PLACES TO EAT: 200 RESTAURANTS | GERAK SOCIAL LIGHTS 44
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APRIL 2018
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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP
LOCAL SCHOOL SAFETY: HOW WELL PREPARED ARE WE? NEONICS: THREAT TO BEES BUT NOW WIDER CONCERN ENDNOTE: PREPPING THE FUTURE FIRE DEPARTMENT ECRWSS Postal Customer EDDM
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ROCHESTER OFFICE BLDG. IN PRIME LOCATION Rochester $449,900. Approx. 1500 sq. ft. with 5 private offices. Spacious reception area with vaulted ceiling. 2 baths, updated kitchen, updated mechanicals. Front and rear parking lots with 11 parking spaces.
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DOWNTOWN04.18
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Preparing for possible school attack Against the background of ongoing threats and shootings at schools nationwide, Downtown newsmagazine looks at whether local schools have prepared their properties and personnel for a worse case scenario.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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Activist movements have generally been the purview of students at the university level. High school students are now taking charge to challenge lack of gun control action. More power to them.
CRIME LOCATOR
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A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Rochester and Rochester Hills, presented in map format.
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
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Shifting congressional districts; campaign staff unionized; Knollenberg makes TSL; Kowall leading in GOP poll; timing is everything; Schuette lieutenant governor choice; plus more.
MUNICIPAL
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Dentist lawsuit with city update; parking fees may increase; Rochester smoking restrictions; one hotel approved and one rejected; St. Andrew and St. John’s expansions; goose nest destruction; plus more.
THE COVER A scene from Municipal Park off Seventh Street in Rochester. The park is also the home of the Rochester Community House. Downtown photo: Jean Lannen
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SOCIAL LIGHTS
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Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and non-profit circuit as she covers recent major events.
ENDNOTE
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More work needed at local schools to increase safety and hopefully prevent a worse case scenario. Plus our thoughts on the recent Rochester Fire Department study.
FACES
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Roxy Petrucci Dean Weaver Steve Zieman
Paint Creek Center for the Arts is excited to announce our 2018 Fine Art Day Camp schedule for young artists, ages 4-13 (campers will be grouped according to age). Our week-long themed art camps focus on the exploration of art materials through hands-on guided learning, interactive art play and skill development. We think camp should be an educational experience, but the number one rule is to have fun!
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WEEK II: JUNE 25 - JUNE 29 t '*/& "35 %": $".1 '6-- %": ] "(&4 ] .&.#&3 /0/ .&.#&3 t '*/& "35 %": $".1 )"-' %": ]"(&4 ] .&.#&3 /0/ .&.#&3 t 13& 4$)00- 1*$"440 $".1 )"-' %": ]"(&4 ] .&.#&3 /0/ .&.#&3 t $-": $".1 )"-' %": ]"(&4 ] .&.#&3 /0/ .&.#&3
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PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Hillary Brody Anchill | Dana Casadei | Kevin Elliott Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf | Bill Seklar Judith Harris Solomon | Joyce Wiswell | Julie Yolles PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent | Chris Ward Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to homes in Rochester, Rochester Hills and parts of Oakland Township. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in Rochester and Rochester Hills. For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual charge. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order online or scan the QR Code here.
INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Rochester/Rochester Hills communities. The traditional “letters to the editor” in Downtown are published in our Incoming section and can include written letters or electronic communication. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 W. Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009. If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes. WEBSITE downtownpublications.com
FACEBOOK facebook.com/downtownpublications TWITTER twitter.com/downtownpubs OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL oaklandconfidential.com Member of Downtown Publications DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER/ROCHESTER HILLS
FROM THE PUBLISHER lmost every generation has a cultural or political event that serves to energize and define some of its members. That’s the basis of student or youth activism which has been taking place since the 1920’s in the United States, usually at the university level.
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For my generation, there were a couple of determining events. The civil rights movement that started in the South and eventually woke the conscience of a nation. And, of course, the Vietnam War. I grew up in middle school against the background of the evening news during which the fire hoses and police dogs were turned on civil rights protesters in the South as the country came to grips with the burgeoning civil rights movement. It was the first indication that not all was right with the world that existed outside of what some would paint as our neatly ordered suburban life. As I moved into high school, there was the Vietnam War that started to touch everyone in some fashion. For me, it began with the death of one of our school’s athletic stars who went off after graduation to become a Green Beret, only to return home a short time later as one of the casualties of the Southeast Asian conflict. The death of someone so young can help crystalize one’s thinking. Then came the college years where the growing weariness with the Vietnam War and questions about whether we were being told the truth by national leaders helped bring this issue to the forefront. A large portion of a generation of younger men and women took to the streets, marched, petitioned, went on national strikes at the universities, became involved. Then there was the shooting of protesting students by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. That only helped raise the awareness of parents who prior to that had accepted the government’s version of why we needed to be in Vietnam. The national mood changed – members of the younger generation finally said ‘enough’ and were joined by their elders to become a political force that eventually led to the end of the Vietnam War. Now history repeats itself, once again. A generation, led by high school students nationwide, are saying enough, no more, calling BS when they hear it and demanding that elected leaders find a solution to end the shootings taking place in school buildings across the country. It is a generation forced to come of age because of inaction on the part of elected leaders at the state and national level. It took the loss of 17 lives in mid-February this year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, to energize the Never Again movement. One would have thought that the death of 13 people at Columbine High School in 1999 would have been enough. Or that the massacre in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut would have been the deciding factor, but even the death of 28 people – including 20
children under the age of seven – could not move the nation to take action on insufficient gun controls. So as we were going to press with this issue, high school students and their supporters were expected to join the March For Our Lives on March 24 in Washington D.C. and 800 other locations in the country, including metro Detroit, to prevent this issue from fading into the background until the next time there’s a mass killing at a school – and we know it’s only a question of when. Based on the initial estimates, it would not surprise me if millions turn out to show their support for stronger gun control measures. But that may not be enough to finally move the needle on this issue. As the students will quickly learn, they are pitting themselves against some very potent forces when they cross paths with the National Rifle Association (NRA). It is not just the money, hundreds of millions of campaign dollars, that the NRA funnels into candidate coffers with each election. It’s bodies that the NRA can turn out when it comes time to decide on an officeholder at the ballot box or the fate of legislation at the state or national level if it involves regulating gun ownership and related issues. The high school students from Florida have already received a taste of what lies ahead when they tangled with this crowd as pro gun advocates began to troll them on social media sites within days of the killings at the high school. Then, within 24 hours after Florida lawmakers passed some important gun controls, the NRA went into federal court to overturn the new laws. The students were also given an important lesson on how the system works as President Trump, at a White House reality show gathering, made personal promises of what he would push for in terms of gun control, but within days started to walk back from those positions after the NRA came to the White House to lobby him and no doubt remind him that they kicked in nearly $34 million to his election effort. Hopefully the students will realize – and remember – that marches and media interviews are fine in terms of mobilizing supporters and sentiment. But voting at the ballot box is the ultimate test when rubber hits the road on any issue. This movement needs to harness the energy to increase voter registration among its supporters and then remain organized so their voting block shows at the polls. If no other lesson is learned by those from the Never Again movement, it’s that the right to replace elected officials at the ballot box is the true definition of power. David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com
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04.18
CRIME LOCATOR
Map key
NORTH
Sexual assault
Robbery
Larceny from vehicle
Drug offenses
Assault
Breaking/entering
Vehicle theft
Arson
Murder
Larceny
Vandalism
These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Rochester and Rochester Hills through March 22, 2018. Placement of codes is approximate.
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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklndConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com. RUNNING MATE: Word is that Republican gubernatorial front runner Bill Schuette has decided on his lieutenant governor, and it’s Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller. The former congresswoman (RHarrison Township), Michigan Secretary of State, Macomb County Treasurer and Harrison Township Supervisor would bring not only a wealth of experience, but she may well be one of the most popular Republicans in the state. The question is, would she do it? She retired from Congress after a 10-year stint, despite chairing the Committee on House Administration, to return home and help care for her ailing husband. While Miller MILLER was actively sought for the top of the ticket by state Republicans, she wouldn’t leave Macomb County. One politico said the second spot is a possibility because there’s less heavy lifting. Schuette’s other choice for lieutenant gov, Ronna Romney McDaniel, turned him down point blank. She’s not leaving Washington, where she chairs the Republican National Committee, to trudge around for second best. STRATEGIC EXIT: We heard this rumor right after the 2016 elections and it’s making the rounds once again in the Oakland County government complex on Telegraph Road: following the 2018 midterm elections, long-time Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson (1992-present; before that, county prosecutor for 16 years) is planning on resigning. Why, after all these years? Since being seriously injured in an auto accident in 2012, and still winning re-election by a landslide (while in a coma), Patterson’s been making fewer and fewer public appearances, and letting his deputies carry the majority of the work load around the office. As the theory goes, stepping down early would allow the Republican-controlled board of BOUCHARD commissioners to appoint a new executive, who would then be positioned to run as an incumbent in the 2020 election. Who are the leading names to hypothetically be appointed should Patterson actually step down? One is uber-popular Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, the only one to consistently pull in more votes than Patterson. The other, four-term Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. Good intel has it that Bouchard would consider it only if he felt the sheriff’s office were in a good place, with a strong person in place to be appointed – by Democrats Clerk Lisa Brown, Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and Hon. Kathleen Ryan, Chief Probate Judge. While Patterson and Bouchard meet regularly for lunch and are cordial, it’s believed Patterson would lobby hard for Barnett, although there is talk that the two may have had a falling out over some of Barnett’s legendary videos, where he has allegedly teased Patterson a bit too much for some in the executive’s circuit. But one county worker writes it all off as pure speculation. “I don’t believe Brooks would actually relinquish any power” before this term is up. UNION PLOY: What if you gave a party and no one came? Or, to put it another way, what if you joined a union and no one cared? That seems to be the reaction of folks to 11th Congressional District Democratic candidate Dan Haberman after he announced that his campaign was the first in Michigan to unionize with the Campaign Workers Guild. “Politicians should lead by example,” Haberman said in a release. “Some may say they support their workers, but the proof is in their actions.” Haberman, whose campaign is on life support after a dismal first quarter financial HABERMAN report, is running in the primary against fellow Dems Haley Stephens, Suneel Gupta and Rep. Tim Greimel (Auburn Hills) to fill retiring Congressman David Trott’s (R-Birmingham) seat. A friend of Haberman’s, and a fellow Democrat, said, “I think if he has another bad financial report, he’ll have to drop out.” As for the union announcement, he thought it might be symbolic. “It’s about saying what you’re about. It’s good to say what your values are.” However, Haberman hasn’t been racking up union endorsements, either. Those have been going to either Stephens – or primarily Greimel, including a powerful one from the National Organization for Women. “It seems the momentum is really with Greimel,” the pol watcher said. “He has a very seasoned resume in both the public and private sector.” KNOW MY NAME: Polling done on the Republicans running in the 11th downtownpublications.com
Congressional race to replace David Trott (R-Birmingham) in Washington had some interesting results. With state Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) now officially in the race, his long record of hard work – and just being around – as White Lake supervisor, county commissioner, state representative and state senator – came in first in the name recognition poll, followed by perennial candidate Rocky Raczkowski (Troy), once a state representative (1997-2003) for Farmington and Farmington Hills and the “Accidental Congressman” for the district, Kerry Bentivolio (Milford). State KOWALL Rep. Klint Kesto (Commerce Township) followed, with oil heiress Lena Epstein of Bloomfield Hills, despite raising a ton of dough so far, coming in second from the bottom. Only daughter-of-famous-Bill Bonds Kristine Bonds, despite trying to capitalize on her famous name, came in lower. TAKING IT TO THE STREETS: Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who is running to challenge incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester/Rochester Hills), is making gains in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. On Thursday, March 8, Slotkin announced she would be hosting a “Snowboots on the Ground” event the following Saturday, at the Rochester Mills Beer, Co., in Rochester, in order to gain enough signatures to get her name on the ballot. The event was a show of Slotkin’s boldness to take her campaign to Bishop’s own backyard. Slotkin was bolstered the next day, March 9, when she sent out a link to a segment on the NBC Nightly News that featured firstSLOTKIN time women candidates – featuring her and Republican Lena Epstein from the neighboring district, MI-11. CNN is also pointing to a shift in the 8th district from Republican-leaning district to a “toss up” district, which is a big deal for this conservative area. In addition to CNN, MSNBC, The Detroit News and Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight have called Slotikin’s campaign a race to watch this year. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an assessment of congressional districts from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, also named Michigan’s 8th Congressional District as one going from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republicans” as incumbents seem likely to face credible challengers. FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE: “Bring your own gun or rent something new,” read an invitation to a March 15 fundraiser for 39th District State Representative Republican candidate Ryan Berman at the Target Sports II shooting range in West Bloomfield. The email invitation was sent on Wednesday, February 21 – a scant one week after 17 people were slain at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Berman, a former special deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and certified firearms instructor with the NRA, sent a second email two hours after the initial invitation, clarifying that the event and invitation was scheduled weeks prior to the massacre in Florida. “While the timing may seem unfortunate, the event is more important now than ever,” Berman said. “Cancelling (sic) this event would send the exact wrong message.” While Berman said the tone of the event would focus more on gun education, he said he would oppose ‘gun free zones’ as a measure of control. Photos posted to Berman’s candidate page post-event included frosted cookies shaped like guns and election signs. Berman, who is hoping to replace term-limited Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce, West Bloomfield, Wixom, Wolverine Lake), on his candidate Facebook page said the event was a success that focused on shooting and safe gun ownership. TSL: Political pandering during an election year or sincere concern for constituents? That's the question one Birmingham resident posed to Oakland Confidential after receiving a "Save the Date" reminder from state Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills). Knollenberg, who spent $5,504.76 on his latest mailing, has spent tens of thousands of dollars on print mailings – also known as “franking” – during his first term. Postage and printing for the mailing comes out of each legislator's office budget, and must meet requirements to avoid direct campaigning on the taxpayer's dime, but the October 8 date for a "Tribute to Seniors" seems a tad premature. The “Breaking News” banner, on a vote to eliminate tax on senior pensions, wasn't breaking. Yes, Knollenberg has held the tribute lunches each October since being elected, focusing on senior health, nutrition and finances.
DOWNTOWN
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FACES
Roxy Petrucci hen Rochester native Roxy Petrucci started playing drums in her early teens, she had no idea her new interest would lead to a lifelong path of rock 'n roll that would take her around the world and back home again. If you listened to glam metal in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably heard Petrucci with her band, Vixen. The all-girl band was in regular rotation on MTV, and their debut album, "Vixen," has been named by Rolling Stone as one of the “50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time.” But Petrucci, who plays and tours with Vixen, as well as other projects, didn't start her musical path behind the drums. "My dad encouraged us all to pick up an instrument. It wasn't 'if' you want to play an instrument, it was 'what' instrument do you want to play," Petrucci said, explaining the beginnings of her musical education. "I started playing clarinet, and I loved it." But then something happened. Her brother introduced her to rock 'n roll, and Petrucci heard the beginnings of heavy metal, along with legendary drummers like John Bonham and Keith Moon. Developing what she referred to as "dual musical personalities," she split her time in high school between holding down the first chair clarinet position in band, and a rock band with her sister, Maxine. "My brother introduced me to rock n' roll, and it was over. Once I listened to Black Sabbath, I never looked back," she said. "My sister played guitar and we started jamming together. We started playing clubs at night." The sisters later formed Madam X, which would eventually be signed to a record deal. While she had started classes at Oakland University, Petrucci eventually decided to put her energy into music. Hearing that record companies regularly scouted The Troubadour in West Hollywood, the band knew if they played the club, they might have a chance at a record. Eventually, that's exactly what happened, with record agent Don Arden signing them to his Jet Records. "We were driven and focused,” Petrucci said. "There was nothing that could have changed our minds. We were hell-bent on getting a record deal." After touring for about four years, Madam X broke up and Petrucci went on to join Vixen, with the original line up of members releasing two studio albums and touring with bands such as Ozzy Ozbourne, The Scorpions, Bon Jovi and others. While the initial Vixen line up broke up in 1991, Petrucci has participated in some reunions. In 2013, the original members got back together to honor the band's original guitarist and founder. Today, Petrucci continues to play with Vixen, as well as with her sister with a revamped Madam X. The bands have toured across the globe, with Petrucci spending much of her down time back in the Rochester area. In February, both the bands played in the annual Monsters of Rock cruise, a high seas voyage from Florida and around the Caribbean with shows by other headliners such as Tesla, Queensryche, Lita Ford, Winger and LA Guns. Looking back, Petrucci said her greatest influences were her early band teachers and instructors. Today, she said her focus goes beyond the music into other aspects of the business. "We did get burned. We all got burned. You make mistakes and almost want to quit," she said. “I was happy to just be a drummer. I didn't worry about the business. Now, not so much. You have to be in control of your destiny."
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Story: Kevin Elliott
Photo: Laurie Tennent
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04.18
SCHOOL SECURITY AS THREATS MULTIPLY, HOW WELL PREPARED ARE LOCAL DISTRICTS? BY LISA BRODY
THE LAST FARMERS IN OAKLAND • WHO'S IN THE PULPITS • RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS • OAKLAND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS • CABLE TV CHANGES
LOCAL
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When Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold planned and implemented the complex attack on Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, in Littleton, Colorado, by first setting off a fire bomb in a small field about three miles from the high school in an effort to divert fire and rescue personnel to that site, before they went on a shooting spree at their school that left 12 students and one teacher dead and another 24 injured before committing suicide, many of us were shocked at the idea of a school massacre. Schools were believed to be safe zones for children – and the biggest threat was thought to be talking to strangers. But in actuality, that is not true. Since 1990, there have been over 32 school shootings at schools where at least three people have been killed or injured. Rather than being an anomaly, the shootings have escalated since Columbine. There have been thousands of school shootings, and thousands of students killed and injured. In 2000, a six-year-old shot another six-year-old in Flint. A 13-yearold honor student who had been sent home from school in Lake Worth, Florida – for throwing water balloons – returned to the school with the family's pistol, and shot his teacher dead. One after another, shootings accumulated all over the country through the decade, until April 16, 2007, when 33 were murdered and another 34 injured at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech, by a student before committing suicide. The nation gasped, proclaimed itself horrified, that it needed new gun control and mental health measures – and lives resumed as before. Dozens more killings occurred at schools across the country, until December 14, 2012, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza first shot his mother with firearms she had legally purchased, and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and shot through the safety glass entrance installed, killing the school principal, psychologist, four teachers, and 20 first grade children before turning the gun on himself.
shootings since, including at Central Michigan University on March 2, 2018, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, when a student killed both his parents with a gun he had hidden in his dorm room, when they came to take him home for spring break. Many do believe the conversation is finally changing following Parkland, largely due to activism on the part of students who survived the massacre. A nationwide student protest on March 14, when students across the country, including locally, walked out of school for 17 minutes to both honor the 17 lives lost at Stoneman Douglas and as a response to stop the continued school shootings. Locally, many schools supported the right of students at the high school and middle school level to peacefully walk out on school grounds if they chose. On Saturday, March 24, March for Our Lives, a nationwide protest in both Washington DC and across the country, has been planned as both a memorial and protest, by student organizers along with the non-profit organization Everytown for Gun Safety, demanding action from Congress to ban assault weapons, require universal background checks before gun sales, and pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior. “We applaud peaceful student activism and are proud that the conversation about school safety is being led by the students themselves. We encourage students to be civic leaders and participants and respect their right to free speech,” Bloomfield Hills Schools' superintendent Rob Glass wrote in a memo regarding the March 14 walkout. “Bloomfield Hills Schools respects students' First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, and we will not discipline students for the act of protesting as long as the protest remains peaceful and does not present a material or substantial disruption to the learning environment...Bloomfield Hills Schools is a public entity, and as such,
Schools around the country, including in Oakland County, began installing surveillance cameras in and around their schools, consistently locking all of their exit doors, and demanding that all visitors enter through one door and sign in. Conversations regarding gun control and school security initiatives escalated in the aftermath of the country seeing six- and seven-year-old children slaughtered in their elementary school in a matter of minutes. Schools around the country, including in Oakland County, began installing surveillance cameras in and around their schools, consistently locking all of their exit doors, and demanding that all visitors, including parents, enter through one door and sign in at the office. Yet those moves have still not been enough. Since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, there have been dozens more school shootings around the United States. Some have been confrontations between students, or students and teachers. Some of the shooters have been students, or former students; some have been disaffected adults. Some have suffered from mental illness; others have been incidents of domestic violence with others caught in the cross hairs. Many more attacks have been thwarted by tips or reports before a shooting could take place, law enforcement confirm. And then, on February 14, 2018, came what is now known as the Valentine's Day Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A 19-year-old former student, Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled due to disciplinary issues, shot and killed 17 people and injured 14 others at the school using a semi-automatic weapon purchased legally, after activating a fire alarm. Cruz blended in with students when fleeing the building, although he was captured by law enforcement officers in an adjacent residential neighborhood after first stopping at a McDonald's. Just as Columbine was not the first school shooting – the first is believed to have been the Enoch Brown School Massacre in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1764, with nine students and one teacher shot – Marjory Stoneman Douglas will sadly not be the last in the United States. In fact, there already have been other school
we do not engage in these in protests. The role of our staff during these events is to keep students safe.” Dr. Daniel Nerad, superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools, advised parents that the district supported students’ right to walk out, and for any students who chose to, staff would direct them to a designated area to gather safely. “Our Birmingham police will be present on campus at this time for the sole purpose of ensuring student safety,” Nerad wrote parents. “Administration and counselors will be present for the duration of the walkout for supervision and safety purposes. Teachers will remain in their classrooms, and classes will continue as scheduled.” Beyond activism, some state legislators are working to bring change. State Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-Huntington Woods), who is also the chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, introduced a “Red Flag Law” in June 2017, which would permit a court to temporarily prohibit someone from buying or possessing a firearm if he or she has been determined to be a threat to themselves or others, has been stalled in the House's Judiciary committee. “We call it the Extreme Risk Protection Order,” Wittenberg said. “We introduced the bill (House Bill 4707) and sent it to Judiciary, and the chair, Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), said he'd hear it, but never did.” Wittenberg said that after the Parkland shooting, he called Runestad, who said he'd look into it again, and Wittenberg said he's cautiously optimistic – especially since Gov. Rick Snyder said his administration is studying “best practices” to combat gun violence, and is supportive of red flag legislative, as long as it's done with due process. Rep. Runestad did not return calls for comment, but has still not scheduled a hearing. Instead, on February 26, Runestad introduced legislation that would train school employees, including teachers, to
use firearms for emergency purposes. On his Michigan House' website, Runestad stated that the bills would allow secured locations of locked firearms in undisclosed locations in school buildings, and that the program would be optional. It is expected to be taken up in the Judiciary committee during the month of March. In an email to constituents, Runestad wrote, “My plan would allow for the establishment of school marshals who would perform a function similar to the air marshals that protect flights.They would only use frangible ammunition that breaks apart upon impact, helping prevent bullets from traveling through walls and into other classrooms.” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is a big supporter of Red Flag laws – and less so on arming teachers. “Red Flag Laws allows for the intervention with due process for law enforcement, to intervene before it moves from discussion and posts to action,” he said. He noted that would incorporate improving the mental health system. “Many (shooters) have been off the rails, and the cuts to the system are short-sighted. If the individual is off the rails, the repercussions to society are low, but to individuals it can be high. Like at Sandy Hook, the Colorado theater shooting (in Aurora, Colorado), Virginia Tech – most of those cases never got to law enforcement before they flipped,” he noted. Dr. Michelle Riba, associate director of the University of Michigan Depression Center, agrees with Bouchard. “There is not enough funding – but there is good screening. We do know many kids are expelled – but then what? Many are left unsupervised. He's still a human being. What about follow ups? Doctor appointments? We see children whose parents are there, and you have to drill down, and see there are families where guns are there. There's great impulsivity. We in the mental health industry, just as we ask new parents about car safety, or biking, roller skating and lacrosse helmets, we need to be able to ask about guns and
“In the past three weeks, there have been 20 reports of students using social media to make threats against schools, and 17 students were charged,” Macomb County prosecutor Eric J. Smith wrote on Facebook on March 13. “Many of these threats turned out to be made by students who claim they were just joking or making a prank. I want to be very clear: these threats are not a joke, and this behavior will not be tolerated.” Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Paul Walton said their office has had 19 to 20 reports as well since Parkland, although not all of those have resulted in charges. “We have been going out to schools to talk about the danger of making threats,” Walton said. “I personally have gone to S. Lyon schools four times. Before, we were talking about bullying and making threats. Now, we've flipped that, and say, if you want to say something and get attention, you can't. You could be facing a 20-year felony as an adult, or as a juvenile, you could be adjudicated until you're 19. It could affect the rest of your life.” Smith said each of the 17 defendants have been charged with false threat of terrorism or threat of terrorism, both of which are felonies, and if convicted, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Further, students may lose scholarships and financial aid; be denied college admission; and be required to disclose pending cases or criminal convictions on job applications. “We explain to kids the crime happens when you hit send,” Walton said. “It's false threat of terrorism. Police agencies immediately go to the home to check and see if there are weapons. Before, many schools would deal with threats or issues internally. Now, schools are reporting everything to the authorities.” Many, although not all, local schools, have experienced threats. Bloomfield Hills Schools' spokesperson Shira Good said they received a
Having the ability to ask and have follow up – which Red Flag Laws could accomplish – would potentially remove an individual or guns from a home “where it could be potentially lethal in the wrong hands.” gun safety. We know there are accidents, especially in homes where they are unsupervised.” Having the ability to ask and have follow up – which Red Flag Laws could accomplish – would potentially remove an individual or guns from a home “where it could be potentially lethal in the wrong hands,” she emphasized. As for arming teachers, as a law enforcement officer, Bouchard said, “There will be ideas on both sides that will not get done,” he noted. “Instead, focus on the middle, on the things that can get done. There used to be Secure Our Schools, which allowed for grants to harden our schools. Proven best practices have fallen by the wayside. We talk about increasing school liaison officers – but we lost a ton in 2008-2009 – reinstate those people. Sheriffs and liaisons in schools, who are fullyarmed and fully-trained, yes. And the biggest is the canary in the cave: those relationships you build are invaluable.” Certainly, educators and administrators are concerned and are continually working to update their school safety and security plans in light of school shootings and threats, of which there have been more than 700 copycat threats just in the two weeks after the Parkland shooting. In the metropolitan Detroit area, there have been numerous school threats, including a Canton teen who is facing two charges of terrorism threats and two counts of bomb threats, after students at Canton and Salem high schools found threats written on bathroom walls. He is being held on $250,000, no 10 percent bond. A Clinton Township teen was given a $150,000 bond for posing a threat to Chippewa Valley High School. A Green Oak Township teenager is being held on a $10 million bond after he threatened to shoot up S. Lyon High School. Guns and ammunition were found in the home of a Utica High School senior who made a social media threat, and he has been charged with making a terrorist threat or false report of terrorism, and given a $75,000 bond.
false threat since the Florida shooting, although she declined to elaborate on specifics other than it was found to not be credible. “We treat everything seriously. It doesn't matter if it's big or small. We go through the Bloomfield Township or West Bloomfield police departments to investigate – and people would be surprised to learn how thoroughly we investigate,” Good said. Corey Donberger, the one full-time Bloomfield Township police liaison officer to Bloomfield Hills Schools, said that if they receive a tip, regardless of how minor or severe it may appear, “we are going to follow up on it. In today's day and time, we are going to investigate. It may start at the school level, but it may become law enforcement.” Donberger splits his time between all of the Bloomfield Hills schools, and as a full township police officer, is fully armed in case a situation warrants it. On February 28, an online math forum used by students at Birmingham's Derby Middle School received a threat that someone had a gun and was going to shoot people. It was determined that a student's account had been hacked and there was not a threat to students or administrators, Derby principal Celeste Nowicki informed parents in an email. Then on Friday, March 9, a student at Berkshire Middle School made threatening comments to another student that alluded to shooting another student with a gun. School personnel, along with Beverly Hills Department of Public Safety, searched the student, his locker and personal belongings, and reported that no weapons or item of concern was found at school, and the student was suspended. “At this time working with police, we do not believe that there is any credible threat to our Berkshire students and staff and this matter will continue to be investigated,” principal Jason Clinkscale wrote parents. “With the Derby cyber threat, we ultimately have not been able to determine who sent it,” Birmingham superintendent Nerad said. “While
we believe it was sent in school through a district computer, we're still determining who sent it.” The district is continuing to investigate the Berkshire threat, and the student remains suspended. Nerad emphasized that “school security really depends upon a strong partnership with local law enforcement – and we have that with all of our local municipalities (Birmingham, Beverly Hills and West Bloomfield). It's beyond relying – they're side-by-side partners. “How frightening for everyone, from me to teachers to parents,” he observed of the threats. “In the time we're in, any message that is threatening must be investigated, and it does tug on people's worst fears. And messages using technology complicates things. I was upset, and I could see how upset parents were. In our world, there is plenty of room for differing opinions – but there are more productive ways to air and discuss those differences, and that is what we want to communicate with students. If we are going to be on the front of prevention – working with parents, learning how to deal with differences, character development – we also have to be on the forefront of prevention. So if they have differences, we have to help young people work out those differences in good and just ways.” Rochester Community Schools had a false alarm threat at Stony Creek High School on March 8, leading to the school being placed on lockdown after a student accidentally initiated a lockdown procedure through the school's public address system, the district said. While they have not shared any other threats, superintendent Dr. Robert Shaner noted that the district “does not tolerate school violence, or threats of school violence, of any kind. In these instances, our schools will take strict and immediate action. Please take this opportunity to treat this event (Stoneman Douglas High School) as a teachable moment with your child. Talk to your son or daughter. They need to understand the
have occurred in Birmingham's schools since the tragedy at Sandy Hook in 2012. “We have a better idea of who is in the building at all times. We have cameras at the high schools (Seaholm and Groves), and at Lincoln Street Alternative Program. We're in the process of reviewing their sufficiency. “Every time we have an incident (locally, or a nationwide incident), we review our safety plans,” Nerad continued. “These are living, breathing documents. Sadly, you cannot be stuck at where you were when you wrote them. You have to continually revise.” In addition to school resource officer from Birmingham police and Beverly Hills public safety in the high schools, both Seaholm and Groves have hired unarmed private security guards, as well as staff acting as hall monitors. The officers also cycle through to the middle and elementary schools. “In addition, we have unannounced perimeter checks six times a year, where we're checking on unlocked doors. The goal is to keep (outside) doors locked,” he said. Rochester Schools anticipates expending $6 million through a recent bond efforts to enhance student safety and school security. Schools spokesperson Lori Grein said that efforts include redesigning the main building entrances with two sets of vestibule doors, along with a door to the office, and providing staff with a better visitor verification system and building lockdown capabilities. “Locks that latch from the interior side of the classroom door are being added, and video surveillance cameras are being installed in the schools and on buses. An updated districtwide telephone system and public address (PA) system will also ensure proper notification and warning during an emergency.” Since bond efforts are scheduled to take place over a five-year time period, until 2020, not all main offices in all schools have been
In school districts that choose to participate, teachers and other school employees who volunteer would be put through a rigorous training and vetting process before being given special permission to keep locked firearms in secured locations. consequences that come with making threats of school violence, but they also need to know that they are loved.” Cranbrook Schools, situated on over 319 acres in Bloomfield Hills, said they have not received any recent threats. “We're an open campus to the public,” acknowledged Cranbrook spokesperson Clay Matthews. “We have a great working relationship with Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department and with Oakland County Homeland Security, and we developed a map and layout of every building on campus that's a digital tool now, too.” Calvin Vincent, director of security and safety at Cranbrook, said the open campus is one of the things Cranbrook prides itself on. “There are certain areas that are protected, that the public cannot access, and the schools are at the top of the list. We have video cameras across the entire campus, which give us eyes all over. We make sure our perimeters are secure. And we have security staff,” although he declined to answer if security personel are fully armed. Detroit Country Day School and The Roeper School declined to participate in this article, and Academy of the Sacred Heart, Brother Rice High School and Orchard Lake St. Mary's did not return repeated calls. Working with fully armed, full-time police liaison officers from local departments is one aspect of providing security to schools, but hardly the only one. Bouchard said county sheriffs are now in many school districts providing support. Local districts across Oakland County have dug into their general funds or floated bond millages for improvements to safety and security, as Bloomfield Hills Schools is doing at an election in May. “Through our current bond work, all of our schools have secure front entryways. You must be buzzed into the building, state your purpose, and be routed into the office,” Nerad said of security upgrades that
redesigned, but she said that each school has a visitor verification system and staff has been instructed to utilize the updated safety procedures, which include requiring guests to show picture identification and sign in, documenting their name, time in and out, as well as the purpose of their visit. All exterior doors are to be locked throughout the school day, as should interior classroom doors. “All exits and hallways should be clear of desks, materials and debris so as to allow for a quick exit in the case of an emergency,” Grein said. “We are fortunate to have a close working relationship with our local law enforcement, security consultants, liaison officers and Oakland County Homeland Security specialists who provide us with the necessary guidance and training in order to prepare for the unthinkable,” she said. “As we review our procedures to determine the best solutions for our district, we rely on this team of experts to share best practices and make recommendations for continuous improvement. For safety reasons, we cannot publicly share specific information about our security tactics.” Oakland County Sheriffs are school liaisons to the district. “We also utilize the services of security consultants at our high schools,” Grein said, who are contracted through Safe-Ed, and are not armed. “Safety is a community responsibility, and we have to work together to keep our kids safe,” noted Bloomfield Hills' Good, pointing out they believe the biggest factor in keeping students and staff safe is staying aware of what is going on around them. “In 80 percent of the incidents (in previous shootings), 80 percent of the cases nationwide – no one said anything. “This is their school, their community. We want students to think about others,” she said, pointing out it's about empathy and taking responsible action.
Royal Oak Superintendent Mary Beth Fitzpatrick agreed. “Students have found trusted adults to be very important,” she said. “That to me, as an educator, goes back to the daily work of relationships, not just in times of crises.” The new Bloomfield Hills High School was built with new security and technology innovations, and the Bloomfield Township Police Department and Fire Department now utilize it during summers for training. “It allows them to learn the layouts, and we provide them access to maps. So when we say to go to room 204, everyone knows where that is,” Good said. “We looked at the number of ways to get access, and looked at various ways to increase awareness.” The district is currently requesting a sinking fund millage on Tuesday, May 8, to replace their current one, at the same rate, .7165 mills, in order to incorporate its use for safety, security and technology upgrades after state legislation was recently passed to permit sinking funds to expand their uses in order to have the benefits available from 2018 summer taxes. This will be a six-year sinking fund replacement that would generate $2.5 million each year. Recent state legislation now allows for sinking fund dollars to be utilized for safety, security and technology upgrades, including security cameras, acquisition or upgrades in technology, including wireless technology, Good said. “We have done all of our security and safety upgrades with general fund dollars or cash-on-hand,” she said. All of the districts, as required by state law, hold lockdown/shelter in place drills twice a year. According to Michigan State Police, the legislation, Public Acts 187 and 337, requires a minimum of two drills a year for each school year, “in which occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building is secured. This must be conducted at all schools that operate any of the grades kindergarten to 12, with security measures that are appropriate to an emergency, such
previously chief informations cyber officer for Oakland County, warned that not all threats are external and visible – but can be just as dangerous. “Thirty-eight percent of children encounter someone pretending to be a kid on gaming platforms, and 23 percent asked for personal information on chats,” he said. “They impersonate someone and ask to meet in person, and it's very dangerous. “When we were kids, we were told not to talk to strangers,” Burrows pointed out. “But you can be on an app and be anonymous, talking about very personal topics – and people believe you because it's anonymous.” He emphasized that cyberbullying can cause disaffection and some believe lead to aberrant behavior seen in some of the school shooters. “Twenty years ago, you'd have to be in the same room. Now, it's in front of everyone, and people believe it,” Burrows noted. “Cyberbullying hurts more than a punch in the nose, which goes away in 20 minutes. Cyberbullying lasts all year and goes on and on.” Whether from cyberattacks, social media, or overheard conversations, Homeland Security, along with Michigan State Police, have instituted a campaign, “If you see something, say something,” for individuals to report to local law enforcement. It is based on community involvement – that each of us interact with friends, colleagues, neighbors, everyday and are in the best position to notice something small that may be out of the ordinary, or behavior that doesn't seem to sync. “Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our nation safe,” the Department of Homeland Security states on its web page. “Because only you know what’s supposed to be in your everyday.” Michigan.gov is using the OK2SAY app, which allows anyone to confidentially report tips on criminal activity or potential harm directed at Michigan students, school employees or schools. Rochester Schools encourages students to submit tips by text, phone or email 24/7.
Michigan law requires a minimum of two drills a year for each school year, in which occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building is secured. This must be conducted at all schools that operate any of the grades K-12. as the release of a hazardous material or the presence of an armed individual on or near the premises. “This policy is not all-inclusive. We encourage every school administrator to work in coordination with emergency management and emergency responder representatives to build upon these guidelines to strengthen their ability to protect against any threat encountered, whether natural or manmade.” “We are examining a different model for school lockdown drills with law enforcement,” Nerad said. “They are in the process of determining their recommendations. To us, a new model examines multiple options and allows for evacuations, which is more flexible. “This whole field is evolving, and we need to evolve with it,” he acknowledged. “We're also going to get input from parents, students and staff.” Clay Matthews at Cranbrook agreed. “We follow the law for drills here. But we're always evaluating, how do we keep ourselves safe? The thought is not to be afraid, but to be prepared.” Cranbrook has been rolling out a different program, called the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) protocol, for the last two years, for an active shooter or terrorist event, which moves away from a lockdown and towards evacuation if possible, or barricading, if necessary, which is in line with some more progressive thinking on active shooting situations in schools. Calvin Vincent, Cranbrook's security director, acknowledging exterior threats as well as the potential for a cyber threat, echoed others when he said, “A threat is a threat, whether it's internal or external. We're going to check into any threat with as much preparation as any other. The saying, 'See something, say something,' extends to cyber and social media as well.” Chris Burrows, a cyber expert with Cyber Security Solutions and
Each school official supported students and staff “saying something” when they see something amiss. What school officials unanimously were opposed to were metal detectors in local schools, which are often used in inner city or poorer schools. “Not on our campus,” said Vincent. Nerad noted that metal detectors had been suggested by parents and others since the Parkland massacre, “but our approach has always been to look at the next idea to implement by looking to law enforcement for their recommendations. We do not want to do something that gives a false sense of security, though, either.” Bloomfield Hills' liaison officer Corey Donberger said no to metal detectors, as well. “Before getting in to a school, you can still do a lot of damage. I am already in your building, and they can give a false sense of security. Studies show that metal detectors don't keep kids safe – and they're a logistical nightmare.” “It's not something we're doing right now. We have other protocols we're doing that we feel are better,” said Royal Oak's Fitzpatrick. “We're using existing surveillance cameras, key fobs to get in and we have to swipe our badges, data is tracked. Metal detectors would have to be really vetted as the best use of our time for us to use them.” The idea of arming teachers, advocated by President Trump, is not one that appears to have a lot of local support, despite the proposed legislation by Michigan state Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake). “That is not something we would support in the district,” Fitzpatrick said. “The board has made it clear that our schools are a weapons-free zone.” “The district standpoint is that schools should be weapons-free zones,” said Bloomfield Hills' Good. “Our board passed a resolution on
February 15, 2018, opposing the proposed concealed carry legislation. They maintain that schools should be a weapons-free zone.” “I know there are differing opinions. My personal opinion is the only individuals who should have possession of weapons on school grounds is law enforcement,” Birmingham superintendent Nerad said. “You have to look at the risk of having them schools, and having them properly trained. The good news is we are having the conversation. “From my informal discussions, most do not want to have them.” However, the change in gun laws, especially on a federal level, does concern Nerad. “There is the temptation to just react. The best laws are done by local units of government,” he said. “This should play out with local discussions with local legislators, that they can take back to the state legislature,” he continued. “I want them to consider our local needs.” An Ohio foundation, Faster Saves Lives, has had success training and arming educators who have concealed weapons licenses. “Statistically, schools, churches – mass casualty events, which are no gun zones – the perpetrator knows they're going to go there, people are packed in and nothing is going to stop them. Every few seconds someone is dying. They're done in five minutes or so. If the response time for police is three to four minutes – which isn't bad – a lot of people are dead by then,” said Faster Saves Lives executive director Dean Rieck. He said they started the program in 2012 after Sandy Hook. “We knew some guy who trains SWAT and police who could put 24 teachers through that kind of training for $800 to $1,000 per person. We paid for it from our foundation,” he said, which is the Buckeye Firearms Foundation. While there was outcry from gun control advocates, “within days, we had 1,000 teachers and staff from all over Ohio sign up. We tried it, and it was successful. We continued and improved for five years. To date, we
with a gun, over 25 percent in testing will leave their students and go 75 yards away and go attack him. Someone taking hostages with a gun, they'll attack at a much higher rate,” he said. “The data says for every active shooter, you're dealing with a drunk mother in the office with a screwdriver.” He noted the probability of a suicide is a much higher likelihood than an active shooter situation – eight times more likely. “There's so much fear out there. Research shows that the ‘Terror Management Theory,' or the greater the catastrophe, the more bizarre an event, the more likely people think it will happen to them,” he said. “An example was the Aurora theater shooting, when this crazy guy dressed up in tactical clothing like a villain in the Batman movie. There have been gang and domestic shootings at theaters – but only after Aurora did we get police in theaters. “We ignore the more common shootings to focus on the anomaly,” he pointed out. “We are ignoring the proven strategies and techniques that have helped prevent attacks, and focusing on throwing books at a guy shooting, rather than prevention methods. There is lots of made up data out there.” Dr. Amy Klinger, founder and director of programs for Educators School Safety Network, said they advocate to have all educators in a school be trained for all kinds of hazards, not just for a school shooting. “We're looking at all hazards, not just for active shooters to the exclusion of all others. Teachers need to be prepared to deal with the death of a student or teacher, a non-custodial parent situation, a medical emergency, accident, a tornado,” she said. “We look comprehensively at all hazards, and not just from the law enforcement point of view. We also are taking an emphasis on violence prevention,
Michigan.gov is using the OK2SAY app, which allows anyone to report tips on criminal activity or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools. Rochester Schools encourages students to submit tips by text, phone or email 24/7. trained 1,300 teachers and staff from 225 districts across 12 states, all paid for by our foundation,” Rieck said. Following the Parkland shooting, he said they have had at least 10 people a day signing up for training. “We're not trying to turn teachers into cops,” he said. “We're teaching two things – one, how to stop the killing; and two, how to stop the bleeding. This is not ordinary shooting training like at a gun range. Anyone applying must already have a concealed handgun license and be approved for background checks.” He said the main class is three grueling days. “Then you have to go through a shoot that is higher than the police academy.” Next, they offer medical training – tactical combat casualty care – not to learn to be a doctor, but to staunch the bleeding with tourniquets, bandages and chest seals. “We teach them emergency trauma care because people can bleed out and die quickly,” Rieck said. “School districts tend to keep security measures secret. But, they keep it so secret no one knows anything, giving any advantage to anyone who comes in the building. Now school districts are coming to us because this can happen anywhere – rich districts, poor districts. You want to have as much security as possible. It's based on the concept of concealed carry, which is proven to work in all 50 states. It's an option for school districts who want it.” Mike Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens, the largest school safety consultants, headquartered in Macon, Georgia, is on his 13th active shooter caseload, is the former police chief of Macon County, and has keynoted with Michigan State Police six times, disagrees with Rieck. “In testing, what we found is teachers will leave their students and they'll attack anyone with a gun. If we depict a drunk across the street
not just on response. It's not inevitable that all events will happen. We teach threat assessment management, which is a school-based team investigative approach, which looks at how to identify who educators should be concerned about, how to manage that individual, how can we support an intervention. Sometimes it's in the justice system, but not always. Often it's with mental health care. It's looking at risk assessment – who may be at risk to themselves and others – the next suicide, murder, drug overdose. It's not political, and it's very effective and very cost effective. “No one wants kids dying in school.” Dorn agrees, advocating a multidisciplinary effort involving law enforcement, mental health workers and educators acting as a team evaluating someone if they may have made a threat, addressing whether or not they actually pose a threat to others or to themselves. “And how do we best manage that threat,” he said. He said in the 13 cases he has worked on, there were missed opportunities to prevent the attacks. As police chief, he noted, “We stopped 13 planned attacks, a planned bombing, five attempts with loaded guns at elementary schools, and stopped a series of attacks at the high school and middle schools, and at basketball games. “When people are saying there's nothing we can do to stop this, that's a dangerous mindset. Let's not spend 90 percent of the energy on reacting to an attack – because a majority of them can be stopped.” He advises school districts to look at things more holistically. “Before I'd put more law enforcement in, I'd add a school nurse. There's more medical emergencies.” That coincides with Klinger's thinking. “If a kid is killed by a bus accident in a parking lot or anaphylactic shock, isn't it as tragic as being shot?” she asked.
Tom Zibkowski Realty Executives Midwest
586-532-6700 Ex 114 Tom@TomZibkowski.com www.TomZibkowski.com
When Experience Counts. Over 4,000 Closed Home Sales Since 1982 MODERN TRADITIONAL WITH 10 CAR GARAGE ON 3.5 ACRES
FINISHED WALKOUT TO BUILT-IN POOL ON ALMOST AN ACRE LOT W/POND
A once in a lifetime opportunity on this almost completely rebuilt colonial with 7,400 sq. ft. of living space, 10 car garage parking, carriage house apartment. Additional out building, home is like brand new. Located in the heart of historic Romeo at 439 Morton Street offered at $2,264,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Custom built Georgian colonial w/finished walkout to built-in pool on private almost acre lot w/pond, 4.5-car garage & circular drive, all high end finishes throughout, entertainers huge gourmet island kitchen w/commercial grade appliances, all bedrooms have private baths, finished walkout w/wet bar and wide open entertaining area, extensive landscaping with waterfall, awesome yearround sun-room overlooking private yard, This is a great home to raise a family! 1683 Chieftan Circle, Oxford Twp. Offered at $999,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
12,000 SQ. FT W/FINISHED WALKOUT TO BUILT-IN POOL BACKING TO STONY CREEK
GREAT ROOM RANCH WITH FINISHED WALKOUT ON 1.25 ACRES
Custom built 1 1/2 story featuring almost 12,000 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area w/finished walkout to built-in pool backing to Stony Creek Park, awesome floor plan, beautiful gourmet kitchen plus 2nd galley kitchen on main floor, 4 fireplaces, 5.5-car garage plus covered carport area between garages, 56' x 16' theatre room, game room combination on 2nd floor, 3rd full kitchen in finished walk out, 40' x 20' built-in pool plus hot tub area on very private lot backing to Stony Creek Metro Park, Brazilian cherry & travertine floors throughout home. 61871 Bradbury Run, Washington Twp. Offered at $2,350,000. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Excellent condition great room ranch with finished walkout basement on 1.25 acre private lot, renovated kitchen with granite counter tops and built-in Viking Appliances and cathedral ceilings with sky lights, nice large great room, year round sunroom overlooking private yard. Nice quiet community just north of town. 3.5 car garage. 4535 Valley View, Rochester Hills. $599,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
FINISHED WALKOUT ON 2 ACRE PRIVATE WOODED LOT
BEAUTIFUL SPLIT RANCH BACKING TO STONEY CREEK PARK
Designer showcase colonial in highly sought after North Oaks Development. Home features an entertainer's gourmet island kitchen w/Quartz counter tops & built-in commercial grade stainless steel appliances, home was almost completely updated last few years, huge dual level cedar deck overlooking private wooded yard that extends 400' behind home. 1589 Scenic Hollow Rochester Hills, Offered at $839,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-5326700 x114
Great room split ranch with finished walkout basement backing to Stoney Creek Metro Park, finished walkout features 4th bedroom, 3rd full bathroom, open entertaining area and large storage room; great floor plan with Owner's suite on one side of home. Other 2 bedrooms other side of home. 57183 Willow Way, Washington Township. Offered at $509,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
2 ACRES ON GREYSTONE GOLF COURSE-INDOOR BASKETBALL COURT
COLONIAL ON PRIVATE 2.6 ACRES MINUTES FROM STONEY CREEK PARK
Exceptional 1-1/2 story on 2 acres backing to Greysone Golf Course, garage parking for 10 cars, indoor basketball sport court, finished walkout overlooking pond and golf course, featuring over 9,000 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area, located at 7177 Frampton, Washington Township offered at $1,249,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Excellent condition cedar colonial with finished walkout basement on very private 2.6 acre lot in highly sought after Lockwood Hills community, excellent home to raise a family or a great location for an estate home walking distance to Stoney Creek. Located at 58070 Cyrenus, Washington Township. Offered at $529,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
OVER 6,000 SQ. FT. OF LIVING AREA FOR ENTERTAINERS PARADISE
A RARE FIND 12 ACRE PRIVATE ESTATE - OAKLAND TWP
Rare Find at end of cul-de-sac on over 1/2 acre private pie shaped lot, stunning great room ranch w/fully finished walkout basement to resort style in-ground swimming pool, over 6,000 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area in this entertainer's dream house. 53920 Dominique Court, Shelby Township. Offered at $999,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-5326700 x114
Private 12 Acre French Country Manor featuring 12,000 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area. Featuring terraced patios leading to parterre gardens adjoining built-in swimming pool. Helipad provides convenience to land helicopter in backyard and store in state-of-the-art hangar, entertainers gourmet kitchen, finished walkout features lap pool & gaming areas. 5350 Brewster, Rochester Hills $4,950,000. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
FINISHED WALKOUT PRIVATE YARD IN CLEAR CREEK SUBDIVISION
WALK TO DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER GATED 1 ACRE LOT
Very clean well cared for 5 Bedroom, 1 1/2 story home with a fully finished walkout basement to heavily landscaped private yard with basketball court. Home features over 6,000 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area, all high end finishes throughout, all bedrooms have bath access, dual wrought iron staircase to 2nd floor, hardwood flooring entire 1st floor, lots of crown molding, vinyl clad windows; finished walkout has 2nd kitchen with additional full bath and theater room. 1372 Clear Creek, Rochester Hills, $769,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114.
Unique one of a kind home on private gated 1 acre lot with extensive gardens and built in pool. Large gourmet kitchen with commercial grade appliances, excellent garage space, great home to raise a family on a private lot within walking distance to town. Located at 147 North Lane, Rochester, offered at $849,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
BEAUTIFUL CONTEMPORARY WATERFRONT HOME ON LAKE ST. CLAIR
COLONIAL WITH WALKOUT ON OVER 2 PRIVATE ACRES
Awesome completely renovated cape cod with 6-car heated garage overlooking Lake St. Clair; home features all of today's up-to-date color schemes & decorating trends, fantastic views, very unique location with break wall at lake giving a harbor type-cove setting w/4 boat wells & 2 hoists (20,000 lb. hoist & 4,000 lb. hoist). 32171 North River Road, Harrison Township. Offered at $1,449,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Stunning model show condition colonial with finished walkout basement on over 2 acre private treed lot with pond in the highly sought after North Oaks Development. Home features bridge wrought iron staircase overlooking 2-story foyer & great room, entertainer's gourmet island kitchen with all built-in commercial grade stainless steel appliances and large breakfast nook, beautiful hardwood flooring throughout most of the 1st floor, 3rd fireplace in large owner's suite, all bedrooms have bath access. 1590 Scenic Hollow, Rochester Hills. Offered at $899,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
SPRAWLING CUSTOM RANCH WITH BUILT IN POOL
CRYSTAL CREEK STUNNING DESIGNER SHOWCASE HOME
3,715 sq. ft. custom built great room ranch with built-in gunite swimming pool on over 1/2 acre private lot with creek backing to woods and The Orchards Golf Course (no neighbors behind home). Home features all high end finishes throughout, entertainer's gourmet island kitchen with built-in commercial grade stainless steel appliances, custom woodwork & trim throughout home, travertine floors in foyer, hallway & kitchen; awesome owners suite with designer bathroom, huge unfinished daylight basement with many possibilities. 6532 Pond Drive, Washington Township, $859,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Stunning designer showcase 1 1/2 story home with fully finished walk-out on heavily landscaped lot in the highly sought after Crystal Creek Community. Custom Schoolz design floor plan built with only the finest materials and craftsmanship, awesome entertainer's floor plan featuring large gourmet island kitchen with chef grade built-in appliances. 4898 Shimmering Creek Drive, Washington. Offered at $929,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
STUNNING 5,200 SQ. FT. COLONIAL BACKING TO RAVINE
FINISHED WALKOUT TO BUILT IN POOL ON PRIVATE LOT
Walkout basement to wooded ravine on cul de sac (no neighbors in sight, one of best lots in Clear Creek subdivsion) 4.5-car garage, extensive landscaping w/outdoor fireplace on private lower brick paver patio, hardwood floors entire 1st & 2nd floors, built with the finest materials & craftsmanship, granite counters throughout, custom trim & moldings, 2-way fireplace between library and family room. 877 Quarry, Rochester Hills. Offered at $899,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
Stunning model show condition 5 bedroom colonial w/finished walkout basement to inground gunite pool on a very private 1/2 acre lot featuring over 6,500 sq. ft. of finely appointed living area. Almost entirely updated last couple of years, huge trex deck across back of home overlooking private yard. All high end finishes throughout. 54546 Carrington Drive, Shelby Township, $719,900. Call Tom Zibkowski 586-532-6700 x114
FACES Dean Weaver ast Halloween Dean Weaver’s son, Cole, didn’t go trick-ortreating with a pillow case or plastic pumpkin. He went with a Trucket. “He came back and said, ‘Dad, you wouldn’t believe it, every time we’d go up to a porch if it was the mom handing out candy she would go and get her husband, and say, ‘Look, you have to see this thing,’” Weaver said. “And they would ask what it was and where they could buy it.” Cole would proudly reply that it was a Trucket, a sevengallon bucket on wheels that his dad invented. Weaver made some online sales from his son promoting his invention. The Trucket’s ultimate goal is to make things easier, whether it be for kids trick-or-treating or seniors who are avid gardeners, like Weaver’s mom. Watching her struggle with her bucket while gardening was what actually inspired the idea for it. “My thought was why carry a bucket when you can trucket, meaning wheel the bucket around and put your stuff in,” said the Rochester Hills resident. “It’s just an easier way of transporting the items with the bucket.” Weaver soon ended up in his dad’s garage making a prototype out of wood. He said the first one looked a little pre-historic but it got the concept across. From there, he worked with a local patent attorney and did a patent search to make sure no one had already filed his idea. It went through with flying colors. Now, people can find the Trucket in Trevarrow Ace Hardware, Lakeside Tackle Shop, and Direct Sportsman. This spring, they will appear on Michigan Out of Doors with it. While 2018 isn’t even at the half way mark yet, Weaver has a six-month goal of making it to Shark Tank, and by the time the year is over, he’d like to have sold 1,000 of them. “I think the bottom line is that it revolutionizes the bucket industry,” Weaver said. “The trucket, to me, is just an opportunity for people to really improve the way a bucket is utilized.” The buckets themselves used in the Trucket come from Letica Corporation, whose corporate headquarters are in Rochester. And each Trucket is manufactured in America, in Weaver’s dad’s garage. Keeping it local was really important to Weaver, who has spent the last 20 years in Rochester and Rochester Hills. Weaver hopes to eventually hire some employees – now, it’s just him and his dad – and create a physical world headquarters for Trucket here, adding to its local story. “I love to create things,” Weaver said. “It’s something that now in my forties that I’m exploring a little bit more and having fun with it.” This might be the first invention that Weaver, whose day job is financial planning, has been able to bring to fruition, but it definitely won’t be his last. In fact, he already has irons in a few other fires, including 313Motors, which will sell 313 Motorsports electric cars, and is looking into some real estate ventures on the west side of the state. His brain never stops. “I think it’s just a piece of who I am,” Weaver said. “It’s an outlet for me. A lot of people exercise and do different sorts of things to de-stress. I just love to constantly think about new ideas, things that will help other people. That’s kind of who I am as a person.”
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Story: Dana Casadei
Photo: Laurie Tennent
BIRDS, BEES AND NEONICOTINOIDS CONCERN OVER LOSS OF POLLINATORS TAKES ON WIDER ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE BY KEVIN ELLIOTT s economic analysts around the world debate whether new tariffs on steel and aluminum will spark a global trade war with the United States, few readers are probably aware that a Michigan honey processor in 2013 was the subject of one of the biggest foodrelated anti-dumping scandals in the nation. Dubbed "Project Honeygate" by investigators at the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Groeb Farms, in Onsted, Michigan, and a Texas-based honey processor, were charged in federal court with skirting more than $180 million in antidumping duties related to the illegal import of honey. In 2008, the United States had placed antidumping duties on Chinese honey as a result of exporters selling honey at artificially low prices, some of which was adulterated with unauthorized antibiotics, artificial sweeteners and other contaminants.
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Groeb Farms, one of the largest honey processors in the United States at the time, was charged with buying loads of Chinese-origin honey that was either mislabeled as other products, such as sugars or syrups, or shipped through third-party countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Prosecutors said the actions helped Groeb Farms avoid paying more than $78.8 million in anti-dumping duties. To avoid trial, the Michigan honey processor agreed to pay a $2 million fine, and subsequently filed for bankruptcy in October of 2013. Despite the scandal, the flow of honey actually produced by bees in Michigan is among the highest in the country, ranking it as the eighth largest honey-producing state in 2016, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Yet, a continuing decline in honeybee populations in Michigan and across the country means continued reliance on imported honey remains necessary to meet consumer demand for the sticky, sweet stuff. "They need 150 pounds of honey in their hives to survive, and even then they barely make it through the winter. They are supplementing with sugar blocks in the top of the hive," said master honey producer and apiculturist Dennis Holly, who retired from the honey business after nearly four decades in it. Today, Holly heads up the Oakland Beekeepers' Club, which meets each month at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Township, where he is one of the last beekeepers in a long line of honey producers in Oakland County and southeast Michigan. "A good honey producer gets about 400 pounds out of a hive. The old ones could get 800 pounds," Holly said, "but we can still show people how to get 200 pounds of honey out of amateur hives." The declines in honey production is one of the effects of declining bee health and population. However, the loss of honeybee population is just one symptom of a much larger issue that results from a specific class of pesticides named neonicotinoids. Across the food chain, scientists are seeing devastating results in other pollinators, bird populations, and everything from earthworms, aquatic invertebrates to birds' eggs. eekeepers across the country began reporting widespread losses of honey bees in 2006, according to the Bee Informed Partnership group, which began monitoring bee colony losses that year. Since then, colony losses have been higher than 20 percent each winter, with anything below that mark considered to be "acceptable losses." In Michigan, it is estimated some 177 commercial beekeepers lost 20.5 percent of their bees in the 2016-17 winter season, and 32.6 percent for the entire year. The state's beekeepers lost 58 percent in 2015-16; 54 percent for 2014-15, and 72 percent the previous year. The annual loss estimates represent only a portion of managed bees. The actual number of managed bee colonies in the state isn't known, as Michigan ended its bee registration program in 1993. In 1992, there were about 2,500 apiaries and more than 100,000 colonies registered in the state, with the majority of those registered being commercial beekeepers. Nor does the inventory account for wild pollinator species in the wild. Based on the structure of nicotine, neonicotinoids literally means "new nicotine-like insecticides." Often shortened to "neonics," this class of insecticides has come under scrutiny across the globe, with some critics comparing their unintended consequences to that of of the deadly pesticide DDT. Developed in the 1990s as a less toxic alternative to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, which pose risks to humans and many animals, neonics are more toxic to invertebrates, like insects. Today, neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world. In the United States, virtually all corn, a third of soybeans and dozens of other fruits, vegetables and specialty crops utilize neonics.
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The most widely used neonic and the first to be approved for use in the United State is imidacloprid, commonly found in Bayer Advance Garden insecticides. Other neonics include acetamiprid, clothiandin, dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiocloprid and thiamethoxam. Most are effective against sap-feeding pests, as well as grubs, fleas, termites, roaches and other pests. ore than a decade of research indicates neonics have contributed to the demise of honeybees, as well as many other wild bee and pollinator species. The most recent research has found neonicotinoids are present in rivers, lakes and streams throughout the country, and are affecting larger ecosystems, including birds, mammals, fish and other aquatic life. Water sampling in 2015-2016 of 10 major tributaries to the Great Lakes found neonicotinoids in 74 percent of monthly samples over the course of a year, with River Rouge in Detroit accounting for the highest maximum concentrations of all locations tested, according to a report published in October of 2017 by researchers with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The most frequently detected insecticide was imidacloprid, which was found in 53 percent of samples, including 92 percent of samples taken from the Rouge River. Concentrations of imidacloprid in Rouge River were found throughout the year, but were highest in August. Detections of clothianidin was found in 44 percent of tributaries, including in Rouge River during some spring months. "We were most surprised that at some sites we were finding these insecticides throughout the year. Not at all the sites, but at some," said Michelle Hladik, a research chemist with the USGS at the California Water Science Center in Sacramento, who co-authored the study. "People tend to think of insecticide use in the summer, so it's not surprising you would find those more frequently. But we were more surprised that we were finding them at some sites in the winter, which gives the potential for more of a chronic (longterm) exposure scenario." The study was the first of its kind to look specifically for neonics in Michigan, and the latest of several conducted by the USGS on the issue. The study confirms the widespread use of neonicotinoids beyond agriculture, and illustrates the nation's dependency on chemicals for maintaining rural farmlands, suburban lawns and gardens, and urban landscapes. Scientists are now trying to determine the ramifications of that dependency and how it may be impacting food production, ecological systems, animal health and human well-being. Sally Petrella with Friends of the Rouge said the group was already aware that other insecticides have been found in surface waters in southeast Michigan, but the new study results weren't expected. "We were surprised by the findings," she said. "A surprising amount of pyrethroids have been found previously, which is a concern because we have multiple stressors." Stressors are contaminants or pathogens that can negatively impact the ecology of natural habitats. As the volunteer monitoring program manager for Friends of the Rouge, Petrella is involved first hand in looking for sensitive aquatic macroinvertebrates that are sensitive to stressors, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. A loss of such species is an indicator that there is a problem with water quality. "The Rouge has vastly improved from what it once was. We are seeing dissolved oxygen improve and more fish, but overall they are in the fair range for macro invertebrates, and some are poor. They are still pretty impacted," she said. While neonics are particularly harmful to mayflies and some other macroinvertebrates, Petrella said it's hard to connect the low levels of them with a specific insecticide because there are multiple stressors at play.
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Still, one may safely assume that suburban landscape practices are impacting indicator species based on monitoring locations and known sources of other contaminants, such as sewage overflows. "We have seen increases (in indicator species) in the middle branch and Johnson Creek, and declines in the upper branch, which starts in West Bloomfield and goes through Farmington. That one we have seen declines, as well as the upper branch part of the main, which starts in Rochester Hills and includes Bloomfield and Birmingham," Petrella said. "Our industrial pollution isn't increasing, and most of that is much further downstream. The majority of our pollution is actually stormwater pollution, not industrial. Farther downstream there are about 40 uncontrolled combined sewer overflows in the lower. There aren't that many overflows in the main. Most of those have been controlled." A 2013 report published in the Journal of Applied Ecology by Biological Environmental Scientist Dave Goulson, with the University of Sussex and University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, gave a summary overview of the environmental risks posed by neonicotinoid insecticides. The report highlighted studies that showed neonics persist and accumulate in soils. And, because they are water soluble, they are prone to leaching into waterways. Being systemic, they are found in nectar and pollen of all treated crops. "Reported levels in soils, waterways, field margin plants and floral resources overlap substantially with concentrations that are sufficient to control pests in crops, and commonly exceed (the concentration which kills 50 percent) for beneficial organisms," the report summarized. "Concentrations in nectar and pollen in crops are sufficient to impact substantially on colony reproduction of bumblebees." The report also highlighted how certain applications of neonics may be lethal for some birds and mammals. While more recent research has confirmed and expanded on neonicotinoids' impact on birds, mammals, fish and other species, information in 2013 was still sufficient to lead the European Union's governing body to restrict neonic use. In 2013, the European Commission placed a moratorium on some uses of three neonicotinoid insecticides, which by no coincidence is now undergoing new risk assessments by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States. The European Union's restrictions were based on risk assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2012 that found the compounds threaten bee species vital for pollinating crops. The EFSA in February of 2018 released another assessment of the three insecticides, which concluded they pose a high risk to wild bees and honeybees. The EU may now move to ban all uses of the insecticides. he EPA, which registers and reassesses pesticides available for use in the United States, requires pesticides to be reregistered on a 15-year cycle. However, the EPA in 2009 opened registration review dockets on five neonic insecticides, including imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, and acetamiprid. Preliminary assessments on risks to pollinators and humans have been completed for all of the insecticides, with preliminary aquatic ecological assessments and non-pollinator ecological assessments completed for imidacloprid. Full reviews for all are planned for sometime in 2018, according to the EPA. Meanwhile, federal legislation in the United States has been introduced in Congress several times in the past five years, with Democratic attempts to restrict the use of the insecticides dying in a House subcommittee each time. "This bill would protect the health of honeybees and other critical pollinators and suspend the use of bee-toxic neonics. It also requires the Environmental Protection Agency to complete a thorough assessment and ensure that any use of these insecticides does not
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cause unreasonable and adverse effects on pollinators," Congressman Earl Blumeanauer (D-OR), said in February when introducing the latest version of the bill that was originally introduced by former Michigan Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit). "The health of our food system depends on the health of our pollinators, and the EPA has the responsibility to get to the bottom of this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me and pass this legislation so that we can save our pollinators. The future of our food depends on it." lobally, commercial pollinator services are valued at over $125 billion, accounting for about $24 billion in the United States, with honeybees specifically providing at least $15 billion to the nation's economy. Native pollinators, such as bumblebees, squash bees and mason bees, contribute more than $3 billion to the US economy. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said losses in honeybee colonies, which provide the majority of commercial pollinator services, are too high to confidently ensure the United States will be able to meet the pollination demands for agricultural crops. With commercial honeybee pollination services needed for at least a third of all crops grown in Michigan, honeybees amount to about $1 billion in value in the state. In addition to fruits, vegetables, corn and other crops, pollinators support the beef and dairy industry in Michigan and other states through the pollination of alfalfa and clover. Managed pollinators in Michigan typically ship their bees out of state during the winter months to other states, including California where up to 70 percent of the nation's managed honeybees are shipped each winter to pollinate almond trees. Outside of managed pollinators, more than 40 wild pollinator species are federally listed as threatened or endangered species. In July 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced plans to phase out neonicotinoid insecticides at all national wildlife refuges. Oakland Beekeepers' Club's Holly, who previously served as vice president for the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers' Association and district representative for the Michigan Beekeepers' Association, said most honey producers don't ship their bees out of state during the winter for commercial pollination services. Instead, he said, some will move them to warmer climates, with many smaller operations and amateur keepers keeping their hives in state throughout the year. Still, some provide pollinator services on a more local level. "In my opinion, there aren't really any natural pollinators left in Oakland County. There are some, but not enough," Holly said. "Farmers here are begging for bees. When you lose them, you have to replace them." Beekeepers who keep their hives in Michigan may be especially hard hit this year, as Holly said many have reported losing up to 80 percent or more of their colonies. The losses, he said, are due to a combination of issues, including the presence of neonicotinoids. "There was a phenomenon this year that happens every seven or eight years," Holly said. "This year, we had temperatures at 28 below zero for 10 days – that's not common. We haven't exposed bees for 10 days like that for quite a while. If you do that, the hive has to be perfect or they won't make it. It killed most of the bees from here to the UP." In addition to cold temperatures, Holly said many beekeepers had problems with mites infesting their colonies this winter. If infestations aren't treated properly by mid-August, he said the mites will burrow into the bees, causing them to stress and die. Exposure to neonicotinoids, Holly said, is another added stress, which he believes has led to decreases in population. "Neonicotinoids are a real problem. That affects the bees' memory and the queen and everything, but it's not the only pesticide. Even Roundup effects bees. All these pesticides effect bees, which are already in trouble because of the mites," Holly said. "But I think
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something new has popped up, and we have an issue in Michigan that is going to come up soon. They are killing the bees, and they need to remove (neonicotinoids) from the food chain, in my opinion." Because neonics are highly water soluble, they can be applied to the soil and taken up by plants, a process known as soil drenching. They can also be injected into plants and trees, and sprayed on foliage. In farming, neonics are commonly used as a seed coating applied before crops are planted and ensures that all parts of the plant are treated. They are also used in granular formulations. One of the most common applications of neonics is in seed treatment, a process in which seeds are coated with neonicotinoids prior to planting. The result is a plant that contains neonics, from its roots to its pollen, during its entire life cycle. Whatever the method of application, neonics act as a systemic insecticide, meaning once taken up by the roots or other part of the plant, it becomes present in all parts, from the roots and stem to the leaves, flowers, nectar and pollen, meaning multiple routes of exposure are ever-present. Thomas Wood, a postdoctoral research associate with the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, said the potential for pollinators to be exposed to harmful effects doesn't depend only on the toxicity of the pesticide. "If you were to treat canola for flea beetles by spraying a pyrethroid on its surface, it is more directly toxic the bee, but if you sprayed outside of foraging hours, it is less likely to come into contact with the bee, because it's not systemic and has a low solubility," he said. Wood said the use of neonicotinoids in seed dressings is commonplace in some crop production, including corn and specialty crops, such as garlic, as well as all pickling cucumbers in Michigan. "It's a standard, and it's now difficult to get untreated seeds for some crops," he said. "The increase in seed dressing usage exploded from about the mid 2000's to 2005 and onward." While neonics are systemic, studies show that only about five percent of the insecticide's active ingredient is taken up by the plant, with most being dispersed to the wider environment. Neonics used as seed dressings provide more additional routes of exposure to pollinators, as well as other non-target species Birds that graze in farm fields may eat seeds coated with neonics, which depending on the species, size of the bird and amount of seeds they consume, can be harmful to animals. ne study found that a grey partridge weighing 390 grams would need to eat about five treated corn seeds, six sugar beet seeds or about 32 canola seeds to receive a lethal dose. The EPA's own assessments have confirmed similar findings in other bird species, and estimates about one percent of planted seeds are accessible to foraging species. As grey partridges typically consume about 25 grams of seeds per day, the study found "there is a clear potential for ingestion of neonicotinoids by granivorous animals, specifically birds and mammals." In February of 2017, Wood and Goulson compiled an updated report of Goulson's summarized findings from 2013. The report, "The Environmental Risks of neonicotinoids pesticides: a review of the evidence post 2013," compiled new findings that included the most recent understanding of the pesticides' impact on mammals, birds and aquatic species. The report noted that in addition to systemic exposures from plant, nectar and pollen, seed coatings may result in two additional exposures. During the planting season, neonicotinoids present on treated seeds may rub off and turn into dust, which is then emitted into the air. As a result, Neonics released in dust abraded by seed drilling machines were implicated in mass poisoning of honeybees in some locations. Researchers found that honeybee queens exposed to small doses of
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the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid through shared food had reduced egg laying and locomotor activity, and worker bees had modified foraging and hygienic behaviors, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. While the effects may not immediately kill the bees, it may cause the colony to dwindle over time. Sublethal exposures may also make the colony more susceptible to other threats, like pathogens and pests. The sublethal effects from dust generated during harvesting is one possible factor in decreased honeybee populations in Michigan, according to Holly. "We have a problem with soybeans that I think may have killed some bees when they harvest the crop," Holly said. "It's a systemic pesticide, so it stays in the plant until they grind up the beans. This season, they were late in doing that. We are still trying to see if they were allowed to spray when bees were foraging, or if there was something else." dditional studies have found that molluscan herbivores, such as slugs, may be effected or die from exposure to feeding on neonic-treated plants. Further, one study showed that 61.5 percent of ground beetles, an important predator of slugs, showed signs of neonicotinoid impairment, with seven out of 16 having died after feeding on the slugs. Earthworms, which have similar neural pathways to insects, are highly likely to be exposed to neonics from direct contact with soil, according to recent studies. Those studies found presence of neonics in earthworms from soil ingestion in fields that hadn't been treated for over a year. Studies have also found neonics threaten blue crabs and other aquatic invertebrates, such as freshwater snails and water fleas. Increased deaths of blue crab is a large concern in the Chesapeake Bay region where they support commercial and recreational fishing, as well as the region's ecosystem. In terms of human health, preliminary risk assessments released by the EPA on imidacloprid determined exposure from treated plants and drinking water isn't a cause for concern. Additionally, the EPA's assessment found that exposure through medicated pet treatments of imidacloprid is not harmful to adults, but is a cause for concern among children younger than two-years-old, which may be exposed through the skin by petting treated animals, and by oral exposure, by putting their hands in their mouths after petting treated animals. Still, the greatest concern to date regarding neonics has continued to focus on their impact on managed pollinator species. In Michigan, where honeybee populations are a major concern, a precise impact is difficult to ascertain. "Michigan used to have an apiary registration and got rid of it. We haven't gone back, but there has been talk that this is something we might want to do," said Kevin Robson, an industry relations specialist with the Michigan Farm Bureau who serves on the state's Managed Pollinator Protection Plan Steering Committee. The state's pollinator protection program is intended to protect pollinators, while simultaneously protecting crops, property and human health. The plan, which falls under the guidance of Michigan's Department of Agriculture, is a non-regulatory plan that aims to provide guidance for best practices in the state. The plan is an offshoot of the EPA's efforts to protect pollinators, which calls for each state to develop a plan tailored to its needs. Robson said some commercial pollinators maintain between 3,000 and 4,000 bee colonies. When neonicotinoids are brought back to a hive by worker bees, it can mean problems, he said. "There has been a lot of pressure from out-of-state beekeepers that move their bees into the state. We don't know where their hives are at, and the Department of Agriculture is struggling because there are keepers that have had longstanding relationships with the farmers
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here," Robson said. "Farmers are very dependent on pollinators and want to make sure they are here and around. Beekeepers make their living not so much on honey production, but in all reality, the money they make is on their pollinator services." A core component of the state's pollinator protection plan involves communication between beekeepers, pesticide applicators, farms and land owners. The idea is that through coordination, applicators will know where managed pollinators are located and work together to keep colonies out of harm's way. However, the lack of a state registration program makes such coordination difficult. Further, many beekeepers don't want the location of their hives known. "What I found out during the process is that growers want to know where hives are and visit with beekeepers, but the beekeepers don't want you to know where their hives are at," Robson said. "They want their bees to have the best shot they can at foraging. They don't want pressure from out-of-state beekeepers who want to establish their colonies here. "If one beekeeper has a 50-acre blueberry field and they have plenty of acreage to forage, another colony coming in will split that in half if they get pressure from other beekeepers. So, we don't even know the amount of beekeepers in the state right now." It's believed this goes beyond competition for quality foraging acres. Beekeepers with a healthy colony of bees don't want their workers mixing with other colonies that may have been exposed to neonics or other stressors which could spread to their own colonies and threaten the health of their bees. In other words, hive locations are kept secret because they are minding their own "beeswax." Michael Hansen, state apiarist for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), is the state's honeybee inspector. That means if bees are traveling to another state for pollination services, Hansen inspects the colonies to ensure they are meeting that state's requirements. He said competition among beekeepers has led to more nefarious actions. "When you start saying, 'this is where my bees are,' most beekeepers don't stand by their colonies and watch them all the time. It's pretty easy – and they have had this problem in California where half of the nation's bees go every year – if you're not watching them for someone to use a forklift and load 100 or 200 colonies into the back of a truck and drive away," Hansen said. "We have had that problem. There have been cases in Michigan where 50 to 100 colonies at a time have been taken out of bee yards. So, if you're advertising that you're a good beekeeper, they could go missing. We have had some beekeepers that didn't notice their hives were gone, and others that have switched hives." While much of the buzz about neonicotinoids is centered around honeybees, the impacts go far beyond the hive. No doubt, initial concern over the insecticides centered on managed pollinators due to the financial ramifications of declining honeybee populations. However, honeybees serve as an essential indicator of larger problems to come. "We see bees as 'the canaries in the cornfield,'" said Kendra Klein, staff scientist with Friends of the Earth, a political activist organization focused on environmental issues. "We are talking about bees as an indicator that chemical-intensive agriculture is on a fatal track." riends of the Earth in March co-authored a report with Klein rating 25 of the nation's food retailers on efforts to protect pollinators. The report found that 20 of the top 25 grocers fail to protect bees and other pollinators. The report looked at organic offerings from the food retailers, policies and practices to reduce pesticides and transparency. Overall, the report gave Whole Foods the highest grade (A), followed by Costco (A-), with Amazon ranked the lowest (F). Some other retailers included Target, Trader Joe's, Walgreen (C+); ALDI, Kroger, Walmart (C); and Meijer and Publix (C-).
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The report is flanked by a petition drive by SumOfUs, which in June delivered 400,000 signatures to Kroger demanding the corporation stop selling food grown with neonics. he Friends of the Earth report also acted as a follow-up to its 2014 and 2016 reports, "Gardeners Beware," which tested plants and flowers from 65 garden retailers, nurseries and landscaping companies for neonics. The report found 23 percent of plants in 2016 rested positive for neonics. The results also included plants tested in Michigan, both in Detroit and Ann Arbor, in which three out of four purchased tested positive for neonics. The results led to several stores revamping their policies to stop the sale of plants treated with the insecticides, including Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart. Klein said the efforts of her group and others is intended to encourage retailers to push for a greater reliance on organic farming practices and a move away from the nation's chemical dependency on pesticides. While the agricultural industry has said the demand for organically grown products is increasing, most industry representatives have said that organic farming practices alone can't sustain the world's food demand. The answer, they say, is less reliance on pesticides by using integrated pest management practices, which rely on a mix of pesticide and organic practices in conjunction with detailed monitoring of pests. Goulson's 2013 study found that despite such claims, the prophylactic use of seed coatings goes against principles of integrated pest management, leading to the current environmental concerns. Further, the EPA's own benefit analysis of neonics found seed treatments provide "negligible" benefits on average to soybean producers in most situations. Jay Feldman, executive director for Washington D.C.-based Beyond Pesticides, said recent studies, such as the USGS sampling of Great Lakes tributaries illustrate the far-reaching use of pesticides in farming and gardening. "It takes that kind of study to alert people to the fact that the pesticides we are using are harmful, and that isn't immediately obvious," he said. "You don't get that through advertising. The relation between MDARD and the EPA relies on regulation, as the EPA registers the chemicals and the state enforces the law. The assumption is that pesticides are approved on acceptable levels of harm, but the evaluations haven't taken the whole impact of these chemicals into account. There are deficiencies in the way we approve pesticides that don't take into account sublethal impacts and the cumulative effects. "People assume that if a product is on the market, it is safe, and the market depends on that." The criticism is one that has led to comparisons between neonics and DDT, as both were introduced as safe alternatives to more toxic chemicals, but were approved without all non-target impacts taken into account. While the EPA has since increased label requirements on neonics to include warnings about their potential harm to pollinators, Feldman said more recent research shows the need for the public to take a broader view of pesticides in general. "When you begin managing with chemicals, you become increasingly reliant on those chemicals without recognizing the local ecology," he said. "The bottom line is, if you take a killing approach or mentality that is focused on killing unwanted plants or species, then you end up creating a niche in the landscape that becomes more attractive to unwanted insects and vegetation. "For instance, if you use glyphosate to kill an unwanted weed, then you're killing the ecosystem around that plant and the organisms that other plants rely on, then you become more reliant on synthetic inputs. You're creating a greater problem, and certainly creating an ongoing dependency to manage the system and inadvertently killing off the natural biology."
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Steve Zieman teve Zieman gets on stage, introduces himself, and tells his audience, “Welcome to ballet class.” Grins and snickers spread across the room of elementary school students. This isn’t actually a ballet class, but right from the get-go Zieman wants his audience to know that they are in for a fun 90 minutes. “Kids love to have fun, that’s their job,” Zieman said. “But in the process, if they are learning something worthwhile that they can use in the real world, well, that is good stuff.” Enter his Magic Bag of Tricks workshop. Started in 1994, Zieman – an only child – had been working in radio and TV for years before both of his parents fell ill. Then, after leaving the early morning radio program and his teaching position at Wayne State University, he needed to find something that would work with his new schedule. He had done magic for years – he got into it at eight and performed shows throughout college to help pay for school – and Beaumont Hospital was looking for people to help with a new program they were starting. They wanted someone who could teach magic tricks to people who had closed head injuries so that the exercise was done in a way that would be fun for them. Doing that program at Beaumont Hospital inspired a new idea, one where Zieman could use magic in the classroom, and help kids learn speaking skills, develop their memory techniques, tactile skills, poise, and storytelling skills. “The idea isn’t to make a whole lot of young magicians,” said Zieman, who lives in Rochester Hills. “It’s to give them these skills. So they are having fun, they’re learning, and when they have to get up in front of a class, or anywhere, they can say they’ve done this before, it’s not so scary.”
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His workshop consists of anywhere from eight to 12 effects, and each student gets a bag to take home with all the elements needed to perform their newly acquired skills. During each trick he first shows them how to do it, has them try it in their seats, and then brings one kid up to perform it on stage. All the tricks are done with things most kids are familiar with. Zieman estimates he goes to about 120 schools a year, as well as libraries, summer camps, and parks and recreation departments. Each workshop tends to max out around 50 kids, who are excited to see what Zieman’s got. Sometimes though, Zieman will get a kid who will say what he’s doing isn’t magic. Zieman quickly rebuffs that. “I’ll say, ‘No, it looks like magic, but these are magic tricks. There’s a secret that you know that other people don’t know and you can fool them,’” Zieman said. “Then they get it. I think they figure they are going to come in and start floating or something. We’re not to that point yet.” While they aren’t flying through the sky or cutting their fellow classmates in half, the kids often walk away with something else: confidence. “It’s a wonderful thing to think you’re making a difference in people’s lives, especially children,” he said. Magic also made a pretty big difference in Zieman’s life. Not only does he get to love going to work every day doing something he absolutely loves, but he also met his wife at one of his shows. “I owe a lot to magic,” he said. “And I try my best to pay it back.” Story: Dana Casadei
Photo: Laurie Tennent
MUNICIPAL Study recommends department changes By Kevin Elliott
The Rochester Fire Department doesn't routinely meet response time standards for structure fires as prescribed by the National Fire Protection Association, one of several challenges facing the department, according to members of an ad-hoc fire committee that was formed to assess the current and future needs of the department. The committee's report was presented on Monday, March 12, to Rochester City Council members, who scheduled an April 23 public meeting to further discuss options and recommendations included in the committee's assessment. Rochester Fire Chief John Cieslik in October asked city council members to approve forming the study committee to identify the department's successes and challenges, and how best to address the city's future needs for fire and emergency medical services in the face of increasing development. Members of the committee who presented the report ultimately determined that the department's current staffing and operating model won't be viable or sustainable in the future. Cieslik said the National Fire Protection Association sets a generally accepted standard for volunteer fire departments at nine minutes for structure fire calls. Response time is measured from when dispatchers notify first responders to when at least six staff, including one fire engine, one ladder truck and one support vehicle, arrive at the scene. Of the four significant structure fires in 2017, the department met the standard once. Those that took longer than nine minutes did so by about two to four minutes. Cieslik said response times to medical calls and other service that don't require at least six staff are under nine minutes. The inability to meet the national standard isn't uncommon. Cieslik said many paid on-call volunteer departments, such as that operated by the Rochester Fire Department, have trouble meeting the standard. According to the NFPA's 2010 Standard, volunteer departments in suburban areas with populations of 36
City manager has power to resolve suit ochester City Council on Wednesday, March 7, granted the city manager additional authority to address the potential trial or settlement of a lawsuit filed against the city by the owner of a planned dental clinic on Main Street. The case, Lilly Investments, LLC et al versus City of Rochester, stems from a dental clinic proposed in 2011 that led to a case filed against the city in 2014. An effort by the city to have the case thrown out failed in January 2017, when a federal court of appeals ruled the case would proceed. Rochester City Manager Blaine Wing said on Thursday, March 9, that city council granted him additional authority as the city seeks resolution of the case. That authority was accompanied by a related, undisclosed budget amendment. "We are still going through the negotiation process," Wing said. "We are hoping to settle, but counsel has had a dual path of working toward a settlement and preparing for trial. If we can reach a settlement, I think both sides would be happy." The case stems from a 2011 decision by the city's planning commission regarding a proposed dental clinic. Dentist Louis Leonor approached the city that September with plans to establish Dentists On Main, 600 N. Main Street. However, disagreements between the city and the applicant stalled, resulting in a filing against the city in 2014. Among the issues in the case are claims that the city refused to lift a stop-work order on the project or make a final decision on the project unless Leonor agreed to pay $40,000 and waive any legal claims against the city. Leonor claimed the city made the request while keeping hidden a favorable review of the project by the city's own expert. Wing said a trial date in the case has been pushed back several times and is currently scheduled sometime next summer.
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500 to 1,000 people per square mile should have a minimum of 10 staff responding within 10 minutes in 80 percent of fires. Urban areas with more than 1,000 people per square mile — Rochester is estimated to have more than 3,000 people per square mile — should have 15 staff responding within 9 minutes, 90 percent of the time. Rural areas, with less than 500 people per square mile should have six staff responding within 14 minutes 80 percent of the time, according to the NFPA's 2010 standards. The NFPA's standard is based on response to a low-hazard occupancy such as a 2,000 square-foot, twostory, single-family home without a basement. Terry Crockett, a resident member of the committee who presented the report's findings to city council, said there are several factors impacting response times, but they can be grouped into two categories: A, the amount of time it takes from when firefighters are notified of an emergency to when they arrive at the fire station; and B, the amount of time it takes to get from the fire station to the location of the emergency.
As a paid, on-call, volunteer department, the fire chief is the only full-time position, with the rest of fire and EMS service provided by paid, on-call staff. As a matter of practice, the department has one EMS/firefighter on duty at all times, which responds with an ambulance. The chief also responds to calls as appropriate. However, fire calls are answered by volunteer, on-call firefighters who receive pay for their volunteer work. Crockett said on-call firefighters are notified when they are needed for an emergency, drive to the station, then drive from the station to the fire or emergency. The department also receives mutual aid from neighboring fire departments when available. As calls for service have risen over the past decade, so have the number of paid, on-call firefighters. Overall calls for service rose 39 percent from 2010 to 2017, from 1,226 to 1,858, which included a 33 percent spike in fire calls; 66 percent increase in EMS calls; and 66 percent increase in EMS transports. Paid, on-call firefighters have increased from 18 in 1980 to 38 in 2018. However, the average distance the firefighter lives from the
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station has increased from about 1.5 miles to more than three miles, with the average drive time to the station being about five minutes at non-peak traffic times. In addition to living farther from the station than in the past, Crockett said firefighters are trending younger, with the Rochester Fire Department facing competition from other departments in the region who are hiring full-time firefighters, resulting in lower retention and higher turnover than previous times. Adding to the list of challenges is the question of how the city will replace Cieslik, who is nearing retirement, and how the department's structure and challenges will affect the position in the future. In terms of success, the Rochester Fire Department added Advanced Life Support (ALS) services to its EMS service about eight years ago, increasing services and transport abilities by medical responders. Cieslik also negotiated a nonemergency transport contract with Crittenton Hospital to provide about $137,000 to the department's budget, bringing total revenues for emergency and non-emergency EMS transports to about $422,000 last year. The department's current budget is about $1.4 million, which comes from the city's general fund. Overall, Crockett said the committee believes performance gaps will continue into the future and become worse if the department continues to operate as it currently does. "The reason why we think the trend will worsen is the increasing demand for service, the paid on-call resident locations, retention and paid on-call skill maintenance and requirements, along with the competition for budget dollars and the city's growth," Crockett said. "The current RFD, paid on-call staffing and operation model will not be viable or sustainable in the future." The committee's study presented four options for addressing the issues facing the department, including different variations of contracting fire and/or emergency medical services and modifying the current structure to allow for some full-time and parttime employee positions, as well as a supplemental volunteer, paid on-call pool. Of the four options, the committee recommends a hybrid staffing solution, which calls for staffing the 04.18
Rochester proposes restrictions on smoking By Kevin Elliott
moke shops and vaping outlets would be prohibited along Main Street and University Drive, as well as several other locations in downtown Rochester, under ordinance revisions approved by Rochester City Council on Monday, March 26, to curb underage uses and exposure to tobacco and tobacco-related products. The proposed measures stem from discussions in 2017 about efforts to stub out the underage use of e-cigarettes and vaping following a presentation to Rochester City Council members by Rochester Police Department school liaison officer Amy Drehmer about the popularity of the items among high school students. Those discussions resulted in increased penalties in May of 2017 for underage use of ecigarettes and vaping products as a moratorium on retail sales and land uses involving vaping products in multiple tenant commercial buildings. The moratorium was extended in November of 2017, as the city's planning commission explored ordinance revisions to address the issue. Rochester City Attorney Jeffrey Kragt said on Monday, February 26, that planning commissioners approved sending two ordinance amendments to city council for consideration. Those proposals, he said, address general smoking regulations in the city, as well as policy considerations regulating businesses whose main purpose is the sale of smoking products, which include tobacco, oils, vaping products, smoking equipment and related products. "The discussion on vaping uses expanded to include other smoking regulations," he said. In regard to the city's general smoking regulations, planning commissioners proposed a prohibition against smoking any substance within multiple tenant commercial, retail and industrial buildings. The proposal would also prohibit smoking or vaping use by employees and patrons within 25 feet of any entrance, open windows or exterior ventilation systems. Further, businesses would be responsible for removing all smoking related refuse on the property, including from all entryways and other areas open to the public. The proposed ordinance would add a new section to the city's code of ordinances that would build on the state's Smoke-Free Law of 2010. Specifically, the ordinance states, "At the time of the enactment of the Smoke-Free Law, other types of smoking, such as hookah, vaping and e-cigarettes, were either not in existence, or were in their infancy, or simply not prevalent. ... city council has been presented with significant evidence and concern from its police department of the wide use and abuse of such methods of smoking by younger individuals. Such use often involves not always knowing what products, chemicals and substances are being ingested. Having a significant distance between schools and establishments that sell smoking products and equipment is desirable in an effort to reduce the access of such products to underage persons." To that purpose, the proposed ordinance would prohibit businesses whose principal use is the sale of such products from locating in a building that fronts or has an address on University Drive or Main Street; or is within 500 feet of a school; Elizabeth Park; Halbach Field; Howlett Park; Municipal Park; Scott Street Park; the Rochester Hills Public Library; or the Rochester Avon Recreation Authority. Additionally, the ordinance would prohibit businesses whose principal use is selling smoking products or equipment from permitting persons under 18 years of age to enter without a parent or guardian. Smoking products would include, but aren't limited to tobacco, nicotine substances, hookahs, oils, vapor products, smoking herbs, electronic cigarettes, hookah pipes, vapor cartridges, bongs, rolling papers and other products. Kragt said the proposal allows the city's planning commission to determine what a business's principal use is, based on several factors, including whether the items are the main products being offered for sale, the ratio of likely sales compared to other products, how the products are advertised or offered for sale and other information. City councilwoman Ann Peterson questioned whether the ordinance's reference to the required distance from a building to smoke would apply to pedestrians who happen to be walking past a business, which an owner wouldn't be able to regulate. Kragt said the ordinance wouldn't pertain to pedestrians. Peterson also asked how the 25-foot rule would be determined and enforced. Kragt said code enforcement officers and police officers could enforce the rule, but in general, the city is simply looking for compliance if the proposed ordinance were approved. "They don't immediately issue a ticket," he said. "They work to make them more aware of the issue and take care of it. If this passes, I'm sure the DDA and PSD would make it well known." A public hearing on the ordinance was held at the city council meeting, followed by a vote by council to approve the first reading of the ordinance. Council voted unanimously to approve the introduction of the ordinance, with Rochester Mayor Rob Ray absent. The new provisions will become active after a second vote by council to finalize the ordinances in April.
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fire station with six firefighters at all times, which would include three fulltime and three part-time positions to be on duty 24/7. The staffing level would require a total of nine new fulltime positions and nine new parttime positions. The department would also retain paid on-call volunteers. Cieslik estimated the recommended option would cost about $600,000 more a year than the existing budget. The recommendation would allow for the department to increase response times to fire calls; retain EMS transport services and associated revenue; stabilize turnover and retention; develop and retain critical skills; facilitate planning for the chief's succession; and allow the city to maintain control over first responder services. Cieslik also said the fire station is already equipped for additional staffing, as was planned for during the department's last renovation. As such, he said there wouldn't be any additional facilities or equipment costs in additional full- and part-time staffing. Councilman Ben Giovanelli said retaining police and fire services is non-negotiable, and that outsourcing either of the services is out of the question. "I'm glad to see this come forward. It's been a longtime in the making," he said, noting that he "ran for city council because of this discussion with the police department" and felt the city should maintain that service in-house "at all costs." He said he believes residents agree, as they also elected fellow council members who expressed the same opinion. "Outsourcing, to me, is not an option," he said. "There is a value in having our own department, and as an accountant, I know there are always costs, but any savings wouldn't be worth the non-economic cost." Giovanelli also said he hopes to receive more accurate and specific information on the cost of implementing the recommended option, and prefers to have those figures at a date in the near future. The council and chief could then look at potential funding options. Councilman Dean Bevacqua said fire safety is paramount to the community, but asked the committee for more options that may be presented to volunteers to move closer to the station to help reduce response times. Councilwoman Ann
Peterson recommended increasing compensation for volunteers sooner, rather than later. Mayor pro tem Kim Russell expressed her desire to have the committee explore the mutual aid component and how the city may better benefit from those agreements in the future. Rochester city manager Blaine Wing said the police department discussion will also be part of the council's upcoming goals and objectives meetings. "This will take some time for us to work through. Even if (council) chooses an option, it would take at least six months to go through and work through something," Wing said. "There is some emergency, but it's not immediate. You don't have to choose a specific option tonight. There are grants that may help to make an easier decision... This isn't at the point where it's urgent and we have to do something immediately. We are thoughtfully going through the data and plotting all the points, checking with neighboring communities and looking at possible options."
Barnett in D.C. on infrastructure plan Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett on Thursday, March 15, joined a group of mayors across the country in Washington D.C. to discuss the city's perspective on the president's infrastructure plan. Barnett was asked to put together a bipartisan team of 15 mayors from across the country to take an in-depth look at how the president's proposed $200 billion infrastructure plan would impact the country's vast infrastructure needs. The group met with Special Assistant to the President for Infrastructure D.J. Gribbin. President Trump's proposal calls for an 80 percent match from states and cities while promising to streamline project delivery by reducing regulation. The proposal also calls for embracing innovation in a way that infrastructure is designed, built and maintained. "Advocating for Rochester Hills is one of my most important responsibilities, and to be asked to participate in this critical discussion with the decision makers at the White House allows me to uniquely add a Rochester Hills perspective to the proposal," Barnett said. "I appreciate the invitation from President Trump and look forward to finding solutions to this massive infrastructure issue which will benefit our city and the greater community."
Rochester Hills approves RARA changes By Kevin Elliott
irst quarter amendments to the Rochester Avon Recreation Authority's (RARA) 2018 budget intended to grow the authority's fund balance were approved on Monday, February 26, by the Rochester Hills City Council. The amendments, which include cutting total expenditures by $290,211 from its originally approved FY 2018 budget, should add an additional $65,041 to RARA's fund balance. The amendments are an effort by RARA to restore its fund balance to about 20 percent of its overall operating budget within the next three years. That goal was set by city council in December as one of several financial oversight measures imposed on the recreational authority that stemmed from a $663,243 reduction in RARA's fund balance in 2017 that took its reserves from about 20 percent to one percent of its total budget. The amended budget calls for $150,271 to be added to RARA's fund balance by the end of the fiscal year. RARA generates about 75 percent of its overall budget through membership fees, programs and facility rentals. About 25 percent of its budget comes from tax millages levied in Rochester and Rochester Hills. Ronald Jewell, RARA's executive director, said in December that the reduction in fund balance was related to the build out of the authority's new facility at 480 E. Second Street, which includes about 22,000 square feet of space for recreational purposes. The new facility and renovation are part of RARA's long-term plan to provide additional services to the greater Rochester area. While the new facility was included in RARA's long-term plans, Jewell said last year that the property became available sooner than expected, forcing the authority to use a significant portion of its fund balance or lose out on acquiring the new facility. Further, while RARA's FY 2017 budget was submitted as if the 480 building was fully operational and running all projected programming, those projections weren't realized prior to the end of the fiscal year in December. The shortfall from the original projections, which were tied in large part to anticipated new memberships, led Rochester Hills City Council to impose a number of financial oversights of RARA by the city's fiscal division. Those oversights include a requirement for RARA to submit quarterly budget amendments, rather than annual amendments, with Monday's amendment the first since the oversights were put in place. "Last time you were here in front of us we talked about some rather disappointing enrollment figures," said council president Mark Tisdel. "How are we doing?" "I'm happy to report that the first month of the fiscal year, in terms of membership alone, we hit right around 25,000, which is one quarter of the budget amount we have for the entire fiscal year," Jewell responded. "So that number will hopefully translate into very positive months. "The first couple months of the year are typically real well. Summer gets a little lull, but the back three or four months of the year pick up, so we are anticipating that number to grow." Rochester Hills Chief Financial Officer Joe Snyder said Monday that the proposed amendments and budget include conservative projections with realistic goals that are attainable. Overall, the budget amendments approved Monday include a reduction of about $157,211 in operating expenditures and $133,000 in capital outlay expenditures, the latter which were attained by deferring projects to future budgets, rather than cutting projects. "We didn't cut any critical capital outlay in the budget. They were deferred," Snyder said. "The most critical component for this year is to restore that fund balance back, then we can explore roofs and parking lots." In addition to the reduction in expenditures, the amended budget includes a reduction of $225,170 in total revenues, due to a conservative review of revenues based on recent prior year trends and realistic projections of future revenue, Snyder said. "This budget amendment is a great first step, and from that we can extrapolate out and do multiyear planning and include a capital improvement plan," Snyder said. Council commended Jewell and the RARA board for their work on the budget and efforts to restore the authority's fund balance. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett also commended RARA, and noted the value it provides to the community in terms of quality of life. "The message was clearly sent from city council in redefined expectations from RARA leadership and the RARA board, and I think RARA heard that," Barnett said. "I've had several conversations with Mr. Jewell and I think he took great action to make sure the council's wishes were implemented. "As a personal statement, if you haven't checked out RARA in the last year — this isn't your parents' RARA anymore... it's an exceptional facility and I think it's in great hands."
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Rochester Hills says no to hotel proposal A proposed four-story, 89-room hotel near an existing Meijer store at Auburn Road, east of Rochester Road in Rochester Hills, was rejected on Tuesday, March 20, by the Rochester Hills Planning Commission. Basim Shina, of Bloomfield Hills, had proposed building an 89-room Candlewood Hotel in the Meijer outlot. However, residents in the area expressed concerns regarding traffic and safety issues with the project, particularly along Auburn Road. Rochester Hills Planning and Economic Development Director Sara Roediger said about 16 residents voiced those concerns at the planning commission meeting. "As the mayor said when the city council approved Premier Academy at Adams and Tienken, which received a lot of opposition by residents for some of the same reasons, we have to follow our ordinances,� Roediger said. “This did need a number of modifications, and the commission and staff felt, and the public concurred, that it didn't meet the intent of the district in this location." According to the planning department's review of the project, the property is located in a B-3 shopping center business district, with a FB-3 flexible business overlay, which does permit hotel use. The site is surrounded by commercial zoning, with a TCF Bank to the north, Meijer to the west and south, and a shopping center directly to the east. The Wildflower subdivision is east of the shopping center. The site is listed as business/flexible use under the city's master plan. While the zoning of the district allows for hotels, the proposed project didn't meet the minimum building frontage build-to area, minimum facade transparency, and lawn frontage regarding locating parking between the building and street. Additionally, the proposed hotel didn't meet the required number of parking spaces. Staff in its review of the project also noted concerns with the overall circulation internal to the site in terms of vehicles accessing the site off Rochester Road, and there were potential conflicts with vehicles and trucks accessing the existing Meijer store. Planning commissioners voted unanimously to deny approval of the site plan, with commission member Ed Anzek absent.
Roediger said that the project ultimately didn't meet the intent of a flexible business district, which should be more of a mixed-use walkable area. "They were basically trying to add something to an existing site that doesn't work with the intent of the ordinance," she said. "It's an unusual case. When we made it a flexible business overlay, we were looking at redevelopment on main roads, not four-story buildings behind shopping centers."
Smoking prohibited at Spencer Park A city ordinance to stop smoking at Thelma G. Spencer Park, that was introduced at the Monday, March 26, Rochester Hills City Council meeting, could be a model to prohibit smoking at all of the city's parks in the future. Rochester Hills Director of Parks and Natural Resources Ken Elwert said he and Rochester Hills City Attorney John Staran worked together to draft a trial ordinance that would prohibit all forms of smoking at the 113-acre Spencer Park, 3701 John R Road. "The primary reason for this is essentially the conflicts with a large user base out there that we get," Elwert said, "which causes operational issues, as well as safety, health and welfare issues." The park's lifeguarded beach draws a large volume of visitors from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year. Elwert said smoking and burning cigarette butts pose risks to barefoot children and adults in the beach's close quarters. There are also conflicts between smokers and non-smokers who are within close proximity. "That, combined with the coals from various items that are used for smoking, too, such as hookahs and things like that. We are requesting a ban on everything: e-cigarettes, cigarettes, hookahs," Elwert said. "Anything essentially that emits smoke in one way or another." Elwert also said the proposed ordinance promotes the park as an area that provides community connection, recreation, exercise, beauty, nature, and wellness. The proposed ban would amend the city's code of ordinances by adding a new section to the chapter on parks and recreation, "Sec. 74113. Smoking prohibited in Thelma G. Spencer Park." The section prescribes a civil fine of up to $500,
and includes a repeal date, which would be set by council following a public hearing. Council members approved unanimously the first reading of the ordinance. Councilwoman Stephanie Morita commended the effort to ban smoking at the park and asked if the trial at Spencer Park could lead to prohibiting smoking at all parks in the city. "I think that will be up to council, but certainly this is our first step to see – essentially this is our most challenging park, operationally with this issue – to see whether it goes well here," Elwert said. "Certainly we could in the future, if council wishes and the mayor's office would like to bring that forward. We could look at those in the future." Elwert said more than 100 communities in Michigan have passed laws restricting or prohibiting smoking at parks, beaches or playgrounds. Nationwide, he said there are about 1,200 municipalities that have passed similar ordinances. At Spencer Park, Elwert said, there are some families that don't want smoking and some that do, and who specifically ask of smoking when checking on facility rentals.
Hotel, restaurant, retail plan approved A plan to construct a four-story hotel and mixed-use building with more than 25,000 square feet of retail, office and restaurant space at the northwest corner of Rochester Road and South Boulevard was approved on Tuesday, March 20, by the Rochester Hills Planning Commission. Situated at the Rochester Hills-Troy
border, the project, called Gateway of Rochester Hills, will include a four-story, 109-room Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites and a two-story mixed-use building. First floor plans include a 6,047-squarefoot restaurant with outdoor seating and 11,037 square-feet of retail space. Second floor plans consist of 11,856 square-feet of office space. The hotel and mixed-use building will share a 9.42-acre site with the existing Gateway Office Building. Gateway Properties of Sterling Heights presented a conceptual project plan to the city's planning commission in late 2017. Concerns about constructing a hotel near residential homes resulted in the city requiring a large buffer area and addressing concerns of residents to the west of the project area. Access to the site will be from Rochester Road and South Boulevard, with pedestrian walkways incorporated throughout the project area. In October, Gateway notified surrounding property owners of plans to develop the vacant land and they held an informal meeting at Bolyard Lumber on October 14 to talk with residents. Commissioners in February postponed approval of the project to address traffic concerns. Planning commissioners on Tuesday, March 20, gave approval of the project's site plan by a vote of 7-1, with commissioner David Reece opposing and commission member Ed Anzek absent. The March 20 approval included a list of conditions requiring Gateway to provide a landscape bond for landscaping and trees in the amount of $137,082, plus inspection fees; to work with city staff to address concerns raised in the project's traffic impact study; and to address staff concerns regarding appropriate lighting, parking and building design.
Council endorses goose control five-year permit ochester Hills City Council on Monday, March 26, passed a resolution to support the Heatherwood Village Homeowners' Association's application to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a five-year permit for goose nest destruction. The association has held consecutive nest destruction permits for more than a decade, said Deborah Barno, who applied for the DNR permit on behalf of the homeowners' association. She said the permit doesn't allow for goose "roundups," in which geese are captured and shipped to other locations. "We have found it useful in controlling the goose population," Barno said of nest destructions.
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Assessments lower, parking permits go up The Rochester Parking Advisory Committee (PAC) requested the renewal of a special assessment district (SAD) within the parking management district for a third year along with increasing monthly parking pass fees by $5 per month, effective April 1. Rochester Deputy City Manager Nik Banda said at the city council meeting on Monday, March 12, that the parking committee in February unanimously passed a motion to request city council consider a third year of the Parking Management District's special assessment district to assist payment of the bond debt the city incurred for the construction of parking platforms. He said that initially city council approved three one-year SADs to be re-evaluated each February, after analyzing the health of the parking fund, with the goal of having that fund become selfsustaining, covering bond debt for the duration of the bond issue. Banda said the goal also included building a reserve fund of $100,000 for large maintenance projects that will be required above the ongoing year-to-year general maintenance of the platforms and surface lots. The committee's ultimate goal, Banda said, is to eliminate the SAD as soon as fiscally prudent. "In year one, the SAD was for $255,000, which was levied proportionately to the property owners within the district that didn't have the required parking on their own properties. The second year, the SAD was reduced by 25 percent, to $187,500," he said. "The committee is requesting that a third year amount be reduced again, this time by 33 percent." The proposed levy for the district would be $125,000 in the third year, or
The association contracts with Holly-based Goose Busters to remove goose eggs. Barno said fewer geese seem to land at Arlington Pond because of the sense it's not a successful breeding spot. In order to receive a permit, the DNR requires an applicant to petition signatures from at least 70 percent of lakeshore property owners, or the association can choose to ask the local governing board to endorse the application by resolution. Barno said there are about 40 lakeshore property owners surrounding the pond. Barno said the association has never attempted to get signatures from the required homeowners, but that they are generally in favor of the nest destructions as they receive the brunt of the nuisance. "I understand that – I have difficulty if they are
about $55 per parking space for the property owners who are deficient on their sites. The PAC also is recommending increasing parking permit fees from $20 per month to $25 per month, due to the demand for the passes. Banda said the city initially charged $40 per month for the passes, but response was weak. The city then dropped the price to $20 per month, at which point the city sold out almost instantly. Banda said the proposed permit fee of $25 is still below other cities, citing Birmingham's monthly fee of $80 per month and Royal Oak's fee of $60 per month. Rochester City Council on Monday, March 26, held a public hearing on the matter. At that meeting, it was relayed by city administration that the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) would contribute $50,000 to the city's parking management fund, thus reducing the levy from $125,000 to $75,000, if the city chose to keep the price of monthly permits at $20. Councilwoman Ann Peterson said at the meeting that she wasn't in favor of the SAD, and that the DDA should pay the full amount, and the parking committee authority should look for more creative ways to generate revenue. Councilman Stuart Bikson also said he has long opposed the SAD. The issue ended in a deadlock vote on March 26, when a motion to approve the city to publish a proposed $125,000 SAD, and hold a public hearing on the matter on April 23 failed. Council voted 3-3 on the motion, with Peterson, Bikson and councilwoman Kim Russell voting against, and mayor Rob Ray absent. Council is expected to take up the matter again, as any proposed SAD roll amount must be approved by council before a public hearing and final vote can proceed.
not willing to sign the petition themselves that you have to come to council to ask council for authorization to do the nest destruction," said councilwoman Stephanie Morita. "I know there are other ways of controlling geese other than destroying eggs. I have some difficulty with this. I would have preferred you had the 28 homeowners that you needed to sign the petition, sign the petition." Morita said one other association in the past five years had avoided a petition and that she voted against that resolution. Councilman Ryan Deel disclosed that he owns property in Heatherwood Village and asked council if anyone would be opposed to him voting on the issue. The resolution passed by a vote of 6-1, with Morita opposing.
SMART mass transit to be investigated By Kevin Elliott
The Rochester Hills Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee will be looking into what a public transit option might look like in Rochester Hills, city council members said on Monday, March 26. Council announced the committee review after two residents voiced their support for a committee study into public transit following a March 12 presentation to city council by the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). SMART Deputy General Manager Robert Cramer said at the March 12 meeting that a survey conducted in October found about 46 percent of participants said they would support a one-mill tax levy for SMART services. About 83 percent of the 400 survey participants had either no opinion or no strong opinion about SMART. "What we took from this is that people are looking for more information about SMART and what public transportation looks like," Cramer said. "Those answers were based on very brief descriptions, so we think there is opportunity for more information to be shared." Rochester Hills resident Scott Struzik, who serves on the Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee, said he uses SMART's FAST Service to get to his job at Quicken Loans in downtown Detroit. He said he drives about 15 minutes from his house to the park and ride bus stop at the Troy Civic Center, on Big Beaver, then uses time he would be driving to study, work or relax. "It has improved my quality of life and increases my free time by over six hours each week where I'm not driving," he said. "In the coming years, I-75 will be under construction, and that will have a significant impact on people commuting to downtown Detroit." Council president Mark Tisdel, who after the March 12 meeting joined Struzik in his crosstown commute, said before and after the ride that the city likely has a $500,000 or $1 million need for public transit, but the available option is a $3.3 million fix. "If this does get underway, and you have that expense, how do you get out of it," Tisdel asked. Cramer said communities may opt out after joining the system at the discretion of city council, which could make a motion to the Oakland 40
More info on Elizabeth Street sought arking restrictions along Elizabeth Street in Rochester that would have shifted parking from the east side of the roadway to west side have been placed on hold on Monday, March 12, while the city requests additional information from the Traffic Improvement Association. Council on January 22 had approved prohibiting parking on the east side of Elizabeth between Hill Street an Parkdale, after residents petitioned the city to address parking and safety concerns. Resident Julie Morris said the lack of sidewalks on the east side of the street in that area and parking issues in front of homes there have led to safety issues and property damage. Council had approved the request, which Rochester Police Chief Steven Schettenhelm backed at the time. However, residents on the west side of Elizabeth subsequently contacted Schettenhelm and presented their own petition, insisting the change would result in more problems for residents on the opposite side of the road, as well as traffic issues. Residents on both side of the street agreed that parking and the lack of what they view as safe sidewalks are an issue for all residents. Further, several residents who spoke expressed their frustration with vehicle speeds, and that many who are parking on the street block driveways. Schettenhelm recommended rescinding the parking restrictions approved in January and requesting the Traffic Improvement Association to assist in conducting a traffic and parking study along the roadway. He also recommended residents reach out to the police department when there are problems, as it has ways of influencing motorists to adhere to local ordinances. Council elected to set a 60-day deadline to commission a traffic study and forego the previously approved parking restrictions, pending the study. The motion was unanimously approved.
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County Public Transportation Authority (OCPT), which would accept the motion and allow the city to leave when the cycle is finished. According to SMART, about 70 percent of people who ride SMART do so to get to and from employment, with a good portion of the rest being seniors or disabled riders. Cramer said service types in Rochester Hills could include Park and Ride services, which received support from about 58 percent of those surveyed; OPC and SMART Connector services, which received about 70 percent support; and fixed-route buses, which received about 48 percent support; and other mixes of services, such as dial-a-ride services, which provide curbside service within 45 minutes and within about 10 miles, and other specialized community partnership programs. Fixed-route services include local, regional, park and ride routes and SMART's new FAST service. Connector services include reservation-based curbside small bus service for all residents, while ADA para-transit is service for approved disabled riders near bus routes. Councilwoman Jenny McCardell suggested the city form a study group to look into the possibility of public transit and what it would look like in the city. Council on March 26 said the
committee has not yet met since the March 12 meeting. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said the city is open to a discussion on public transit, but that any decision has to make sense to the community. "In the 12 years that I've been mayor, I haven't seen the conversation go as far as this before," he said.
Traffic concerns to be addressed by church Concerns about a potential increase of traffic along some residential streets from a proposed 29,000 square-foot expansion of St. John's Lutheran Church, at W. University Drive and Helen Avenue in Rochester, will be addressed by the city and church officials before final plans for the project are approved. The Rochester Planning Commission on Monday, March 5, approved a preliminary site plan approval and special exception for the project, which includes a major expansion of the existing church and school building at 1011 W. University. The project also includes significant renovations in the building housing the school.
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Plans to expand the church were met with overall positive comments from commissioners and members of the public who spoke at the March 5 meeting. However, commissioners and some residents living on Alice Street – a dead-end street on the south side of the property – were concerned about an increase in traffic along the road. Rochester Planning Consultant Vidya Krishnan noted in her review of the proposed plans that traffic flow patterns presented were different than originally submitted. The revised plan, she said, indicates that traffic at the site would be diverted onto Alice Street as a means of exiting the site. Such a use, she said, would not be acceptable, as Alice is a residential street and there are other existing exits and entrances on Helen and University Drive, which is a collector street and major thoroughfare, respectively. Rochester resident Scott Muska, who lives on Alice Street, said the church has been a good neighbor, but that he was concerned about traffic. "The connection with Alice needs to be looked at and considered heavily," he said. "There's a substantial amount of movement there, and people already use the parking lot at times as a cut-through." Commissioners and those representing the church discussed the possibility of keeping the exit to Alice gated and closed off, as well as having a limited traffic analysis done by a traffic engineer to see what solutions could be found to address the concerns. Mike Wilusz, director of operations for the church, pushed back against the idea of having a traffic analysis done, which would be a measure that is less comprehensive than a formal traffic study. He said current use, which would be expected to be the same in the future, has about 20 cars using Alice as an exit. Residents who live along the street who spoke confirmed that estimate is accurate. Still, the discussion didn't alleviate concerns about future traffic. Wilusz said plans to close the gate and access to Alice may be acceptable, but warned that the Rochester Department of Public Works could have limited access to the drive, which its trucks use as a turnaround and use to move snow during the winter plowing season. Planning commissioners elected to give preliminary site plan approval and special exception to the project, with the church and city to reach an agreement on the issue within 60 04.18
days, prior to final approval being granted. The approval also included a list of eight additional requirements, which the church and city indicated had been met or were in the process of being met. Those requirements include vehicle access at the site; pedestrian access; off-street parking; landscaping; screening; trash removal; lighting; architecture; and signage issues.
Sustainability study provides planning tool By Kevin Elliott
An analysis of how a glut of large development projects is impacting the quality of life in Rochester was used to develop a sustainability planning tool that will be incorporated into the city's planning and economic development strategy. The city contracted with McKenna Associates to conduct the analysis and develop a planning tool. Sustainable Rochester, the results of the $53,000 project, were presented in early March to the city's planning commission and the Rochester Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which contributed $20,000 toward the analysis. The city's planning commission also in March approved a motion to incorporate the sustainability analysis into the city's overall planning process. Rochester Deputy City Manager and Director of Planning and
Economic Development Nik Banda said last year that the city needs a more accurate way of assessing the cost of projects, in broader terms of traffic congestion and safety. The analysis, he said, would use those and other quality of life concerns to develop a scoring system on proposed projects. "When you make a decision on a development, the good side of it is tax base. Let's say we can bring in two to three times million more of taxes to our general fund if 80 percent of these new projects that are on the horizon are approved. Pretty cool. That keeps tax base down, it keeps the burden off the taxpayers and helps us pay for infrastructure. But there's a cost to it," Banda said, in first presenting the idea to city council. "It could be traffic congestion, it could be people getting burned out on what we (the city) are becoming. Everybody wants to balance that, and the only way to balance it is a community-wide look." The analysis looked at indicators of quality of life and a system of assigning a value that proposed projects could have on the city. Those indicators included the amount of parks and open space per 1,000 residents; a walkability index; traffic information, such as trip generation, intersection density, and intersection delays; cost of living; houses per acre; water and sewer costs and system condition; crime indexes, emergency response times; and land uses. "Sustainable Rochester provides a framework by which the city of
Fundraiser scheduled for injured sheriff’s deputy By Kevin Elliott
fundraiser has been scheduled to benefit the Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputy who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered on January 4 when he was struck by a passing motorist while directing traffic near Rochester Adams High School. Deputy David Hack, a 17-year-veteran of the sheriff's office, suffered critical injuries, including broken bones in his neck, upper back, shoulders, face and head. He is now recovering at Craig Hospital, just outside of Denver Colorado, which specializes in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Rehabilitation. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on March 16 shared a message from Hack's wife, Christine, on deputy Hack's recovery progress. He also said a fundraiser to benefit Hack's recovery on Saturday, April 14, is at the River Crest Banquet Facility, in Rochester Hills. "Dave continues with traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation at Craig Hospital," Mrs. Hack
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Rochester can evaluate a development project in terms of how it advances the city's sustainability values," McKenna said about the analysis. "The indicator, baseline measures, targets, found in the main report, give decision makers the tools to understand regional growth trends and a common language to discuss progress towards sustainability. "The framework is not a model that computes whether a development should be approved. Instead, Sustainable Rochester is the standardization, synthesis, and factbased comparison of various data sources that allows decision-makers to weigh and all tradeoffs associated with the development to minimize unplanned impacts to the built and natural environment." City council will be asked to formally accept and discuss Sustainable Rochester at its April 9 meeting.
State of the City Address April 16 Rochester Mayor Rob Ray will present the annual State of the City Address on Monday, April 16, at the Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, in downtown Rochester. The event will be the first state of the city address to be given by Ray, who is currently serving his first term as mayor. The address will begin at 7 p.m., with doors to the event opening at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations
said. "His bodily injuries have all healed. He walked about 40 feet with assistance last week. He had the sutures removed from the cranioplasty (skull reconstruction) yesterday and the incision is healing nicely. He will likely have his knee brace removed today after he sees his orthopedist. The focus of his rehabilitation is now 100 percent on recovering from TBI and managing the effects of long-term hospitalization. "Recovery from TBI is different from other medical conditions in that the doctors really can't predict exactly what Dave's long-term outcome will be. We hear, 'we don't know, we'll have to wait an see,' a lot. Dave works hard on his rehabilitation every single day. He has the best staff in the country assisting him and he has his family by his side supporting him every day as we continue to see positive progress each and every day." Hack was struck about 7:40 a.m. on the morning of Thursday, January 4, while working a traffic accident in front of the school on Tienken Road, east of Adams, in Rochester Hills. While policing the accident, he was struck by a 2005 Ford Taurus driven by a 24-year-old Oakland Township woman on her way to Oakland University.
are accepted on a first-come first-served basis. To RSVP by email, contact RSVP@rochestermi.org and include your name, address, phone number and number of guests.
St. Andrew Church addition approved Preliminary site plans to build a 10,400-square-foot addition to Rochester's St. Andrew Catholic Church, 1400 Inglewood Avenue, were given a green light by Rochester planning commissioners, with the project to be subject to a formal public hearing at the commission's April 25 meeting. The proposed addition would be used to accommodate additional gathering space, conference rooms, a music office, storage rooms and an adoration chapel. The church is located north of Howlett Park on the east side of Inglewood. St. Andrew Monsignor Michael Hrydziuszko told planning commission members on Monday, March 5, that the church has a 106-year history and is looking to build additional space on to the existing building, which was constructed in 1967. He said the church desperately needs additional meeting room and a gathering space to use before and after services. The commission accepted the preliminary site plan and approved scheduling a public hearing for its April 25 meeting.
No charges have been announced in connection to the accident. Hack was transported to Crittenton Hospital in critical condition and treated at the Intensive Care Unit. He was later transported to Craig Hospital in Inglewood, Colorado for treatment for a traumatic brain injury. Hack, who also served as a sheriff's police liaison officer at the high school, has received strong support from the community, with members of the public regularly contacting or walking into the sheriff's office Rochester Hills substation for updates on Hack's progress. "We love you all and appreciate all of your support," Mrs. Hack said. "We are so grateful for the love and kindness our friends, family and the community has given us." The April 14 fundraiser, dubbed, Rock'n For the Cause, will be held from 6 p.m. to about midnight at the River Crest Banquet Facility, 900 W. Avon Road. A donation of $20 is required, and the event includes food, ice cream and entertainment. A cash bar, raffle, silent auction and live music will be provided. For additional information, contact Paul Deesen at 586.453.1592.
PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Rochester area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.
Rochester/Rochester Hills 112 Pizzeria Bistro: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 2528 S. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.289.6164. 2941 Street Food: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 87 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.606.4583. Alex’s of Rochester: Italian, Greek, & American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.852.2288. Antoniou’s Pizza: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 918 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307. 248.650.2200. Avery’s Tavern: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2086 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.270.4030. B Spot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 176 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.218.6001. Bangkok Cuisine: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 727 N. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.8841. Bar Louie: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, 10 or more. Liquor. 1488 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48307. 248.218.5114. Bean and Leaf Café: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 439 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.601.1411. Bigalora Wood Fire Cucina: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 8 or more. Liquor. 6810 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.218.6230. Big Boy: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No Reservations. 3756 S. Rochester Road., Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.852.5540. Also 90 E. Tienken Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.601.7777. Bologna Via Cucina: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 334 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.3300. Buffalo Wild Wings: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1234 Walton Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.651.3999. Chadd’s Bistro: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No Reservations. 1838 E. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.293.0665. Chapman House: French-American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations recommended. Liquor. 311 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 48307. 248.759.4406. Cheng’s Restaurant: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 2666 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.9450. Chicken Shack: BBQ. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 213 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48307. 248.656.1100. Chili’s: Tex-Mex. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No
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reservations. Liquor. 2735 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.5281. Chipotle Mexican Grille: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2611 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.402.0047. Also The Village of Rochester Hills, 84 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.402.0047. Chomp Deli & Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 200 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 888.342.2497. CJ Mahoney’s Sports Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 3260 S. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48307. 248.293.2800. CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. Clubhouse BFD (Beer-Food-Drink): American. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations, 10 or more. Liquor. 2265 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.289.6093. Culver's: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations. 92 E. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills, MI, 48307. 248.293.2200. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Barbecue. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1418 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.266.6226. Downtown Café: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 606 N. Main, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.6680. Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 2972 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307. 248.606.4519. Five Guys Burgers & Fries: American, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2544 S. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.299.3483. Georgio’s Pizza & Pasta: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Italian. 117 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.601.2882. Gold Star Family Restaurant: American & Greek. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 650 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.652.2478. Golden Eagle: American. Lunch, Sunday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1447 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.6606. Grand Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 12 Marketplace Circle, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.289.1350. Half Day Café: American. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3134 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.1330. Hamlin Pub: American. Breakfast, Sundays. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1988 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.656.7700. Hibachi House Bar & Grill: Japanese Steakhouse. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 335 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.266.6055. Honey Tree Grille: Mediterranean. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2949 Crooks Road, Rochester, 48309. 248.237.0200. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1186 W. University Drive, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.651.3527.
Johnny Black Public House: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1711 E. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.606.4479. Kabin Kruser’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. No reservations. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. 306 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. 2552 S. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.844.8900. King Garden: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1433 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.656.3333. Krazy Greek Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 111 E. University Drive, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.0089. Kruse & Muer In the Village: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 134 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.2503. Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. Lebanese Grill: Lebanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2783 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.606.4651. Lino’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 50 W. Tienken Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.656.9002. Lipuma’s Coney Island: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 621 N. Main Steet, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9862. Lucky’s Prime Time: American. Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, weekdays. Liquor. 1330 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.656.8707. Main Street Billiards: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.8441. Main Street Deli: Deli. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, Thursday, Friday. No reservations. 709 N. Main Street, Rochester, MI 48307. 248.656.5066. Mamma Mia Tuscan Grille: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 543 N. Main Street, Suite 311, Rochester, 48307. 248.402.0234. Mezza Mediterranean Grille: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor at The Village location only. 1413 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.609.2121. Also The Village of Rochester Hills, 188 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills. 248.375.5999. Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 870 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5371. Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 370 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.340.5900. Mr. B’s Food and Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 423 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.6534. Noodles & Company: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 184 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.5000. North Shack: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 990 E. Auburn
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Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.853.3366. O’Connor’s Public House: Irish Pub. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. Olive Garden: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2615 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.853.6960. Paint Creek Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 613 N. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4205. Panda Express: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3105 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.853.9880. Panera Bread: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 37 S. Livernois Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.601.2050. Also 2921 Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.853.5722. Also 2508 S. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.7430. Park 600 Bar & Kitchen: American. Weekend Brunch. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.2600. Paul’s on Main: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 630 N. Main Sreet., Rochester, 48307. 248.656.0066. Pei Wei: Asian Fusion. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1206 E. Walton Boulevard, Rochester, 48307. 248.601.1380. Penn Station East Coast Subs: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 146. S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.601.4663. Penny Black Grill & Tap: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 124 W. 4th Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.841.1522. P.F. Chang's China Bistro: Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 122 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.923.7030. Pudthai & Sushi: Thai & Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 2964 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.6890. Qdoba Mexican Grill: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1198 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.608.2603. Also 3014 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.844.3668. Ram’s Horn: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1990 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.651.7900. Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Red Knapp’s Dairy Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 304 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.4545. Red Lobster: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2825 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.8090. Red Olive: Mediterranean & American.
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Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1194 Walton Boulevard, Rochester, 48307. 248.656.0300. Rochester Bistro: American-Continental. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 227 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.923.2724. Rochester Brunch House: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 301 Walnut Boulevard, Rochester, 48307. 248.656.1600. Rochester Chop House: Steakhouse & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. Rochester Diner & Grill: American, Greek & Italian. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. 1416 E. Walton Blvd., Rochester Hill, 48309. 248.652.6737. Rochester Mills Beer Co.: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Water Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.650.5080. Rochester Tap Room: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6870 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.650.2500. Seasons of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6866 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.413.5742. Shish Palace: Mediterranean. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. 165 S. Livernois Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5464. Shogun: Japanese. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 173 S. Livernois Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5386. Silver Spoon Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.652.4500. Soho: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2943 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.289.1179. Sumo Sushi & Seafood: Japanese & Korean. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, 24 hours in advance. Liquor. 418 N. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.601.0104. Tapper’s Pub: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 877 E. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.852.1983. Tim Hortons: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 940 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.656.8292. The Jagged Fork: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 188 N. Adams, Rochester Hills, 48306. The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. Tropical Smoothie Café: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2913 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.852.4800. Val's Polish Kitchen: Polish. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, Sunday. Reservations. 224 E. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.293.2660. Wayback Burgers: American. Lunch &
downtownpublications.com
Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1256 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5746. Also 2595 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.844.2717. Willoughby’s Beyond Juice: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 120 E. 4th Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.841.1670.
Troy Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300. Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 5500 Crooks Rd., Troy, 48098. 248.646.7900. McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084. 248.637.6400. Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. NM Café: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. Steelhouse Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.817.2980.
Birmingham/Bloomfield 220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No
reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.792.3579. Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 245 South Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774. Bill's: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Daily. Reservations, lunch only. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. Cameron’s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.1700. Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. Eddie Merlot's: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. Forest: European. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner daily; Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. 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. Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025. 248.723.7960.
DOWNTOWN
MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122. Roadside B & G: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations, Lunch only. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. 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. Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009. 248.480.4951. Vinotecca: European. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.6600.
North Oakland Clarkston Union: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100. Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday – Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442. 248.634.5208. Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500. Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday – Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Here is the update on the recent social scene. Many more photos from each event appear online each week at downtownpublications.com where readers can sign up for an e-mail notice when the latest social scene column is posted. Past columns and photos are also archived at the website for Downtown. Sally Gerak Dancing with the St. Regis Stars Gala St. Regis school gala co-chairs Patti Brozek and Bridget Sagmani and staff coordinator Christi Hanzel took the Dancing with the Stars concept to a new high for the annual school fundraiser. It brought a crowd of 350-plus school boosters ($100 & $150 tickets) to the Detroit Golf Club. Thanks to Lada and Evan Mountain and their Fred Astaire Dance Studio (where Brozek takes lessons), six St. Regis parents were able to show off the countless hours they spent practicing with studio pros. Each of the stars – Mike Kulka, Nick Gorga, Meghan Rivard, Roseann Donaldson, Kristin Impastato and Gabe Zawaideh – pitched themselves with candor and good humor via video before taking to the dance floor. And this reporter has never seen amateur dancers have such a good time and look so professional. The audience also whooped it up for their favorites. Emcees Taryn Asher and Jason Carr not only conducted revealing post dance interviews with the dancers, they were also dynamic auctioneers for the mini live auction ($70,000) that followed the dance contest. Votes were $10. Gabe Zawaideh won the prized crystal ball trophy and the dancing raised more than $75,000. Food stations for dining on the stroll fit right in with the exuberant spirit of the party. Some people wound down on the dance floor; others retreated to the upstairs cigar lounge. The Gala netted a best-ever $175,000 for the elementary school where academics and faith are top priorities.
Motor City Open For the 19th year, 12 of the world’s top-ranked pros came to the Birmingham Athletic Club for the Motor City Open squash tournament. Spectators came from all over and included many of the 350 active BAC members, about half of whom play squash on the club’s six courts. A qualifying round match between England’s Nathan Lake and 18-year-old Ned Mylod, the first BAC member to play in the MCO, was especially notable. Mylod, ranked 9 on the Under-19 national junior circuit, lost in three games but learned a lot. So did the kids who participated in the junior clinic with the pros. This included members of RacquetUp Detroit which combines squash with education, community service and travel for at-risk Detroit kids. The non-profit was the beneficiary of the BAC charity auction ($20,000) at the sponsors and members’ parties during the six days of the tournament presented by the Suburban Collection. Top ranked Marwan ElShorbagy of Egypt was the 2018 MCO winner, earning nearly $12,000 of the $70,000 prize purse and a Longines watch presented by Greenstone’s Fine Jewelers. The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner “I can’t say ‘no’ to Lois Shaevsky,” Ethan Davidson said by way of explaining his role as keynote speaker at The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner. The man who chairs the grants committee of his late father’s foundation (William Davidson) was a most appropriate choice because the annual event salutes those who have made $25,000 legacy gifts to the institution that was founded 95 years ago by some women who thought Birmingham needed a place for people to gather. The capacity crowd (225) included not only many of the society inductees, but also friends and fans of the seven 2018 Pillars of 44
Dancing with the St. Regis Stars Gala
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1. Christi Hanzel (left) and Patti Brozek of Bloomfield and Bridget Sagmani of W. Bloomfield. 2. Amy & Tom Head of Bloomfield. 3. Tom MacLean (left) of Bloomfield and Pat Kattoo of W. Bloomfield. 4. Penny Kennedy (left) and Mark and Amy Kennedy Carroll of Birmingham. 5. Jim & Cathy Gregory of Bloomfield. 6. Ryan Wolf and Rebecca Dean of Sylvan Lake.
Motor City Open
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4 1. Mike Beauregard (left), Peter Schmidt and Derrick Glencer of Bloomfield. 2. Jeff Gembis (left), Joe Carter and Nathan Marsden of Birmingham. 3. Rami (left) & Carmen Fakhoury of Bloomfield, Glenn Stevens of Birmingham, Magdt Talaat of Troy. 4. Peter Schmidt and Robert Greenstone of Bloomfield. 5. Joe O’Connor of Bloomfield, Heather Mylod of Birmingham.
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Vibrancy recognized for their contributions to community vitality in the realms of Culture, (Dr. David DiChiera, Paul W. Smith, Robert Bury), Education & Wellness (Dr. Robert Folberg), and Philanthropy (Geoffrey Hockman, Julie Rodecker, Katie Valenti). Their impressive accomplishments generated standing ovations and confirmed presenting sponsor PNC Wealth Management’s Ric Devore’s observation that “...giving in (this region) excels every other PNC city.” Marian Mardi Gras Benefit Evening Sue Bentley Atwell, Cathy Brooks, and Joellen Shortley chaired the MHS Benefit Evening. It attracted 300 school loyalists (($100, $125, $300 tickets), some of whom began the evening at Mass in the school chapel before convening in the Marian Commons for silent auction bidding and socializing . The silent auction, which included original art by alums Kathy Mielock Carroll, Julie Stenger Ryckman and Janet Kempf raised more than $30,000. Raffles raised more than $41,000. En route to the auditorium for dinner many guests stopped at a photo booth for souvenir pictures with Mardi Gras props. A Creole dinner that concluded with beignets for dessert preceded the live auction. It was emceed by Marian dad Dan Sharkey and included highlights like a winsome cockapoo puppy and a gourmet dinner for 10 prepared by Marian Chef Jimmy Stepp. The live auction raised $24,000. When Marian Head of School Sr. Lenore Pochelski took the microphone, guests raised their paddles – and $29,250 – for Marian’s science program. Other event proceeds will fund tuition assistance at the college prep school for young women. Music by Good Gravy kept the good times rolling as guests danced into the night. Good Samaritans’ Tea Named after Holy Cross Services’ one-stop community resource center in Detroit, the women’s support group hosted a membership tea ($35-ticket) chaired by Karen Brown and Carolyn Andrea at The Village Club in Bloomfield Hills. GS president Mariann Bolton told the 48 guests (including six new/potential members) about the group’s charitable works and invited them to join the effort.
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The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner
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3 1. Josee-Anne (left) & Mark Wakefield and Ethan & Gretchen Davidson of Birmingham. 2. Dr. Bob & Amy Folberg of Birmingham, Ora Pescovitz of Rochester Hills. 3. Sam & Katie Valenti of Bloomfield, Bob & Mary Ann Bury of Grosse Pointe. 4. Lois Shaevsky (left) of Bloomfield, David DiChiera of Detroit, Julie Rodecker of W. Bloomfield, Bill Seklar of Bloomfield. 5. Dana & Jim Lentine of Rochester Hills, Geoffrey Hockman of Birmingham.
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Marian Mardi Gras Benefit Evening
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1. Joellen Shortley (left) of W. Bloomfield, Sue Atwell and Cathy Brooks of Bloomfield. 2. Dominic & Eileen Sacca of Bloomfield. 3. David & Kathryn Petoskey of Bloomfield. 4. Michele & Rob Whitty of Bloomfield. 5. Sue DeckerKowalski (left) of Rochester, Patty Atisha of Lathrup Village.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK BEF Unabashed BASH
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3 1. Ann & Patrick Leibler of Bloomfield. 2. Rosemary (left) & Steve Scheidt of Birmingham, Jill & Bill Klindt of Bloomfield. 3. Jean & Dan Nerad of Bloomfield. 4. Diana Patterson (left) and Catherine Turnbull of Birmingham, Adam Acey of Franklin. 5. Rosemary Hall (left) and Julie & Andy Sutherland of Birmingham.
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BEF Unabashed BASH All but one of the 18 annual Birmingham Education Foundation BASH fundraisers have been held at the Townsend but only one, this year’s, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the foundation. And speakers – foundation president Patrick Liebler, BPS superintendent Dan Nerad, Groves High School performing arts head John Rutherford, Seaholm seniors Ebony Johnson and Grant Davis – all paid tribute to the wide ranging enrichment activities funded by foundation grants. Two selections from Groves’ “Pirates of Penzance” also earned rousing ovations from the 230 guests ($150 ticket), many of whom played Heads & Tails ($5,205) to determine the winner of prizes worth $1,600. Energetic auctioneer Beth Rose wangled $15,700 for six live auction items and $11,350 in outright pledges. Thanks also to the wine pull ($1,050), bidding in the silent auction ($27,570) coordinated by Catherine Turnbull and generous sponsors, the festive evening grossed more than $140,000 for exceptional public school experiences.
Academy of the Sacred Heart Gala
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Academy of the Sacred Heart Gala Despite a big snowstorm, the Academy of the Sacred Heart’s 2018 Heart of Gold Gala attracted nearly 200 school loyalists to the Detroit Athletic Club. Tom and Karen Hartle chaired the annual fundraiser. It had a “Midnight in Paris” theme and honored Head of School Sr. Bridget Bearss. She will leave in June for Washington, D.C to lead the Stuart Center after 18 years at the Bloomfield Hills school. Current board chair Ryan Marsh and former chair Dan Carroll gave Sister the Heart of Gold award and students, via a video, wished her well. Auctioneer Steve Jasgur oversaw a spirited live auction. The paddle raise inspired nearly 40 pledges to the ASH mission and the silent auction continued through noon the following day. In all, the 2018 gala grossed $275,000 to help bridge the difference between tuition and the true cost of educating each student.
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1. Eric (left) & Patricia Kondratenko of Chicago, Sr. Bridget Bearss of Bloomfield, Patricia Kondratenko-Collins & Scott Collins of Rochester Hills. 2. Elizabeth Rivenburgh and Rob Rivenburgh of Bloomfield. 3. Stephanie Chaczyk of Sterling Heights and Bess Quick and Allisen Willhoft of Birmingham. 4. Kevin & Amy Nowlan of Bloomfield. 5. Karen Hartle (left) of Birmingham, Megan Martin of Bloomfield.
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Impact 100 Oakland County The non-profit that maximizes the impact of the 1,000 charity dollars (dues) each of its members (all women) donates annually is staging informal events to explain the concept to potential members. One such gathering recently commandeered 04.18
happy hour prime space at Birmingham’s Social Kitchen and Bar. Potential members learned that grant applicants are extensively vetted and finalists make their pitch to members who vote for the winner. One member, one vote. For its third year of making $100,000 grants to Oakland Countybased non-profits, Impact100 hopes to double last years’ membership (201) which doubled its first year. The 2018 membership deadline is March 31. Members can be as involved or uninvolved as each wishes. Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund Benefit From the bagpiped opening to the presentation of Colors to the National Anthem sung with operatic gusto by Carl Nilson to the Taps that concluded the program, the 13th annual Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund dinner program emceed by Lila Lazarus was a patriotic tour de force. The 650 supporters ($150 ticket) at the MGM Grand gave standing ovations to the three Patriots of the Year, some clients’ moving expressions of gratitude and guest speaker, former Congressman Mike Rogers. They also bid $26,350 in a brief live auction. The dinner and auction will net more than $100,000, 97 percent of which directly assists warriors and their families with immediate financial needs. This exceptional payout is because everybody is a volunteer, even Executive Director Dr. Lynn Phillips. And those proceeds are but a fraction of the FWSF annual distribution, which last year totaled $715,514 and helped 476 Michigan vets. The 150 people who helped raise those funds at other events throughout the year were honored with a VIP reception preceding the dinner. As board president Rob Grimaldi said, “ We’re careful stewards of your dollars...to care for the vets who care for us.” JVS Trade Secrets More than 400 advocates of vocational education for women ($150 ticket) gathered at the Troy Marriott for the 10th annual Trade Secrets event. The signature chance raffle was a diversion during the wine reception preceding dinner. Cheryl Chodin emceed the program which had two stars. Women to Work program graduate Paula Perelman not only drove all the way from Marquette to be honored, but she also solicited a sponsor donation from her brother. “What a tremendous honor,” downtownpublications.com
Impact 100 Oakland County
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3 1. Colleen Miller (left) of Birmingham, Alicia Gasta of Bloomfield. 2. Deb Withrow (left) and Mary Pat Rosen of Bloomfield. 3. Stephanie Steigewald (left) and Katherine DiClaodio of Birmingham. 4. Heather Lorincz (left), Garland Waller and Charlotte Press of Bloomfield, Jessie Bell of Birmingham. 5. Lindsay VanSyckle of Birmingham.
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Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund Benefit
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1. Lynne Minish (left) and Carol Pearson of Bloomfield, LiLa Lazarus of Orchard Lake. 2. Trudy & Jim and Lucy Hoen of Bloomfield. 3. Congressman Mike Rogers (left) of Brighton, Chris Cornelius of Royal Oak. 4. John Lazarus of Bloomfield, Joanne Lazarus Grobe of Beverly Hills. 5. Cindy Lazarus (left) of Bloomfield, Dr. Lynn Phillips of Ann Arbor.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK JVS Trade Secrets
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2 1. George Stern (center) of Birmingham, Camille Walker Banks (left) of Southfield and Paula Perlman of Marquette. 2. Kristen Gross (left) of Franklin and Linda SchlesingerWagner of W. Bloomfield. 3. Annette & Jack Aronson of Bloomfield. 4. Elaine Fieldman & John Knaffla of Birmingham, Bruce Kridler of Bloomfield. 5. Mynetta Christie (left) and Fran Stern of Birmingham.
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Figo Salon ALS benefit Chef Anthony Lombardo wowed the 50 benevolent fun lovers who dined in Rino and Kristina Marra’s Figo Salon in Birmingham to donate to the ALS association ($150 each). Event planner Jon Gerych, whose wife has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), transformed the upscale hair salon into an upscale dining room for the Saturday night dinner party. And yes, the menu did include a pasta dish similar to that which Lombard intends to feature at his soon-to-open SheWolf restaurant (Selden Building in midtown Detroit) where he will mill his own pasta flour.
Figo Salon ALS benefit
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1. Athar Kakka (left) of W. Bloomfield, Renee Zawaideh of Bloomfield, Ashna Jeberaeel of W. Bloomfield, Gina Zawaideh of Birmingham. 2. Laura Soave (left) of Birmingham, Cindy Denha and Gabe Zawaideh of Bloomfield. 3. Chef Anthony Lombardo (second from left) of Detroit, Rino (left) & Kristina Marra of Bloomfield and Jon Gerych of Fenton.
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she declared, adding, “(JVS’s) Judy Richmond’s love, wisdom, strength and grace...made me a victor, not a victim.” When 2010 honoree photographer Linda Solomon presented 2018 honoree Camille Walker Banks, she noted that 2016 honoree, SkinnyTees founder Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, is a graduate of Banks’ small business program (10KSB) at WSU. “It’s CEO school...her graduates outpace all the competition,” said Solomon. Walker Banks’ career path illustrated her admonition about the importance of learning from one’s mistakes. She also shared three secrets – don’t settle; think like an entrepreneur; own who you are – and suggested, to great applause, that entrepreneurs in the room should look to Women to Work graduates for employees. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the evening will add more than $220,000 to the $1.5 million past Trade Secrets have raised to assist more than 10,000 women job seekers. Strictly Business, the other big JVS annual fundraiser, is Tuesday, June 14, and will star GM’s Mark Reuss as luncheon speaker.
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Birmingham Rotary Masters Madness Birmingham Rotary members and their friends (120 @ $125) convened at the Birmingham Athletic Club for one of their rare fundraising events. The excuse for the Friday night bash was the drawing for a VIP trip to the 2018 Masters golf tournament, but there was also good chow, spirits, a wine pull, auction action, very live music by Collision Six and fine fellowship. With great fanfare, raffle chair Bryan Frank pulled the winning ticket belonging to Peter Campbell, who was not in attendance. However, the next two names pulled – Vic Pooler and Dave Zimmer – were there to pick up their 04.18
not too shabby second and third place cash prizes. The spirited event raised more than $40,000. Proceeds are earmarked for Birmingham Rotary Endowment fund humanitarian grants. The deadline for grant applications is May 15. Variety SHINE Fashion Show The fifth annual fashion show spotlighting Variety and FAR member clients modeling apparel they chose at Somerset Collection shops attracted 200 ($35, $100, $200 tickets), not counting the throngs hanging over the atrium railing at Somerset Collection South. And, as commentator Vicki Howard noted, “It’s been fun watching the models grow up and reveal their personalities.” Event chairs Ruthie Seltzer and Brooke Kircher thanked guests, community mentors and sponsors and described the Variety and FAR-Therapeutic Arts & Recreation camping programs that will benefit from their support. Ella Grewette opened the program singing “True Colors”. It ended with a grand march of all the models and their mentors. In between was enthusiastic applause and lots of smiles.
Birmingham Rotary Masters Madness
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3 DSO Classical Roots Celebration As it has every year, the 40th anniversary Classical Roots concert opened with the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Many of the 2,000 concertgoers at Orchestra Hall sang right along with the 140-person Anniversary Celebration Choir comprised of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale, the Detroit Choral Society and choirs from Wayne State University and the Detroit School of the Arts. Another program highlight was the award presentation to two African-American classical music trailblazers – tenor/educator George Shirley and visionary/academic Earl Lewis. Pre and post concert revelry included cocktails, a sold out dinner ($250, $500, $750) and desserts and dancing to the R&B band Notorious. Thanks also to presenters Stanley and Judy Frankel and sponsors JPMorgan Chase and the DTE Energy Foundation, the 40th anniversary celebration raised an all time high $330,00 for the DSO’s AfricanAmerican music and musician development programs. 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
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1. Charles Wickins (left) of Birmingham, Linda Hatfield of Farmington Hills, Vic Pooler of Berkley. 2. Dave (left) & Molly Smyk of Birmingham, Bryan Frank of Beverly Hills. 3. Deb & John Schrot of Birmingham. 4. Bob Kupfer (left) & Dave Weir of Bloomfield, Fran & George Stern of Birmingham. 5. Regan Gilshire (left) of Royal Oak, Carol Peterson of Birmingham.
Variety SHINE Fashion Show
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2 1. Michelle Murphy (left) of Sterling Hgts., Brooke Kircher of Clarkston and Ruthie Seltzer of Birmingham, Pamela Ayres of Bloomfield. 2. Christina Collins (left), Lois Shaevsky of Bloomfield. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 3. Sophia (left), Felicia Palazzolo-Shaw of Birmingham. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 4. Harry, Kim Smith of Bloomfield. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 5. Steven Kalczynski (left) of Birmingham, Sebastian. (Photo by Doug Ashley).
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ENDNOTE
Schools get safer, but not safe enough ou are sadly mistaken, if you don’t think this can happen at your school - those are words spoken by J. Scott Mills, superintendent for St. Mary's County, Maryland, after another school shooting, this time on March 20, at Great Mills High. An armed sheriff's deputy stationed at the school shot and killed the 17-year-old student who shot two other students with a handgun. Schools around the country, including those locally, are playing catch up on school safety and security, as clearly demonstrated by the Valentine's Day Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, In that incident, a former student walked in, tripped the fire alarm and killed 17 students and injured 14 others at the school using a semi-automatic weapon he had legally purchased. Local law enforcement and schools have received numerous threats since, and are prosecuting even false threats of terrorism. As Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Paul Walton said, the days of schools sitting down with students and their parents and working things out are over. “Now, schools are reporting everything to the authorities.” Who can blame them? Since 20 first graders were slaughtered in their school at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, local districts have been investing in school safety and security upgrades, notably by adding school liaison officers and securing the front entryways of school buildings so that only one entrance is unlocked, everyone – including parents – has to be buzzed
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into the building and state their purpose and then be routed to the office. Many also have surveillance cameras. We were pleased to hear from Rochester Schools that their entry system also has lockdown capabilities. “Locks that latch from the interior side of the classroom door are being added, and video surveillance cameras are being installed in the schools and on buses. An updated districtwide telephone system and public address (PA) system will also ensure proper notification and warning during an emergency,” district spokesperson Lori Grein said. However, word that not all buildings have been upgraded, as their bond efforts go through 2020 is extremely concerning, because the reality is that there isn't time to take it slowly. This must be a priority – nationwide, there were over 700 copycat threats in just the first two weeks after Parkland. We also have to question the advantage to any district to having one school resource officer, or school liaison officer, from a police department or sheriff's department – who is spread out over numerous district schools, when unfortunately, schools are the targets they are today. We are definitely not proponents of arming teachers or staff in schools – but armed law enforcement officers stationed in schools offer a plethora of benefits. They not only are the boots on the ground in the event of a mass shooting event – if they happen to be at the targeted school, as in the case of Great Mills High in Maryland – but further, when trained personnel are in schools on a regular basis, they can build relationships with students. That
can allow them to catch problems, and potentially identify not just difficult, but spiraling students and work with other professionals to get them the help they need. They also are ears in the school, hearing what's going on, and allowing other students to feel comfortable to confide in them and share tips. What does seem ridiculous to us is Birmingham Schools' bringing in security guards to their high schools – and leaving them without the weapons to protect students and staff. There is no value in hiring bodies for show. We were impressed, however, with Birmingham Superintendent Daniel Nerad's emphasis on constant review, that their safety and security plans and programs are “living, breathing documents. Sadly, you cannot be stuck at where you were when you wrote them. You have to continually revise.” That is one reason we were frustrated and disappointed when Detroit Country Day School, The Roeper School, Academy of Sacred Heart and Brother Rice High School all declined to share or discuss their safety efforts. Shame on them. It's not a secret. They have an obligation to the community at large to let them know they are working on security efforts and protecting students and staff. We're all in this together. If the worst were to unfortunately happen, we would all come together, with law enforcement, the medical community and the public rushing to assist and prevent further damage. As these shooters, whatever their warped minds or motivations have shown, we're all in this together. And it's not going away anytime in the near future.
Fire department needs for a growing city indings of a recent study into the present and future needs of the Rochester Fire Department are evidence that the city must develop a new model for responding to fires, as well as staffing and funding for the department. Among the committee's findings were that the fire department, currently an on-call volunteer model, rarely meets response time standards as prescribed by the National Fire Protection agency. In 2017, they only met the response time of nine minutes for a structure fire once. For a city of the stature and size of Rochester, and with the growth it is experiencing, that is simply unacceptable. The department has experienced a significant increase in all calls for service. As stated by the committee, overall calls for service rose 39 percent from 2010 to 2017; fire calls rose 33 percent; and EMS transports rose 66 percent. The department's paid oncall firefighters have grown from 18 in 1980 to 38 in 2018, evidence of the growth of the city. Save for the chief, all are volunteers, many who live a distance from the station. When there is a fire, they have to
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drive to the fire station, change and then get to the fire. A further problem the department is consistently experiencing is the loss of young, trained firefighters to full-time work at other departments, leaving Rochester to once again pay the costs of training volunteers. Those challenges and others led the committee to determine the "paid on-call staffing and operation model will not be viable or sustainable in the future." While the fire department has been lagging behind the national standard for fire incident responses, the department's emergency medical service response is within the standard because the department keeps at least one EMS responder on duty at all times, at the fire station. We strongly agree with the fire committee in its recommendation to council that it's more than time to add additional full-time positions to the Rochester Fire Department. That can be done through a combination of full-time and part-time positions to ensure that an EMS technician and an
adequate number of firefighters are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rochester Fire Department Chief John Cieslik said keeping the station manned at all times would require two additional positions, which would equate to six new hires, including three part-time staff and three full-time staff. He estimated the cost to be about $600,000 over the existing budget of about $1.4 million annually. The fire station was built to house additional staff, including sleeping and living quarters. While some council members talked of shared services with neighboring departments – a good idea for partnering for large fires and emergencies – Rochester should not depend on other communities for a basic need, which fire services are. It is more than time for Rochester to step up and fund a paid fire department, or a mix of part full-time firefighters and on-call volunteers. We applaud Chief Cieslik for pushing for the study, as well as for a better staffing model for his department. We anticipate the administration's support will help guide council to continue to protect its residents.
ONLY 7 LOTS RE M AIN!
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It’s time to seize the best in life by embracing a home, a declaration that you have arrived. Before it’s too late – make the move, take the jump and surprise yourself – don’t accept compromise.
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FEATURES AND AMENITIES Only 7 lots remain Gated community Bloomfield Hills schools Customize a plan and start today
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442 S. Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, MI 48009
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5381 Orion Road | $1,240,000
BLOOMFIELD HILLS 1772 Heron Ridge | $1,599,000
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5343 Carlisle Court | $769,000
Spectacular custom French Country home on 1.87 Pristine executive retreat in private, gated enclave on Picture-perfect house located at the end of a cul-de-sac acres of hilly terrain and towering trees overlooking ravine setting with serene views. Finished walkout lower off Million Dollar Mile. Finished walkout, custom brick level with possible 5th bedroom. 4-car garage. deck with covered patio on lower level & 4-car garage. the scenic Paint Creek Valley. 1st floor master suite. 7,385 Total SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 218007880 4,914 Total SF | 6 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 218023548 5,403 SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 218008653
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BRANDON TOWNSHIP 5600 Garretson Lane | $422,900 Perfect ranch on 10-acre private wooded wonderland with pole barn & 2 private ponds. Finished LL walkout. Heated above ground pool. Garage space for 9 cars. 4,176 Total SF | 3 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 218025502
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 3373 W. York Court | $429,900
Marvelous updated home in Country Creek sub with Magnificent estate on 3.56 acres backing to Stony Creek. amazing 1st floor master suite. Finished LL has bar, full Renovated to perfection in 2016-17 with reclaimed bath, family room and plenty of storage. Many upgrades! fragments of historical estates. Unbelievable details! 2,639 SF | 4 BR | 2.2 Baths | MLS# 218024843
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AUBURN HILLS 3996 Forester Boulevard | $199,900 Beautiful end unit 2 bedroom, 2½ bath townhouse in Forester Square. Freshly painted throughout and ready for immediate occupancy. Spacious master suite. 1,948 SF | 2 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 218015579
ROCHESTER HILLS 1540 Mill Race | $1,490,000
8,729 SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 217098408
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STERLING HEIGHTS 3877 Corkwood Drive | $539,900
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AUBURN HILLS 4427 Castlewood Court | $449,900
Exceptional new construction in enclave of 17 homes Updated home in cul-de-sac setting with private boasts upgrades usually found in $800k+ homes. wooded yard and creek. Luxurious remodeled kitchen Vacant lot in sub also available for $159,900. (2017). Finished walkout LL. Rochester schools. 3,449 SF | 4 BR | 3.1 Baths | MLS# 217108031
3,822 Total SF | 4 BR | 2.2 Baths | MLS# 218025488