knowledge of the community will continue to benefit the city. Hardy, often times the lone voice on the commission, speaks for those voices who may not always be heard above the cacophony of the masses. She understands the issues, often presenting distinctive points of view, asking

pointed questions, inspiring compassion and thoughtfulness. She cares deeply for Bloomfield Hills, and gives greatly of her time and talents. Clearly she needs to return for another term. At times it is hard to tell how McCready stands on an issue, as he smoothly answers questions or fields topics without showing his hand. As mayor, he has shown great respect for residents opinions, allowing them to express themselves at public hearings, listening attentively to their points of views, and then responding in kind. He does not care to see the tone or tenor of the city altered, and his votes reflect that viewpoint. Planning Board member Connie Salloum did not show enough difference or uniqueness to warrant a change when all three currently perform their jobs with excellence and alacrity. Also on the ballot is a request to alter the city charter to change expenditure approval. It would allow commissioners to set the level by ordinance for what is required for purchases and improvements and construction work by city employees before they would need to come to the city commission for approval. We recommend a YES vote on the charter amendment because it is a housekeeping issue for the city, allowing the commission to work easily with the city manager to set appropriate levels as needed by ordinance without returning to the voters for approval. We would assume that commissioners will not set unreasonably low spending levels requiring approval so that gridlock does not set in.

Schools risk entering slippery slope loomfield Hills Schools' voters have twice turned down proposals that would financially allow the district to combine Andover and Lahser high schools into one large high school on the grounds of Andover on Long Lake at Telegraph Roads. Most recently, this past November, voters turned down a bonding proposal, 55 percent to 45 percent, 10,839 no votes to 8,823 yes votes, to build a new $90 million high school. Despite the rejection of the bonding proposal, the district's board of education remained firm in its commitment to a one-high school option for the district, citing decreasing funds and decreasing demographics in the communities it serves. The communities are aging, with younger families moving out of state, and a declining birth rate coupling to portend a smaller district in the future. Gov. Rick Snyder has been actively communicating targets for school districts to consolidate for both financial and academic success. To combat community dissension, including an opposition group, Bloomfield 20-20, the district opted to involve the community in future decisions on how to best merge the two schools. “We understand that voters have questions, and

we'll be asking everyone to join us over the next five months to develop a plan where we can achieve voter approval about what a new school should look like and what it should cost,” Betsy Erickson, director of communications and community relations, Bloomfield Hills Schools, said in Nov. 2010. “We still have to put 1,600 students on the Andover site.” Bloomfield Hills Schools hired Fielding Nair International, a planning and architectural design firm for educational facilities, which worked with a committee of board members, administrators, teachers and parents to recommend the best solution for the high schools. After four months of community meetings and analysis, they recommended a hybrid plan of partial renovation and partial new construction for one consolidated Bloomfield Hills high school. Estimated costs are pegged at $71.6 to $74.4 million. Costs to drop the school and completely rebuild are estimated at $83.8 to $86.6 million. The report suggests that the district request a bond in November 2012 to complete the high school project in two phases. Supt. Rob Glass has proposed beginning some renovations now with money set

aside, and then finishing the project if and when a bond proposal passes. Simultaneously, Bloomfield Hills Schools is looking at an estimated $6.1 million shortfall in their 2011-2012 operating budget, which they said could be overcome through a combination of wage freezes and reductions, small program reductions, and the use of their fund balance. We are very concerned about beginning any construction or renovation project at this juncture, with finances in flux and residents not yet having approved the expenditure of money for renovation of either high school, nor the construction of a new high school, and we urge the district to slow down and bide their time. By the time a proposal may come before voters, other resolutions or suggestions may come forward, including the possibility of a potential consolidation of operations or services with another district. To begin work on Andover now commits the district in a way which binds the hands of voters. As parents and teachers advise students, patience is a virtue. Let's see where it may lead.

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