J. MARCH: PAGE 59 • SOCIAL LIGHTS: PAGE 62 • FRONT/BACK: PAGE 56
DOWNTOWN R O C H E S T E R
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP - $635,000 Great open floor plan, located in the Century Oaks Subdivision. Situated upon a .9 acre lot and offers 4 bedrooms and 3 full & 1 half baths. Additional features include two-story ceilings in Foyer & Great Room with a second staircase and wall of windows. Wood flooring in the foyer, kitchen and sunroom with vaulted ceiling and tons of light. Formal living and dining rooms and office with French doors. Stunning master suite includes separate sitting area, oversized walk in closet and master bath. Two additional bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath and the fourth has a private bath. Attached 3 car side entry garage and maintenance free exterior. This home is in the award winning Rochester school district and serviced by Delta Kelly Elementary, Van Hoosen Middle School & Rochester Adams High School.
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DOWNTOWN04.16
16
Watering the golf courses in Oakland County Millions of gallons of water are pumped from underground sources and surface waterways in the county each year to maintain public and private golf courses. Here's how the state regulates water withdrawal.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
10
Readers of Downtown newsmagazine are being asked to send e-mails to state House and Senate members in support of a new package of bills that would bring transparency to the office of governor and to the state legislature in Lansing.
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
12
Our periodic gossip/news column about politics and government captures what's new in the races for county water resources commissioner, county treasurer, governor and other items of interest.
CRIME LOCATOR
15
A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Rochester and Rochester Hills, presented in map format.
MUNICIPAL
44
Drill The Hills court decision delivered; parks/recreation director starts; marijuana grow operation rejected; Rochester College sports arena; DDA/PSD reorganization; Jenoptik Automotive expansion; wetlands impact questions; plus more.
FRONT/BACK
56
Katie Deska gives us the the latest on what’s happening in the front and the back of the house in metro Detroit area restaurants with a series of short takes on the latest news and gossip for the industry.
THE COVER An aerial view of the golf course at Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester, founded in 1971. Aerial photo 2016 Google Earth.
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PER MONTH3
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25
Recreational pot drive Three competing petition drives would place legalization of marijuana for recreational use on the November 2016 ballot for Michigan voters to decide.
31 Never-ending abortion fight It's been decades since the U.S. Supreme Court decided the abortion issue but Michigan remains a battleground in the ongoing fight.
22
Scott Hanson
AT THE TABLE
59
Don't set your expectations too high when headed to Kruse and Muer in downtown Rochester, which J. March found disappointing.
SOCIAL LIGHTS
62
Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and nonprofit circuit as she covers recent major events.
ENDNOTE
70
Legislature needs to act to clarify medical marijuana issues; city must respect voters in order to protect Rochester Hills’ parks for the future.
FACES
22 43 51 60
Scott Hanson Ann Marie LaFlamme Robert Gaylor Jenny Brown
METROPOLITAN
248-601-3399 Direct: 248-601-1000
Office:
Tour Our Homes at: CoreyandCrew.com Email: Debbie@CoreyandCrew.com
COREY & CREW Full Service Real Estate
Rochester Hills $284,900
Macomb Twp. $344,500
Rochester Hills $299,900
Spacious ranch on 2/3 acre private treed setting. Two-car attached garage, and extra detached one-car garage. Master bdrm. with cathedral ceiling leads to deck and overlooks yard. Hardwood flooring throughout. New kitchen with soft close cabinetry, quartz countertops, pantry, snack bar, tile flooring and new appliances. New roof, Andersen & Wallside windows. New roof, first floor laundry, 3 season porch and so much more. Desirable location near schools, downtown Rochester, shopping and conveniences.
Still shows like a new home and with neutral Pottery Barn style dÊcor. 4 bdrms., 2.5., baths and 2800 sq. ft. with library, maple kit. w/granite and center island, extensive hardwood flooring, beautiful crown molding and trim. Grand dining rm. and master suite with his and hers walk-in closets, sitting rm., and spacious bath with dual sinks, Corian countertops, garden tub and separate shower. Nine ft. ceilings, daylight bsmt. and total move-in condition.
4 bdrm., 2.5 bath colonial on half-acre private setting in prime Rochester Hills location near schools, freeways and all conveniences. Fin. walkout basement. Spacious deck. First floor laundry and library. Hardwood flooring throughout entire home. Neutral dÊcor, quality construction and pride of ownership.
WHAT DOES YOUR NEST LOOK LIKE? Thinking about how your life has changed and you need to move to accommodate life’s changes?
COREY & CREW CAN HELP. We specialize in Finding the right home for you whether or not the right home is even on the market. Listening to your needs of upsizing or downsizing, preparing your current home to sell for the best price, and matching all of those elements to make your new nest a reality and a smooth transaction ---- THAT’S WHAT WE DO BEST! Give us a call. We will discuss our marketing plan to sell your home and our process for making your next move a reality. P.S. Not sure where the last member of your nest is going? Corey & Crew can help them find and start their own nest. We LOVE to guide and work with First time buyers!
248-601-1000 • CoreyandCrew@NewNestForYou.com WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH COREY & CREW? “Debbie is a first class agent. She is knowledgeable, professional and an expert in her field. She provided us with accurate market knowledge and good advice for buying the right home for our family. The right agent is key to a successful transaction. I would strongly recommend Debbieâ€? – Chris & Megan Masson “Debbie helped us find a home and sold my current home. In purchasing our new home, she was
very proactive and knowledgeable about the area and the process. I have worked with other realtors before and most that I have worked with send you an overwhelming list that you need to weed through and let them know what you want to see. Debbie listened to what we wanted and sent us a very small list based on her knowledge of the area coupled with our wish list. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to move to the Rochester area. She is great! With the sale of my home in Royal Oak, it sold in about 5 days. Her recommendation on pricing for the market was dead on. I was more than pleased with the sale experience.� – Chris Keberlein
2015 REALTOR OF THE YEAR FOR ROCHESTER CHAPTER OF WOMEN’S COUNCIL OF REALTORS 2015 TOP RE/MAX TEAM IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN FOR NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS AND TEAM COMMISSIONS
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DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER • ROCHESTER HILLS PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Allison Batdorff | Rachel Bechard | Hillary Brody Katie Deska | Kevin Elliott | Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf J. March | Kathleen Meisner | Bill Seklar PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent 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
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JOIN THE
DANCE. See it and be moved. March 20-June 12, 2016.
This exhibition has been organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts. Support has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support has been provided by the Marjorie and Maxwell Jospey Foundation and an ADAA Foundation Curatorial Award and the Association of Art Museum Curators. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Support for the catalogue has been provided by the Ida and Conrad Smith Fund. Image: La Carmencita (detail), 1890, oil on canvas; John Singer Sargent, American. Paris, Musée d’Orsay, RF746
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FROM THE PUBLISHER sides of the political aisle. Add to that reports that Lieutenant Gov. Brian Calley and Attorney General Bill Schuette have backed similar efforts in the past.
his month I am hoping readers of this column will take the time to help to bring some pressure on state lawmakers who now have the opportunity to improve transparency in state government with a set of bills introduced in the last couple of weeks.
T
The package of bills introduced of late would do a few things. First, the FOIA would be extended to cover the office of governor. Second, the proposed bills would create a Legislative Open Records Act. Exempt would be constituent correspondence, personnel files, confidential trade documents that business might share with lawmakers and working papers and communications relative to bill drafting, thereby catching some of the issues that opponents are likely to raise in the weeks ahead.
So at the end of this column you will find the e-mail addresses of local Michigan House and Senate members which allows you to prod area lawmakers to get behind this new effort. Here's the basic details. In 1976, Michigan first adopted legislation known as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to codify how citizens – including the media – could request copies of government records in the state. The act laid out the procedures to follow and the exclusions of certain records that would not be subject to the new transparency legislation. At the adoption of the FOIA, the office of the governor was exempted from being subject to FOIA requests, which in subsequent years has also exempted members of his administration. A later attorney general opinion would extend the same exemption to members of the legislature. There have been a variety of minor changes to the legislation over the years, including in more recent legislative sessions, some worthwhile and others not. But the exclusion from the FOIA of the governor's office/administration and the legislature is never tackled. Little wonder. Keep in mind that Michigan is only one of two states that statutorily exempts the governor's office from the FOIA. It's one of many reasons that our state ranked last in terms of ethics and transparency laws in a national study in 2015 conducted by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity. Now comes the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint and Gov. Rick Snyder has decided to voluntarily release 21,000 pages of his e-mails related to the Flint water crisis, although he had reportedly supported the concept of expanding the FOIA to include his office when he first ran for the governor's spot. Ironically, as he was releasing the flood of e-mails, he left it up to members of his administration to determine if they would follow his example, rather than ordering everyone to follow suit. Capitalizing on the e-mail release, a bipartisan group of Michigan House and Senate members have introduced a 10-bill package of legislation that would address the lack of transparency in the administration and the legislature. This is not the first time lawmakers have attempted to tackle the transparency issue. Generally in the past it was always the minority party – be it Democrats or Republicans – which has introduced such legislation. The party in power would just ignore it and any effort became more of a political stunt than a legitimate push to resolve the problem. This time, however, there seems to be a more concerted effort on both
If approved by both legislative chambers, the new laws would take effect January of 2017. Our readership for Downtown newsmagazine is an educated lot, and I would have to assume can appreciate the fact that less transparency in government translates into less public oversight. It's that simple. Although you personally may never have, nor ever will, use the FOIA to seek out government records, as journalists we use this tool on a regular basis to search on behalf of our readers – over 100,000 of them – for records held by the government in order to bring you a solid Downtown newsmagazine. If each of our reader households would take the time to send an e-mail to their own House and Senate members, together we could have some impact on the transparency issue. Let them know that you support the FOIA legislation that has just been introduced and want them to support the push for more transparency in Lansing. Trust me, they will listen if enough of you get engaged on this issue. It's for your own benefit. Michigan Senate Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills: Marty Knollenberg – senknollenberg@senate.michigan.gov Bloomfield Township, Oakland Township: Jim Marleau – jimmarleau@senate.michigan.gov Michigan House Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township: Mike McCready – mikemccready@house.mi.gov Rochester, Rochester Hills: Michael Webber – michaelwebber@house.mi.gov David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political/government news and gossip items, both on and off-the-record, compiled by staff members of Downtown. Possible items for this column can be sent to OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. Good company: Steve Mitchell, one of Oakland’s ‘notables’ and president of Mitchell Research and Communications, a Michigan-based polling firm, says he was in good company in misjudging how the Democratic presidential primary ballot would turn out after Bernie Sanders scored what many considered an upset here in Michigan on March 8. Mitchell’s firm, which has been doing local, state-wide and national polling for several decades with an office in East MITCHELL Lansing, was singled out by several national news outlets, including a Washington Post columnist, who labeled as “clearly shoddy” a survey by Mitchell Research the weekend prior to the vote. That survey had Hillary Clinton up by a 37-point advantage, which was far from accurate. His polling also came in for criticism from one outlet for only contacting homes with landlines when it is generally conceded that a growing number of homes, particularly those of younger voters, rely on cell phone service. As Mitchell frames it, his survey results were off, right along with those for the Free Press, Detroit News, Wall Street Journal, WXYZ and a number of others making projections about the Sanders/Clinton contest that day. And Mitchell makes no bones about his polling methodology, an automated survey of voters with landlines because federal regulations prohibit robo-call surveys to cell phones, he says. An improper voter model which predicted 18 percent of the vote would come from an electorate under 45 years of age, as opposed to the 45 percent in that age bracket that actually developed, is the basic fault, says Mitchell. For the record, Mitchell Research’s Republican primary survey projections were only a couple of percentage points off. As to why the research was called out by some national media outlets, Mitchell dismissively notes that he is not part of the “D.C. cocktail circuit.”
Eric C Schlicht Ins Agcy Inc Eric Schlicht, Agent 100 E 3rd St Ste A Rochester, MI 48307-6709 Phone: 248-651-1124 Fax: 248-651-2320 eric.schlicht.hf12@statefarm.com
The greatest compliment you can give is a referral.
In this corner: Rumors have been swirling that former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) is now considering a go for the open attorney general seat in 2018. Whitmer, the former Michigan Senate Democratic leader, told Downtown Publications she is not looking at a possible AG run. However, “I am very seriously considering running for governor. It’s a huge state, and we have a lot of work to do,” she said. “I’m doing my due diligence.” Whitmer is currently an adjunct professor at University of WHITMER Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and as a lawyer works in the Lansing office of Dickinson Wright, as well as raising two daughters. She believes her timing is perfect, considering the current political climate. “I look at the state of Michigan that my kids are growing up in, and know we can do better. I look at the kids I’m teaching, and I see their enthusiasm.” Just one potential problem – fundraising, which she said she has not yet begun doing. “The problem of not being in office is I don’t have the ability to raise money and move it over,” she said, perhaps taking a veiled swipe at term-limited incumbent Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, assumed to be amassing quite a war chest for a gubernatorial run.
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One more election: On the other side of the aisle, Oakland County political observers are wondering what Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson will do when her term, her second and final, is over in 2018. In a recent interview with Downtown, she denied she was thinking about her next step, but a close political friend of hers said Johnson told her, “I have one more election in me.” But will it be for the governor’s mansion or as Oakland County executive? “Brooks (Patterson) does a great job,” she told us, when we asked last November. Johnson, a Republican from Groveland Township, served as an Oakland County commissioner from 1988 to 1998, at which time she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and was re-elected in 2000 and 2002. Term-limited, she next moved on to defeat incumbent Republican Oakland
DOWNTOWN
04.16
County Clerk “Doc” Caddell to take that office, the first female ever elected to that position. Johnson was on the statewide Dick DeVos gubernatorial ticket as lieutenant governor in 2006, which lost to Governor Jennifer Granholm. In 2010, she won the Republican party nomination to successfully run for the secretary of state office, to which she was then re-elected in 2014. Another local county insider said Johnson is headed for a run for governor, even if it means going against fellow Republican Schuette and his money machine. This source acknowledged Johnson has always had a problem raising money, having amassed only a little over $400,000 in 2014, which will be compounded in the future as she is going through a divorce from husband Don Nanney. Republicans sources said to not count her out. Clerk contentions: Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown (D) is watching the two Republicans – former county clerk Bill Bullard, who she beat in 2014, and Rochester Hills clerk Tina Barton – who are seeking to run for her office – and she said she is ready. In the case of Bullard, he has been asserting that Brown has not kept the clerk’s office as up-todate as when he ran it, from 2012-2014. Brown just laughed when she heard that, noting how quickly election returns came in on March 8 and other office improvement efforts. “We started something unique in this county, a property records notification, to combat fraud, that is the first of its kind BROWN in the nation,” she said. With the previous system, Brown said, you would sign up annually with your name and get e-mails quarterly if anyone had signed up on the property with your name. “Now we have this identification search using any search term, done on a daily basis and notifying you on a timely basis.” Welday vs. Nash: Political consultant and former chair of the Oakland County Republican Party Paul Welday is hoping to challenge current Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash for the post in this November’s general election, which puts to rest rumors that Republican John McCulloch will try to retake the post he lost in the 2012 election. Word now is that former Republican Water Resources Commissioner McCulloch, an attorney, CPA and OCC board treasurer, is considering running for county treasurer. WELDAY Welday, who filed official paperwork to seek the position on March 10, will face off against Oak Park Republican Robert Buxbaum in the August primary election. “There have been a lot of issues of significance surrounding water, not only in Oakland County, but across the state. Right here, we have issues in the management of that position. I think I can turn that around...we have real problems, even right here in Farmington Hills.” Welday is CEO and founding principal at Superior Capital Consulting. He worked as chief of staff for former Congressman Joe Knollenberg for nine years, and has been involved behind the scenes with several campaigns throughout his career. In 2008, Welday took 52.46 percent of the vote in the Republican primary for Michigan’s 37th District state House of Representatives seat, but lost to Democrat Vicki Barnett in the general election. In 2010, Welday failed to gain the GOP nomination for the 9th District Congressional Representative seat, coming in behind Rocky Raczkowski in the August primary. Welday said he hopes to set aside politics and deliver the level of services the county is known for providing. “You enter the political waters with a little uncertainty this year, but we are focused on Oakland County,” he said. FAMILY AFFAIR: Oakland County Commissioner and former state Rep. Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake) has been staying busy since leaving the legislature and being elected as county commissioner in 2014. In February 2015, Kowall became a registered lobbyist and has been working with Jeremiah Mankopf of MGS Consultants. While the firm boasts a list of about two dozen clients, including Lawrence Tech, Centria Health Care and other major entities, Kowall said she’s been keeping the work quiet as she eyes her husband Mike’s 15th District Michigan Senate term-limited seat, which expires in 2018. “People will use it to attack me,” KOWALL she said of the lobbying work. downtownpublications.com
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EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
DOWNTOWN
04.16
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 25, 2016. Placement of codes is approximate.
WATERING MILLIONS OF GALLONS FROM SURFACE,
BY KEVIN ELLIOTT
ore than 1.1 billion gallons. That's how much water golf course superintendents in Oakland County reported pumping out of rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater aquifers in 2014, according to records provided by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's (MDEQ) Water Use Reporting Program. With more than 60 golf courses in the area, Oakland County alone accounts for about 14 percent of all water withdrawals in the state for golf course irrigation – more than any other county in Michigan. In comparison, together, Macomb, Wayne, Kent, and Kalamazoo counties account for about 18 percent of water withdrawal. Using water pumps capable of pulling more than 70 gallons per minute from wells or the shallow surface of ponds, lakes, streams or rivers, local golf courses pump millions of gallons each season to maintain their green areas. However, such large water withdrawals
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COURSES BELOW GROUND SOURCES FOR WITHDRAWALS
can have negative consequences on individual aquifers and waterbodies, as well as the watershed basin as a whole. In extreme cases, large water withdrawals from ground wells have lowered the levels of neighboring aquifers or disrupted the water quality of nearby wells. In Ottawa County, on the western side of the state, groundwater withdrawals about three years ago were taking water from aquifers faster than it could be replaced, forcing salty brine at the bottom of the aquifer to be sucked into drinking water and irrigation wells. Excessive withdrawals also may lower water levels to the point where sensitive ecosystems can no longer survive. High-quality, cold-water streams, such as the Paint Creek sub-watershed in the Clinton River Watershed, are especially sensitive to temperature changes that may be exacerbated by water withdrawals. Yet, competing interests and a lack of research continue to muddy the clear impact of water withdrawals in Oakland County and across the state.
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ADDRESS 2883 Trailwood 971 Downhill Lane 2443 Gerald Avenue 3614 Tremonte Circle 5299 Brookemonte Circle 2444 Crownhedge Court 107 Regal Avenue 130 Northwood Avenue 819 Majestic 2405 Culbertson Avenue 540 W 2ND Street 1510 Hidden Valley Lane 111 Eastlawn Drive 2748 W Tienken Road 1079 Hemlock 685 Esses Drive 501 Sunlight 121 N Helen Avenue 3620 Charlwood Drive 355 Eastlawn Drive 760 Birchwood Court 1730 Chase 3111 Silverbrook Drive 3814 Beechcrest 1523 Porter Circle 768 Dressler Lane 1620 Devonwood Drive 370 Ridgewood Road 3846 Greenwood Drive 454 Romeo Road 466 Mill House 784 Oak Brook Ridge 4748 Carrington 469 Springview Drive 339 N Alice Avenue 1853 Meadow Dale Court 501 E University Unit#107 1881 Walton Boulevard Minimum Average Maximum
List Price $120,000 $237,000 $235,500 $149,900 $179,900 $1,900,000 $225,000 $559,900 $695,000 $144,900 $189,888 $179,900 $209,900 $290,000 $313,900 $325,000 $356,000 $519,000 $374,900 $159,900 $390,941 $400,000 $284,900 $320,000 $74,900 $214,900 $325,000 $349,900 $444,900 $79,000 $399,900 $114,000 $259,900 $544,000 $445,000 $114,900 $95,000 $219,000 $74,900 $327,411.29 $1,900,000
Sale Price $109,191 $237,000 $239,500 $136,000 $168,000 $1,900,000 $220,000 $553,000 $670,000 $139,000 $160,000 $175,000 $209,000 $270,000 $300,000 $311,000 $339,000 $475,000 $360,000 $159,900 $390,941 $400,000 $284,900 $307,500 $71,100 $209,500 $318,000 $332,500 $444,900 $74,000 $390,000 $105,000 $247,750 $537,100 $429,000 $109,150 $93,000 $210,000 $71,100 $318,024.53 $1,900,000
Beds Baths 2 2 5 2 5 3.1 2 2 2 2 4 5.3 2 2 4 3.1 5 3.1 3 1 4 2 3 2.1 4 2.1 4 2.1 4 2.1 4 2.1 4 3.1 4 2.1 4 2.1 3 1.2 3 2.1 4 3.1 4 3.1 4 2.1 1 1 3 1.1 4 2.1 4 2.1 4 2.2 2 1 4 2.1 2 1.1 3 2.1 4 3.1 4 3.1 2 1 2 1.1 3 2.1
Sqft Total 1,380 2,269 2,040 1,142 1,533 5,375 1,452 2,674 4,093 1,040 1,160 1,408 1,774 2,179 2,478 2,424 2,980 2,650 3,154 1,134 2,404 2,464 2,142 2,761 688 1,539 2,362 2,580 3,235 817 2,867 1,344 1,734 3,447 2,682 1,057 1,091 1,875 688 2,143 5,375
Price/Sqft $79.12 $104.45 $117.40 $119.09 $109.59 $353.49 $151.52 $206.81 $163.69 $133.65 $137.93 $124.29 $117.81 $123.91 $121.07 $128.30 $113.76 $179.25 $114.14 $141.01 $162.62 $162.34 $133.01 $111.37 $103.34 $136.13 $134.63 $128.88 $137.53 $90.58 $136.03 $78.13 $142.88 $155.82 $159.96 $103.26 $85.24 $112.00 $78.13 $134.58 $353.49
Close Date 3/1/2016 3/1/2016 3/1/2016 3/2/2016 3/2/2016 3/2/2016 3/3/2016 3/3/2016 3/3/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/4/2016 3/5/2016 3/7/2016 3/7/2016 3/7/2016 3/8/2016 3/8/2016 3/9/2016 3/9/2016 3/9/2016 3/9/2016 3/9/2016 3/10/2016 3/10/2016 3/11/2016 3/11/2016 3/11/2016 3/15/2016 3/16/2016 3/17/2016 3/17/2016
For a full list of March Sales, visit www.RochesterListings.com
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Scott Brown, executive director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, said lawmakers need to take serious steps to protect the state's water resources. Brown, who serves on the state's Water Use Advisory Council, said those steps include providing funds to study the impacts of water withdrawals. "You can't make generalities. Every instance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it's a surface or groundwater withdrawal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is completely different, depending on the quality and volume of groundwater, the aquifer, and precipitation, in terms of surface water," he said. "It's very tough to say 'x' withdrawal will have 'y' impact on a water resource. It's just very tough to do." For instance, Brown said, a massive water withdrawal at one location may have almost no impact upon the ecosystem, while the same withdrawal may have dire consequences 15 miles in another direction. he Water Use Advisory Council was created by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 to advise the MDEQ, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Department of Agriculture on the state's water usage. Members appointed to the board included those representing industry, farming, conservation groups, water recreation and riparian property owners, as well as golf courses. In 2014, the council issued a report that included 69 recommendations, including nine that called for new staff support at MDEQ. "One of the important conclusions that the advisory council came up with was that every instance is going to have to be investigated," Brown said. "There isn't a lot of data available. I think the other members of the council were very surprised on how little data there is. We have a long way to go in Michigan. Our Department of Environmental Quality and water resources managers don't have the data they need to make adequate and accurate forecasts for water withdrawals." In addition to the lack of data on withdrawal impacts, Michigan lacks monitoring or control measures regarding water runoff at golf courses. In fact, the state's laws and regulations regarding water efficiency and conservation earned the state a "D" grade in a 2012 state scorecard conducted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and Environmental Law Institute. Overall, the state scored just 3 points out of a possible 20. Points were given for having an assigned state agency in charge of drinking water conservation; conducting conservation activities as part of the water permitting process; and providing state funding for urban water conservation programs. "The academics involved and state resources agencies have undergone a lot of budget restrictions. It's no surprise. We feel they haven't been given the adequate resources they need to protect our water resources," Brown said. "With this much water in Michigan, only 15 percent of our inland lakes have been assessed. The vast majority
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IN ADDITION TO THE LACK OF DATA ON WITHDRAWAL IMPACTS, MICHIGAN LACKS MONITORING OR CONTROL MEASURES REGARDING WATER RUNOFF AT GOLF COURSES. IN FACT, THE STATE'S LAWS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING WATER EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION EARNED THE STATE A "D" GRADE IN A 2012 STATE SCORECARD CONDUCTED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR WATER EFFICIENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE.
haven't been surveyed for water quality or invasive species. We are way behind the curve for investigating such an important resource. "It's scary. We need to open our eyes and recognize what a valuable resource we have here in Michigan, and we haven't invested properly in protecting it. If we don't start investing, knowing, preserving and protecting, we are vulnerable. The state legislature needs to step up and appropriate more dollars." Under state law, property owners that meet certain withdrawal criteria must either report their withdrawal amounts or seek a permit authorizing large quantity withdrawals. Property owners who pump 100,000 gallons a day for 30 consecutive days or more, as well as property owners who have the capacity to pump 70-gallons per minute or more, must register with the state's Water Use Program. Property owners pumping at least 2 million gallons per day, or have the capacity to pump more than 1,389 gallons per minute, must acquire a permit from the MDEQ. The Water Use Program is responsible for registering large quantity withdrawals, collecting annual water use data, making determinations on the potential impacts of water resources as a result of a proposed withdrawal, and issuing water withdrawal permits. Andrew LeBaron, an environmental quality analyst with the MDEQ's Water Use Program, said no golf courses in Oakland County withdraw enough water to require a permit. "The permit criteria is fairly new," LeBaron said. "Before that, there wasn't a permit or threshold limitation on any water withdrawal." rior to 2006, there was very little oversight regarding water withdrawals in Michigan. The first laws passed went into effect in February of 2006, and prohibited new or increased water withdrawals that would cause an "adverse resource impact," or any withdrawal resulting in a specified percentage decrease in fish populations. Existing withdrawals weren't included in the law, unless they increased withdrawals over that pumped in previous years. Additional state laws were passed in 2008, further defining adverse resource impacts. As of July 2009, new or increased withdrawals were required to use the state's "water withdrawal assessment tool," which determines whether the withdrawal would be harmful or should be limited. LeBaron said withdrawals existing prior to 2009 still have to report amounts to the program, but are essentially grandfathered into the system under the pre-existing, or baseline, amount. "They can basically use up to that amount," he said. While there are strict penalties for exceeding baseline or authorized amounts, figures received by the MDEQ are selfreported by property owners. To date, there haven't been any enforcement actions taken for exceeding withdrawal figures.
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"We don't see much in the way of selfreporting that exceed their limited numbers," LeBaron said. "There's not a lot of auditing that goes on, and the state doesn't have the resources to double check every one of those things. We haven't sought any fines on water users." A key factor in creating the state's water use law was a Mecosta County court case in mid-Michigan involving the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation group and Nestle/Ice Mountain. The group started in late-2000, after citizens learned that Nestle//Ice Mountain was running a spring water mining and pumping operation in Mecosta, which was blamed for a drop in lake and stream levels. ction taken by the conservation group resulted in a 19-day trial that led to the temporary shutdown of the Ice Mountain plant in the village of Stanwood. The plant was allowed to continue under a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling, which found the water interests of Nestle/Ice Mountain had to be balanced with the interests of other property owners. In a 2009 out-of-court settlement, Nestle's new withdrawal permit was reduced by almost half, and the company agreed to lower its spring pumping to earlier in the spring in Mecosta, and to continue low pumping during summer months to protect the already stressed stream and lake. Spring water diverted for consumption, however, is different than water withdrawals that returns water back to its original source. Some golf courses, such as Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, is designed to capture any runoff from the course and reuse it in irrigation. Oakland Hills Country Club Superintendent Steve Cook said about 200 of the 270 acres of the club are able to be irrigated. In 2014, the club pumped about 42.6 million gallons of groundwater for course irrigation, according to MDEQ records. "We have one pond on the south side that takes drainage and well water. We have an underground water storage system, and a cistern on the north course," he said. "We aren't drawing water constantly." The course has also been environmentally certified by the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program, which is intended to organize the efforts of state agencies, Michigan State University, and environmental advocacy groups. The program was developed at MSU with support from industry, state departments, and the the Michigan Water Stewardship Program. It's based on 12 modules that must be completed for certification, including site evaluation, well head protection, fuel and pesticide storage and handling, irrigation, and other categories. The certification is a voluntary program that covers laws, regulations and best management practices for environmental stewardship. Best practices includes taking measures which focus on knowing where and when to irrigate. Doing so can reduce runoff and
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Water draws by course State of Michigan groundwater and surface water annual gallons drawn by county golf courses. • Copper Hills Golf & Country Club, Addison, 62,000,000 gallons (groundwater). • Fieldstone Golf Club, Auburn Hills, 11,830,000 gallons (groundwater); 16,556,944 (surface water from onsite pond). • Lincoln Hills Golf Course, Birmingham, 6,100,000 (groundwater). • Springdale Golf Course, Birmingham, 2,165,000 (surface water from River Rouge). • Birmingham Country Club, Bloomfield Twp., 10,859,100 (groundwater). • Bloomfield Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Twp., 16,656,000 (groundwater). • Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Twp., 42,680,041 (groundwater). • Forest Lake Country Club, Bloomfield Twp., 23,500,000 (surface water from Forest Lake). • Heathers Club of Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Hills, 1,200,000 (surface water from Heathers Lake). • Stonycroft Hills Club, Bloomfield Hills, 3,136,000 (surface water from upper Rouge River). • Wabeek Country Club, Bloomfield Twp., 12,986,300 (surface water from Haines Lake). • Bay Pointe Golf Club, Commerce Twp., 5,466,700 (surface water from irrigation pond). • Beacon Hill Golf Club, Commerce Twp., 27,903,603 (groundwater). • Edgewood Country Club, Commerce Twp., 5,800,000 (groundwater) 13,250,000 (surface water from Lower Straits Lake). • Hickory Hill Golf Club, Commerce Twp., 3,699,585 (groundwater). • Franklin Hills Country Club, Farmington Hills, 15,359,352 (groundwater). • Farmington Hills Golf Club, Farmington Hills, 16,275,829 (groundwater). • Highland Hills Golf Club, Highland Twp., 14,045,928 (groundwater). • Prestwick Village Golf Club, Highland Twp., 33,340,615 (groundwater). • Fountains Golf Course, Independence Twp., 15,418,000 (surface water from Spring Lake). • Cattails Golf Club, Lyon Twp., 2,650,000 (groundwater). • Coyote Golf Club, Lyon Twp., 25,200,000 (groundwater). • Lyon Oaks Golf Club, Lyon Twp., 27,047,000 (groundwater). • Tanglewood Golf Club, Lyon Twp., 4,450,000 (groundwater). • Kensington Metropark, Milford Twp., 14,589,000 (surface water from Kent Lake). • Mystic Creek Golf Club, Milford Twp., 13,671,061 (groundwater). • Links of Novi, Novi, 3,200,000 (groundwater). • Blackheath Golf Club, Oakland Twp., 12,990,759 (groundwater). • Stony Creek Metropark Golf Course, Oakland Twp., 8,400,000 (surface water from Stony Creek and pump house pond). • The Westwynd Golf Course, Oakland Twp.,
chemical leaching, as well as conserve water. Using low volume, automated sprinklers that water slowly can also prevent runoff and reduce wind evaporation. "Technology has changed, and help how we cut down on water use," Cook said. "We have soil monitoring systems in the ground that read moisture content and water saturation, and give data on dew points and humidity. That has all decreased our rolling water usage over 10 years. We track actual usage every month, every year, and our rolling average has decreased by about 10 million gallons over 10 years, and we anticipate that to continue. Our policy is to look every day and every year to decrease water usage by 10 percent. In a super hot year, it's more difficult. We also communicate to members that green isn't always good." Cook said the club has also planted more native vegetation, which has helped to eliminate about 40 irrigation heads because the plants need less water. "We are trying to do our small part, considering who we are and where we are," he said. Forest Lake Country Club in Bloomfield Township, waters about 80 acres of its 120acre property. The club withdrew about 23.5 million gallons of water from Forest Lake in 2014 for irrigation purposes. "We are blessed by having our own water source, which would be Forest Lake," said course superintendent Ryan Moore. "It has a minimal effect to water levels. Most of what we use goes directly on the turf. We have become better at using less and less water. It's a craft." oore said the club pumps water as its needed, as it doesn't have a well system on the property to hold water. He said the course also has a bit older design in terms of capturing runoff, but soil moisture monitors are used to reduce overwatering and runoff. “Runoff has a lot to do with irrigation design, and we are an older system, but have improved that," he said. "There are a lot of advancements, and now you can water to a percent of an inch. We have learned to turn the taps off." Dr. Steven Grekin, president of the Forest Lake Association, said there is a positive relationship between the homeowners and the golf course. "It's my understanding that we send more water downstream than we are taking out," he said. Howard Reeves with the U.S. Geological Survey said withdrawal rates are typically small compared to flow rates of a larger waterbody. "Generally, irrigation rates are smaller than local flow rates. There's never no impact, but I would think it would be small," he said. Forest Lake is one of many in the county that uses a weir to maintain a court-ordered lake level throughout the year. Such controls may play a part in disrupting flows in a watershed, according to a 2009 study headed
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by Lawrence Technological University Professor Don Carpenter. The study set out to assess the biological impact of changing flows in the Clinton River Watershed, which accounts for 10 percent of all water withdrawals for golf course irrigation in the state. While his study didn't address golf course withdrawals specifically, he said interrupting the natural flow of the river and its tributaries can disrupt plant and animal life. His findings indicated that court-ordered lake levels across Oakland County are harming the overall health of the watershed. He said more natural flows in the river would improve water quality, plant communities, fish spawning and endangered species, and species of concern found in the watershed. "The biggest issue is not looking at the watershed as a whole. They look at one municipality, one golf course – not the watershed as a whole," he said. A watershed is an area of land that separates water flowing to different rivers and/or lakes. Oakland County is the headwaters for five major watersheds or drainage areas, including the Rouge River Watershed in the south-central portion of the county; the Clinton River Watershed in the northeast part of the county; the Huron River Watershed in the southwest portion of the county; the Shiawassee River Watershed located in a small western portion of the county; and the Flint River Watershed in the northern part of the county. In terms of water flow, the baseflow of a river refers to the amount of groundwater that discharges from an aquifer into the river. Baseflow occurs throughout the year, but fluctuates seasonally depending on the level of the water table. The overall flow of a river can be impacted greatly by runoff during, or immediately after, precipitation or snowmelt events. Rivers that are dominated by runoff have low baseflow, and are typically "flashy," and tend to flood and dry quickly. "We haven't seen too many problems related to golf courses," said Michigan Environmental Council Executive Director James Clift, who serves on the state's Water Advisory Council. "They could have tight water conditions in the late summer, but golf courses, in general, try to create ponds or holes in the spring when water is abundant and use that for irrigation later in the summer.” Clift said larger, warmer rivers tend to be able to take more impact than cold water rivers and streams, which can't handle as much variation. ne of the high-quality, cold water streams in the county is in the Paint Creek sub watershed area of the Clinton River Watershed. More than 11 million gallons of water were withdrawn in 2014 from Paint Creek, according to the MDEQ. However, what impact the withdrawals had upon the creek is uncertain. "We haven't looked at withdrawals much," said Matt Einheuser, a water ecologist with
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10,480,068 (groundwater). • Twin Lakes Golf & Swim Club, Oakland Twp., 22,500,000 (groundwater). • Indianwood Golf & Country Club, Orion Twp., 27,149,000 (groundwater). • Oakhurst Golf & Country Club, Orion Twp., 32,064,308 (surface water from No. 9 pond). • Paint Creek Country Club, Orion Twp., 11,700,000 (surface water from Paint Creek). • Boulder Pointe Golf Club, Oxford Twp., 49,000,000 (surface water from Lake Dewls). • Oxford Hills Golf & Country Club, Oxford Twp., 19,824,266 (surface water from Bailey Lake). • The Links at Crystal Lake, Pontiac, 6,598,421 (surface water from Crystal Lake). • Great Oaks Country Club, Rochester, 13,123,223 (surface water from Sargeant Creek). • Oakland University, Katke-Cousins Golf Course, Rochester, 70,522,740 (groundwater), 20,695,000 (surface water from Golf and learning pump station). • Pine Trace Golf Club, Rochester Hills, 30,644,100, (surface water). • Red Run Golf Club, Royal Oak, 27,750,000 (groundwater). • Walnut Creek Country Club, South Lyon, 37,750,000 (groundwater). • Plum Hollow Country Club, Southfield, 9,700,000 (surface water from Evans Creek). • Heather Highlands Golf Course, Springfield Twp., 16,146,339 (surface water). • Huron-Clinton Metropark, Indian Springs Golf Course, Springfield Twp., 3,072,631 (surface water from irrigation pond). • Oakland County Parks, Springfield Oaks Golf Course, Springfield, 10,600,000 (groundwater). • Shepherds Hollow Golf Club, Springfield Twp., 10,500,000 (groundwater) 15,700,000 (surface water from pond). • Sanctuary Lake Golf Course, Troy, 16,440,563 (surface water from pond). • Sylvan Glen Golf Course, Troy, 15,967,000 (surface water from Sylvan Glen Lake). • Glen Oaks Golf Course, Waterford, 7,925,000 (groundwater), 5,450,000 (surface water from Pebble Creek pond/pumphouse). • Pontiac Country Club, Waterford, 9,327,036 (surface water from Elizabeth Lake). • Knollwood Country Club, West Bloomfield, 13,367,170 (groundwater). • Orchard Lake Country Club, West Bloomfield, 24,000,000 (surface water from Orchard Lake and Upper Straits Lake). • Pine Lake Country Club, West Bloomfield, 9,468,449 (surface water from Pine Lake). • Shenandoah Country Club, West Bloomfield, 9,850,000 (groundwater). • Tam O’Shanter Country Club, West Bloomfield, 26,743,390 (surface water from Harris Lake). • Twin Beach Country Club, West Bloomfield, 9,327,000 (groundwater). • Brentwood Golf & Country Club, White Lake, 28,193,838 (groundwater). • Oakland County Parks, White Lake Oaks Golf Course, White Lake, 9,326,000 (surface water from Huron River pond).
the Clinton River Watershed Council. "If they get to a certain magnitude, they can have an effect because it takes a balance away from the groundwater inputs, and then you get more surface water input, and that could effect the temperatures and lower flows." Still, Einheuser said there have been issues in the watershed. "Historically, over the past couple of years, there have been times when levels are low and you lose habitat during those times," he said. "It can have an effect on the ecology of the system – usually that means you have low flow, and then you have a rain. The Clinton River watershed is really flashy, where in a groundwater-fed system, it's pretty consistent." ally Petrella, with the Friends of the Rouge Watershed Council, said golf courses likely contribute to the issues in the watershed, but aren't the largest source of problems. Intense industrial use and urban stormwater runoff are large factors. "We have huge problems from runoff," she said. Yet, some superintendents say irrigation may help improve water quality, as opposed to urban runoff that isn't filtered through grasses and other vegetation. "It's retained on site, and it's all basically filtered through grasses before it's discharged," said John Gray, course superintendent at Stonycroft Hills Club in Bloomfield Hills, which used about 3.1 million gallons of water in 2014 from the Upper Rouge River. "Surface runoff is minimal here. It's contained to a drainage system that intercepts water before it reaches the creek." Don Knop, course superintendent for Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester, said the course is built to receive runoff. The course withdrew about 13.1 million gallons of water from Sargent Creek in 2014. "We have three ponds on the course that hold water. There are no wells. We have a stream that runs through the golf course, and all the road salt and silt from the road runoff is held and we use that for watering," he said. "We screen what we can, and we test quality on and off the property, and it never leaves worse. The course feeds into a trout stream, so we need to be on our toes all the time." Kate Moore, executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, said best practices recommended by the environmental stewardship program helped to reduce the impact of water withdrawals and runoff. Educating golfers themselves has further helped to alleviate the need for greener courses, she said. "You hear 'brown is the new green,'" she said. "Overwatering and the desire for a perfect emerald green – consumers have become more aware of that, as well," she said. "You train the consumer and the operator to expect changes in course condition. Depending on where they are located and the weather, it's OK that it's not perfect all the time."
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FACES Scott Hanson ochester native Scott Hanson may have had early dreams of playing football in the NFL, but found his true gift lay in the broadcast sports arena. Today, Hanson is the host of the wildly popular show NFL RedZone on the NFL network. "I was a good high school player, and a scrappy college player, but I knew I wasn't going to be an NFL player," Hanson said about his years of playing for Bishop Foley High School and Syracuse University. "My parents encouraged me to find something that I love and put my energy into it and try to make a career. I was like, 'If I can't play it, maybe somebody will pay me to talk about it.' "The fact that I host, what some people have said is the most popular football show in the country, is just a thrill. It's an absolute dream." As a youngster, Hanson would sometimes accompany his father, who worked on coach Bo Schembechler's show with legendary Michigan sports broadcaster Jim Brandstatter. While Hanson left metro Detroit to attend Syracuse University, he returned to intern at WXYZ under Don Shane and the late Reggie Hall. After completing his degree, Hanson landed his first job as a sports reporter and anchor at WPBN-TV in Traverse City. "I grew up watching television in Michigan and Detroit, and sports are so important in Detroit," Hanson said. "It helped cultivate my love for what I do, and I hope that passion translates on NFL RedZone." From Traverse City, Hanson went on to cover sports in Springfield, Illinois. It was there that he began re-evaluating his life and came to a crossroads. "I went through a major life change in Springfield and became a Christian," he said. "Jesus totally changed my life, to the point where I reprioritized my life. I wanted to grow my faith, and I decided to volunteer full-time." Hanson quit television and moved to Los Angeles, where he volunteered with Mother Theresa's organization, Missionaries of Charity. He spent the next year helping people in need and growing his own faith. "It was definitely a hard right turn in my career because some people thought, 'That's it, Hanson's done. He'll never work in television again.' Truth be told, I didn't know if I was going to work in television again," he recalled. "When I left, I left saying, 'OK God, this is your plan, and I just want to serve you. If you bring me back into TV, great. If not, I'll go through whatever door is open.' "As it turned out, the plan was for me to eventually work my way back into television." After a year year of volunteering full-time and an extensive job search, Hanson landed a job in Tampa, which led to another six years with Comcast SportsNet, and eventually to the NFL Network. When the network decided to launch NFL RedZone in 2009, Hanson underwent a five-hour audition to host the show. As host of the show, Hanson reviews hundreds of pages of research each week to prepare about seven hours of on-air time each Sunday during the regular football season. "The fan response is what makes it worthwhile, and what keeps my energy at its peak," he said. "Fans have told me that NFL RedZone has changed the way they watch football, and that has been my goal since day one."
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Story: Kevin Elliott
Photo: NFL Network
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04.16
MARIJUANA PETITIONS TO LEGALIZE, AND WHAT THEY MEAN BY KATIE DESKA
pproaching the eighth anniversary of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA), overwhelmingly approved by Michigan voters, the current political battle over cannabis centers not so much on whether or not the state should legalize recreational marijuana, but rather, it poses the question of when legalization will take effect, and who will control and profit from the million dollar industry. Fighting to appear on Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s November 2016 ballot are three initiatives, each outlining a distinctly different approach to legalized recreational marijuana. At press time, only MILegalize and Abrogate Prohibition Michigan, two of the three groups that come from opposing schools of thought, were reaching out for support from the public and actively circulating petitions.
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The capital of the U.S., and four states – Oregon, Alaska, Washington, and Colorado – have already legalized marijuana for recreational use. Additionally, multiple cities around the country have passed ordinances decriminalizing the substance, effectively diluting the penalty of possession from a misdemeanor or felony, to a civil infraction. Ann Arbor was the first city in Michigan to decriminalize it in 1972. More than 30 years later, following the 2008 passage of the MMMA, an additional 17 municipalities followed suit, each crafting their own ordinance that defines the amount of marijuana to be in the bracket of civil infraction. Seven cities within Oakland County did so, namely, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Berkley, Ferndale, Keego Harbor, Hazel Park, and Oak Park. Other areas in Michigan with decriminalization ordinances on the books include Detroit, Lansing, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Flint.
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espite growing acceptance of studies illustrating the effects of marijuana as a medical treatment, and increasing social approval of recreational use, the federal government maintains its classification of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, a category defined by the drug enforcement agency as “the most dangerous class of drugs with a high potential for abuse and potentially severe psychological and/or physical dependence.” Heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are listed next to cannabis. Comparatively, the second most dangerous category, Schedule II, includes cocaine, methamphetamine, Adderall, Ritalin, and Vicodin. “I certainly think it (marijuana) ought to be rescheduled,” said former Attorney General Eric Holder in an interview with P.B.S., recorded last September and released in February. “You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now, and that clearly is not appropriate. So at a minimum, I think congress needs to do that. Then, I think we need to look at what happens in Colorado and what happens in Washington,” referring to two states that have profited immensely from legalized marijuana. “In June, recreational marijuana sales hit $50 million for the first time, then in July sales rose over $55 million. If you add in medical marijuana sales, the total comes to $96 million for July, also higher than June’s total of $85 million. The portion of these sales in July that is earmarked for school construction projects is $3 million,” wrote Debra Borchardt in Forbes Magazine last fall of Colorado sales. Colorado voters approved recreational marijuana in 2012, the same year as Washington. “According to the Colorado Department of Revenue,” Borchardt’s article read, “the state has received nearly $70 million in tax revenue from marijuana from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015, easily beating the nearly $42 million in taxes on alcohol.” The most publicized, and seemingly viable, legalization effort afoot in Michigan today is coordinated by the group known as MILegalize, led by Lansing-based attorney Jeffrey Hank, who projects the act will generate “hundreds of millions in new tax revenue. We’re likely to save the state $300 million per year, generating a couple hundred million in new tax revenue.” MILegalize is petitioning for the Michigan Marijuana Legalization, Regulation, and Economic Stimulus Act, drafted by the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee, composed of a number of the state’s top medical marijuana lawyers. Approved for circulation by the Secretary of State last June, the ballot initiative, if passed, would go into effect on March 1, 2017. Under the act, any individual, age 21 and up, would be permitted to grow up to 12 mature cannabis plants at home, and allowed to possess the amount of marijuana processed from 12 plants. “Under ours, there would be no possession limit under state law,” stated Nick Zettell, campaign manager for Oakland County MILegalize.
Section 11 of the act states, “Localities may adopt rules necessary to implement this act and may allow or prohibit the operation of marijuana establishments.” For commercial businesses, localities would be responsible for licensing of facilities for marijuana testing, product manufacturing, and retail. The structure of the licensing allows for an interwoven industry that gives, for example, a grower the ability to sell, and a processor to grow. Required labeling includes the number of 10 mg servings of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in each product, which is the chemical primarily responsible for marijuana’s effect. A hemp industry is permitted with guidance from the department of agriculture, but the act notes that “the department may not adopt rules based on the legal status of hemp under federal law, or which creates an unreasonably impractical burden upon a Michigan farmer.” The act does not supersede the MMMA, but rather increases patient access to more palatable forms of the drug, including oils, extractions and/or “edibles,” food items infused with marijuana, which are currently prohibited under the MMMA. Supporters of medical marijuana, including some lawmakers, encourage legalization of alternative methods for medial marijuana ingestion, which currently must be smoked or otherwise inhaled. The second, and more freewheeling, group currently petitioning is Abrogate Prohibition Michigan (APM), which advocates full repeal of cannabis prohibition, and proposes a constitutional amendment that would take effect this December, said APM spokesman Timothy Locke, who filed the petition with the Secretary of State at the end of last year. The first line of the sweeping proposal, which permits a hemp industry, states, “the agricultural, personal, recreation, medicinal, commercial, and industrial use of cannabis in any form by any person shall be a lawful activity…Use by any person who is the ward of an adult, enrolled in K-12 school, a minor, shall be lawful activity requiring only parental or legal guardian authorization.”
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ssentially, the amendment changes the state’s treatment of cannabis to that of a “tomato plant,” said Locke. The amendment prohibits any regulation to diminish use and makes it unlawful to tax or impose fines for cannabis in any form. The third and mostly silent group, Michigan Cannabis Coalition, dropped out of the petition field months ago, though an inside source said a resurgence of the petitioning effort may be on the horizon, pending funding. Composed of two Republican operatives, Matt Marsden and Dennis Darnoi, the group has received roughly 71 percent of funding from Revsix, the Pontiac-based data gathering company founded by Darnoi and Marsden a few years prior. MCC treasurer Lisa Farnum, who declined to comment to Downtown Publications, cut a check on behalf of MCC for $252,000 to pay for signature gathering services from Lee Albright’s firm, National Petition Management, out of Brighton, which put paid petitioners on the street for a stint in the late summer and early fall. “There’s value for us in the data,” said Darnoi “Having a known universe of voters that support a particular topic, there’s great value in that. Look at Ben Carson, his list is valued at $4 million, all the data he collected, he can sell that. Usually campaigns rent lists.” Noting the monetary value of the data collected in a campaign, Darnoi said the company “decided it was a worthwhile investment. At the time, there was no other initiative in the field.” A source close to MCC, who requested anonymity, said the group had two contingency plans, if donors pull through. They may hit the streets at the end of March and collect signatures for the next four
months, or hold off until May and do one major signature gathering push. MCC’s proposed act, like that of MILegalize, restricts recreational marijuana use to the 21-and-up crowd, though home growers can cultivate significantly less plants. Two mature plants are permitted under the act, “regardless of the number of residents living in a dwelling who are at least 21 year of age or older, no more than two flowering marijuana plants may be present at any given time in any one dwelling.” That said, local governments are given the authority to increase that number to four, or choose to impose ordinances that outlaw home growing all together.
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hile the act supported by MILegalize clearly defines an excise tax maximum, the Michigan Cannabis Control and Revenue Act, put forth by the MCC, mandates the state legislature to set the excise tax rate, which may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the legislature. A source close to MCC said an initial rate of 24 to 27 percent is expected. It would not be applied to medical marijuana. The lion's share of regulatory and licensing decisions, from the amount of marijuana an individual may possess, to who is awarded a license to operate commercially, would lie with the Michigan Cannabis Control Board. The five-person appointed board is to be established before the first sales are permitted on January 1, 2018. Three of five salaried board members are to be appointed by the governor, one by the Senate majority leader, and one by the speaker of the House. Notably, term-lengths are not clarified, but rather set by the board itself. Felons are strictly prohibited from opening or working at a marijuana facility, and criteria for applicants seeking a license for a marijuana facility “shall include integrity, personal and business probity, financial ability, and ability to operate a marijuana facility,” states the language of the act, drafted by John Pirich, Michigan State University professor, and partner at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn. MCC’s proposal also varies from that of MILegalize in the structure of the market. Whereas MILegalize allows for commingled growing and selling, MCC stipulates that a marijuana retail facility can only sell marijuana grown at an enclosed, licensed cultivation center. MCC’s act prohibits an individual from holding more than one license at once, though when an individual’s license expires, a different type of license can be applied for. Nothing grown at home may be sold. Within the first year of sales, MCC hypothesizes the industry would generate $400 million, said a source close to the group. It takes money, time and manpower to get a citizen-initiated proposal onto the ballot. “People petition because the issues they want enacted won’t go through the legislature,” said Lee Albright of National Petition Management, the group who was hired by MCC to gather signatures. “Any group who doesn’t try to get the issue through the legislature isn’t very smart because first, you see if the issue is something that will be picked up, and if that method is extinguished, then they have the initiative referendum process to try to get it on the ballot.” MILegalize and MCC, which are proposing legislative initiatives, have until the first of June to collect and submit 252,523 valid signatures to be a contender for the November ballot. APM, vying for a constitution amendment in what many would consider an unorganized way, must collect an additional 61,131 signatures, for a whopping total of 315,654 by July 11. Time is quickly running out, and each group seems to have a unique strategy for getting their proposal to the ballot.
“We have at least 100 petition sheets, 12 (signatures) a sheet. I’m going to say we have 1,500 signatures, but I don’t know,” said Locke of a mid-February estimate for APM, which kicked off signature gathering on January 13. “We need 22-and-a-half signatures every day, in every county, for 180 days. It sounds like a big number, and 315,000 is – it’s big, but very doable. We’re coming at this from a grounded, real grassroots effort. Everyone has something to offer. We’re putting (rallies) out there and hoping people show up. The communication is out there, but there’s no rigid structure. We’re not paying anyone, we don’t anticipate paying anyone,” Locke said. According to their February 2016 finance report, APM raised a svelte $1,818 in total, throughout the current election cycle. In mid-March a source close to MCC said the group had 170,000 stale and void signatures, and about 15-20,000 active signatures, noting that “by mid-August, (MCC) got bogged down with the medical marijuana bills in Lansing. We knew that the medical marijuana bills would fail in the Senate, and we are banking on people who wanted that.” Indeed, the package of house bills aimed at further defining the MMMA and creating a more detailed structure has been sitting in the Senate judiciary committee since October. Whether or not supporters of more regulations for medical marijuana will contribute financially to MCC’s petition is yet to be determined. The group also has eyes on investors in other states, including Illinois, New York, Florida, and California. The February 2016 finance report states MCC raised $351,420, though the last direct contribution was made in October 2015, when Premiere Land Services donated $75,000. The Traverse City-based company specializes in leasing land for the development of oil, gas, wind, and solar energy, as well as servicing the telecom industry and conducting pipeline acquisition.
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ILegalize has not let up since they began fundraising in February 2015, four months before the petition was filed with the state. The March 8 primary marked a ‘The Great Petition Push’ for the group, who took advantage of a day that was swarming with registered voters throughout the state. “We’ve unified the cannabis community for the most part; we have widespread support,” said Hank, a lead player in the ballot initiative. “We’ve had over 600 people donate, and collected approaching 250,000 signatures. It’s a well-supported effort by a lot of people,” said Hank in mid-March. The February quarterly finance report states MILegalize has raised over $610,000. Roughly 55 percent came from Kevin McCaffery, president of RKB Enterprises, Inc., based in Ann Arbor. “He has no involvement in the industry” said Zettell. “He believes in us and was impressed with the initial fundraiser we had in Ann Arbor, and impressed with our board of directors (for the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee). He said he believes it should be legal in Michigan, and believes this is the way to do it.” Other notable, albeit significantly smaller direct donations, came from Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) who gave $500, and introduced House Bill 4877 last fall, designed to regulate and legalize marijuana in Michigan; Dennis Schornack, former aide to Gov. Rick Snyder and former chairman of the International Joint Commission; and Mark Meadows, East Lansing city council member. Other contributions came from seasoned marijuana activist, Charles “Chuck” Ream, a retired teacher who also sits on the board for the group who drafted the ballot initiative; the Ann Arbor Cannabis Guild; the Kalamazoo branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML); and attorneys Matt Abel of Cannabis Counsel; Michael Komorn, president of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association; Bruce Leach at Kirsch, Leach and Associates, which
has a location in Birmingham specializing in medical marijuana. There were a handful of out of state contributions in the amount of $1,000 or less. “Some of our absolute best and most dedicated volunteers are in Oakland County,” said Zettell. “There’s a number of venues in Oakland County that have been receptive, allowing us to table and collect signatures there. People are supportive in Oakland County probably because they’ve seen the court in Oakland County be so adversarial dealing with medical marijuana, and they’re fed up with that. There’s some prosecutors who have been unfavorable to medical marijuana.” Looking at our neighbor, Ohio, it’s clear that voters have no interest in promoting a marijuana monopoly as a means to get legal bud. In the fall of 2015, Ohioans witnessed an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana reach the ballot, but fail to pass. The group, Responsible Ohio, put forth Issue 3, which would have permitted a legal marijuana industry, but would have restricted commercial growth of cannabis to just ten specific parcels of land.
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egrouping after last year, marijuana activists have switched gears on the political front, and are narrowing their focus to medical marijuana. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana is expected to begin signature gathering in April. The committee was registered with the state by the national Marijuana Policy Project, a non-profit based in Washington D.C. that has a track record for initiating and analyzing legalization efforts around the country. Chris Lindsey, senior legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, discussed the issues facing the petition efforts in Michigan. “There’s a couple interesting issues they (MILegalize) are dealing with. They’re trying to get clear guidance on whether the board of canvassers will allow them to capture the signatures caught outside the six-month window,” he said, referring to the rebuttal presumption found in the Michigan election code, MCL 168.472a. The six-month window of time is counted backwards from the date the committee submits their signature-laden petition to the state. Unlike Florida, which allows citizens two years to collect the necessary number of signatures, only verified signatures that are collected 180 days prior to when the committee submits are considered valid in Michigan. Signatures collected outside the window are presumed to be stale and void, unless the group files a rebuttal and proves that the signatures captured outside the window were indeed signed by people who were, at the time they signed, registered to vote, and, who were also registered voters at some point during the six-month window. Challenging the six-month window, as it stands, is no small feat. “There’s been 14 statutory initiatives since 1908 that qualified and have been enacted (after filing a rebuttal), so one a decade,” said Hank, chairman of the 15-person board that drafted MILegalize’s ballot initiative. “There’s only a handful of attorneys who work in this area of law.” Senate Bill 776, introduced on February 24, 2016, by Sen. David Robertson (R- Grand Blanc) would remove the rebuttal presumption from the law and close what some legislators consider to be a “loophole” in the law. “This is like having a belt and wearing suspenders,” said Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kowall (R-White Lake). “It’s making sure what’s in front of the board of canvassers is valid.” The legislature picked up the issue after attorney Hank, on behalf of MILegalize, filed an official request with the state board of canvassers to revisit the law, calling attention to the modernized practices of verifying signatures, which he said no longer
necessitate the 180-day window, because now there is a database that can be accessed for voter files, rather than relying on each local clerk to provide that information. At the end of November, Hank filed a formal request to the Board of Canvassers to reconsider the policy. Introduced on February 10th by Sen. Dave Robertson, SB 776 would amend that section of the law, removing the clause that provides a possibility for any group to file a rebuttal. According to Fred Woodhams, spokesperson for the Secretary of State, the original language set forth that the bill would take effect on January 1, 2017. However, when SB 776 was up for discussion on the senate floor on March 10, Kowall made a motion, approved by a two-thirds vote, that the bill would take effect immediately upon passage. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives on March 10, where it was referred to the elections committee. “It’s what the majority wanted, to take effect, based on what’s going on right now, that’s what I would presume,” said Kowall. “I believe once the House of Representatives agrees to it, and they may do it next week, it could be on the governor’s desk a week from today (March 11). It’s due to the marijuana issue – its controversial. It’s been that way since the '20s. It’s a very controversial subject, and people don’t like talking about it. It’s a bipartisan thing. There’s some people that agree and some that don’t, and that has nothing to do with politics. That’s just personal beliefs.” Finding this political maneuver unjust, Sen. Steve Bieda (DWarren) spoke to the floor. “Everyone in this room knows that it’s extremely challenging to overcome a rebuttal presumption, but it is possible. And that possibility, however slim, gives people a slightly better chance to get their issue on the ballot… Let’s be honest here – a “yes” votes isn’t to clarify existing law; it’s to halt policy changes that would make it easier to use signatures collected beyond the 180-day window… It’s time to make it easier, not harder for voter issues to hit the ballot.”
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ank will not back down. “(Citizens) have four years to petition (for ballot initiatives.) The four-year period is set by the Michigan Constitution and can’t be changed without a vote of the people. The state just treats the signatures different because if the signatures are within the 180-day window they’re assumed to be valid, but if outside that window, most will still be valid per the constitution’s four-year statue. If they’re outside 180 days, they’re presumed invalid because sometimes the person died, someone moved and changed voter registration (to another state), or, they’re (gathered) outside the fouryear petition period. So what the Senate is doing with SB 776, eliminates the additional three-and-a-half years that any campaign out there have to petition, which (the legislature) couldn’t do because its in conflict with Article Two, Section Nine of the constitution.” Fellow naysayer to SB 776 is Sen. Coleman Young, Jr. (D-Detroit) who, at the end of February, introduced Senate Bill 813, referred to in its language as the “non-medical marijuana code.” The proposed act is written to legalize, regulate, and tax recreational marijuana. “In the interest of allowing law enforcement to focus on violent and property crimes, generating revenue for education and other public purposes, and individual freedom,” SB 813 states, “the legislature finds and declares that the use of marijuana should be legal for individuals 21 years of age and older and taxed in a manner similar to alcohol.” Since it’s introduction, the bill remains stagnant in the Senate judiciary committee – its only hope of moving forward rests with the committee chairman, and former Eaton County Sheriff, Rick
Jones (R-Grand Ledge), who has the ability to give the bill a nudge and put it on the agenda of committee. “I don’t think you’ll see any movement in that (SB 813) at all,” said Sen. Kowall. The bill is tiebarred with a Senate joint resolution (SJR O ’16) to amend the 1963 state constitution to decriminalize the possession and use of marijuana. Under SB 813, anyone 21 and older may possess up to one ounce, or five plants. The excise tax, which would be adjusted by the state treasurer annually to reflect the change in the consumer price index, is established as $50 per ounce of marijuana bud, $25 for each ounce of immature plant, and $15 per ounce of leaf. Of the tax revenue, 50 percent goes to the state general fund; 30 percent to the Department of Education; ten percent to the Department of Health and Human Services, earmarked for alcohol/drug abuse treatment programs; and another ten percent to the department of community health, designated for educating the public on the risks associated with marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco. Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), who contributed to the MILegalize campaign, also sponsored a bill outlining a plan to legalize and regulate marijuana. He introduced House Bill 4877 on September 17, the same day it was referred to the judiciary committee, where it hasn’t moved since.
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he bill would decriminalize and regulate marijuana cultivation, production, testing, sale, possession, and use for non-medical purposes; would license cultivation facilities, retail stores and distributors who would sell to retail stores. A person 21 and up could possess up to one ounce of marijuana, and 12 plants that measure 12 inches in either height and diameter. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
The status of medical marijuana in Michigan By Katie Deska
espite repeated requests by Supreme Court justices and local governments for the Michigan legislature to enact clearer laws regulating the state’s medical marijuana industry, the public awaits progress. Lack of clarity isn’t merely a problem for patients, caregivers or growers, but for the legal system itself. The Michigan Supreme Court has spent countless hours adjudicating a total of eight cases involving medical marijuana since the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA) was passed in 2008. In early 2013, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that dispensaries are not authorized under the MMMA, therefore patients must work with a specific caregiver, to whom they’re registered, to receive their medical marijuana. Later that year, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that MMMA prohibits medical marijuana to be sold in edible form, or other non-smokeable forms, despite desperate pleas from adult patients and parents of child patients, who cannot tolerate a dose of medical marijuana to be administered by smoking. In another ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously decided in February 2014 that municipalities are barred from creating any local ordinance that prohibits medical marijuana, forcing Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, among other municipalities, which had prohibited
D
would begin accepting and processing applications on the first day of 2017. For the first year, the excise tax, collected by the Department of the Treasury, would be set at 5 percent, with an increase of 1 percent every following January 1, until it reaches 10 percent. The bill outlines criteria to be considered by LARA in determining approval of licenses, including prior experience producing or distributing marijuana in the municipality where the applicant seeks license and consistent compliance with state statutes. Half of the license fee would go to the locality where the marijuana establishment exists. Notably, Irwin’s proposed bill stipulates that LARA may not require a retail facility to track the information of it’s consumers, “other than information typically required in a financial transaction at a retail liquor store.” Like other proposals, HB 4877 gives local government the right to adopt an ordinance that prohibits the operation of marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and/or retail facilities. However, prohibiting any of the above would require a vote of the people at a general election. On the other side of the aisle stands Rep. Mike Webber, (R-Rochester, Rochester Hills). “I’m not supportive of (legalization). I think it’s something that will go to a ballot initiative, and, looking at the polling, it would suggest it would pass,” said Webber. “Really, it’s how much money the group can raise to pay people to get it on the ballot.” If more than one initiative for legalized marijuana were to reach the ballot, and election day voters pass more than one, it would come down to a numbers game. “If they’re considered to be conflicting, the one that would go into effect is the one that receive the most votes,” said Woodhams of the Secretary of State's office. “If MILegalize got the most votes, then MCC (if their initiative made the ballot) would not go into effect even if approved by voters, per the state constitution.”
medical marijuana use, to revise their ordinances. The ruling came as a result of three cases involving attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), including Robert Lott vs. City of Birmingham. The ruling also made clear that municipalities may not “use federal law as an excuse to disregard the MMMA.” Currently sitting stagnant in committee in the Michigan Senate is a package of three bills, approved by the House in October, that outlines increased regulations pertaining to the monitoring and patient accessibility of medical marijuana. The next stage rests in the hands of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), who selects which bills are discussed. Sponsored by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R-Alto), House Bill 4210 amends the MMMA to allow for other forms of marijuana to be permitted for patients, including “edibles,” like brownies, or other marijuana-infused products. “I know there’s validity to stopping seizures with kids. I’ve seen the results of medical marijuana, talked to a lot of doctors who are firmly convinced there’s a use for it,” said Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kowall (R-White Lake). “But the purity, the security, has to be tightened up.” House Bill 4827, which would create the Marijuana Tracking Act, sponsored by Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township), would create a seed-to-sale tracking system and may help address the purity issue. Kowall compared the bill’s proposed structure to what is used in Colorado. “In Denver, they track it from seed to
sale, and the minute they put the seed in the ground, it’s given a number. They put a post into a planter, a plastic stake with a number on it, and as the plant starts to grow, they put a zip-tie around the plant itself, so it can’t come off,” Kowall said. “That plant goes to one entity that processes it. Once it's processed, the number follows that right through to use, so if something happens, it can track it back to where it came from, to who handled it.” Tie-barred with HB 4827 is Rep. Mike Callton’s (R-Nashville) House Bill 4209, which would create the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act. Establishing a three-tiered system, the act would permit distinct, nonoverlapping licenses for retailers, growers and distributors. Under HB 4209, an entity may only possess a license for a single segment of the industry at any given time. This act would create three classes of grow licenses, allowing for up to 500 plants, 1,000 plants, or 1,500 plants. “The language is ‘up to,’ meaning the ceiling,” said Mike Webber (R-Rochester), who co-sponsored HB 4209. “I think the intent is to provide the state a framework for going forward, and anticipating future growth in the industry, rather than what’s current. I’m not supportive of legalization, but if that passes on the ballot, I think these bills do provide a framework for the taxing component. I would hope that the Senate would look at the legislation in terms of providing framework. I think it’s really time,” said Rep. Webber. “It was enacted by the people in 2008, and here we are still in 2016 without a framework in place. But, ultimately, it’s up to the Senate.”
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UNENDING BATTLE THE LEGISLATIVE FIGHT OVER ABORTION RIGHTS
BY LISA BRODY
R
egardless of your personal stance, the statistics bear out that one in three women in the United States of childbearing age currently have had, or will have, an abortion. These are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, lovers, aunts, grandmothers, friends, and even, ourselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; women opting to terminate a pregnancy for any myriad of reasons. Since 1973, with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, it has been a legal decision to make. Yet since that momentous ruling was made, it has been under attack by pro-life factions both nationally and regionally. Michigan has been a battleground state, especially since the mid-1990s, with repeated efforts by state legislators to curtail access to abortion, asserting they are protecting the infant in the womb and working to make it safer for women getting the procedures. On the other side have been lawmakers and women seeking to have their voices heard above the din, some working with Planned Parenthood, to make sure a woman's right to choose to terminate a pregnancy is her right, and not the government's.
The battle between pro-choice and pro-life factions over the last 43 years has been ongoing since at least Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that determined, by a 7-2 vote, that the right to privacy under the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution extended to a women's decision to terminate a pregnancy. However, the court ruled, that must be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests in regulating abortions: protecting women's health, and protecting the potentiality of human life. Those are the two tenets which prolife activists have focused on in their efforts to overturn Roe, and stop abortions from happening across the country. On both the national and state level, the Roe ruling set up political battles which continue to this day, with 12 Michigan state legislative bills currently on Right to Life's pending state legislation agenda, from House Bill 4241, the Heartbeat Awareness Act, which would mandate a woman to hear a fetal heartbeat before having an abortion; to House Bill 4146, Late-Term Abortion Hospital Requirement, requiring all abortions after 19 weeks gestation to be performed in a hospital with a neonatal unit; and Senate Bill 287 and House Bill 5065, the Prenatally Diagnosed Conditions Act, which would create a database of “medically accurate information about prenatally diagnosed conditions, links to support groups, and information about intervention services,” to prevent women with fetuses with genetic abnormalities, including fatal abnormalities, from aborting. As Right to Life stated in a fact sheet, “This bill is an attempt to help avoid 'search and destroy' abortions,” noting that women carrying babies with Downs Syndrome, in particular, have an increased rate of termination. “No one plans to have an abortion. Yet, one in three Americans have had an abortion in their lifetime. That's mothers, sisters,
political and cultural movement,” Russell-Kraft wrote, while noting that not all religious groups agree with these interpretations of the morality of abortion. A 2014 Pew Research Center study showed that adults' perception of the legality of abortion vary by their religious affiliation. Eighty-two percent of those who identified as Buddhist, and 73 percent of those who identified as Jewish, favored the legality of abortion, versus only 18 percent of those who identified as Jehovah's Witness, 27 percent of Mormons, and 33 percent of evangelical Protestants. In the United States, Connecticut passed the first law in 1831 banning pharmacies from selling miscarriage-inducing drugs to women, and by 1900, abortion was illegal in every state. Doctors conformed, with the American Medical Association banning abortion in 1857, targeting midwives, who they asserted performed abortions, and campaigning to drive midwives out of business. Despite bans and laws prohibiting abortions, it is known that women have always sought ways to terminate pregnancies, resorting to “potions,” herbs, black market pills, knitting needles and hangers. As access is being denied to more women throughout the country, Carpentier said women are going back to illegal means. “We know that is happening in Texas,” she said, referring to Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt, a Texas law currently before the Supreme Court, which is requiring abortion clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. Since the Texas law took effect, several abortion clinics closed, thereby limiting access for women. “Our Texas offices are hearing from women who are calling and saying, 'Can I put this in my vagina or take this pill?' that they are ordering from some black market place on the Internet, and they're ending up in the ER,” Carpentier said. “I think Texas should be a
The battle between pro-choice and pro-life factions over the last 43 years has been ongoing since at least Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that determined that the right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution extended to a women's decision to terminate a pregnancy. daughters, cousins, friends, who don't talk about it, but have had them. No one goes into a heterosexual relationship with the idea they're going to have an abortion,” said Lori Carpentier, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan. Women choosing to end unwanted pregnancies are not a new phenomena. The first record of an induced abortion is from an ancient Egypt medical text from 5,000 years ago, in which an abortion procedure was described. There are references to abortions in ancient Greek and Chinese art and literature from the same period. A gynecological text from 100 A.D., written by Soranus, a Greek physician and writer, recorded several ways in which doctors could help women miscarry, as well as ways in which women could self-induce abortions, both for physical and mental health reasons. Abortion was not always illegal. There are records from around the year 1400, in Islamic society, where doctors commented on methods for utilizing miscarriage as a method for both birth control and abortion. The Roman Catholic Church did not officially condemn abortion at any stage of pregnancy until 1896, when it officially condemned it at all stages of pregnancy. Before then, its position was that abortion before the ensoulment of the fetus, which occurred at 30 days after conception, was not a sin. At the time of Roe v. Wade, Catholics were officially the only religious group opposed to abortion; according to Stephanie Russell-Kraft in The Atlantic, it wasn't until the late 1970s that evangelical Christians began to oppose abortion in all cases, as Catholic groups sought out allies in other religious communities to bolster their arguments and frame them in a secular context. “Over the course of 30 years, those alliances formed into a veritable
cautionary tale – it's scary the measures women will go to to terminate a pregnancy.” Years ago, Carpentier said, women anecdotally used black cohosh, a flowering plant native to North American which can be used for menstrual cramps and menopause symptoms, but also as a labor inducement. “Today, they take pills, which often claim to be a derivative of 486 (ru 486, or Mifeprex, a pill which medically induces abortion),” she said. “Some (pills) do nothing – that's the best case scenario. Others do real damage. There are lots of stories of women ending up in ERs without knowing what they took.” In a New York Times story in March, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz used Google search data to track U.S. Internet interest in selfinduced abortions over time, drawing a direct correlation to spikes in searches for “how to self-abort” and “how to have a miscarriage” to times and places where there have been legal restrictions placed on abortion. Carpentier said Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan, whose parent organization nationally receives about $450 million from Congress despite Republican efforts to defund it, as well as private donations, is also seeing the ramifications of less access to abortion because of more restrictive laws in Ohio. “We are seeing that women are using our resources from Ohio, and our numbers have almost quadrupled (of women from Ohio) in the last 16 months since Ohio has beefed up those laws on abortion care.” Ed Rivet, legislative director for Right to Life of Michigan, countered. “We heard a lot of that rhetoric in the 1980s and 1990s – it's going to cause women to die; it's going to force women into the back alleys. That was the rhetoric of the day. None of it proved
true. Everything we've said and seen has been true. Women are getting less abortions.” Yet, statistics show that each year around the world, 68,000 women die as the result of unsafe abortions. The fact that women are getting less abortions in the state of Michigan can be traced to legislative efforts by Rivet at Right to Life, Operation Rescue, and Republican legislators who supported their repeated efforts to enact bills systematically curtailing access to clinics, forcing women to wait 24 hours to obtain an abortion, to have payments for poor women halted, enact parental consent, to prevent riders in insurance from paying for abortions. According to its 2014 Annual Report, Right to Life of Michigan received almost all of its $1.3 million in revenue from donations. The DeVos family, notably Richard “Dick” Devos, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, is a large contributor to Republican legislators, and has funded several religious right groups, including Right to Life of Michigan. Rivet, who traces his efforts with Right to Life to 1988, said the first big effort in the state was over Medicaid funding. “We wanted to put it before voters with a ballot proposal referendum, which the voters approved 57 percent to 43 percent,” he said. The petition was passed in June 1987 by the state House to put it on the ballot, and in November 1988, it was affirmatively passed, becoming law to prohibit using public funds to provide an abortion to a woman receiving welfare funds unless the abortion would save the life of the mother. “That was significant for us from a policy point-of-view, as from the impact on abortions themselves,” Rivet said. “Prior to that, women could come in and get abortions with their Medicaid cards. The state was paying for about half of all abortions – about 48,000
the consequence of their action. It was signed into effect by Gov. John Engler, “because of the 24-hour waiting period,” Rivet said. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the state, with a court battle lasting five years. The law, initially Public Act 133 of 1993, became Public Act 345 of 2000, to be provided on the Internet by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “We know it had an effect on some women,” he said. “There was a decrease for a period of time.” Rivet says a part of the equation is that for younger women who have to wait 24 hours to have an abortion and have to see an ultrasound of their fetus, it's changed the discourse. “You cannot tell a teenager today, when their identity began prenatally, they identify themselves with their first photo in their photo albums as an ultrasound – so they see their unborn child as a child,” he said. “It's hard to tell them they're not killing a baby. Their identity began as a fetus. They're the first generation to consider that, and that's a pivotal cultural change.” The Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization working to advance reproductive health through research, stated that between 1992 and 1996, the number of abortions fell 12 percent; between 1996 and 2000, the abortion rate fell 5 percent. During both periods, the number of providers continued to fall. Legislatively, Right to Life of Michigan continued its efforts to restrict abortion access as new state legislators came into office with both the Granholm and Snyder administrations. From 2000 to 2011, proposed legislation either stalled in committees, or did not successfully pass from one chamber to the other, or was vetoed by the governor. In 2001-2002, Senate Bill 1253 was proposed, which would have
The fact that women are getting less abortions in the state of Michigan can be traced to legislative efforts by Right to Life, Operation Rescue, and Republican legislators who supported repeated efforts to enact bills systematically curtailing access to clinics, forcing women to wait 24 hours, and other measures. abortions annually. We said that subsidizing in essence free abortions was disincentive for not taking preventive measures. It turned out to be true.” He said at that time, their efforts were not about trying to stop abortions, but just not having Medicaid pay for them. In 1990, their efforts focused on pushing for a parental consent law, where women under the age of 18 would be required to get their parents' consent in order to get an abortion. “We had to get around the veto of Gov. Blanchard,” Rivet said, who said to Right to Life, it was a very simple issue. “Parents were entitled to be involved in a medical decision with their daughter.” They succeeded – “and the data shows for girls below 18, there was a 75 percent decrease in abortions.” Does that mean less young women were getting pregnant out of fear of telling their parents they would need an abortion? Rivet believes abstinence “became fairly fashionable among some teens. Contraceptive use and education, I believe, is up, and are factors. There have also been a spate of movies, 'Juno', 'Waitress', they're stories about single women confronting unplanned pregnancies. They are reflecting a different perspective about unplanned pregnancy which is a dramatic cultural change which teenagers are seeking.” Another legislative push, which took a greater effort, was the Informed Consent Law of 1993, where women considering abortion must be given certain information about abortion, including photographs, abortion procedure risks, pregnancy risks, prenatal care, parenting information and adoption options. Included in the bill was that a woman considering an abortion must wait 24 hours after being given the information to consider the procedure and
prohibited the prepayment for abortion to physicians or clinics because abortion was viewed as a commercial enterprise. Also included in the bill was a provision to delay payment until after the 24-hour waiting period, as well as language insuring that a woman was voluntarily giving consent to the abortion, and was not being coerced. The bill died in committee. In 2002, Act 687 of 2002 passed, known as the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which asserted the state's interest in protecting all individuals, and prescribing the same responsibilities and procedures in regard to a newborn, in essence prohibiting abortions at any stage of pregnancy. It prescribed severe criminal penalties on physicians providing abortions, including treatment for miscarriage, facing imprisonment up to life or fines up to $50,000. But the law was invalidated by Judge Arthur Tarnow of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, after the ACLU sued, saying the law endangered women's health, noting that “any law restricting a woman's right to choose previability of abortion must contain an adequate safeguard to protect the life and health of the pregnant woman.” Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan, said at the time of the ruling, “The legislature should not be determining what is the best medical treatment for any given woman. Such decisions should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor.” At the end of 2002, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed House Bill 5971, which was co-sponsored by current state Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake), and former Sen. John Pappageorge (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township), both then state representatives, to prohibit prepayment for abortions to physicians
or clinics because abortion services are marketed like other commercial enterprises. Transactions had to be delayed until after a 24-hour waiting period, and women had to give voluntary consent. In 2003, the effort to ban partial birth abortions began in earnest in Michigan, the same year it was enacted by Congress. “That was a huge debate,” said Rivet. The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a United States law prohibiting a form of late-term abortion referred to as “partial birth.” It was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 in the case Gonzales v. Carhart. “There's no such act in medicine as 'partial birth' – it's something the pro-life people made up,” said Planned Parenthood's Carpentier. The term was first coined by Douglas Johnson of the national Right to Life Committee to describe an abortion where a fetus is pulled out head first, through the mother's vagina, while it is still alive, and then killed while it is partially delivered. According to medical literature, partial birth abortion is defined as intact dilation and extraction during the second trimester of pregnancy, approximately 15 to 26 weeks, prior to viability. The U.S. law does not refer to gestational age nor to fetal viability. Year after year in Michigan, bills were introduced in both the state House and Senate to prohibit partial birth abortions, despite the existence of a federal law in place. In 2003-2004, House Bill 4603 passed, while Senate Bill 395 died in committee. Similar bills died in 2004-2005; 2005-2006; and 2006-2007. Numerous other bills to inhibit abortions were proposed but died in committees during those legislative years. In the 2007-2008 legislative year, Senate Bill 776, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, a replica of a federal law upheld by the U.S.
“My experience, maybe because of my profession, was when I learned about partial birth abortions, it motivated me to be more active,” Rivet said. “It may be a small number, but it got them to be more activated. We don't believe in eugenics. Doctors, most – maybe none – did them (partial birth abortions). It wasn't a quantity issue. It was that Roe v. Wade legalized abortions for all nine months for the health of the fetus. Meaning for any reason, and people did not believe us. It wasn't until partial birth came along that people believed us. “It took me 15 years. Four bills. Two court challenges. My first effort with a partial birth effort came in 1996. It had so many iterations. That was very, very significant because of the cultural iteration,” Rivet said. To pro-choice advocates, though, House Bill 5711 of 2012, was the worst bill passed, according to Desiree Cooper, director of community and media relations for Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan. “At the time, it was the worst bill in the nation, but much worse have been passed nationally since.” House Bill 5711 was an abortion omnibus bill which opponents said effectively banned abortion after 20 weeks, asserting that a fetus can feel pain after that point. The bill required additional regulatory requirements for facilities that perform abortions, including screening requirements aimed at making sure that no one is forcing women into having abortions, such as parents, spouses, or boyfriends. It mandated that women be given a questionnaire to inform them of the illegality of that coercion, and to have doctors determine if the woman had been coerced, or is a victim of domestic abuse before the abortion procedure could take place. For abortion providers, it forced them to carry an extra $1
During the House debate on 5711, in June 2012, the discussion became particularly toxic. Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown, then a Democratic representative from West Bloomfield, said of the hearing, “The committee room was packed with people, and they wouldn't let a woman speak.” Supreme Court, passed with the Senate voting 24-13, and the House voting 74-32, in favor. Gov. Jennifer Granholm vetoed the bill on June 13, 2008. A subsequent House bill, 4613, which asserted that the state “must preserve and protect the life of the mother and child”, with then-representatives Chuck Moss (RBirmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township) and Marty Knollenberg, current state senator (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills), both sponsors, died in committee. Two House bills, tie-barred 5664 in 2008 and 4613 from 2007, with Moss and Knollenberg as sponsors, also both died in committee, which would have provided sentencing guidelines for the crime of performing partial birth abortion. Then, in 2011, Right to Life and legislators succeeded in passing the Partial Birth Abortion Act, and Gov. Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 160 into law. The bill outlaws the practice of partial birth abortion in Michigan, unless it is determined it is necessary to save the life of the mother. While it mirrored the federal law, Rivet said it was necessary for the Michigan legislature to pass its own Partial Birth Abortion Law. “Federal laws can be repealed,” he said. “Federal laws are very hard to rely upon. Federal prosecutors are very busy. They are going after drug dealers, not going after an illegal abortion doctor. Also, we wanted to make a statement that we don't do that here in Michigan.” Rivet said that the ban activated a new base for Right to Life, acknowledging that 90 percent or so of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy.
million in liability insurance if they perform five or more abortions a month, or had ever been subject to two or more civil suits in the previous seven years. It also created a new regulation that stated that any clinic that provides six or more abortions in a month, or one that advertises abortion services, would have to be licensed as a freestanding surgical outpatient facility, meaning it would require a full surgical suite, even if they didn't perform full surgical abortions. During the House debate on 5711, in June 2012, the discussion in the state House and Senate became particularly toxic. Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown, then a Democratic representative from West Bloomfield, said of the hearing, “The committee room was packed with people, and they wouldn't let a woman speak. With 10 minutes left, the committee chair called for a vote. What was the rush? There were still a lot of people who wanted to speak.” Brown asserts she did not break any rules when she was called on the by the speaker for her vote, and stated, “'I'm flattered you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.' Behind me were all these Republican men, and there weren't any jaws on the floor. It was all the next day, the last day before summer break...when the Democratic Floor Leader told me I was not allowed to speak. I did not think speaking about 'vagina' was any different than speaking about 'elbow.' We were talking about abortions. Where do they think it comes from?” Former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing), said, “Any time you take a stand as a woman, there's going to be backlash.” In what was seen as limiting access to women, particularly rural women, noted Think Progress, “Under the omnibus bill,
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doctors would have to be physically present to perform a medication abortion, thus preventing a doctor from administering abortion-inducing medication by consulting via telephone or Internet.” Gov. Snyder signed the bill on December 28, 2012. Rivet of Right to Life denies that the passage of this bill has decreased women's access to abortion. “We're not seeking to stop abortions through legislation,” he said. “It's no secret that Right to Life wants abortion to not exist, but we're not seeking it legislatively.” Lynn Mills of Livonia, who works with Operation Rescue, a prolife Christian activist organization, said she works closely as a citizen activist providing on the ground investigative material to Rivet. “If I know an abortion doctor has done something wrong and violated laws, I want to pass that information on to (Right to Life) so they can craft laws, if they feel it's proper,” Mills said. “Right to Life did a wonderful job of making these clinics step up to the plate. There are still loose ends to tie up. We're never going to stop all of them. There is an underground abortion movement out here.” “In Michigan, the nature of the legislature has changed because of gerrymandering,” Planned Parenthood's Carpentier said. “The Republicans are more emboldened, controlling the House, Senate, and governor's mansion. In a couple of instances, Snyder has denied them their goals. They thought Snyder wouldn't be a stop gap. He has proven to protect a woman's right to choose in a couple of instances, such as when he vetoed, after he had worked hard reworking the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance bill – it was his bill – when they tacked on the abortion rider. That's something, an abortion rider, it doesn't exist with insurance. And he vetoed that legislation even though it was his legislation. “This governor has vetoed very little, so this was a big deal on
“I was one of the chairs of the stem cell research, and I saw the Right to Life lies on scientific research,” said Whitmer, now a University of Michigan lecturer and attorney in private practice. “You know they'll do anything to accomplish their goals.” Paige Comstock Cunningham, executive director of the BioEthics and Human Dignity Center in Illinois, said she is opposed to the use of fetal tissue in research “because the primary source is abortions.” While acknowledging aborted fetuses is a good source for stem cells, “it is not ethical.” Her primary concerns are “to respect the fetus. You cannot treat it any different than any other child. You cannot take a life and then give away a body. Those participating in abortion are morally disqualified from donating to research because they're the ones responsible for causing the fetal death. It turns the body and body parts into a commodity.” She said there also better, more ethical options for sources, such as umbilical cords, core blood, and baby teeth. “I'm not opposed to medical research, I just want it done ethically.” Both sides are awaiting the ruling on Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt, a case which was heard in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in early March, the first major abortion case in nearly a decade, centered around the key question of, does a Texas law that forces abortion clinics to meet stringent new standards, in the name of shielding a woman's health, impose an “undue burden” on a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy. One of the provisions in the law at issue requires abortion clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. Typically, abortions in early pregnancy are performed in settings similar to doctor's offices. The law also requires doctors to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals, in case of emergency.
Both sides are awaiting the ruling on Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt, a case which was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in early March, centered around the question of whether stringent new standards, in the name of shielding a woman's health, impose an “undue burden” on a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy. his part,” Carpentier said, noting that legislators passed the abortion rider without his signature as a referendum. “But he took a stand.” Ironically, she said, the impact on Michigan women is debatable, because many insurance companies don't offer it, and is not available for self-insurance policies. “For people who may be choosing early gestational coverage, it may be no big deal,” she said. “But for a family who may discover a fetal anomaly later in pregnancy, and some (anomalies) are not compatible with life – it's no longer a $500 procedure, it's many thousands of dollars. It's a pretty darn expensive procedure in a hospital.” Carpentier referred to bill 183 of 2013, which passed after Snyder's veto, despite Whitmer's efforts in the Senate, telling the personal story of having been raped 20 years before in an effort to persuade her fellow senators to understand the importance of leaving abortion accessible and available to women. Whitmer said, “It was very depressing the next morning. I had many Republican senators tell me 'I wish I could have voted with you, but I had to vote with my party.' Then my staff said our phones, e-mail, Facebook, are blowing up. People really supported me and my story. I could at least see the value talking about these issues. Rape is sadly not talked about – but it happens to so many women. Same with abortion. At least we got the conversation going.” The conversation does continue, both in Michigan, and around the country. Besides limiting access, the pro-life movement's focus is now on the use of fetal stem cells, or as a pending Senate Bills 564 and 565, and identical House Bills 5086 and 5087, refer to it, the Fetal Organ Trafficking Ban, which would prohibit the exchange of any form of compensation for fetal tissue or organs.
Supporters of the Texas law say the invasive nature of abortions require that they must be done in hospital-like environments, and hospital privileges for doctors is just a common sense measure to protect women. Rivet, of Right to Life of Michigan, said that while he has not studied the Texas law, “The argument is not to hold them to a higher standard, or to make (a clinic) into a mini-hospital, but to hold them to the same standards as any other outpatient facilities. That was our mantra all along.” The impact upon some Michigan laws and pending legislation will likely depend upon the Supreme Court decision. As for many women having to travel, sometimes great distances, in order to obtain safe abortions, Rivet said, “There's this idea of specialty medical services. Why isn't this in the same category? That you have to travel for medical procedures. Well, you have to travel for good care.” He said that in Michigan, an abortion provider does not have to have hospital privileges, although there is a requirement that they have a transfer agreement for any necessary emergency care with a local hospital. “That's a standard no one can challenge,” he asserted. When the law changed in Michigan in 2012, Rivet said, “The impact was immediate. There have been many clinics we know had been below standards. All those bad operators went out of business. In some cases, there had been elderly physicians who had not updated their facilities, who didn't want to update their facilities or standards, and they just closed.” “There are true believers, religious believers. But there are individuals who are interested in controlling women and then disappearing once a child is born,” said Whitmer. “They are advocates for the unborn, but not for the born.”
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Ann Marie LaFlamme get to work around 3:30 a.m., get a mic check and we’re live on the air at 4:30 a.m.,” said WXYZ reporter Ann Marie LaFlamme, who wakes up at 2 a.m. to join her comrades on the 7 Action News morning team. “It’s go, go, go for four-and-a-half hours. I go out on the street and report. We’re live at noon, or I’m turning in a story for a later newscast.” After work, LaFlamme heads home to Rochester Hills, where she grew up, and aims for bed around 6 p.m. As a reporter, LaFlamme said, “We’re just wired to live a little differently. You can’t just do it. You have to love it.” She fell into her passion after getting involved with the student news organization at Central Michigan University, where she ran track. When LaFlamme discovered the power of broadcasting, of having audio and video to accompany stories, she never looked back. “The most incredible part of my job – every day is different. For one day I’m immersing myself in a topic, and I have to be an expert in that field to bring (viewers) what’s happening, completely unbiased. I figure things out for them, all sides of the equation. From issues in the school system, to a state law being passed, or, on the crime scene, getting every detail. They trust us.” After graduating college in 2009, LaFlamme moved to northern Michigan, for her first TV job with 9 & 10 News Cadillac, and then relocated to Grand Rapids to join Fox 17, where she launched West Michigan’s Most Wanted, a segment focused on the region’s perilous criminals.
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“I brought that franchise here,” when she started with WXYZ in March of last year. “We call it Detroit’s Most Wanted. We work with U.S. Marshall's, Detroit police, and work to catch the most dangerous people in metro Detroit.” In addition to daily programming, LaFlamme presents “Ann Marie’s All Stars,” a weekly segment that showcases a notable person from within a local school district. “Essentially we created it because we wanted to highlight the positive that’s happening in schools, and honor all the people working in schools. Teachers do so much and they’re last to ask for recognition. I get to highlight people for one segment, but this is 40 years of their life, and it’s deserving of recognition.” It’s this relationship to the public that motivates LaFlamme to continue her work as a broadcast journalist. “It’s this platform I’ve been given – I can impact them, educate them, there’s nothing else like it in the world. People invite you into their homes.” Happy to be back in the metro area, LaFlamme said, she had been working towards returning to Rochester Hills since she started on her career path. “Anyone who grows up in Rochester Hills knows how blessed they are, with the parks, lakes, trails, all of it. It’s incredible. It’s a sense of community, and unlike what you find elsewhere. It’s big but not too big, close to Detroit, but not too close that we get lost. We have our own space, our own identity.” Story: Katie Deska
Photo: Jean Lannen
MUNICIPAL State court upholds oil drilling decision
Rochester College to build sports arena By Kevin Elliott
By Kevin Elliott
The Michigan Court of Appeals on Thursday, March 24, upheld a lower court's ruling that a lease agreement between the city of Rochester Hills and a Michigan oil company for mineral rights beneath the 61-acres of city-owned land is permissible under state and city law. The decision effectively validates a five-year lease agreement the city signed in 2013 with Jordan Development Company for oil and gas rights beneath Nowicki Park, Tienken Road Park and Van Hoosen Jones Stoney Creek Cemetery. The decision also means residents won't receive a vote on the lease agreement, nor an easement in Bloomer Park to Sunoco Pipeline, which was approved by the city in April of 2014. The case, which was originated in May of 2014 when the citizen's group Don't Drill The Hills filed suit against the city, alleging the city overstepped its authority by signing a lease for oil and gas exploration without voter approval. The suit contended that voters passed a measure in November 2011 to amend the city charter to protect the city's parks from being sold, leased, transferred, exchanged or converted to another use unless approved by voters. The suit also alleged the city violated state law that prohibits the sale of park property without a vote by the people. In January of 2013, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett signed an oil and gas lease with Jordan Development for the city-owned parks and cemetery. Oakland Count Circuit Court Judge James Alexander denied the case, which was then taken before the state Court of Appeals. The Appeals Court's decision upholds Judge Alexander's ruling. "We hold that the MCL 117.5(1)(e), which prohibits the sale of park property, cemetery, or any part of a park or cemetery, is not implicated by the transaction that occurred in this case," the Appeals Court wrote in its findings. "Quite simply, the transfer of title for a price did not occur here. Neither the lease with Jordan Development nor the agreements with Sunoco Pipeline involved the transfer of title to a park or cemetery. Instead, as is apparent from both the lease and easement documents at issue, the city conveyed a right of use for a specific 44
ochester College will break ground this April on a 23,000-square-foot sports arena that will be home to the Warriors' basketball and volleyball programs starting in February 2017. The arena, which will be named after long-time men's basketball coach Garth Pleasant, will have a maximum seating capacity for more than 1,500 people, with fan capacity at basketball and volleyball games at 868. Until now, the Rochester College Warriors have been playing at neighboring high schools. The Garth Pleasant Arena will be located on the north side of Avon Road, between Livernois and Rochester roads. Rochester-based French Associates architectural firm designed the arena to complement the aesthetics of the college's Richardson Academic Center, while still portraying a distinct athletic feel. "The addition of the arena will allow our teams to finally enjoy the excitement that only a true home court can provide," said Klint Pleasant, Rochester College men's basketball coach and son of Garth Pleasant. "It will be a thrill for our student athletes to play in front of their classmates, professors and staff mentors, as well as community friends. Equally exciting are the many on-campus events our community can look forward to, which will enhance school spirit and campus camaraderie." Along with sporting events, Rochester College plans to hold community and civic events, large campus gatherings, graduation ceremonies and convocation in the arena. "This arena will be the heart of student life at Rochester College," said Jaymes Vettraino, director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Rochester College, who is overseeing the arena's construction. "It's truly a neighborhood facility where our Warriors will feel at home, and faith and community will be strengthened." The arena construction is funded in part by a generous challenge gift, which will match every dollar the community donates to the arena's construction. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, April 22. Rochester Hills City Council on Tuesday, February 16, approved plans to construct the arena, which has been in the works since 2006, but had been delayed following the economic downturn. Founded in 1959, Rochester College is an accredited, independent liberal arts college that pursues academic excellence in a Christian setting. The college has more than 1,000 students both in traditional and adult learning programs, including bachelor degree programs at four locations and a master's degree in religious education.
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purpose, i.e., extracting or conveying oil and gas." The group said through its webpage that the court's ruling was disappointing. "The Court of Appeals ruling, on its face, is simply that the park is just the surface of the property and therefore the subsurface leases remain," the group said on Tuesday, March 29, in a statement. "It neither addresses 'standing' nor the alleged charter amendment violation. These questions remain. The COA merely ruled that the park does not include the subsurface." The group said the ruling doesn't end its fight to protect residential areas. "While Don't Drill The Hills acknowledges the ruling, we are reviewing to come back with a stronger analysis in the near future."
Potential changes for PSD and DDA By Katie Deska
New ordinances were unanimously approved regarding the voting capabilities of the chairpersons of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Rochester Principal Shopping District (PSD) during the city council meeting on Monday, March 28. A DDA is funded on property tax captures in a defined area that may include residential properties, which can then be used for public improvements in a downtown district. A PSD, on the other hand, is designed to promote economic development within the business community and is done through special assessments on businesses to finance activities. Council members discussed the
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intersection of the two bodies in the city. “If they’re going to serve on each other's boards,” council member Stuart Bikson asked at the meeting on Monday, March 14, when the ordinance was introduced, “why have separate boards?” City attorney Jeffrey Kragt answered, “The PSD border is different than that of the DDA,” referring to the geographical areas. “When we did make the switch from having one board, the borders were changed. You only can have the same people on the board if we changed it back to have the same boundaries.” Council member Ben Giovanelli described the logic behind the ordinance amendments as an attempt to have more involvement between the two bodies. “The genesis of it is that were doing such a great job of working together, this really just codifies that process, making sure everyone is involved.” “I'm not crazy about the idea, but I support the judgement of my colleagues who think it is,” said council member Jeffrey Cuthbertson. On another note, mayor Cathy Daldin reminded council that the decision to create amendments to each ordinance governing the bodies was related to a recent incident “when it came to hiring a person, and the DDA was making the decision for the PSD. “Based on the fact that there is overlapped businesses between the two (boards),” Daldin said, referring to the geographical boundaries, there’s not a “clear, clean separation. In an ideal world, it would have started out separate to begin with, but because they were enmeshed at one time, completely separating them is probably something that can eventually happen, but right now that’s not anything that they’re working on separating. One (the DDA) is completely capital and one (the PSD) is completely marketing and promotion.” Mayor pro tem Kim Russell stated, “When we separated the PSD and DDA, I wasn’t a fan of it. I think they’re one family, and have to talk to each other, they’re on the same farm. On the capital piece, city council wanted DDA to take on all capital, and PSD to do marketing and promotion. The problem is that the DDA is making decisions, like the Big Bright Light Show, and there has to be someone on the DDA, so there’s talk back and forth when there’s issues that affect the PSD.” Council voted 7-0 to approve the ordinances. 04.16
Residents’ concern about wetlands By Kevin Elliott
everal Rochester Hills residents on Monday, March 14, expressed concerns to city council members about how a proposed senior living facility along Rochester Road, north of Hamlin Road, will impact wetlands in the area. Plans by NP Senior Living Development LLC to build a proposed two-story, 81,073-square foot, 100-bed senior living facility called Stonecrest were approved on Tuesday, February 16, by the Rochester Hills Planning Commission. The developer on March 14 sought a wetland use permit to conduct operations on 1.12 acres of wetlands at the 3.5-acre site. Of the 1.2 acres of wetlands, about .15 acres would be disrupted. Residents living near the proposed project said the developer had met with some residents months ago and presented plans, but those plans had since changed to include changes to the wetlands. A representative for the developer said conceptual plans were shown to the residents which hadn't previously included storm water management plans, as required. About five residents spoke at the city council meeting to inquire about the wetlands. Several questioned how the determination is made as to whether a wetland is considered high or low quality. Rochester Hills resident Scot Beaton said he recently spoke with some of the residents and had concerns. "We need to change the way we think about the quality of a wetland," Beaton said. "Thirty years ago we passed a wetland ordinance. We told the residents we would have these wetlands, and population was only a quarter of what it is today. The residents moved in to see this beauty. They respected this legal document from the city saying this is a wetland and it has a 25foot buffer zone, and it will be treated as a wetland. So, they took their life savings and purchased a home to stay in the longrun, that this would be protected. They took the city's word on this. "For you to come back and have a Missouri land developer come in here and come up with the idea that this is a lowquality wetland. This is not this just one piece – this is a whole drain that runs through there...this is a pristine part of the area that these people spent their life savings on. It needs to be protected. You need to vote no this evening." Rochester Hills Planning Manager Sara Roediger said wetlands at the site, which are close to the Honeywell Ditch, are regulated by the city and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). About 6,650 square feet of the wetlands will be both temporarily and permanently impacted due to the construction and proposed road. Roediger said the city's wetland consultant, ASTI, recommended approval of the wetland use permit. She said ASTI found the wetlands to be low to poor quality. "It is ASTI's opinion that the on-site wetland is of low-quality, floristically and in function," ASTI stated in a letter to the city. "The wetland proposed to be impacted is of low ecological quality and the impacts are minor. Therefore, ASTI recommends the city allow for a Wetland Use Permit for these impacts." While the wetlands are close to the Honeywell Ditch, ASTI recommended utilizing a retaining wall or similar structure be constructed along the edge of the proposed grading limits to minimize any unplanned impacts. The current plans for the project note that no impacts to the ditch or adjacent wetlands will result from work at the site. Council member Susan Bowyer asked whether landscaping could be used to cover part of the retaining wall, which is expected to be about 13-feet tall. However, how much vegetation and how high it could be permitted wasn't clear. Trees, however, couldn't be used as they would have a negative impact on the wetlands. Council members approved the permit by a vote of 4-1, with council member Bowyer voting against approval, and members Kevin Brown and Dale Hetrick absent. While the city's approval marked the end of the process at the city council level, the developer must obtain additional approval from the MDEQ prior to moving forward with construction.
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Mr. C’s Car Wash site plan approved The Rochester Planning Commission granted approval of an amendment to a site plan for Mr. C’s Car Wash, owned by Vito Catalfio, Jr., which is scheduled to break ground this April at 520 S. Woodward Avenue in Rochester. The site currently houses a smaller car wash, and the original site plan indicated that a portion of one of the structures would remain intact. However, in the process of designing the engineering plan, Catalfio was alerted to an engineering conflict related to the sewers running beneath Woodward Avenue. To create a proper grade for the facility, while incorporating the existing structure, Catalfio concluded that the construction was impractical and revised the site plan. Catalfio’s request for approval of the amendment was met with unanimous approval by the commission on a vote of 9-0. Exterior hand-waxing, interior carpet shampooing, and additional detailing is available from Mr. C’s. This will be the sixth location, with others in Washington Township, Lake Orion, Clinton Township, Harper Woods and Detroit.
ordinance doesn't include car dealership parking lot requirements, so staff relied on the applicant to provide the appropriate amount of parking to run the dealership based on experience. The applicant is proposing 112 parking spaces for both employees and customers, with 281 display spaces. She said the existing parking lot doesn't meet setback requirements along Rochester Road, but the city's zoning board of appeals found the existing nonconforming building would be demolished and decrease the nonconformity, and visibility would be increased with the removal of the building. Planning commissioners also approved a tree removal permit to remove about seven regulated trees, with a $200-per-tree compensation fee. Conditions on the site plan include the applicant provide a $1,400 bond for landscaping; provide payment of $1,400 for tree removals; provide an irrigation plan cost estimate prior to a land improvement permit; and add low perennials and/or shrubs along Rochester Road to provide visual interest along the roadway.
Fox Automotive to expand dealership
Council approves park grant application
Fox Automotive of Rochester Hills, located at 775 S. Rochester Road, will be expanding its operations when it constructs a 25,000 square-foot building addition to accommodate a joint Toyota and Volkswagen dealership on 5.1 acres of land at the southwest corner of Rochester Road and Arlington Drive. A site plan and tree removal permit was approved on Tuesday, March 15, for the dealership by the Rochester Hills Planning Commission. Currently, there are two buildings on the existing site, including a Toyota dealership, which will be demolished, and the VW dealership, which will be enlarged, Rochester Hills Planning Manager Sara Roediger said in a report to planning commissioners. The new consolidated facility will be 39,035 square feet. Access to the site will utilize existing drives on Rochester and Arlington, but additional traffic isn't anticipated to increase as a result of the new plans. Roediger said the city's zoning
Rochester Hills City Council members on Monday, March 14, approved a $150,000 matching-grant application to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for projects planned at the city's Riverbend Park. If approved, the grant would go towards paying for the first phase of several improvements planned for the park totaling about $300,000, of which the city would pay for half. Rochester Hills Parks and Forestry Director Ken Elwert said the grant application required the city approve a parks and recreation master plan by March 1. The grant application was required to be approved by council before April 1 to be considered for the grant. "The bulk of the cost is for the boardwalk. That will complete a solid mile loop of boardwalk," Elwert said. The boardwalk project would total about $192,500, while an additional restroom project would total about $75,000. Additional projects include a water connection from Hamlin Road; a connection to the city's pathway
system; grading for ADA accessibility and signage; wayfinding markers; bike racks, benches; waste receptacles; pest waste stations; and landscaping. If approved by the Department of Natural Resources, construction would likely begin in 2017. City council members unanimously approved the grant application, with members Kevin Brown and Dale Hetrick absent.
Rochester marijuana grow operation stalled By Katie Deska
A public hearing regarding the site plan and special exception for a proposed 72-plant medical marijuana grow operation was rejected, although not denied, by a unanimous vote of the Rochester Planning Commission on Monday, March 7. Licensed through the state of Michigan, the next step for applicant Mark Finley, of Xavier Labs, LLC, is to “spend the next 30 days assessing all requests from the planning commission,” he said. Finley is a medical marijuana caregiver and Rochester resident who currently has two local patients registered to him, although he is not currently providing for them. His silent partner, a financial investor, also lives in Rochester. “We will hopefully answer all issues,” said Finley, who would reappear before the commission to present revised plans and respond to the commissioners prior concerns. “It would be the May planning commission, probably. They will hold
another public hearing. It will be a repeat of Monday night’s meeting,” he said. Finley has proposed to open a medical marijuana grow operation at 361 South Street, within a multitenant building, upstairs from where he operates his current business. Located east of Diversion Street, within an industrial zoning district, the proposed site for the grow operation is in line with what the city specified in its ordinance governing medical marijuana grow operations. In early 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that municipalities may not ban the use of medical marijuana, and are required to have an ordinance that addresses zoning for medical marijuana grow operations following the approval in 2008 of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. In December 2014, Rochester passed an ordinance that establishes regulations for grow operations. “The city has an obligation, under zoning law, to provide for a space where this use can take place,” said commissioner Jeffrey Cuthbertson. Per the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, passed by voters in 2008, a state-licensed medical marijuana caregiver can legally cultivate 12 plants for each patient the caregiver is registered to provide for. Rochester’s ordinance sets the maximum allowable plants at 72, which is how many Finley hopes to cultivate. “We spent a lot of time drafting this ordinance,” said mayor Cathy Daldin. “Most people come up (to city meetings) when it’s in their
College park project receives key sponsor By Kevin Elliott and Katie Deska
onstruction and community programming on Rochester College's Lake Norcentra Park will begin this spring with the help of Chief Financial Credit Union, a sponsor of the project. Located on the north side of the college's campus in Rochester Hills, the project is intended to transform the area surrounding Lake Norcentra to create a community service learning park for the community. The 14-acre park is located at the intersection of the Clinton River Trail and the Clinton River, and consists of historic buildings, wetlands, woodlands and high bluffs. Rochester City Council endorsed the Lake Nocentra Park project, which was presented to council members at their meeting on Monday, March 14. The city has no monetary commitment to the
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backyard, but I hope that people understand, we do our best with what we have to work with. Your points are always taken.” By the time the public hearing started on Monday, March 7, the room in city hall was overflowing with residents and other interested parties, leaving nothing but standing room. Those who spoke at the podium expressed their questions, concerns and, in many cases, direct opposition to the potential medical grow operation, which is proposed to be on South Street, east of Diversion Street. “It’s a cash business, I know plenty of people who’ve gotten into these businesses,” said one Rochester resident. “You attract not the right type of people – they know there’s a lot of cash on hand. If this was passed, I’d be putting my house up for sale immediately. You have to take into consideration…incidents, break-ins. It’s cash and drugs.” Other members of the public expressed worry over the proximity of the proposed site to private education centers, including the Goldfish Swim School at 550 South Street, and other facilities offering piano, dance, golf and music lessons. Rochester’s ordinance requires that a facility be at least 500 feet away from schools, parks, and childcare facilities. “The types of schools (the resident) indicated aren’t the type of schools that are referenced in the ordinance,” said city attorney Jeffrey Kragt. Odor was another concern mentioned more than once. A Rochester Hills resident, who said
park, “just the spirit of participation,” said Jaymes Vettraino, Rochester College faculty and the city’s former manager. “The grant from MEDC is for place making, and the MEDC is interested in (the project) – connecting downtown, the Rochester area, the Clinton River Trail and the college campus.” Chief Financial Credit Union's sponsorship will play a key role in introducing the community to the park by providing community programming throughout the year. Plans for this summer include live music and entertainment, a "cheer garden" for trail-side concessions, as well as several service and learning opportunities. "We're creating Lake Norcentra Park to be a place that brings neighbors together to enjoy what it means to be in the greater Rochester community,” said BT Irwin, consultant and project manager of the park. "Chief Financial's support will make that possible. This spring and summer, we invite the entire community to stop by the park and see the exciting progress that's being made."
she lives in a neighborhood near the proposed grow operation, admitted fear of a “pungent smell…like a skunk smell,” and asked, “what if any solution the proposed grow operation has for that.” Finley, the applicant, came to the podium to speak after hearing overwhelming opposition from residents, and numerous concerns from commissioners. He began, “A great thing about Rochester is that the people of this city actually care about the city. I’m deeply committed to this city. A lot of people want to know ‘why?’I believe medical marijuana actually helps people. I’m against all drug use, but medical marijuana has actually helped people. I do not use marijuana. I’m here to do it to help people, and to grow a business, yes, business, within the law,” he said. Finley stated that the business would have two security systems, equipped with alarms and equipment to capture video footage all day, every day. In addition to other details, the city’s ordinance specifies that a list of patients would be kept at the business, and that “the facility shall be available for inspection, during business hours, by the city manager, or the city manger’s designee to confirm the facility is operating in accordance with all applicable laws, including federal law, state law and city ordinances,” per the Special Conditions for Medical Marijuana Grow Operations. After deliberation among commissioners, a motion was made by commissioner and vice chair Jon Kingsepp, who recommended “the
The master plan for the park includes several initiatives, including pop-up concessions along the Clinton River Trail; a bike parking and repair station; signage that interprets the history and nature of the site; demolition of an existing maintenance building to make an open space for events and recreation; boat and fishing access along the Clinton River; hammocks, seating and tables; a 900-square foot Rochester community mural; and entertainment and learning programs throughout the year. "We are always looking for ways to enhance our community and Lake Norcentra Park is a shining opportunity," said Tom Dluzen, CEO of the credit union. "Our goals through this sponsorship are to inspire strategic partnerships between our employees, members and communities, and to be forever remembered for the good we did, the chances we gave and lives we changed. Supporting a beautiful park in the heart of a thriving community is a perfect way to achieve that."
present application for site plan review be rejected for reasons stated on the record, on missing information.” Commissioners voted unanimously to reject the current site plan and request for special exception project approval, citing various holes in Finley’s current application. “There were a number of things that were not adequately addressed to enable an effective analysis of that plan,” said commission chairman Joseph Tori. Areas cited by the commissioners that lacked clarity included specifics within the security plan; methods to control potential odors; and mode of transport of the medical marijuana from the facility to the patients. A couple days after the meeting, Finley stated to Downtown Publications, “odor is one of our largest concerns because that is an extreme negative to the industry, and that’s our number one priority, to keep that under control.” To do so, he said he plans to use correctly sized carbon scrubbers, which help to filter the air. “It’s activated charcoal, that all the air from the grow operation runs through, through the scrubbers, and comes out smelling nice. They’re commercially available.” As part of Finley’s business model, he will be transporting the marijuana, which would be grown at the proposed site, directly to his patients, a maximum of five people. “We want zero traffic at our facility, it would just be myself – the caregiver – and based on that, we would deliver the medical marijuana to each of our patients,” said Finley. “We have no plan to have any patients at the grow facility, therefore creating no negative impact to the surrounding area.” Although a caregiver’s registered patients are permitted on the grounds of the grow operation during business hours, Finley said, “in our plan, submitted to the city, we’ll be conducting all deliveries off site. Every marijuana patient or caregiver must keep the allowable amount, and no more, locked up in the back of the vehicle, in a locked safe.” It’s a misdemeanor violation if a patient or caregiver is transporting more than the allowable 2.5 ounces per patient, said Finley. “There’s no possibility under this ordinance for more than 72 plants. Seventy-two plants total,” said attorney Kragt. “This is not a dispensary.” Dispensaries were ruled to be illegal by a decision of the downtownpublications.com
New Rochester Hills parks director starts By Kevin Elliott
ormer Independence Township Parks and Recreation Director Ken Elwert started his new position as director of the Rochester Hills Parks and Recreation and Forestry departments. Elwert replaces long time parks, recreation and forestry director Michael Hartner, who retired in December after 35 years with the city. As such, Elwert will oversee the city's 1,000-acre park system, which includes 13 developed city parks. He said he hopes to bring a strategic focus to the park system and build on the existing park system. As director of the two departments, he will oversee about 30 full-time employees and 60 to 90 part-time, seasonal employees throughout the year. Elwert worked for seven years as the director of parks and recreation for Lapeer County, where he oversaw about five full-time employees and oversaw two parks with 110 acres of land, and about 20 miles of the Polly Ann Trail. Elwert left Lapeer County in 2011 to accept the parks and recreation, senior director position in Independence Township, where he oversaw about 15 full-time employees and 200 seasonal part-time employees, 200 volunteers and a 220-acre parks system. "I think he presented a really nice balance and command of both parks operations, as well as a flair for innovation," Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said of Elwert's arrival. "We have a great parks department and a variety of amenities. I think he will be a wonderful benefit. He's already exhibited great energy and enthusiasm." Elwert holds a master's degree in parks and recreation administration, and a bachelor's degree in parks and recreation from Michigan State University. He is also the chair of the Michigan Recreation and Park Association. "It's like drinking water from a firehose. Even though you have 20 years of experience, there are so many things that each community does differently – there is a lot coming in for the first couple months. And Rochester Hills is double because they do so much stuff," Elwert said of his time settling in during the first month on the job. "Part of the reason that attracted me to Rochester Hills was the very strong park system and the support of Rochester Hills," he said "I wasn't interviewing for a ton of positions."
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Michigan Supreme Court in 2013. “Only employees, the caregiver and registered patients can go there,” said Kragt. If Finley does receive approval from the planning commission at a later date, he would have to apply for a license from the city, which must be approved by city council. “The ordinance requires the applicant demonstrate that it meets every criteria. The burden is really on the applicant, and it’s a heavy burden, and designed specifically for that,” said Kingsepp.
Mixed use building for 527 Pine Street Preliminary plans for a proposed three-story mixed use development, consisting of two office spaces and three residential units at 527 Pine Street in Rochester, were met with positive feedback, as well as some
concern, from the city’s planning commission on Monday, March 7. Each of the three residential units, located on the second and third floors of the .179-acre site, would have a two-car garage and at least one balcony, explained landscape architect and urban designer Ralph Nunez of DesignTeam Plus, who was speaking on behalf of developer Jim Polyzois. The site currently serves as a parking lot, and is proposed to be ripped up for the development, although the remaining area of the parking lot would be untouched, as it is used by a neighboring business. “It's south of the Rochester Municipal Complex,” said Nunez. “In urban design we want to get rid of parking. We wanted to push (the building) close to the street, and have the park on the north side.” Commissioner Christopher Koehler expressed concern about the narrow setbacks. “I’m not excited
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about zero-foot setback. It seems like we’re trying to fit a lot of building into a little space.” “I think it’s a handsome building in general,” said commissioner Jeffrey Cuthbertson. “Obviously, technical details need to be worked out.” “Nice presentation, especially at the preliminary stage,” said commissioner David Gassen to the applicant. The commission voted unanimously, 9-0, to approve placing the item on a future planning commission agenda.
Condo development to include offices The Star Batt Condominium development in Rochester Hills will receive the addition of two commercial/office buildings under a site plan approved by the Rochester Hills Planning Commission on Tuesday, March 15. The applicant, Steve Stolaruk, of Star Batt, Inc., told city staff the buildings will be speculative, so the tenant-mix, number of employees, hours of operation and other specifics aren't yet known. The buildings will include an 11,999-square-foot structure and a 28,538-square-foot structure on a 3.54-acre site on Star Batt, between Avon and Industrial Drive and M-59, west of Crooks. Rochester Hills planning manager Sara Roediger told commissioners the site is zoned as B-3 shopping center business, and is master planned as a regional employment center workplace. There is industrial zoning to the north, developed with industrial and office businesses; M59 to the south; a Taco Bell and car wash to the east, and a bowling alley to the west. Access to the site has been restricted by the Oakland County Road Commission (RCOC) to a curb cut on Crooks Road to only the existing Taco Bell. While city staff recommended coordinating access throughout the site, the RCOC maintains that Crooks should be converted to provide right-in, rightout turning from the development. Staff also recommended pedestrian connections made to the site. The commission approved the site plan with the following conditions: that an additional sidewalk into the site off the Avon Industrial Drive pathway to connect to the sidewalk at the Taco Bell; that the applicant provide an cost estimate for 47
landscaping; and that the applicant provide an irrigation plan and cost estimate prior to issuance of a land improvement permit.
Rochester Hills used car lot rejected again A conditional zoning use request to allow for a used car lot on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills' Olde Town neighborhood was rejected on Monday, March 14, by city council, with a stipulation that the property owner could re-apply with an updated site plan. Syed Ahmed, owner of Auto Rite Sales, 1923 E. Auburn Road, in January received a recommendation by the city's planning commission that city council approve the conditional use request, with a limitation on the number of cars at the site set at 12. The planning commission also recommended replacing or welding shut a gate leading from the lot to adjacent Hessel Street. Additionally, the planning commission recommended that Ahmed's conditional use authorization be revoked should he be found in violation of ordinances twice or more in one year. At the council's February 22 meeting, Ahmed sought to have council disregard the recommendations from the planning commission and increase the number of vehicles permitted on the site from 12 to 18. Several council members took umbrage with the request, subsequently denying the recommendation altogether. Council at that meeting tabled a motion to affirm a motion to reject the applicant's request until the March 14 meeting in order to include official recommendations and findings in the motion. Council on March 14 approved rejecting the request by a vote of 5-0, with members Kevin Brown and Dale Hetrick absent. While the request was denied, the motion does allow for Ahmed to return with an updated site plan that shows 12 cars on the lot, as well as two in the proposed service bays, for a total of 14 vehicles at the site, as well as the further recommendations made by the planning commission. Ahmed, on March 2, submitted a letter to city council indicating he would still like to have 18 cars at the site, but would abide by the limitation of 12 if it were approved. "I understand and agree to all of the conditions that the Planning Commission recommended. I believe I 48
Jenoptik Automotive plans move forward By Kevin Elliott
lans by Jenoptik Automotive to construct a 100,000 square-foot building on the former city-owned property in the 700 block of W. Hamlin Road moved forward on Tuesday, March 22, when the company went before the Rochester Hills Planning Commission. The automotive business, which entered a $2.38 million purchase agreement on February 22 with the city of Rochester Hills for about 15.6 acres of land, went before planning commissioners to seek site plan approval, a tree removal permit, and a recommendation for city council to approve a conditional use on the property. Jenoptik develops custom optical, opto-electrical and mechatronic systems, and has operated in the city for more than eight years. The company plans to construct a new technical campus on the recently acquired land. The campus is expected to be developed in three phases, with an overall planned investment of about $19 million for the first two phases, for a total of about $28 million. The facility is expected to generate about 400 new jobs with an average salary of $80,000. Plans include a 100,000 square-foot office, engineering, manufacturing and warehouse building, with a future 45,000 square-foot building for phase two, which would be constructed on the 9.51 acres on the north side of Hamlin Road, between Crooks and Livernois. A 60,000 square-foot building on the neighboring 6.13 acres of property is planned, but not included as part of this review. Currently, the site is zoned for office, research and technology, which doesn't allow for assembly and machining operations that will be conducted at the site. The proposed use, therefore, requires a special use authorization from city council. A recommendation to council to approve the conditional use request was approved by planning commissioners. Planning commissioners also approved a tree removal permit, allowing for the replacement of 22 regulated trees with 22 tree credits, as well as site plan approval for the first two phases of the project. The site plan was approved with the condition that city council approve the special use request, and that the applicant provide a $173,076 bond for tree replacement.
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was a little confused at the last meeting and may have misunderstood. Ideally, I would like the ability to have up to 18 cars, but if the city decides that 12 cars are the maximum then I will abide by that," he said in the letter. "I will do everything in my power to not violate the ordinances, and will weld shut the gate on Hessel."
Mayor gives positive annual city address From the podium at the Royal Park Hotel on Monday, March 21, Mayor Cathy Daldin presented Rochester residents with the annual State of the City address. In between high-pitched barks from puppies of Leader Dogs for the Blind, the organization present to accept donations, Daldin introduced fellow council members and discussed highlights from the city’s past, present and future. “Rochester is financially strong,
we’re a very, very blessed community,” said Daldin, who highlighted the city’s financial stability with a couple hard numbers. “We’ve seen an 11 percent increase in the last year in residential property values, and a three percent increase in commercial property values.” She pointed out the city’s AAA bond rating and praised public servants for helping to keep Rochester consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the state. Discussing the importance of taking an active approach to the city’s master plan, Daldin said, “It’s not just a document that sits on a shelf. We’re looking at ways to offer a variety of housing stock,” and particularly to fill the “gap of the $250-300,000 range.” Last year, the city issued 31 more building permits than the year prior, for a total of “1,200 building permits and improvements in the city,” amounting to “$30 million in renovations.” City utilities were covered briefly as Daldin reassured residents of the safety
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of their water, and mentioned the $1.5 million sewer interceptor project, which is on schedule to be completed this June. “We’ve always properly funded the water department, to make sure our water stays safe,” she said, noting that the city tests 42 water sources, found in wells, homes and businesses, on an ongoing basis. The new Clinton River Trail sewer interceptor consists of a 21-inch sewer main that will protect local water sources while transporting “1.3 million gallons of sewage a day – yes, the yucky stuff,” she joked. “A strong healthy infrastructure is the foundation for a healthy community, and Rochester is super focused on that.” The city is developing five, 10 and 15-year capitol improvement plans, and acknowledged the challenges posed by the climate to maintain roads. “Replace roads when necessary, repair roads when needed,” she said, noting that most roads in Rochester are owned by the city, except Main Street. Daldin noted the multiple improvement projects that were completed in Rochester Municipal Park, including bathrooms; a warming station, especially appreciated by skaters twirling around the frozen pond; and the successful completion of the wooden bandstand, which hosts a Thursday night concert series, and could be soon be the stage for Shakespeare in the Park.
New app approved for reporting concerns By Katie Deska
In the near future, Rochester residents will be able to report and check the status of public works issues, such as potholes, graffiti or busted water main lines, through a new app provided by SeeClickFix, a technology company which provides the service to other municipalities, including Ann Arbor. City manager Blaine Wing recommended to city council that they approve the contract, which is expected to increase efficiency and transparency of citizen-reported services. On Monday, February 29, council approved a three-year contract with SeeClickFix, at a cost of $6,631 per year for the software solution. The new reporting system, which residents would be able to access via a downloadable app, enables the public to view the status on an incident, such as a broken sidewalk that poses a tripping risk. The report is filed by a resident through the app, and the app will enable the staff and public to track 04.16
repair progress, including when a crew was sent to fix it and when the problem has been resolved. Currently, if citizens want to report a problem, they can call city administration, walk in to city hall, send an e-mail to a city official, or fill out a service request form on the city’s website. Wing noted that in a year’s time, 1,100 service requests were logged. Before it’s made available to Rochester residents, SeeClickFix will have a soft launch within city staff, who will have the opportunity try the new system and troubleshoot it if necessary. “(The company) recommends we do it internally to test it out. Then we can set up a matrix – what will be our response time (to particular problems),” said Wing. “It’s no longer a one-way communication. We can say it’s been assigned, a crew’s been sent out and it’s been fixed.” Even for issues that aren’t reported online, they will be entered into SeeClickFix, in order to streamline the city’s response to issues, he said. Data collected by the software will be owned by the city, and the metrics generated are expected to assist city officials in planning and increasing response efficiency. The SeeClickFix contract was approved by a 5 to 1 vote, with council member Ann Peterson dissenting, and mayor pro tem Kim Russell absent.
Barnett: State of the city is strong Rochester Hills is strong and thriving thanks to efforts by city staff, residents and local businesses, Mayor Bryan Barnett said on Tuesday, March 29, during his 10th annual State of the City address to a packed auditorium at the Stony Creek High School. "Rochester Hills is absolutely on a roll, and the state of our city is strong," Barnett said. "Strong and thriving, and a model for cities anywhere in America." Barnett said the city is accomplishing the mission statement he set out to achieve when he first took office: making Rochester Hills the pre-eminent city to live, work and raise a family. Following an Academy Awards-style theme, Barnett discussed each of the three categories in the mission statement and gave the city a mock award for each, pitting Rochester Hills against neighboring communities and national municipalities. "In the category of the pre-eminent place to work in America, the downtownpublications.com
nominees are Alaska, Death Valley, Rochester Hills, and Orion Township," Barnett said, as a movie screen behind him showed fictional depictions of each location, including a garbage dump below an Orion Township sign, where Barnett's brother, Chris, serves as township supervisor. The lighthearted ribbing persisted throughout the address, keeping attendees engaged while touting the city's accomplishments over the past year. Yet, between jokes, Barnett proudly reviewed statistics, figures and the lists of accomplishments to set out to show the state of the city on paper. "New housing permits are up 13 percent from last year," Barnett said, noting that average new home costs decreased from $490,000 in 2014 to about $374,000, with the addition of 150 new town homes in the Barrington Park development by Pulte homes and a four-story apartment building, providing greater affordability. "That offers more people the chance to call Rochester Hills home." While new housing costs are down slightly, he said property values across the city rose about 9 percent on average, which some neighborhoods rising as much as 30 percent. He said foreclosures dropped by 88 percent in the past five years, and as the 13th largest city in the state, Rochester Hills is one that is growing in population. Barnett also said the Mayor's Business Council, a self-funded group consisting of local CEOs, has helped to attract new business and retain those already in existence. In total, five new high-tech companies moved to the city in 2015, bringing about 325 new jobs and more than $20 million in investment. Those include the purchase of formerly vacant property by Molex and Jenoptik Automotive, the latter which was announced in recent months. In total, the city welcomed more than 90 new companies in the past decade. In terms of infrastructure, the mayor said efforts to address road conditions have been showing results, with 83 percent in good or fair condition in 2015, compared to 67 percent in 2012. Barnett also credited Oakland University and Rochester College for adding to the city's draw for residents and businesses. Overall, he said about 50 percent of residents hold bachelors degrees, with about 25 percent holding masters degrees. "We have a talented and educated work force, and a low tax rate to attract people," he said. DOWNTOWN
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Robert Gaylor t was 1983 when former Oakland University librarian and professor Robert Gaylor attended the annual meeting of the American Library Association and learned for the first time the number of people in the United States, and Oakland County, who aren't able to read. "I thought, 'that's not possible in the United States,'" said the longtime Rochester Hills resident. "Then I found out about 20 percent of the people in Oakland County that cannot read, and it's one of the wealthiest counties in the country. I figured it might be the case in a place like Pontiac, or Royal Oak Township, but I found out that's not necessarily the case." The findings were particularly shocking to Gaylor, a librarian, avid reader and a former president of the Michigan Library Association. To help address the problem of adult literacy, Gaylor founded the Oakland County Literacy Council in 1984. Today, the council has helped about 16,000 adults learn how to read. "It's the whole gamut â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the grandmother and grandfathers, who all they want to do is read a children's book to their grandchildren, to those right out of high school, who can't read and can't get a job," Gaylor said of the "typical" student served by the council. "English as a Second Language speakers make up more than half of our students." Students served by the council must be at least 18-years-old. Funding for the program started with help from Oakland Community College, Oakland University, and the Oakland County Library Board. Throughout the years, the college and university dropped off the council, but the library board has supported the council "through thick and thin." "We first located in Pontiac, and figured that's where most students would come from, but found we didn't get any street traffic," Gaylor said. "We realized that if they can't read the sign on the door, they don't know
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what we are there for. If you go to a webpage and you can't read it, ours will read it for you, which is unique. We do advertise, but basically it's through word-of-mouth." Originally from Oklahoma, Gaylor first came to Michigan to attend Michigan State University. While he admits to knowing nothing about the school at the time, but the dorms were huge and he was sold on attending. In 1963, he officially moved to Michigan when he accepted a position at Oakland University, where he did everything from janitorial work to the director of the library for a year. Gaylor also served as the collection's archivist and rare book librarian before his retirement in 1999. "I lived in the gatehouse at Meadow Brook Hall for 30 years," he said. "Unfortunately, the house is sitting vacant." In addition to his work on the literacy council, Gaylor was one of the founders of the Metro Detroit Book and Auto Society and served on the Oakland County Library Board for 36 years. He also oversaw hundreds of volunteers each year at the Concours d'Elegance for more than three decades. In 2007, Oakland University inaugurated the Robert Gaylor Collection at the Kresge Library. The collection includes more than 3,200 books and other materials focusing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and issues. Gaylor started collecting LGBT materials in the 1960s when it was difficult to find information about LGBT communities and issues. Gaylor's personal collection includes more than 1,000 books, including his personal favorite, Splendora, by Edward Swift. "I love reading," he said. "I always have." Story: Kevin Elliott
Photo: Jean Lannen
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PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Rochester area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.
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. 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. Cheng’s Restaurant: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 2666 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.9450. Chili’s: Tex-Mex. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No 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,
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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. 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. East Side Mario’s: Italian. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2273 Crooks Road, Rochester, 48309. 248.853.9622. Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 2972 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307. 248.606.4519. Famous Dave’s: Barbecue. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2945 Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307. 248.852.6200. Firehouse Subs: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1480 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.656.9200. Also 3044 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.299.7827. Five Guys Burgers & Fries: American, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2544 S. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.299.3483. Ganbei Chinese Restaurant & Bar: Chinese. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 227 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.266.6687. 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
SERVING DINNER 6 DAYS, BRUNCH ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY. PRIVATE EVENT SPACE AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES
The Meeting House is a neighborhood restaurant focusing on seasonal cooking with fresh, locally sourced ingredients combined with warm, thoughtful service and genuine hospitality. Featuring craft cocktails, MI craft beer, and an approachable wine list.
301 South Main Street Rochester 48307
248-759-4825
www.themeetinghouserochester.com Follow Us On Facebook And Instagram
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM SHOW STARTS AT 8:00 PM
SATURDAY, APRIL 9TH
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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 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. Outback Steakhouse: Steakhouse. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, daily.
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Reservations, eight or more. Liquor. 1880 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.650.2521. 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. 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. 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. 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. Rojo Mexican Bistro: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 401 N. Main Street, Rochester, 48307.
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FRONT/BACK Front/Back is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening in both the front of the house and back of the house in the restaurants in the metro Detroit area.
Favorite reopens Pepino’s Restaurant, offering diners delectable Italian cuisine for over 32years, has reopened in Sylvan Lake, at 2440 Orchard Lake Road, filling the space formerly home to Mike Larco’s A La Carte. A devastating fire last fall forced the family-owned Pepino’s to close the doors on its Walled Lake location. Kathy Kwiecinski, her sister Carol Carson, and Kathy’s son-in-law Chris Hutchinson, Pepino’s owners, have begun demolition of the Walled Lake spot, and are exploring their options to see if the Sylvan Lake Pepino’s becomes permanent, or if they will rebuild at their former site. Fans of Pepino’s who have flocked for years for their trout and lamb chops, will be happy to know that almost all of the staff followed to the Sylvan Lake location.
Northern soul food Detroit’s new SavannahBlue, 1431 Times Square, is now serving what the owners call contemporary Northern soul food. Entrees include Braised Oxtail, Twice Dredged Fried Chicken, Seared Salmon, Fried Seafood, and the SavannahBlue Burger. Other eats include flatbreads, salads, soups and sweets, all of which can be washed down with a glass of cold sweet tea or a cocktail. The wine selection, which ranges from $26 to $95 per bottle, and are also available by the glass. Just north of the Times Square stop on the People Mover, SavannahBlue is located between the MGM Grand Casino and the Detroit Opera House. The sleek restaurant features dark hardwood floors, a grand piano, and lounge furniture streaked with bright yellow, adjacent to modern table settings and an exposed brick.
Radio-to-table restaurant The formidable Albert Kahn building, originally the WWJ radio transmitter building, still standing strong at 12700 W. Eight Mile Road, is beginning a new chapter in its history as it will be the new home to an as-of-yet-named restaurant. Tentatively named 8MK, it is a project of Union Joints, the restaurant group owned by Curt Catallo, and will include Chef Aaron Cozadd, executive chef for Union Joints. The menu served at the Kahn building will be “the same kind of grub we’ve been doing at other joints all along,” said Catallo. “For us it’s about delivering the type of comfort food that’s familiar and surprising at the same time.” In addition to Union Joints restaurants, the Clarkston Union, the Union Woodshop and others, Catallo co-owns Vinsetta Garage with K.C. Crain. Catallo and Crain are currently conceptualizing a future restaurant to move into Detroit’s Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center. Honcho, A Latin style restaurant is the third project Catallo has in the works, to be located in a Clarkston former gas station. “I think part of what draws my wife, Ann Stevenson, and I to these buildings is that they are iconic and always served one purpose, but are destined for another,” said Catallo. “With the Kahn building in Oak Park, I think the city of Oak Park had a vision for the future when they (voted) to allow for liquor licenses in the city. Oak Park had been dry for so long that by them passing that measure and allowing liquor licenses to be issued, that allowed us to look at it as a restaurant space, allows us to restore and repurpose it.” Look for a 2017 opening.
New York Mexican food Joining the tenants of the One Campus Martius building, 1040 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, will be Calexico, a Mexican restaurant that was, up to this point, exclusive to New York City. Serving a fusion of Mexican cuisine blended with southern barbeque flavors, Calexico operates a scratch kitchen and has earned two Vendy Awards in New York, recognizing the merit of their street food. Since 2006, brothers Jesse, Brian, and Dave Vendley have been operating food trucks and restaurants. Franchise owner Randy Dickow, who is bringing Calexico to Detroit, owns three other Detroit eateries, Freshii at 1001 Woodward Avenue, Lunchtime Global at 660 Woodward Avenue, and Sweet Lorraine’s Mac n’ Cheez! in the RenCen. Slated to open this spring, the restaurant expects to hire more than 70 full-time employees.
Katoi lands home The much-awaited, permanent brick and mortar restaurant Katoi opened at the end of March at 2520 Michigan Avenue in Detroit, in the former home of Willy’s Garage in Corktown. The brains behind the colorful Thai-infused
248.601.9300. Sakura Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6866 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306. 248.608.3867. 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 Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. 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 & 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, Monday-Friday. 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. 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. Tre Monti Ristorante: Italian. Lunch, Thursdays. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1695 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.680.1100.
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. Arthur Avenue: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0768. Au Cochon: French. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.7795. 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. No 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. Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8800. 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. Ironwood Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, 6 or more. Liquor. 290 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.385.0506. 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. MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.3663. Peabody’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 34965 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.5222. 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 Bird & The Bread: Brasserie. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.6600. 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. The Stand: Euro-American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.220.4237. 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.
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.
Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917 Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. Andiamo Restaurants: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 129 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.582.0999. Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.0082. The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.547.6699. Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 310 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1621. Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675. D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.7400. Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017. 248.288.0220. The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150. Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. Inn Season Cafe: Vegetarian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.547.7916. Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak,
restaurant, Courtney Henriette and Brad Greenhill, who launched their concept from a food truck, held a temporary space in Ann Arbor this summer, and are excited for to land their “mother ship,” as Henriette put it, back in Detroit. “Our menu is usually really meaty or really veggie-based. If we have a lot of vegetables, it tends to be vegan,” she said.
Welcome to Wahlburgers Nino Cutraro, co-owner of Bella Piatti, 167 Townsend Street in Birmingham, and partner in M & N General Contracting, has joined forces with brothers Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg to open multiple Michigan Wahlburgers, the first of which will land in Greektown this summer at 569 Monroe Street. A menu of burgers and sandwiches, tots and fries, is peppered with surprising ingredients including Thanksgiving stuffing and cranberry sauce, which falls under Mark’s Choice. “I like being associated with the Wahlbergs. I met Mark three years ago when he was filming Transformers 4,” said Cutraro. “I met him at Bella Piatti. He would come in there every day, and we became friends. We’re looking at Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor – only Detroit is firm. I’m very excited. It’s different, and its going to be a good thing for the city of Detroit to bring in Wahlburgers. It’s a fast growing company. They’re opening everywhere.” The fast-casual burger joint is currently serving in Boston, New York, Orlando and Toronto, with others planned for Las Vegas and Philadelphia.
Gilbert returns to Marais James Beard Award-nominated chef Garrett Lipar left Grosse Pointe’s Marais in favor of international travel, placing the kitchen back in the hands of chef David Gilbert, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, general manager Monica Gilbert. “We’re going back to our French roots, but using local ingredients,” said David Gilbert. “You can expect to see amuse bouche, a truffled egg. It means to amuse your mouth. It’s my gift to the table, to awaken your palette.” Gilbert noted that he had been doing some consulting, which has since slowed down, and Lipar had stepped in at that time.
Changes at Tom’s Chef Zach Borowski has joined Royal Oak establishments Tom’s Oyster’s Bar and Ale Mary’s Beer Hall, replacing former chef Norman Fenton, who is preparing to depart for a culinary adventure in Chicago at The Aviary. Borowski, previously of Bill Roberts’ Beverly Hills Grill, said he “plans on continuing to work on what Chef Norman has done, and in time, make changes.” Tom’s Oyster Bar, 318 S. Main Street, and Ale Mary’s, 316 S. Main Street, share a kitchen. Borowski was trained in culinary arts at Schoolcraft College.
Grey Ghost appears The forthcoming meat-centric restaurant, Grey Ghost, will set up shop at 47 E. Watson in Detroit, the owners recently revealed. Located near Midtown and Brush Park, Grey Ghost will be on the first floor of the Crystal Loft Building, owned by American Community Developers, Inc. Twins John and Dave Vermiglio, Joe Giacomino, and beverage aficionado Will Lee, of Selden Standard, have been hosting pop-up dinners throughout the city as they gain a following and prepare for their future opening. “The fifth installment of the pop-up series,” said a representative from the group, “begins April 15 at the Great Lakes Culinary Center.” Called the Ghost Tour, it will feature a fivecourse menu with an emphasis on seafood. The Great Lakes Culinary Center is located in Southfield at 24101 W. Nine Mile Road.
Bucharest moves Buchrest Grill has closed it’s Park Avenue location in favor of a new space in Detroit, 2690 E. Jefferson, on the east side of Chene Street in the Rivertown District. The menu includes Middle Eastern shawarma sandwiches, traditional Romanian dishes, and a variety of gourmet dogs, including knockwurst, bratwurst and kielbasa. Owned by Bogdan Tarasov, Bucharest has additional Detroit locations at 110 Piquette Street and 1623 Michigan Avenue. Front/Back is reported each month by Katie Deska. KatieDeska@DowntownPublications.com. We welcome news items or tips, on or off the record, about what's happening in the front or back of the house at metro area restaurants.
48067. 248.629.6500. Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. Local Kitchen and Bar: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.291.5650. Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900. Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. Strada: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday Sunday. Liquor. No reservations. 376 N. Main Street. Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.3127. Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. Town Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7300/ Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711.
West Bloomfield/Southfield Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334. 248.626.2982. The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch.
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Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. The Lark: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6430 Farmington Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.661.4466. Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. Meriwether’s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 25485 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, 48034. 248.358.1310. Pickles & Rye: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248. 538.8954. Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. Sweet Lorraine’s Café & Bar: American. Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield, 48076. 248.559.5985. Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282.
West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. It's A Matter of Taste: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce, 48390. 248.360.4150. The Root Restaurant & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48390. 248.698.2400. Volare Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771.
Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.1355. Antietam: French. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207. 313.782.4378. Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2040 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.965.3111. Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. Coach Insignia: Steak & Seafood. Dinner,
Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.2622. Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214. 313.469.0976. Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1435 Randolph St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.4180. El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction St., Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Breakfast, daily. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. Jefferson House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4318. Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday- Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. Maccabees at Midtown: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202. 313.831.9311. Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. 1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221. 313.863.1917. Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100. Roma Café: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit, 48207. 313.831.5940. Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207. 313.567.2900. Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055.
DOWNTOWN
Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702. St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216. 313.962.2121. Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668. The Block: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010. Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4313. Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.9470. 24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.964.3821. Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.3965. Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857. Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1646. Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1411. Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.
04.16
AT THE TABLE Kruse and Muer in Rochester: Don't set expectations too high By J. March
orever and a day ago I worked at Charlie’s Crab in Troy. It was a massive space with several dining rooms, a huge kitchen and some of the best crab cakes I have ever eaten. At the time it was the flagship restaurant of Chuck Muer and at one time was under the watchful eye of Bill Kruse. After 17 years with the company, Kruse broke away and opened the first of many restaurants in 1988 with Muer investing. In 1993, Chuck Muer tragically went missing at sea as he was returning from the Bahamas. Since then, the Muer restaurants were purchased by Landry’s, the Texas-based dining and entertainment company. However, Kruse and Muer lives on with Bill at the helm. Closed in September for a make-over by Ron & Roman, Kruse and Muer on Main in Rochester has a distinct style that can only be described as Art Deco meets rustic lodge meets local pub. From pictures of pop superstars and butcher papered tables to random wall mounts of oft hunted creatures, the style is distinct and sure to squash any requests from vegetarians and vegans alike. Scattered about are nods to all things nautical, which only makes sense considering the history of the owners. The space is warm, not overly loud, and was packed on a Friday at 9 p.m. We were greeted by a cordial hostess and sat promptly at our reservation time. Our server arrived, took our drink orders and returned in record time. Though her demeanor was pleasant, it was obvious that neither our 9 o’clock arrival nor our desire for several courses was exactly what she was hoping for. To her credit, our food did indeed come in courses, but there wasn’t much time for discussion since one hand was clearing in the middle of our final bite as the other was setting down the next. This told me two things: One, no amount of money being spent was going to slow this girl down and most everything we ate that night was prepared hours before. First let me say that I want to be clear about my expectations. I most certainly do not turn my nose up at long standing restaurants free of Prohibition style cocktails, charcuterie and a list of local vendors. I have a huge appreciation for restaurants that have been doing the same thing for decades. However, with this comes the hope that by now they’ve gotten it down. For this reason we chose to stick mostly to the classics. Those being Crab Cakes, Maryland Stuffed Mushrooms and for good measure, the Tuna Tostada. One look at the crab cakes and I knew that my Campari-soaked memories are all that were left of the huge crab cakes rich with lump crab from days past. These were light on crab, heavy on bread crumbs and as soggy as a fisherman's socks. The mushrooms were cooked right and texturally sound, but again filled with one part shellfish and three parts something else. It was hard to tell what that might have been due to the pool of saffron cream. The tuna tostada had much promise with a bright, delicious mango-avocado slaw that thankfully made the confetti-sized pieces of over-cooked tuna edible. Hesitant about ordering a soup and salad course, we dove right into entrees. First, Siesta Key
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Jimmy's Lake Perch: lemon caper beurre blanc, tomatoes, mashed potatoes. Downtown photo: Laurie Tennent
Fettuccine, described as Gulf Shrimp, scallops, Maine lobster, artichokes and spinach fettuccine with sweet tomato butter. Once you got past the scale of the overcooked seafood with its bay scallops, king krill shrimp and shreds of lobster, the dish was good with a sweet tangy sauce and al dente pasta. Eager to give the classics another shot, we ordered Jimmy’s Lake Perch, Parmesan Flounder and the Georges Banks Schrod. At the time I wasn’t sure if Schrod was a typo or if there was something different about it than the Scrod I was familiar with. Since then I have done more research. What I discovered was that no one really can agree on what it is except to say it is most often a young, white-fleshed fish. Could be cod, could be haddock, could be pollock. I cannot speak to what species was put before us, but what I can say is that there is a reason it is most often heavily battered, fried and served with chips and 6 ounces of tartar sauce. It was a large filet, but no part of it could be described as flaky, considering the rubbery, almost fleshy texture. Once again, the Dijon mustard sauce was remarkable but not enough to carry the dish. The perch and flounder followed suit. Both had a delicious lemon caper beurre blanc that was utterly ruined in the face of fish that simply did not measure up. Our last dish was a NY Sirloin with zip sauce. Once again I was at a loss about what I was eating. Was it a NY Strip or a sirloin? Admittedly not up to date on my butchery, I had to visit a site or two before coming to the conclusion that a traditional NY Strip is from the short loin while the aforementioned is from the sirloin and cut as a strip steak. Now, I'm no Escoffier, but I would venture to say I have a tad more experience with food than the average diner. Chances are good their expectations are for the traditional variety. Too bad for them, considering the NY Sirloin tasted like, well, like a
sirloin cut into a strip. The only part that may have made it New York was that it was tough and salty. In true form, the potatoes that came with it may have been the best I've ever had. Kruse and Muer on Main, and I say this with all respect, is what it is – a long time local eatery that brings in exactly that, locals. There is no celebrity chef, sommelier or mixologist. Eater doesn’t cover their every move and James Beard isn’t knocking. So what? Top Ten lists don’t mean squat and there are plenty of places that make great food with little fanfare. Any self proclaimed “foodie” wouldn’t condescend and the people who regularly patronize seem perfectly content with things as they are. I realize that this contradicts my mostly unfavorable opinion; however, my job is not to comment on the taste level of patrons or nonpatrons but to give my version of what is put in front of me. On this visit, it was inexpensive ingredients that were prepared in the style referred to as “turn and burn” or “feed ‘em and street ‘em.” Prix Fixe menus and Course Outs aren’t Kruse's style, and that’s just fine with me. After all, even big ponds need little fish. Little fish with sauce. Lots and lots of sauce. Kruse and Muer on Main, 327 Main Street, Rochester 48307. Reservations can be made by calling 248.652.9400. Hours are Sundays from noon-8:30 p.m.; Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.10:30 p.m. Handicap accessible and street parking available. J. March has 25 years experience in the restaurant industry in southeast Michigan, including certification as a sommelier.
FACES
Jenny Brown utton Farm co-founder, Jeannette “Jenny” Brown, is 31-years-old and has a heart the size of the moon. Raised on a 20-acre farm off of Dutton Road in the Rochester area, Brown grew up in a household full of siblings, some foster, some biological, but all raised by Michele and James Smither. In 2010, Brown and her mother, Michelle, 61, founded Dutton Farm, a non-profit that gives tri-county residents who are living with physical, mental or emotional disabilities the opportunity to farm, work in sales, develop friendships, hone life skills, and grow as individuals. Carved from the family’s land, the eight-acre Dutton Farm got its start with a few participants, and now serves 100 individuals a month, 17 of whom are employed by the farm, and earn a wage of $9 per hour. “Originally, we taught life skills, and hung out with people with disabilities. There was no amazing business plan. Then we realized employment was a big deal, and we started coming up with out of the box ways (to employ people).” Brown’s older sister, Becca, born with Down syndrome and a regular at the farm, was the inspiration behind Brown’s drive to open the organization. “(Becca) graduated from the high school system and was floundering, not fitting into adulthood in society, solely because of Down syndrome, and that ate away at me,” said Brown, who, at the time, was preparing for law school after her graduation from Oakland University. “I happened upon a job as a paraprofessional, when I was studying for the LSATs, in a post-high program in Pontiac, (the Kennedy Center). Adults in Michigan with a disability can go to school until they’re 26. And I saw the same thing happening to them – it was not just my sister
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having the problem,” said Brown of her sister’s challenge to integrate into mainstream adulthood. “It was so bleak, and parents were frustrated and terrified, thinking ‘Where will my child work? Where will they live? Who will be their friends? How will they get around?’ Marriage and children, that’s not even on the table, or college. “I had a profound epiphany moment, and it all came together for me, that I was put here to make a difference, to pave the way, and pioneer a new normal and a new way of life for people with disabilities, particularly adults, and the way they integrate.” A typical day for Brown starts at home, where she lives with her husband and six children, three biological, two adopted, and one foster child. Once she gets out the door, “I get things rolling at Dutton Farm,” she said. “We feed the animals, do gardening projects, and have a meeting at 12:30 about what (the group) will be doing.” Activities on the farm include grooming horses, picking fruit, harvesting honey, cleaning eggs, and more. “We have a line of retail with all natural cosmetics, lip balms, candles,” said Brown. The retail products, made from the farm’s bounty, are for sale on site and enable Dutton Farm to employ people with a living wage. Brown would like to expand the retail side, because, with the rules of supply and demand, she knows it’s an avenue to employment, an important part of adulthood. Asked about what keeps her going, Brown said, simply, “Prayer gets me through the hard days – and coffee.” Story: Katie Deska
Photo: Jean Lannen
BUSINESS MATTERS Hi-tech firms expand Engineering firm Bosch Rexroth Corporation, located at 2730 Research Drive in Rochester Hills, has leased 26,700 square feet of hi-tech building space to supplier American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (AAM). The two companies are working on a joint venture, said a representative of Bosch, who was unable to release details. AAM currently operates a Rochester Hills facility nearby, at 2965 Technology Drive.
Market expansion Papa Joe’s Gourmet Marketplace and Catering in Rochester and Birmingham has opened a new Detroit location at the Detroit Medical Center. Located in the DMC Midtown Marketplace, Papa Joe’s is located in a food plaza that will be managed by Papa Joe’s. The 15,000 square foot food court offers a Papa Joe’s market, as well as restaurants and eateries that provide a diverse range of cuisine for those working and living in midtown Detroit. Diners can choose from offerings from Kabob Grill, Chiqui’s burrito bar, Estia Greek Street Food, Sukhothai, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Starbuck’s, Burger Bar Detroit, and by summer, Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina. “This 15,00 square foot food plaza offers diners a diverse range of cuisines from around the globe, as well as access to wholesome foods that would align with any nutrition plan,” said Papa Joe’s owner Tony Curtis in a release.
Fitness alternative For those on the run with no time to hop on a treadmill, SlowREP Fitness offers a quick alternative. Co-owners Bud Leinenger and Christina Pappas run the appointment-only exercise studio off of Crooks, south of Hamlin Road, in Rochester Hills. “We use one machine for all of it, a 15-minute workout, one day a week. It’s adaptive resistance” for slow cadence repetitions, said Pappas. The two invested in a single machine that works with a pressure system, rather than traditional weights, and is designed for slow repetitions of three exercises – the leg press, chest press and row. “The state-of-the-art piece of machinery tracks a person’s progress. As you work out there’s a computer that’s tracking your peaks and valleys. It allows the person to come back week after week and compete with themselves.” Boiled down to a mere 15 minutes a week, “people who are busy can stop by on their lunch hour. As long as they’re wearing flat shoes, and not a skirt, you can do the workout right in your work clothes.” Pappas, a certified trainer for more than 15 years, previously worked at Great Lakes Athletic Club and has offered in-home training, as well. Located at 2157 Avon Industrial Drive, in building 10, SlowREP offers customers downtownpublications.com
two free visits. A six-month package, composed of 26 sessions, goes for $25 per session – one 15-minute workout a week.
Wine and cheese shop Wine and cheese lovers, take note: The Cheese Lady has arrived in downtown Rochester. Located across from the city’s municipal park, the shop is at 302 W. University Drive, in the Victorian Manor, built in the late 1800s. “It goes well with the type of store we try to create, like a European cheese shop,” said Kimberly Judd, who co-owns the store with her friend of 24 years, Lynn Kaiser. “We’ll sell about 150 (cheeses). Right now we have 95 for sale, and gourmet food items and gifts. When you come in, we try to educate you about the cheese you’re eating. You get to taste it, learn about it.” The store sells some local cheeses, including Reny Picot Smoke Gouda, from Benton Harbor. “The cheese of the month, in April, is Meadow Kaas, from Holland. The cows graze on spring grasses. It’s a very creamy, very rich beautiful cheese, a limited edition.” Once cut from the wheel, all cheese is wrapped in two-ply French cheese paper, said Judd, because to place it in plastic “kills the cheese.” All other five locations are within Michigan and owned by women.
Pizza pizza Rochester Hills is welcoming a new purveyor of Detroit-style deep dish pizza, as Marconi’s Pizza is opening shop in late April. Owned by Sean Marconi and Al Sylaj, the duo opened the first Marconi’s this winter in Commerce Township, and are opening in Bloomfield Township by the end of May. The locale, 1218 Walton Boulevard, will be carryout or delivery only, specializing in round or thin crust Detroit-style deep dish pizza with “all kinds of toppings. Our specialty is the Motor City Supreme, featuring pepperoni, ham, mushroom and green pepper, as well as the BarBQ Chicken, and Alfie Greek Chicken,” they said. Marconi’s also offers salads, calzones, and specialty breads.
New jeweler opens Sylvan Lake’s Karagosian Jewelers, doing business for over 65 years, has opened a second location of the more modestly priced store, Kara’s Silver Jewelry Expressions, the first of which opened in late 2013 at Great Lakes Crossing Mall. Located in the Village of Rochester Hills, 256 N. Adams Road, near Banana Republic, the newest jewelry boutique boasts 560 styles of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Pandora, Belle Etoile, Invicta and Kara’s Sterling Silver, an exclusive line, are available at Kara’s. “It’s well made jewelry. We do all the buying and make
sure all is correct and the quality is there. It’s not what you may think of, not cheap five and ten dollar stuff, it’s well made, $20 on up,” said Dave Karagosian, who co-owns the business with his brothers, Tim and Harry Karagosian, and his nephew, T.J. Karagosian. “We wanted to give (Kara’s) separation from our store because it’s strictly silver, not fine gems,” although, he said, the Rochester Hills location does carry a bit of a wider selection, including “some vintage jewelry, gold and diamonds. A lot of it comes from Karagosians because we buy from customers and from people in the market to sell.”
Rochester Hill dental clinic DentalWorks, affiliated with parent company, DentalOne Partners of Dallas, is slated to open a new clinic May 11 at 3050 S. Rochester Road in Rochester Hills. Spearheaded by one dentist, the clinic has the potential for specialty doctors to join in the future, including a periodontist, orthodontist or an oral surgeon. “We support 160 plus dental practices across the county, in 13 states, and have a few other practices in Detroit, with nine total in Michigan,” said Jon Kaufman, vice president of marketing for DentalOne Partners, a dental support organization. DentalWorks will provide basic dental services, including routine cleaning, crowns, and fillings. The clinic will serve patients ages eight and up, and will accept private pay or insurance, but Medicare or Medicaid is not likely, said Kaufman. “There’s a strong demand in the Rochester and Detroit area, our numbers show. There’s a need for not only employment of dental related services, also a need for clinicians to serve the customer base.”
Fishing classes available Nomad Anglers, a fly-fishing store opened recently in Rochester Hills, at 158 N. Adams Road. Beginning in April, the independently owned store will start their annual free fly-fishing classes, hosted once a month, through August. Typically held on the third Saturday of the month, beginning anglers are welcome, as well as the more experienced. Brian Bielecki, manager of the East Lansing location, said the class casts lines into Paint Creek and the pond in Rochester Municipal Park. Nomad also hosts fly-fishing trips and additional educational classes. The third Michigan location is in Grand Rapids.
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Business Matters for the Rochester area are reported by Katie Deska. Send items for consideration to KatieDeska@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.
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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.
Motor City Open
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Motor City Open The 17th annual squash tournament presented by The Suburban Collection was chaired by Derrick Glencer, Mike Beauregard and Peter Schmidt. It Sally Gerak attracted 28 internationally-ranked, professional players from all over the globe to the Birmingham Athletic Club. Before the six days of play concluded, more than 1,000 spectators had witnessed the action. The surprise winner, a young Egyptian/Harvard graduate Ali Farag, took home $10,830 and a Longines watch from sponsor Greenstone’s Fine Jewelry. He was profuse in his praise of the world-class tournament and the local hospitality. A staple on the MOC calendar is the Sponsors Party. It attracted more than 200 for sipping, supping, squash action viewing and bidding in the charity silent auction. The beneficiaries – the Karmanos Cancer Institute and RacquetUp Detroit, an urban squash and education initiative – will share about $20,000.
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1. Mike Beauregard (left) and Jon Uffelman of Bloomfield, Roger Hillborn and Magdt Talaat of Troy. 2. Julian Wellings (left) of Birmingham, Joe O’Connor and Derrick Glencer of Bloomfield. 3. Joe Michael (left) of Shelby Twp., Ronia Kruse, and Rami & Carmen Fakgoury of Bloomfield. 4. Jeff Gembis and Lynn Sirich of Birmingham. 5. Michael (left) & Andrea Guttilla of Bloomfield, Hugh and Emily Camiener of Birmingham. 6. Doug Firth (left) and Dick May of Birmingham and Jerry McGlynn of Bloomfield. 7. Sarah (left) & Bob Dodge and Rick Claar of Birmingham, Nancy & Jamie Richard of Bloomfield. 8. Walt Oehrlein (left) of Bloomfield and Shanid Khan of Birmingham. 9. Trip Jerome (left) of Grosse Pointe, Tara & Terry Barr of Bloomfield.
Cabaret 313
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1. Samantha Becker of Troy and Mark Meyers of Royal Oak, Sandi Reitelman of Birmingham. 2. Claudia Sills (left) and Vera Yardley of Birmingham, Joy & Allan Nachman of Bloomfield. 3. Debbie & Henry Gornbein of Bloomfield. 4. Nancy (left) & Bud Leibler and Barbara Kratchman of Bloomfield. 5. Bridget & Michael Morin of Bloomfield. 6. Mark & Lois Shaevsky with Bobbi Toll of Bloomfield. 7. Denise Abrash and Jim Hayes of Bloomfield.
Eisenhower Dance 25th Anniversary
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1. Laurie Eisenhower of Rochester, Barbara Frankel of W. Bloomfield. 2. Marian Impastato (left) and Marianne Endicott of Grosse Pointe, Bob & Maggie Allesee of Bloomfield, judge Joseph Impastato of Grosse Pointe. 3. Rick Geller and Debra Bernstein-Siegel of Bloomfield.
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Cabaret 313 More than 200 people applauded Jason Graae’s two Cabaret 313 shows last month in the Black Box Theatre at the Detroit Opera House. His considerable talent (voice, tap dance and oboe), humor, familiarity with the show’s subject – awardwining songwriter Jerry Herman, now an octogenarian - and the pieces he selected combined for a splendid evening. The well-known and loved songs from La Cage Aux Folles, Mame and Hello, Dolly! had people tapping their fingers in time and even humming a bit, but his choice of a little gem (Mrs. S.L. Jacobowsky) from the almost unknown “The Grand Tour” sent this reporter to You Tube to rehear the clever, moving lyrics with an “Abie’s Irish Rose” theme. The audience ranged from nonagenarian/sponsor Joe Orley to the young son of Graae’s classmate from school days in Oklahoma. It also included arts supporters like the DIA’s Salvador Salort Pons and the Ethan Davidsons. Conversation in the lobby between shows included some making arrangements to reconvene for supper at the nearby London Chop House – a decidedly Big Apple-type choice in a 313 zip code. The next Cabaret 313 is sold out, but Maxine Linehan will perform beautiful songs on May 7 at MOCAD. Go to cabaret313.org. Eisenhower Dance 25th Anniversary The contemporary dance company Laurie Eisenhower founded 25 years ago in a modest studio in Rochester celebrated its milestone anniversary with a performance in the grandeur of the Detroit Opera House. It was actually ED’s fourth appearance on the DOH stage. In between there have been two additional dance centers in Birmingham and Franklin, annual subscription series and international performance tours. The anniversary show featured Eisenhower’s reconstruction of “The Rite of Spring” to Stravinsky’s iconic score, “Evermore,” a work from the company’s early years, “Bolero” to the music of Maurice Ravel, and a special number choreographed by Eisenhower to honor longtime supporter Maggie Allesee. Some 100 Michigan Opera Theatre dance aficionados ($45 ticket) attended the champagne reception that followed the performance. Allesee took the opportunity to thank the dancers “…for one of the finest performances I have ever seen.” A black tie gala evening Saturday, May 21, at Detroit’s Westin Hotel will celebrate the 25th anniversary with pomp and circumstance. Salute to Bloomfield’s First Responders “Here in the heart of the country, you are appreciated…Bon Appétit!” Msgr. Tony Tocco told his 90 invited dinner guests. They were the First Responders – the city of Bloomfield Hills public safety officers and Bloomfield Township fire and police departments – gathered in St. Hugo’s Fellowship Hall for a homemade pasta dinner. The parish pastor, who wears his Italian heritage proudly and is well known among his friends and flock for his culinary skill, was blessing the repast. Before the prayer, event coordinator Sue Nine had promised, “The best pasta you will ever eat.” Tocco and his kitchen crew, parishioners Dr. Bob Faccia and chef Louai Sharkas, had stirred up the seven gallons of his homemade sauce to accompany the 600 meat balls, the penne pasta, parmesan cheese, antipasto salad and hot bread. Parishioners eager to show their gratitude added appetizers, beverages, a
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sweet table of beautiful tortes and elbow grease. Pianist Curtis Posuniak accented the scene with Italian melodies. The appreciation and affection on display throughout the hall were indeed a long way from Ferguson. CARE House Circle of Friends Luncheon “I’ve never been so impressed with a child abuse center than (I am) with CARE House,” Erin Merryn told the audience of 300 CARE House supporters convened for the 20th anniversary Circle of Friends lunch at The Townsend. Merryn has toured the country since 2010 on her crusade to get state legislators to pass “Erin’s Law”. It mandates body safety education to spare children the sexual abuse she and her little sister experienced at the hands of predators who were family “friends”. Her horrific story was powerful and showed why the more common “Stranger Danger” approach does not work for the 90 percent of young victims who know their predators. The luncheon was emceed by Birmingham native/former NBC broadcaster Chris Hansen. A trailer from his “To Catch a Predator” show was on the video screen prior to Circle of Friends co-founder Vickie Celani’s remarks. She noted that the Friends have raised more than $1 million in the 20 years since they put the topic of child abuse up for public discussion. The other co-founders were Doris August, Janet Grant, Lois Shaevsky and Dr. Linda Sircus. Twenty-year Circle of Friends include the five co-founders plus Elyse Foltyn, Darlene Jackson, Barbara Goldberg, Jan Ann Hoge and Pat Rosen, who is now CARE House executive director. They were all saluted at the luncheon which raised $80,000 for the exemplary child abuse center. Bates Street Society Dinner “An idea whose time had come,” people said about The Bates Street Society. It was initiated by The Community House board of directors to salute donors whose financial support has accumulated to at least $25,000. Their names were displayed on video screens in the Wallace Ballroom during the first society dinner. Several dozen of them were in the dinner crowd of 200 ($200, $150, $100 tickets). Before dinner a champagne reception for the 10 new community Pillars of Vibrancy attracted 50 well wishers to an upstairs room where past Pillars welcomed them and applauded their contributions. In addition to the superb cuisine and genial socializing, highlights of the evening included lilting vocals by Eloise Alterman accompanying herself on the piano and Kids Kicking Cancer founder Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg’s brief but powerful message about empowering children fighting pain. “A perfect God created an imperfect world perfectly…The real challenge of life is living it,” he concluded. St. Regis School Auction Jeanine Ammori and Leila Kello and their committee made some big changes in the grade school’s popular annual fundraiser format. They instituted one ticket price and arrival time, replaced the strolling dinner with sit down, plated service (beef filet) and, most significant from the standpoint of guest enjoyment, they replaced the large, silent auction with a Chinese (pick-your-own-prize) raffle. The latter eliminated the necessity for guests to hover over bid sheets instead of partying, plus it was much more efficient to set up. The event attracted 300 school supporters ($125 ticket) to the Shenandoah Club where Ben Sharkey made music before and after the very spirited live auction. It was highlighted by the bidding for Mark and Colby Mitchell’s donation – a three-night stay at their 4,500 sq. ft. luxurious digs in NYC’s Plaza Hotel. The Mitchells settled the bidding competition between Johny Kello and Alison Gleeson by letting both downtownpublications.com
Salute to Bloomfield’s First Responders
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1. Dr. Bob Facca (left) of W. Bloomfield, Msgr. Tony Tocco of Bloomfield. 2. Sue Nine (center) of Bloomfield, Stacy Prachar (left) of Rochester Hills, AJ Sparks of Grand Blanc. 3. Dave Hendrickson (left) of Macomb, John Ball and Stuart Sherr of Bloomfield. 4. Phil Langmeyer (left) of White Lake, Paul Nine of Bloomfield and Dr. Stan Materka of W.Bloomfield. 5. April Switala (left) of Commerce, Geof Gaudard, Sam Arabbo of Bloomfield, Tim Newsom of Waterford. 6. Megan Davidson (left) of Bloomfield, Dolores Green of Birmingham, Sandy Ress of Clarkston, Elena Facca of W. Bloomfield. 7. Ed Lietz (left) of Macomb, Kelly Marthen of Hartland and Dan Trudeau of Oxford.
CARE House Circle of Friends Luncheon
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1. Board president / event sponsor Kappy Trott (left) of Birmingham, Erin Merryn (center) of Elgin, IL, event chair / event sponsor Maria Roberts of Bloomfield. 2. Event sponsor/Congressman Dave Trott (left) of Birmingham, emcee/Birmingham native Chris Hansen of Stamford, CN. 3. Diana Howard (left) of Franklin, event sponsor Vicki Celani and Jan Ann Hoge of Bloomfield. 4. Sarah Deson (left) of Troy, Valerie Ahlgren of Bloomfield. 5. Denise and Kathy Abrash of Bloomfield. 6. Vince Giovanni (left) of Bloomfield and Kareem George of Franklin. 7. Lidija Grahovac (left) of Bloomfield, Betsy Reich of Birmingham. 8. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson (left) of Clarkston, Henry Baskin of Bloomfield. 9. Tracy Muscat (left) of Farmington Hills and Jill Schubiner of Birmingham.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK buy it for $24,000 each. This brought the live auction total to $80,000 and the event gross to more than $130,000. The proceeds are earmarked for LED lighting for the entire school.
Bates Street Society Dinner
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Bar Foundation Fellows Reception Oakland County Bar Foundation president Chuck Moore welcomed 39 new Fellows at a cocktail reception which attracted about 215 of the 625 Fellows to the Townsend. Fellows membership (pledges of $1,000 or $5,000) is not limited to legal community professionals but most Fellows are attorneys or judges. They support the foundation programs that enhance citizen access to and understanding of the legal system. Like the foundation’s annual Signature Event, the reception was a convivial gathering. If it runs true to form, the 2016 Signature Event, Friday, May 6, at Oakland Hills Country Club will be likewise. Loyalists know that to get a coveted ticket it is best to be a sponsor. Contact Katie Tillinger at 248.334.3400 or go to www.ocba.org/signature-event.
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1. Congressman Dave Trott of Birmingham and Sandra Krafsur of Royal Oak. 2. Tim & Barbara Hirtzler of Birmingham. 3. Bill Seklar (center) of Bloomfield with Mary (left) & Paul Glantz of Lake Angelus and Bonnie & Norm LePage of W. Bloomfield. 4. John (left) & Carol Aubrey of Birmingham, Alexander Zonjic of Windsor, ONT. 5. Jeff Imerman (left) of Birmingham, Amy Zimmer and Robert Dempster and Caroline Rooney Dempster of Bloomfield. 6. Dr. Frank McGeorge (left) with his wife Sara of St. Clair Shores and Peter Leonard of Birmingham. 7. Jim Suhay & Barbara with Beatrice & Pierre Boutrous of Birmingham.
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St. Regis School Auction
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Birmingham Education Foundation’s Unabashed Bash The annual soiree benefiting innovation in the Birmingham Public Schools attracted 220 advocates ($175 tickets) to Somerset Collection South. The milestone 15th annual nature of the event inspired the move from the event’s traditional home at The Townsend and the Passport to Learning theme inspired a strolling dinner of ethnic cuisine by Plum Market. Food stations were set up around the center court fountain where a stage permitted Seaholm and Groves music and performing arts students to entertain guests supping in the adjacent lounge seating. The silent auction ($18,207), a raffle ($4,050), and the live auction ($16,340) offered more diversions, as did superintendent Dr. Dan Nerad’s brief remarks. The latter included gratitude for the great gifts of students, parents, staff and board members and a pitch for people to run for soon-to-be-vacant seats on the school board. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the 15th annual benefit raised $123,040.
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1. Jeanine Ammori (left) and Leila Kello of Bloomfield Hills. 2. Melanie Scott (left) of Beverly Hills, John & Tinney Newman of Bloomfield. 3. Mike Brozek (left) of Bloomfield, Jennifer & Adam Waechter of Beverly Hills. 4. Janae (left) & Brian Condit of Beverly Hills, Msgr. Charles Kosanke and Chris Moore of Bloomfield. 5. Mark & Kellie Berg of Bloomfield. 6. Mark & Julie Masters of Bloomfield. 7. Alison Gleeson (left) of Bloomfield, Kim Hawes of Bingham Farms, Annette Askounis of Bloomfield.
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Restore Foundation Benefit Even though judge Edward Sosnick is retired from the bench, he serves as president of the RESTORE Foundation. It supports Oakland County’s drug treatment courts which enable juveniles and adults to continue schooling and working while undergoing rehab. The foundation invited people to salute the retired judge’s 75th birthday at a ‘Restore the Brilliance” cocktail party. It brought 150 friends and colleagues to Eddie Merlot’s restaurant where sparkle was provided by diamonds from the Wachler Estate Collection. Guests enjoyed selecting baubles to model during the party. The very affable Sosnick enjoyed greeting friends of all ages and he really liked their birthday tribute – donations to the foundation. Thanks also to sponsors Orlans Associates, Jaffee Law, Frank Simon and Gary Sakwa, the event raised $10,000.
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drawing of lucky raffle winners’ names. It also featured a spirited live auction ($41,800) conducted by Jim Bickley with help from Sharkey and pledging for MHS principal Sr. Leonora’s Wish List ($12,850). Combined with the five months of intense organizing and some generous sponsors, the annual event netted $126,000. Variety Chili/Mac & Pulled Pork Cook-Off Variety, The Children’s Charity’s comfort food event is the perfect antidote for winter’s chill. It attracted 175 supporters ($100, $150 tickets) to The Townsend for a casual, yummy evening chaired by Chris Rotger, Jeffrey King and Katie Smith. They’d organized a small auction raffle in the ballroom lobby, but the chow at stations that ringed the ball room was the big draw. That and the country western sounds dispensed by James of Cloud 9 that generated spirited line dancing. Judges Steve Pardo, John Prepolec and Laura Berman sampled dishes from 14 generous restaurants and awarded the following Critics’ Choice titles: Chili - Green Lantern; Mac & Cheese and Pulled Pork - Yardbird Smoked Meats. People’s Choice titles were: Chili - Green Lantern; Mac & Cheese Crispelli’s; Pulled Pork - Yardbird Smoke Meats. The third annual cook off raised $55,000 for Variety’s children’s programs. Oakland County LINKS Invest in Youth Excitement reigned at a recent Pontiac School Board meeting when the Oakland County Chapter of LINKS took center stage. Chapter president Winifred Green, along with Linda Ware Smith and Teresa Rodges who chaired the fundraising luncheon, presented Google Chromebook laptop computers and book covers to the 25 students in Pontiac Middle School’s program for high achieving students. District Superintendent Kelley Williams thanked them profusely for “… ensuring our students have opportunities that open many doors.” The LINKS benefit luncheon had attracted 300 to the Troy Marriott. Eton Academy’s Gala & Auction Celebrating was certainly in order at Eton Academy, the Birmingham school for students who learn differently in grades 1 – 12. Not only was it celebrating 30 years as the academy that evolved from The Adventure School, it was also celebrating the recently completed Loepp Family Lower School and the Eton Hartman Center for Teaching and Learning constructed in the former St. Columban Church and the LaNeve Family and Friends Welcome Center bridging the new and old. National Honor Society members welcomed the sold-out stream of 340 guests who sipped and nibbled as they bid $40,000 in the silent auction which included handsome student art. But the dinner program is this reporter’s favorite part of the event. It always features moving testimonies to what happens at Eton. downtownpublications.com
Bar Foundation Fellows Reception
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1. Ryan Plecha (left) of Royal Oak, Dan Quick and Chuck Moore of Bloomfield. 2. Richard Victor (left) of Bloomfield, John Schaefer of Birmingham. 3. Judge Denise Langford-Morris (left) of W. Bloomfield, judge Wendy Potts and Liz Luckenbach of Birmingham, judge Colleen O’Brien of Clarkston. 4. Randy Wright (left) and John Schrot of Birmingham. 5. Laura Brodeur-McGeorge (left) of Troy, Sandy Glazier (left) of W. Bloomfield, Fellows trustee Sue Ellen Eisenberg of Bloomfield. 6. Ann Marie Uetz (left) of Detroit, Michael Groebe of Birmingham. 7. Mike Sullivan (left) of Bloomfield, David Armstrong of Macomb.
Birmingham Education Foundation’s Unabashed Bash
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1. Ben Dolan (left) and Matt Heller of Beverly Hills. 2. Paul (left) & Jackie Keller of Franklin, Susan & David Priestley of Birmingham. 3. Steve & Rosemary Ricelli Scheidt of Birmingham. 4. Geri Rinschler (left), Jessica Thomas and Doug Blodgett of Birmingham. 5. Miriam & Larry Imerman of Bloomfield. 6. Rachel Guinn (left) of Auburn Hills, Pam Davis and Rana Esmmons of Bloomfield. 7. Alan Ross (left) and Deric Righter of Bloomfield.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Marian High School’s Benefit Evening
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This year, event chair Linda Kenney spoke about how Eton has helped their two sons, whom they adopted from a Kazakhstan orphanage, overcome insurmountable odds. Leora Bernard, who started at Eton as a seven-year-old but has moved on to a public school, told how Eton gave her the gifts of literacy, self confidence, courage, and “…value, the greatest gift of all.” Current Eton senior Lauren Winkelman spoke about how failing tore her apart before coming to Eton. “(Here) I have true friends...I have all As...I found out who I am and my future,” she declared. The program also featured capital campaign co-chairs Dan Loepp and Mark LaNeve who thanked individuals and corporations for their generosity, which that very morning, had topped the $3-million goal. That announcement inspired spirited bidding in the live auction ($111,400) and scholarship giving ($41,000) conducted by Dan Stall. When completed, event accounting is expected to show that the 2016 Gala and Auction will raise more than $300,000.
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1. Jennifer Margherio (left) of Bloomfield, Analia Jarvis of Washington Township; Tammy Eberhard of Oakland and Patty Sharkey of Bloomfield. 2. Judy Heinen Thornbury (left) of Bloomfield, Rick Copland and Jacques & Karen Stepien Pasquier of Rochester Hills. 3. Julie Lunghamer Jenney (left) and Cristina Recchia of Bloomfield. 4. Tamra & Mike Odrobina of Rochester. 5. Rita (left) & Mark Garmo of W. Bloomfield; Sandy & Tony Montalbano of Bloomfield. 6. Paul & Clare Troy of Rochester Hills. 7. Nancy (left) & Bill Girardot, Patsy Flynn and Linda Boff of Bloomfield. 8. Stacey & Steve Tuohy of Bloomfield. 9. Bill (left) & Susan Hall of Bloomfield, Terry Thomas of Birmingham. 10. David & Kathy Petoskey of Bloomfield.
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St. Hugo’s Sky’s the Limit Auction About 320 boosters of St. Hugo of the Hills grade school gathered at the school’s 20th annual fundraising auction chaired by Sarah Jankowski, Stephanie Schwartz and Karla Mekani. They used a hot air balloon design motif, courtesy of Michael Jankowski, to decorate the new party site – the Shenandoah Club. The evening featured a savory dinner starring beef tenderloin tips, Smart Phone bidding, a 52-card raffle that raised $5,200, Paddle Raise pledging ($15,000) and a live auction. One of the highlights was Churchills of Birmingham‘s donation of a men’s trip for 10 to Honduras and Nicaragua to tour the Rocky Patel Cigar Factories and Farms. The school does not release event amount-raised numbers.
Variety Chili/Mac & Pulled Pork Cook-Off
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2 1. Chris Rotger (left) and David King with Charley King of Birmingham. 2. Lauren Goldstein (left) and Emily Cetner of Bloomfield, Katie Smith of Northville. 3. Judy Solomon (left) of Birmingham with John Prepolec of Bloomfield and Steve Pardo of Livonia. 4. Annabel Cohen (center) of Bloomfield with Susie Konop (left) of Huntington Woods and Judy Goldwasser of Bloomfield. 5. Mackenzie Beckett (standing left) of Troy and Hunter Shuert of Bloomfield, Mary & Paul Glantz of Lake Angelus. 6. Felicia Shaw (center) of Birmingham, Joe & Colleen Newmyer of Bloomfield.
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Founders Junior Council Cirque The Detroit Institute of Arts’ young professional support group’s annual masked gala attracted some 625 ($125, $150 tickets) to the museum’s Great Hall and Rivera Court. The black and white theme for the event, chaired by David Gasper, Lindsey Barile and Justin Jacobs, was inspired by Truman Capote’s legendary, 1966 ball at New York’s Plaza Hotel. It had nothing on the FJC. Masked models in fashions from sponsors Neiman Marcus and BrickerTunis Furs lined the Kresge hallway guests strolled en route to the Great Hall where waiters offered flutes of champagne. Music by DJ Prevu, Jared Sykes, the Star String Quartet and Ben Sharkey accented the dancing, socializing, cocktailing and nibbling 04.16
(small bites). The guests’ fanciful masks tended to compliment their black and white apparel. Many paused for a picture in the photo booth as a souvenir of the memorable evening. For more information on FJC, visit foundersjuniorcouncil.com. Variety’s SHINE for FAR & SCAMP A standing room-only crowd of some 200 ($35, $100, $200 tickets) gathered in the Somerset South Rotunda to applaud the 23 young fashion models who strutted their stuff to raise funds for the FAR and Bloomfield Hills SCAMP summer programs for special needs kids. The youngsters had been glammed up at Felicia’s Salon before they dressed for the show. It kicked off with a performance of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” reprised from FAR‘s Beatles show. Then the models, each with a community mentor, were introduced by show coordinator Vicki Howard as they showed off the spring finery. Somerset merchants donated the apparel to each of the smiling models, all of whom demonstrated unique modeling styles. The Sunday afternoon happening, cochaired by Ruthie Seltzer and Julie Truskowski, raised $10,000 for the camp programs. Variety supporters will also convene April 27 for the annual Table Tops luncheon and May 20 for A Star is Born. Go to variety-detroit.com for information updates. Go Red for Women The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women kicked off with a Red Dress Fashion Show hosted by the Somerset Collection. It featured local media personalities and comedian/ actress/TV personality Kim Coles. She also starred the next day at the luncheon chaired by Janice Cosby Bridges and Sharyl Smith which attracted more than 650 to the Detroit Westin Hotel. Many came early for free health screenings and the silent auction, but the vibrant scene in the Renaissance Center ballroom was the highlight. Fox 2’s Deena Centofanti emceed the program that included compelling remarks by Shelly Appel and Sally Lou Loveman as well as Coles. They inspired donations in the “Open Your Heart” appeal that, together with the auction, totaled $30,000. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the Go Red Campaign grossed $603,000 for hearth health programs. Trade Secrets Trade Secrets, the JVS brainchild at which business women reveal their MO for success moved to larger quarters (Temple Beth El) and still sold all the dinner seats (500 at $150 & up). Before dinner, guests sipped, socialized and downtownpublications.com
Eton Academy’s Gala & Auction
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1. Sponsors Paul & event chair Linda Kenney of Grosse Pointe. 2. Sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Dan (left) & Amy Loepp of Birmingham, alum parents/ committee member Paula & board member/sponsor Ford’s Mark LaNeve of Northville. Dan & Mark co-chaired the capital campaign that financed the school’s new addition. 3. Alysia (left) & Dr. Jeffrey Vlasic, sponsors Jim & Shari Vlasic of Bloomfield. 4. Board president/sponsor Jeff Zanetti of Northville, board member/sponsor Sonia Pastore of Bloomfield. 5. Jennifer & Omar Karim of Bloomfield. 6. Courtney (left) & board members Michael Plotzke and Larry & Nancy Bluth of Bloomfield. 7. Chris Camilli (left) of Rochester, his daughter Jacqueline Thompson of Royal Oak.
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St. Hugo’s Sky’s the Limit Auction
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1. Sarah & Michael Jankowski of Bloomfield. 2. Peter & Stephanie Schwartz of Bloomfield. 3. Nancy Montales (left) of Troy, Colleen Ferrara Bloomfield. 4. Father Tony, Sister Mary Ellen, Sister Margaret and Deacon Dominic of St Hugo of the Hills. 5. Stephanie Schwartz (left) and Sarah Jankowski of Bloomfield, Karla Mekani of W. Bloomfield.
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Founders Junior Council Cirque
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1. Jeffery Imerman of Birmingham, FJC President Amy Zimmer of Bloomfield. 2. DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons (center) and his wife Alexandra May of Bloomfield. 3. Richard (left) & Denise Victor of Bloomfield, Heather and Ronnie Victor of Birmingham. 4. Dana Sorensen of Bloomfield, Grant Juth of Grand Rapids and Ali Restaino of Birmingham.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Variety’s SHINE for FAR & SCAMP
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1. Ruthie Seltzer (left) of Birmingham, Vicki Howard of Huntington Woods. 2. Felicia Shaw (left) of Birmingham, model Sophia Puzzuloi. 3. Jeremiah Ross (left), David King of Birmingham. 4. Megaera Terteling, Marty Seltzer of Birmingham. 5. Eric Clark (left) of Bloomfield, Reyna Mansour. 6. Annabelle Murphy, Karen Gaudette of Birmingham.
Trade Secrets
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1. Liz Elkus (left) of Bloomfield and Jodi Neff and Kristen Gross of Franklin. 2. Katherine Jacob (left) of Birmingham, Linda SchlesingerWagner of W. Bloomfield, Diane Farber of Bingham Farms. 3. Aaron (left), Molly, Sophie and Ann Chernow of Bloomfield. 4. Patty Daiek Wagner (left) and Linda Wagner Curry of Bloomfield. 5. Julie Nelson-Klein (left) of Bloomfield, Marci Canvasser of Franklin.
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shopped at a large raffle (50 items). The display tables were accented by tall baskets of donations from the keynote speaker, Linda Schlesinger-Wagner. And the story of her journey to the top with her $8 million line of clothing was mesmerizing. It involved…” a difficult divorce… a son with a drug problem…and a happy yellow house in Huntington Woods.” She also paid tribute to “…my new husband…my cheerleader Monnie Must…(West Bloomfield shops) Guys & Gals and Rear Ends…QVC…(and inordinate) good luck.” Her son, who has been clean for eight years, told her he could not believe that she was able to buy her website for $8.99 a year. The crowd gave her a standing ovation and JVS gave her an April Wagner blown glass sculpture. See her topselling line of tanks and tops at www.skinnytees.com. Felicia Militello also earned a standing ovation when she accepted the JVS Women to Work Award for using the skills she learned at JVS to reenter the real estate field and provide for her three children. They beamed with pride as she spoke. The eighth annual event not only set an attendance record, counting the raffle ($17,000), texted donations ($20,000) and generous sponsors, Trade Secrets 2016 also raised more than $275,000 to help women reenter the job market following difficult life transitions. Roeper Scholarship Dinner Prelude To honor the memory of Mariann Hoag, who was indispensable to the operation of Roeper School during her 60-plus years working there, the school alternates its fundraising auction with The Mariann Hoag Scholarship Dinner. This was the year for the dinner. It kicked off with the Prelude hosted by Head of School David and Elaine Feldman in the gym at the Lower School in Bloomfield Hills. It was bedecked with red geraniums, Hoag’s favorite flower. Some 175 guests gathered there to sip, savor passed hors d’oeuvres and bid on the 43 artistic items in a silent auction. Each offering was created by Roeper’s gifted students. A program featuring brief remarks by 1985 Roeper grad Frank Crosby, Ph.D. inspired guests to raise their paddles and make scholarship donations ($30,000-plus) with the urging of athletic director Ed Sack. Then guests learned the identity of their dinner host ($75-ticket) and departed for their destinations. In addition to the 13 local dinners alums from New York City to San Francisco also staged six more dinners, all with proceeds earmarked for financial aid to those students needing same - a particular passion of Hoag. Junior League of Birmingham Several dozen “retired” members of the Junior League of Birmingham convened at Keri Boyd’s Birmingham home to sip, sup and socialize before winter was officially kaput. “Retired” refers to their league activity only. Most, like Kathy Walgren, are still quite involved in community volunteerism. Walgren was spreading the word about the Boomer Summit being held April 30 at NEXT. When current president Shiela Jones 04.16
arrived she asked them all to attend JLB’s Signature Event at BOH on April 16. The week after the Sustainers gathered, 80plus members of the current JLB Provisional Class staged their annual fundraiser at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. It attracted more than 100 ($45 tickets) to sip and sup, courtesy of Chef Jared Bobkin of Local Kitchen & Bar and Tito’s Vodka, Motor City Gas and Faygo. A raffle and live music by The Whiskey Charmers accented the casual scene. It was coordinated by Melanie Rand, Alyce Robelli, Sarah McDonnell, Lisa Gentile, Sheri Gordon, Genna Edmonds, Megan Moore, Jacqueline Saliotte and Samantha Loux. Proceeds will support the league’s partnerships with CARE House, Common Ground and Judson Center as well as its human trafficking and Kids in the Kitchen programs. Career Dress Boutique Open House A determined band of 10 women are committed to helping moderate/low income women dress appropriately when interviewing for and taking a job. So committed are they that when the space they had occupied as Career Dress since 2002 at Lighthouse of Oakland County became unavailable, they refused to shut down the boutique. Instead, they formed a new 501(c)3 non-profit and hunted for, found and moved it to new digs at 55 West Huron in downtown Pontiac. The reopening called for a show-and-tell celebration and about 55 sponsors, donors and Pontiac business neighbors attended. They learned that Career Dress has provided professional attire for a variety of industries to more than 4,000 women referred by 50 local agencies. No one takes a salary. It is completely dependent on donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, go to careerdress.org or call 248-481-8276. Humble Design Beauty Within Luncheon Humble Design, the non-profit that furnishes homes and hope for the recently homeless, staged a Saturday luncheon that attracted 275 ($100 tickets) to The Reserve. Co-founders Treger Strasberg and Ana Smith welcomed board members like Monica Moray, Lynn Sirich, Carrie Weiner, Stacey Kives and Claire Trainor as well as 17 past clients from The Empowerment Plan and Rebel Nell. Both businesses hire homeless women to make coat/sleeping bags (TEP) and jewelry (RN). Guests bid in a large silent auction set up in the heated tent adjacent to the dining room before adjourning for lunch and the program. It included a video featuring past clients and a panel discussion with Rhonda Walker, Jennifer Gilbert, Denise Ilitch and Pam Rodgers. They focused on empowerment, perseverance, motivation and maintaining a balance between work and living, all of which comprise “The Beauty Within”. For more information about Humble Design, go to humbledesign.org.
Roeper Scholarship Dinner Prelude
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1. Charlie Uchno of Bloomfield. 2. Leslie Moskowitz (left) of Bloomfield and Lori Talbot of Rochester. 3. Yasser Al-Khafaji (left) & Yasmin Sabi of Rochester, Zaina Assaf & Ali Al-Khafaji of Shelby Twp. 4. Laura & Peter Karmanos of Birmingham. 5. Michael Bosway (left) of Clarkston, Katie Booth of Birmingham, Alex Klee of Lathrup Village. 6. Denita Banks-Sims (left) of Bloomfield, Beth Vens of Clarkston and Katie Buchmann of Clarkston.
Junior League of Birmingham
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1. Maggie Allesee (left) of Bloomfield, Keri Boyd of Birmingham. 2. Katie Marinelli (left) of Royal Oak, Martha Johnson of Troy, Bridgit Herman of Bloomfield. 3. Jane Inman (left) of Bloomfield, Kathy Walgren of Birmingham. 4. Susan Lucken (left) of Birmingham, Karen Caserio of Bloomfield. 5. Lori Rhodes (left), Amy Louwers and Amy Hochhammer of Birmingham. 6. Linda Lessway (left) of Birmingham, Charlton Hibbard of Lake Orion. 7. Julie Goddard (left) of Grosse Pointe, Cheryl Hall Lindsay of W. Bloomfield, Rebecca Pryor of Bloomfield.
Career Dress Boutique Open House
1 Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390.
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1. JoAnne Carlson (left) of Rochester Hills, Kathleen Taylor of Clarkston, Judy Zorn, Karen Lockman and Cheryl Panciatici of Rochester Hills, Lucy Simone of Troy. 2. Peggy Wessler (left) of Commerce Twp and Karen Nichols of Bloomfield. 3. Cheryl (left) & Lou Panciatici and Jane Sanford of Rochester Hills.
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ENDNOTE
Foot-dragging on medical marijuana issue nce again, the Michigan legislature has shown its disposition for inaction won't be changed by mere public opinion or urgings by the state's highest court. Despite repeated requests from the Michigan Supreme Court, local governments and a strong vote of the people, legislators have continually failed to enact laws to clarify the state's nearly eightyear-old Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. In November of 2008, 63 percent of Michigan voters approved a statewide ballot proposal making marijuana legal for medical purposes with an approved card issued by the state. However, since then, the law has led to at least 18 Michigan Court of Appeals hearings and eight different state Supreme Court rulings. Meanwhile, local municipalities have taken an array of stances on what is and isn't permitted under the state's medical marijuana law. Likewise, patients and voters who overwhelmingly approved the law are caught in the middle, hoping they are following the law, but never really knowing if they are subject to legal action for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Take for instance the Michigan Supreme Court's 2013 decision finding that medical marijuana dispensaries aren't permitted under state law. Yet, the city of Detroit and many
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other local municipalities permit, or even regulate, dispensaries. Medical marijuana patients who want to take their medication in an edible form, rather than smoking, run the risk of facing criminal charges. That's because law enforcement considers the entire weight of the edible, which often come in the form of candy or baked goods, when determining the amount of drug a person has in their possession. That means a non-smoking patient with an edible weighing several ounces is considered to have that much marijuana, rather than the amount of the drug in the food. Issues such as edibles, dispensaries and dozens of other questions that have yet to be clarified by the courts have to be addressed by the legislature. Yet, nearly eight years after the passage of the act, the legislature has failed to take any serious steps toward enacting the law sought by the majority of voters in the state. That's unacceptable. And non-responsive to the wishes of the people who elected them. There have been, and are currently, several legislative initiatives intended to address some of the issues with the medical marijuana law. One such proposal, HB 4210, is a legitimate bill that attempts to address the edible issue. Passed in October of 2015 by the House by a vote of 343 to 96, the bill has sat stagnant in
the Senate Judiciary Committee since October 8, where it's likely to die without action. Members of the legislature, particularly conservatives who have worked to block efforts to clarify the state's medical marijuana law, should be advised to cast their personal opinions aside â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or special interests â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and do the work that the voters tasked them with when electing them to office. Voters clearly supported legalizing medical marijuana. Any attempt to subvert the law, create restrictions blocking access to medical marijuana, or failing to address clear issues with the law, we feel, is a dereliction of duty on behalf of state lawmakers. Clearly, the efforts of pro-marijuana groups currently working to pass three different ballot initiatives in the state to legalize recreational use of marijuana are the direct result of the legislature's complete failure to deal with medical marijuana issues over the past eight years. Why wait for legislators to drag things out when you can just go direct to the voters? Lawmakers in Lansing have shown repeatedly that they can produce quick results when it comes to legislation that appeals to their own special interests. It's time those we sent to Lansing to do our business start addressing the issues of interest to voters at-large.
Protecting city parks for the future itizen initiatives are an important part of the political process, one that helps keep political leaders accountable to the residents they report to. In the case of the citizen's group, Don't Drill The Hills, which sued the city of Rochester Hills in 2014, alleging the city overstepped its authority by signing a lease for oil and gas exploration beneath Nowicki Park, Tienken Road Park, and Van Hoosen Jones Stoney Creek Cemetery without voter approval, we applaud their efforts despite both the circuit court and court of appeals rulings that mineral rights beneath the 61-acres of city-owned land is permissible under state law and city charter. The crux of Don't Drill the Hills' lawsuit stemmed from the assertion that voters passed an amendment to the city's charter in November 2011 to protect the city's parks from being sold, leased, transferred, exchanged or converted to another use unless approved by voters. Then, in January of 2013, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett signed an oil and gas lease with Jordan Development for the company to drill directionally in city-owned parks and a cemetery,
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without a vote of residents, although public hearings were held at two city council meetings in 2012. The suit also alleged the city violated state law that prohibits the sale of park property without a vote by the people. The lawsuit was denied at the circuit court level by Oakland Count Circuit Court Judge James Alexander, and it was taken before the state court of appeals. The appeals court's decision on March 24, 2016, upholds Judge Alexander's ruling, affirming that the while the city owns the surface of the park's property, the lease agreement did not convey title to the land, but a conveyance for a specific purpose, the extraction, of oil or gas, which is permissible. The Don't Drill the Hills group stated after its ruling that they are reassessing the situation. If anything, this should be a learning tool for any community, from officials to community activists, on how they deal with their charter, and the importance of respecting their voters and their city property. We have no doubt that when Rochester Hills' charter was first enacted, no one could have imagined directional drilling, much
less in one of the community's beautiful parks. But in 2011, when Rochester Hills asked its voters to approve a charter amendment to protect it's parks from being sold, leased, transferred, exchanged or converted to another use unless approved by voters, directional drilling and fracking were already in existence, although it's possible that residents, and perhaps council members, could not have conceived of the likelihood of a company drilling beneath their treasured parks or cemetery. While the situation ironically has become moot, despite the lawsuit's outcome, as Jordan Development discovered the parks were dry for oil and gas, Rochester Hills must realize that evolving technology and scientific discoveries are perpetually in motion. Who knows what possibilities could be available for the parks' mineral rights in 10 years? If the idea is to protect the parks, including the land beneath them, city council and the mayor must respect its residents enough to consider revising the charter amendment with an open public hearing and a vote of its citizens.
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