Westend: April 2014

PLACES TO EAT: OUR GUIDE TO NEARLY 100 LAKES AREA RESTAURANTS APRIL 2014

WESTENDMONTHLY.COM

WESTEND C O M M E R C E • WA L L E D L A K E • W O LV E R I N E L A K E • U N I O N L A K E

DRUG MONEY

CRIME DOES PAY WHEN FORFEITURE FUNDS AT STAKE

TOXIC THREAT

THE EFFORT TO CLEAN UP TWO TROUBLED SITES

MASS TRANSIT

2016 WILL BE LITMUS TEST FOR FUTURE

ENDNOTE: STATE MUST INVESTIGATE DISTRICT JUDGE ECRWSS Postal Customer PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PERMIT #792

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WESTEND04.14

Crime certainly does pay Local municipalities find that drug forfeiture funding can be a hidden source of revenue for fighting crime in Oakland County communities.

Toxic waste threat

Mass transit update

Officials have been working for years now to clean up environmental problems at two sites that could impact the local area.

A great deal of the planning has taken place for mass transit for the region but a 2016 vote on funding is key.

9 CRIME LOCATOR

PLACES TO EAT: OUR GUIDE TO NEARLY 100 LAKES AREA RESTAURANTS APRIL 2014

WESTENDMONTHLY.COM

WESTEND

A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Commerce, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake and the Union Lake area, presented in map format.

C O M M E R C E • WA L L E D L A K E • W O LV E R I N E L A K E • U N I O N L A K E

32 MUNICIPAL DRUG MONEY

Commerce parks millage renewal; city public safety department; park trees cut down; possible challenge on rails to trails program; first DDA land development plans; new Walled Lake apartments; plus more.

TOXIC THREAT

37 BUSINESS MATTERS

CRIME DOES PAY WHEN FORFEITURE FUNDS AT STAKE

THE EFFORT TO CLEAN UP TWO TROUBLED SITES

MASS TRANSIT

2016 WILL BE LITMUS TEST FOR FUTURE

ENDNOTE: STATE MUST INVESTIGATE DISTRICT JUDGE

The Planterra Anniversary; Socialight Cigar Lounge & Bistro; Jeff's Kitchen, Key Largo.

38 ENDNOTE Judicial Tenure Commission must investigate Judge MacKenzie; city should worry about local police protection first.

ECRWSS Postal Customer PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PERMIT #792

THE COVER Walled Lake looking towards the Novi side of the waterway during much warmer times. Westend photo: Rachel Bechard

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FACES 19: Robbie Timmons

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31: Debbie Lannen

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WESTEND

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

akland County and the southeast Michigan area will be facing some tough questions leading up to the ballot in 2016 when it is more than likely that funding for mass transit in the region will be put before voters.

O

Details on what regional leaders are possibly planning appear in this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue of the newsmagazine in a piece by news editor Lisa Brody. The basic thrust of the plan is that high speed bus vehicles, with dedicated traffic lanes on a few major roads in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, along with numerous stops along the route, will more than likely be the model of mass transportation implemented if voters okay some funding mechanism two years from now.

In large part the decision for the dedicated bus lane approach is a matter of money. Capital costs of rail lines are simply out of the question. So lawmakers basically wrote legislation in the last session to assure that high speed busses would be the transportation approach as they pieced together support for a Rapid Transit Authority (RTA) that will be charged with coordinating existing Detroit and suburban (SMART) bus systems and implementing a wider mass transit system to serve the region.

current system, at least in Detroit, seldom runs on time and many times fails to function at all.

Supporters point out that a freshly coordinated city/suburban bus system and a dedicated rapid speed bus line will address the current transit failings. They also suggest that the direct line bus approach will attract added development along major corridors, some of which are already fully developed, at least in the suburbs. And of course, with the hotbutton issue of the brain drain of young degreed Michiganders, they like to suggest that mass transit will help slow the loss of locally grown and educated talent, although that is only one of multiple factors that attract the next generation to larger metropolitan areas that appear healthier economically and more vibrant in terms of leisure time offerings, despite the efforts of those underwriting the current pockets of revival in the city of Detroit.

Aside from figuring out how to sell a tax to the region on this mass transit plan, the biggest question will be what is the most logical, as well as most politically feasible, form of taxation.

On the one hand the approval in Lansing of the RTA is a major accomplishment, following 23 previous attempts for approval of a regional transit authority which could wade through the current political minefield of coordinating the city and suburban bus systems while launching a regional mass transit program.

The two most often mentioned forms for funding mass transit are a dedicated property tax or an increase in auto registration fees. On the former, someone will need to address the special taxing authorities, such as tax incrementing financing and downtown development authorities that dot the landscape across the region now, sucking up a fair percentage of new taxes that regional voters approve, like they have with the millage support for the Detroit Zoo, the Detroit Institute of Arts, as well as local special millages, a major bone of contention that will only become more of an issue in the short-term future.

But passage of legislation to facilitate the RTA will be the easy task in this endeavor. Selling the concept to voters and convincing them that mass transit is worth a tax could be another matter.

Further, the property tax route is not the most stable method of support, as everyone has learned in the most recent Great Recession.

Yes, regional leaders have been saying for months that there appears to be support for a mass transit system for the region, perhaps the only comparable sized area in the country without mass transit.

Expect to hear other options, involving either a localized sales tax or income tax or perhaps a local payroll tax, more stable income sources that communities across the country have implemented and which canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be siphoned off by other special taxing authorities.

After all, there are a reported 140,000 people now living in Detroit who work in the suburbs and a bit more than that number of suburbanites who work in Detroit, according to Gov. Rick Snyderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director of strategy, William Rusten, in an interview months ago.

As you can see, the mass transit issue will take considerable work and discussion before 2016 beyond the basic logistical planning for operating the system. And those involved in putting this new system into effect and selling the taxpayers have considerable work to do before putting this on the ballot.

But that is no assurance voters will approve increased taxes for mass transit. Critics question the need to invest in a mass transit system and often point out the low ridership of the existing bus network that serves parts of the suburbs and the city, but the

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com

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WESTEND

CRIME LOCATOR

NORTH

Map key

Sexual assault

Assault

Murder

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Larceny from vehicle

Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Commerce Township, Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake Village through March 20, 2014.

Placement of codes is approximate.

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FORFEITURE MONEY FROM ILLEGAL DRUGS WHEN CRIME DOES PAY

C

BY KEVIN ELLIOTT

riminals and cops both know there is money to be made in the illegal drug trade, but for far different reasons. For those who make their living selling illicit drugs, the allure of easy money and illgotten riches is often an empty promise compared to the reality they discover, living in the ramshackle homes and ragged clothing found inside many drug dens. Yet others prosper on the backs of others, and for a time can enjoy fast cars, lavish clothes and dazzling jewelry, and magnificent homes and furnishings. Yet, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often only a matter of time before law enforcement finds them and takes hold of all of their possessions because they were purchased with money made from drug profits. And the money law enforcement receives from the proceeds of their efforts is drug forfeiture money, and it can mean the difference between just managing for a local police department, to being able to purchase badly needed equipment for which many local governments can no longer budget.

For many small and midsize police departments in Oakland County, their partnership with the Oakland County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department or a federal law enforcement agency by providing an officer to a dedicated task force or investigative division means that a portion of the money the larger agency procures through drug enforcement and drug forfeiture money will come back to their local department.

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“On our level, we target anyone who violates narcotics laws and that includes anyone selling even small amounts. They are subject to being hit in the pocket book by having their assets seized,” said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s Investigation Division. Capt. Joe Quisenberry. “If they are dealing in a car, we take it. It could be a a high-end car and other times we take their jalopy.”

Assets seized by law enforcement under drug forfeiture laws means the seized property may be sold, which then allows law enforcement departments to use those funds for law enforcement purposes. Seizures ranging from nickel and dime drug dealers to high volume narcotics traffickers brought in $26.5 million in 2012 for law enforcement across the state. That amount includes almost $1.5 million taken by police departments in Oakland County, as well as $908,317 by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Enforcement Team in 2012 alone.

Regardless of the property seized, Quisenberry said the department only goes after items of value, which can then be liquidated for cash. Those funds are then split amongst the departments that have officers on the narcotics enforcement team. By law, all proceeds must be used for law enforcement purposes only and not other municipal needs.

“Cars, bank accounts, jewelry. There are toys, like televisions and gameboys,” Quisenberry said, listing some of the types of items seized in drug arrests. “We don’t take things we can’t liquidate. But, we’ve had highend jewelry, high-end cars. We’ve taken a Bentley, Vipers, Corvettes and Cadillacs. There’s a lot of personal stuff. We might get into high-end entertainment systems, televisions and slot machines.

“I’ve never failed to be surprised or shocked how drug dealers or criminal organizations live,” Quisenberry continued. “Some might be in filthy places and others in high-end houses. It runs the gamut. But the whole ‘Scarface’ image from the movies, it is an illusion in southeast Michigan. We deal with the neighborhood drug problem, not the international one.” akland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said the department takes in about $1 million each year through drug forfeitures. That money is divided up between the sheriff’s office and local police departments which have officers assigned to the sheriff’s narcotics team. The narcotics team seized $908,317 worth of cash and assets in 2012, and about $1.4 million in 2011. For local Oakland County departments like the Birmingham Police Department and the Bloomfield Township Police Department, which both have officers assigned to the sheriff’s narcotics team, that equates to an average of $35,000 to $40,000 per year. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office received $504,543 in 2012 and $646,488 in 2011, of which the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office receives a percentage.

In addition to having an officer assigned to the sheriff’s narcotics team, the Bloomfield Township Police Department also has an officer assigned to a FBI violent crimes/gangs task force and a special multi-jurisdictional surveillance team. As a result, the department receives forfeitures funds from multiple sources, adding to their coffers.

Bloomfield Township Police Capt. Scott McCanham, of the department’s investigation unit, said the majority of its forfeiture funds come from the sheriff department’s narcotics team.

“That was about $35,000 last year, but it ranges each year. It’s been in the $40,000’s in the past,” he said. “We received none from the other units last year. There was one seizure with the Troy group (Oakland County FBI) recently – that was the surveillance team – and they ended up with a pretty good size seizure, so we’ll get a share of that next year.”

In total, McCanham said the department has about $170,000 in forfeiture funds available, which includes about $150,000 in state and local forfeitures and $20,000 from federal forfeitures. About 80 percent of the purchases, including of police equipment, have been made by the department using forfeiture funds, he pointed out.

“We had a small percent (of money) this year used for training, manuals and that kind of thing,” he said. “A lot is used to pay for expenses in the K-9 unit. Seventeen percent last year went to animal expenses, 2 percent for supplies, and 1 percent for non-profit organization donations, like CrimeStoppers.”

A much smaller Oakland County department, with only six full time officers, the Walled Lake Police Department, received more than a half

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million dollars in drug forfeiture funds in 2012 and 2013, and is one of the largest recipient of asset forfeiture funds in Oakland County.

Specifically, Walled Lake received a total of $349,425 in forfeiture funds in fiscal year 2012 and $225,410 in fiscal year 2013, which ended June 30.

Unlike most other departments, those totals include assets from criminal investigations on the federal and local levels. The majority of those totals include forfeitures made by a federal task force operated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, to which the department assigned an investigator from 2007 until July 2013, when budget restrictions forced the city to cut the narcotics officer’s position. alled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas said the forfeiture funds received by the city from the DEA include assets seized in any investigation that the Walled Lake investigator worked, regardless of jurisdiction. For instance, a major narcotics investigation reaching from metro Detroit to the Kansas City area would produce forfeiture funds for Walled Lake, regardless if the case fell outside the city’s borders. About 20 percent of the forfeiture funds obtained from the team’s case were given to the DEA, while the remaining 80 percent would be split between police departments with officers on the task force.

As of June 30, the Walled Lake Police Department had a balance of $125,876 of federal forfeiture funds and $41,543 state and local forfeiture funds. While the department no longer has an officer on the DEA team, funds may continue to be dispersed from investigations that included the officer’s team.

“We just received a check for $88,000,” Shakinas said. “We got 5 percent of almost $2 million on that one. The percentage depends on how many groups are involved.”

Shakinas said purchases made with drug forfeiture money have been spent primarily on equipment and upgrades. Purchases must be recommended by the police chief and approved by city council. Using the funds, the department has been able to replace its fleet of patrol cars, construct a meeting room that is used by city council and for police training, create a workout room, as well as other purchases. The department has also used forfeiture funds to replace an officer’s salary, which Shakinas said is permitted for one year as a one-time measure.

Walled Lake financial manager Colleen Coogan said the city was one of about a dozen that was audited by the Department of Justice to ensure the forfeiture funds were being spent in accordance with forfeiture laws.

“Everything is audited every year by our city auditors, but that was from the Department of Justice,” Coogan said. “They do their own and the state of Michigan does their own audits.”

Shakinas said he hopes to bring the position back, but restrictions on forfeiture funds can’t be used to pay for salaries or benefits every year.

“We are coming into the budget and will make a pitch,” he said about the position. “If you are paying $100,000 in salary and benefits for the position, and have a return of $200,000 – which is historically what we were bringing in each year – it can make sense. It’s a big commitment for a department, and it’s a tough gig losing a full-time officer, but there is an asset to the position.

“We have had a handful of cases where we’ve been able to call in that group and they will work a local case here that would have been outside our realm, or very difficult to handle. Picking up a phone and getting nine undercover officers is a great asset.”

In another moderate size Oakland County police department, Birmingham Police Chief Donald Studt said his department had an officer assigned to the DEA in the past, but has opted to assign an officer to the Oakland County Sheriff’s narcotics team instead. While the return from drug forfeitures isn’t always as much as the department receives from participating with the federal agency, Studt said having an officer on a more localized team has some advantages.

“Essentially, we get a crew,” Studt said. “If there is a problem in Birmingham, the officer on the unit can get a crew together that is part of that unit and handle the problem with more resources than what would have been available within our department.”

While Studt said the DEA unit has obvious resources, those resources

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aren’t typically as available to the local departments because the unit is focusing on larger narcotics operations. Additionally, he said the return from drug forfeitures is prorated with the sheriff’s office, meaning all departments with investigators assigned to the unit get an even share of asset forfeiture funds each year, whereas it may take a year or two before they’re able to see forfeiture funds from the larger DEA investigations. tudt said purchase requests in the 2014 budget expected to be made with drug forfeiture funds include replacing the department’s analog camera system with high definition, digital cameras, which includes about 30 cameras throughout the city. This year’s budget also includes the purchase of thermal imaging NOPTIC cameras. The cameras would be used to equip vehicles like spotlights, but allow officers to use infrared night vision and thermal imaging to help locate subjects.

Studt said the remainder of the city’s drug forfeiture fund would be about $35,000 after the purchases of digital cameras and NOPTIC camera equipment. Past purchases by Birmingham’s department, he said, have included handguns, tools, police vests and other items.

“It’s been very helpful,” he said of the drug forfeiture fund.

Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Director David Hendrickson said the amount of drug forfeiture funds the department receives is minimal.

“For us, it’s not always a good idea to send someone to a task force,” Hendrickson said of the public safety department, which consists of about 25 police and fire officers. “It’s run pretty efficiently here, and we don’t have an extra body to assign to that.” Bloomfield Hills, with under 4,000 residents, has minimal crime and a joint police/fire public safety department, meaning officers work 24-hour shifts, 12 hours on police and 12 hours on fire.

Hendrickson said the department has about $6,000 in its drug forfeiture account, and there hasn’t been any expenditures made from that account in that past two years.

“Some years we might bring in $1,000 or up to $10,000. Officers might arrest someone who has money on them, and we go through the forfeiture process if we believe those monies were obtained illegally,” he said. “We haven’t spent any of that money in some years. Typically, it’s used for unbudgeted items that would improve law enforcement. I’ve been here about nine months, and I haven’t seen in the past few budgets that we’ve spent any of that money.

“This is a great community, so it’s probably a good thing that we don’t have a lot of those funds.”

Similarly, in another quiet area of Oakland County, drug forfeiture funds in the Village of Wolverine Lake have totaled only about $15,000 over the past decade and a half, said Wolverine Lake Police Capt. John Ellsworth.

“We do very small amounts, and we spend that money very slowly and very wisely. We only spend it on things that are unbudgeted items that would be considered helpful in law enforcement,” Ellsworth said. “We bought a Taser that broke and wasn’t in the budget.”

Ellsworth said the department has about $15,000 in its drug forfeiture fund, with little more than that seized within the village over the past 15 years. All seizures in the village, he said, have only included cash.

“If we come across any drug operations, and there is money involved, that usually is a small amount,” he said. “We don’t have a plethora of drug dens, but we do come across it from time to time.”

Ellsworth said all of the drug forfeitures done by the department are done locally and are controlled by the state of Michigan. Federal drug forfeitures, he said, have more restrictions on how the money can be used and may place requirements on how quickly it must be spent.

Michigan drug forfeiture laws were expanded in recent years to allow money received through drug forfeitures to be spent on various law enforcement needs, rather than for items or activities specifically used for drug enforcement operations. Additionally, agencies may provide forfeiture funds to nonprofit agencies whose primary activity is to assist law enforcement agencies with drug related investigations or to obtain information about solving crimes.

State laws also allow for the distribution of forfeited lights for plant growth or scales that have been procured from marijuana growing operations to be donated to elementary/secondary schools or institutions of higher learning. In 2012, for instance, agencies across the state donated 79

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plant growth lights and 81 scales to 22 school districts with a combined value of $17,600.

Michigan law allows for two ways in which seized property can be forfeited. The most common property are seizures that are done administratively. Unless a drug dealer or another party can provide evidence of a valid legal interest in the property, the forfeiture process can be streamlined. In many cases, they aren’t contested, as some owners don’t have legitimate sources of income to have legally obtained the property seized. If property is valued at more than $50,000, or it wasn’t seized under certain circumstances, a court proceeding must be conducted in circuit court to legally forfeit the property.

“Back in the 1970s, state and federal laws were adopted for the purpose of hitting drug dealers in the pocketbook. Anyone in narcotics trafficking could have assets taken from them, regardless if they have been convicted of a crime,” said Quisenberry of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s Investigations Division. “That statute has stood the test of time. You can’t always arrest someone, so if you hit them in the pocketbook, it helps reduce crime.”

Drug forfeiture laws allow authorities to seize cash and property that have been purchased with drug proceeds or used in a drug-related crime.

While authorities must show that connection in a civil procedure in order to take property, cash and assets may be forfeited without a criminal conviction. Money obtained from drug forfeitures must be used for law enforcement purposes. ecently, a bill was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives to tie asset forfeitures to criminal convictions. The bill, HB 5212, introduced by state Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), would amend the state’s civil asset forfeiture law to prohibit the sale of property seized unless a person has been convicted of a crime or fails to claim interest in the property. The sale of property without a criminal conviction, Irwin said, goes against a person’s right to due process.

The bill doesn’t seek to prohibit the immediate destruction of property that may not be lawfully possessed or that is dangerous to the health or safety of the public. The bill states that any public officer negotiating for forfeitures in violation of the law, or authorizes or participates in that negotiation, would be guilty of misfeasance in office.

Some local law enforcement agencies say requiring a criminal conviction would actually hurt the process and it isn’t even possible in some cases.

“We are aware of the legislation and we are not in support of it,” said Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe. “Sometimes there may not be a conviction because a drug dealer makes a deal and there isn’t a conviction. Or they may agree to work with police. That’s just the way it works.”

McCanham, with the Bloomfield Township Police Department, said currently the forfeiture process involves a civil proceeding, which is different than the criminal aspect of an investigation. “We have steps to follow,” he said. “We can’t sell or auction property outright until we have completed the civil process.”

The bill, which was introduced on January 8, 2014, and referred to the Michigan House Committee on Criminal Justice, hasn’t yet been brought up by the committee, and may not be in the future, said state Rep. Klint Kesto (R-West Bloomfield, Commerce, Wolverine Lake, Walled Lake), who co-chairs the committee.

“I’m aware of how it works, and frankly, the way the system is right now, I think it does work,” Kesto said of the state’s forfeiture laws. “A criminal conviction is different than a civil adjudication. The burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a very high burden, and that doesn’t extend to property.”

Kesto said he is working to introduce a bill that would extend some asset forfeitures to crimes involved with human trafficking, which he said would help to combat that issue and improve public safety. That bill, he said, would involve asset forfeitures involved with organized crime.

“For them to put in (the law) that a person must be convicted of a criminal violation, it’s almost giving them an extra out for a person who is profiting from a criminal enterprise to be able to get away with it,” Kesto, a former Wayne County assistant prosecutor. “I think this bill doesn’t address the real issue out there, in terms of public safety.”

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fter 38 years of broadcasting, award-winning journalist Robbie Timmons is now working with CANTER (The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses), an organization that saves thoroughbred horses.

“It was difficult to leave my co-workers (at WXYZ-TV Channel 7), but it wasn’t a difficult decision to make,” she said. “Working with CANTER is my passion. To do it right, I would have do it full-time.”

The organization pairs thoroughbred horses, which would otherwise face an uncertain fate, with new owners after the horses are no longer racing.

“The need for thoroughbred aftercare is very, very great. The number of thoroughbreds going to slaughter is being greatly reduced (through CANTER),” she said. “They’re easy to train into another career. They’re so responsive to training. They are incredible athletes and I just saw the need to help.”

The devoted horse enthusiast is also the author of the popular children’s book, Twoey and the Goat. The book is available on Amazon and at Tre’s Hallmark on Union Lake Road in Commerce Township.

“It’s for ages 7 to adult,” she said. “It’s based on a true story and it’s about a champion thoroughbred whose best friend is a goat. All the proceeds from the book go to CANTER.” Before Timmons put her full attention into CANTER, she sat alongside respected broadcaster Bill Bonds for many years of her career.

“Bill Bonds was just a great anchor. I learned so much from him,” she said.

“He’s a funny guy with a great sense of humor. If you and your co-anchor work well together, the newscast is better.”

In 2013, Timmons was elected to the Michigan Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame, and earned six Emmy Awards over her career.

“To be recognized is really humbling. You try to be proud of the product you put on the air and to be recognized for doing your job well is very, very nice.”

A Commerce Township resident since 1987, Timmons resides on Lower Straits Lake with her husband, Jim Brandstatter. Brandstatter is an awardwinning sportscaster, retired University of Michigan football player, and an author.

“I love waking up and seeing the lake every day,” she said. “I go to Burger King (in Commerce Township) and they can always tell it’s me because I order my Whopper with no onions. It’s a little community. It’s kind of neat.”

Timmons and her husband also have a home in Florida and on Lake Huron in Northern Michigan.

“There are still challenges and deadlines for me to meet, but we have the ability to travel,” she said. “I can still get any work done that I need to get done. I work for myself so my hours are flexible.”

Timmons misses seeing fellow broadcaster Carolyn Clifford and her WXYZ-TV Channel 7 family on a regular basis, but retirement has been an exceptional experience.

“I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my broadcasting career. It was a pleasure and now I’m enjoying this new career and making a difference here. I love every second of every day.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent

TOXIC THREATS THE EFFORT TO CLEAN UP TWO LOCAL MAJOR ENVIROMENTAL PROBLEMS

By Kevin Elliott

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all it a recipe for environmental disaster: take thousands of gallons of paint sludge, pesticide and random chemical wastes, and mix it all together for three years in a four-acre dirt pit in the middle of pristine, undeveloped natural woodlands in western Oakland County. Top it off with a heaping helping of apathy and let it simmer for a dozen years.

That was the dish uncovered and served to some Springfield Township residents some 35 years ago when a toxic dump site was discovered about three miles south of the small community of Davisburg. It was there, behind Joseph and Clara Nickson’s two-story house, nestled among the trees and small natural ponds, that an unauthorized chemical waste disposal site operated between 1966 and 1968. A narrow, dirt road cutting through a heavily wooded area off Ormand Road leads to the Springfield Dump site at 12955 Woodland Trail. While two cars can barely pass each other along the dead-end road, industrial waste haulers were able to carry loads of 55-gallon barrels, the contents of which are still being removed from the water beneath the site today.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that industrial waste disposal occurred at the site between 1966 and 1968, but may have been occurring in other years as well. The Nicksons, who had agreements or contracts with those who dumped the waste at the 12-acre site, took ownership of the property in 1958. About 1,500 barrels were removed from the site in 1979, but the amount of industrial waste that was drained into the excavated pits or low areas on the ground surface isn’t known.

The site is surrounded by wooded knolls and small “kettle” wetlands were created when glaciers crept across the earth. To the west of the dumpsite are intermittently connected wetlands that flow into Big Lake, a mile to the northeast of the site. A mile to the east is Indian Springs Metropark and Schmitt Lake. From there, small creeks and rivers are connected to Pontiac Lake to the south. In general, the area surrounding the site is part of the headwaters for several area watersheds, including the creeks, wetland rivers and lakes throughout west Oakland County, including Commerce Township, Union Lake, Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake, which contribute to the Huron River.

Land that catches rain or snow and funnels water toward a single river is considered a watershed. A watershed’s boundaries are determined by high points in the landscape. Rainwater that lands within a river’s watershed will flow down toward that river. So, while Springfield Township is part of the Huron River Watershed, neighboring Rose Township is part of the Shiawassee River Watershed.

Five miles northwest of the Springfield Dump, another similar, but ever larger, dump was brought to the attention of the Oakland County Health Department in 1968 by the Rose Township Supervisor. About the same time, the county learned of and ceased operations at the Springfield Township site. It was July 1971 by the time Oakland County sent a letter to Joseph Nickson stating that corrective action was needed at his property. In April 1979, nearly a decade after the dump closed, the Oakland County Health Department filed a Pollution Emergency Alerting System complaint with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) about the dump site.

Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls recalls the panic among residents when they finally began to realize the extent of the contamination at the site.

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“I chaired a meeting in September 1979, right after the declaration of the toxic emergency. We had a mother stand up and ask if nursing her baby would jeopardize her baby’s health. At that time, the answer was, ‘I don’t know,’” Walls said. “I have never forgotten that.”

In September 1979, the site was declared an environmental emergency by the state of Michigan Toxic Substances Control Commission. From August 1979 through June 1980, sampling of well water at private residences near the site was conducted. During the initial sampling, residential wells in the vicinity of the site were reported to be contaminated with low levels of VOC’s similar to those found at the site. By July 1980, 1,500 of the 55-gallon drums were removed. esting at the site revealed a hazardous mix of toxic waste and contaminated soil and groundwater at the site. The main site consists of an area about 400 by 500 feet, which today is surrounded by an 8-foot fence installed by the MDNR. The topographical makeup of the land resembles that of rolling dunes, providing a natural basin at the property, which may have helped to contain some of the contamination. Still, the EPA states that drums were scattered throughout the 4-acre woods and a central disposal area, in which the liquid wastes appeared to have been dumped.

Contaminants found in soils at the site include polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including toluene and xylene. Groundwater beneath the site included similar contaminants. Additionally, some of the sludges found at the site contained dieldrin, a pesticide.

Toluene is a clear, odorless liquid that is produced when making gasoline and other fluids. It’s used in making paints, paint thinners, rubber and other items. When placed in a landfill, it can enter the soil and water near the site.

According to the federal Center for Disease Control, toluene may affect the nervous system, with low or moderate levels leading to memory loss, nausea, loss of hearing and color vision loss.

Xylene is a VOC that can cause developmental damage to the liver, nervous system, urinary system or kidneys. It is a colorless, sweet-smelling liquid that is used as a solvent.

Dieldrin is an insecticide that was used for crops like corn or cotton, but environmental and health concerns caused the EPA to ban its use in 1974, with exception to treating termites. In 1987, the EPA banned its use completely. It is considered a probable human carcinogen and has been shown to cause liver cancer in mice, according to the CDC. In addition to removing about 1,500 drums from the site, the MDNR removed about 711 tons of contaminated soil for disposal. The EPA inspected the site in 1982, and it was placed on the EPA’s National Priorities List in September of 1983, and became a federal superfund site.

Superfund is the federal government’s program to clean up the nation’s uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The National Priorities List (NPL) is a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States.

In the same year that the Springfield Dump was added to the National Priorities List, cleanup started at a nearby site within the Huron River Watershed in Highland Township. The Hi-Mill Manufacturing Company, which produced metal tubing and other parts, was on the EPA’s hit list. Up until 1981, the company had discharged wastewater used for processing its products into two lagoons at the property, located along M-59 and bordering the Highland Recreation Area. In 1981, a wastewater recycling system became operational at the business and the company discontinued discharging to the lagoons.

For a brief time in the 1980s, the company attempted to “dewater” the lagoons by “spray evaporating” the water in the lagoons into the air through roof-mounted sprayers, according to the EPA. The lagoons were then excavated and 34,400 gallons of contaminated sludge, as well as 63,300 gallons of contaminated water were removed from the lagoons. The lagoons were backfilled with sand in November and December of 1983. That site was added to the NPL on February 21, 1990.

Testing in the area showed that contamination from the Hi-Mill site migrated into parts of the surrounding Highland Recreation area. Concerns about contamination migrating along M-59 was also raised when workers

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started excavating soil in the median of the highway. A sampling of soil along M-59 showed contamination in 2006; however, contamination wasn’t found in the site area.

Cleanup at the site has been conducted and a five-year review conducted in 2010 by the EPA determined that no additional actions were needed to protect human health and the environment. That opinion, the report indicates, was from continued monitoring of the area. The plan did, however, recommend increasing test cycles in the area.

Meanwhile, in 1990, the EPA issued its first “Record of Decision” about the Springfield Dump site, which included selected methods of cleanup remedies for soil and groundwater. Plans at the time included repairs to the existing fence and an extension of the fence; excavation and onsite incineration of surface soils, soil vapor extraction of VOC-laden subsurface soils; excavation and onsite solidification of metals and incinerator ash; and the pumping and treatment of groundwater. The parties held responsible for the cleanup paid to install the groundwater cleanup system in 1994, which continues to operate at the site today.

In June 1998, testing at the site revealed that contamination was worse than initially believed, and an amendment to the record of decision was made by the EPA. An evaluation of cleanup efforts conducted in 1998 estimated the total cost to cleanup the site would be about $34 million, up from an original estimate of $9 million in 1990.

Work then began on removing another 12,000 cubic yards of soil from the site. That soil treated and returned to the site where it was disposed. The dump pit was filled and a protective cap was placed on the top, which was later covered with clean soil and grass was planted.

“The cleanup was a success, certainly, once things started rolling,” Walls said. “Looking back, it didn’t seem like it was a very timely manner. But with all the players involved, it got cleaned up in a responsible manner once it started.

“It was a success from a cleanup standpoint, but no one is ever going to know fully the human impact. It’s probably the most highly tested site in this area, and at one point the water was probably the most highly tested in the nation.” ill Ryan, EPA remedial project manager in charge of overseeing the Springfield Dump site case, said contaminated soil at the site has been removed and replaced, and doesn’t pose any hazard to human health or the environment. Further, he said, monitoring wells show that none of the surrounding wells used for drinking water surrounding the site have shown any signs of contamination, which includes the Nickson well. Still, the site remains on the National Priorities List.

“It’s not ready to be deleted because there is still some contamination in the groundwater,” Ryan said. “About 60 to 90 feet down gradient, there’s some TCE, or degreaser, down there. You wouldn’t want to put a well on there. The water flows to the northeast, but it’s not really moving off the site.

We have monitor wells that would alert us of any movement, and it’s not moving offsite.”

Under the 1998 agreements put in place under the EPA, 10 different companies were responsible for cleaning and monitoring the site. The remedy selected for cleanup at the site included installing a Soil Vapor Extraction System and air sparging system to remove VOCs from the subsurface. However, progress was disrupted in 2009, when the Chrysler Corporation, which was one of the parties responsible for funding the cleanup of the site, declared bankruptcy. The groundwater extraction system was shut down in 2009.

Ryan said the other parties responsible for the cleanup were contacted in 2010, and the system was up and running again that year. Additional measures to speed the cleanup of groundwater at the site were recommended in a five-year review of the site.

“There was some question of whether or not contamination was moving off the site along the south border,” Ryan said. “There was a water injection well over there that seemed to be pushing the contamination outside of the 20-foot boundary (of the fence). We wanted (the parties) to put in a couple more monitoring wells. That hasn’t been done yet.”

Currently, Ryan said, there are a water extraction well and an injection well operating at the site. The system pulls contaminated groundwater from the ground and runs it through activated carbon. After the water is treated, it

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is injected into the ground at the south end of the site. Ryan said because the natural flow of groundwater moves from the south to the north, the hope is that any contaminated water will be pushed to the north and flushed into the cleaning system.

To increase cleanup measures at the site, Ryan said he has recommended that the group of companies currently responsible for cleanup update the system used to remove contaminants from the groundwater. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically, I told them that you can go on pumping and treating the water, and it will cost a bundle. Or, you can go in there and spend a bundle, and it will be done,â&#x20AC;? Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are looking at beefing up the air sparge/vapor extraction system. Hopefully, they will do that.â&#x20AC;?

An air sparging system works by installing wells into the shallow groundwater area, about 10 or 15 feet below the water table. The wells then blow air into the water table, causing air bubbles to move through the groundwater. Extraction points are located above the water table, which are used to remove vapors trapped in the bubbles, which then strip the VOCs from the water. yan said recommendations included in the five-year review arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t essentially required. The actual method of achieving the goals required by the EPA are more or less up to the parties responsible, or the clean up and the consultants they work with to achieve the cleanup goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically, we in the program tell them what they have to achieve, and let them do it,â&#x20AC;? Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we prescribe what they do, and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our fault.â&#x20AC;?

So far, Ryan said, all of the cleanup standards required by the EPA concerning the soils at the site have been achieved. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The groundwater is the only thing left in the contamination,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The soil in the unsaturated zone may have some residual contamination right above the water table... basically, the water table fluctuates each year.

It drops in dry years and then it rises, and it hits some of that unsaturated zone, and it releases (contamination) again. So, you get an added dose of low level VOCs in the ground water.â&#x20AC;?

The main problem with the current configuration of the groundwater cleaning system is the location of the current wells, Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now the contamination is so low that the wells arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really in the right place to remove the contaminated groundwater anymore. You could put in more extraction wells to speed up the process, but its not as cost effective as the air sparging system.â&#x20AC;?

Ryan said that eventually all of the groundwater would be free from contaminants, but that would be many years from now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What will probably happen, once they achieve the remedial standards and the state and the EPA say that they are done, all the equipment will be removed,â&#x20AC;? Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That might not be for 20 years. And the fencing around the original dump site may not ever go away. The only thing I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do is put a house in the fenced area, and put a well in there. The other areas are just open land.â&#x20AC;?

Supervisor Walls said he feels the cleanup is a success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Currently, the property is selling, and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be a depressed market,â&#x20AC;? he said of some of the two dozen houses that surround the site today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Very early on, there was a test in one home that showed levels of contamination, but it never showed up again. The assumption was that it was a false test. The EPA has done a fantastic job and worked well with the community. The residents were actively part of the discussions.â&#x20AC;?

Cynthia Balkwell, who has lived on property adjacent to the dump site since the early 1990s, attended public meetings hosted by the EPA in 1998 when cleanup measures were being discussed. While she said she receives water quality test reports each year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all of which show no signs of contamination on her property â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she is happy to know people are still monitoring and have interest in the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cleanup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes they slip through the cracks,â&#x20AC;? Balkwell said about cleanup efforts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in my backyard, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a little concerned about it... there are permanent deed restrictions on the (dump site) property making it so it will never be disturbed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But now with with all this talk about gas exploration and the possibility of fracking, I wonder what the implications are, and if there could be any issues with that.â&#x20AC;?

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Contact Chris @ 248-390-9191 Volunteers@RotaryCarnival.net

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(O) 248.792.6464 or (C) 248.515.8044 MatthewSwigart@downtownpublications.com

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REGIONAL TRANSIT 2016 FUNDING ELECTION TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE

BY LISA BRODY

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he car has always been king in metro Detroit. It’s our heritage and our legacy. We’re Motown, the Motor City. From the first Model A rolling off Henry Ford’s assembly line, it has led to a culture and currency pervading all others. In the 20th century, the automobile industry led to both Detroit’s ascendency as one of America’s great cities, and to its decline. The designs of early Lincolns, Packards, Chevy BelAirs, Ford Mustangs, Cadillacs and Corvettes became the narrative of their times, epitomizing our yearning for wide open spaces, seeking our fortune out west, “getting our kicks on Route 66,” and locally, cruising up and down Woodward.

It also helped contribute to Detroit’s suburban sprawl, because our cars could take us farther and farther out from the city’s nexus. In the 1950s and 1960s, as new highways criss crossed and subdivided Detroit, it further led to urban decay. The automobile, our motorized oasis, drove us away from the troubles at the core.

As we all know, what the automobile culture also deprived southeastern Michigan of was a functional and affordable mass transit system.

Detroit is the nation’s largest city without a mass transit system. According to the New York Times on March 10, 2014, more Americans used public transportation – subways, trains, and busses – than anytime since 1956, as service has improved, local economies have grown, and travelers increasingly have sought alternatives to the car for local metropolitan travel. From 1995 to 2013, transit ridership rose 37 percent, well ahead of the 20 percent growth in population and 23 percent increase in miles traveled. The Times noted it is a fundamental shift in the way people are moving about within their communities.

Additionally, young adults are increasingly choosing to not spend their transportation dollars on autos, even here in the Motor City. More and more, they are delaying getting their driver’s licenses and putting off expensive purchases of cars well into their 20s and 30s, and instead finding walkable or ridable alternatives.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, the average one-way commute time for workers in the United States has increased. Detroit typifies U.S suburban and exurban sprawl, with some people commuting as long as 90 minutes each way every day. But the lack of reliable public transportation also makes it difficult for those without dependable automobiles to get to and from work in a reasonable amount of time consistently, as the region’s busses are notorious for their unpredictability. Detroit had the lowest rate of adults working or looking for employment in 2012, largely due to 26 percent of households lacking a vehicle, compared to 9 percent nationally, according to a 2013 study by the Ann Arbor Transportation Research Institute.

“Everything starts with a job,” Mayor Mike Duggan told Bloomberg.com. “We need jobs in the city and we need to be able to transport people to where the jobs are,” he said, noting that busses are Detroit’s only mass transportation and they’re often late or non-existent, due to an aging, broken bus fleet. “Riders have difficulty connecting with suburban busses,” Duggan continued, regarding the perpetual conflict between DDOT and SMART bus systems.

Efforts to merge the city and suburban bus systems have been a political hot potato for years.

“That’s where the need for public transportation comes in. We are definitely an auto-dependent region,” said Jeff Bross, project manager for Data Driven Detroit. or decades in Detroit, there have been efforts to create some form of mass transit, from the circular 2.9 mile People Mover in the 1980s to 40 years of failed efforts to create a regional transit authority. In February 2013, legislation was finally passed in Michigan to create the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority, to orchestrate and improve transit in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw counties and riders in the city of Detroit. Other counties can potentially join the RTA, but there are no opt-outs for municipalities within the member counties of the RTA. But the question still remains whether voters in those counties will be willing to pass a referendum to fund mass transit options in the form of rapid bus transit, and whether the RTA can hire a competent CEO who can master the politics of the region, as well as coordinate the appointees and work with state legislators, city and county officials, as well as efficiently integrate regional transit with existing bus service and a light rail service designed to connect disparate sections of gentrified Detroit so that they can all work together for commuters of southeastern Michigan.

As passed by the state legislature, the RTA will be overseen by a chief executive officer and a board of directors that is to be appointed by county executives, the mayor of Detroit and the governor of Michigan. The board members cannot be elected officials, employees of the involved counties or transit agencies. The aim of this style of governance is to make sure the RTA serves riders and the region, and not individual agency’s agendas.

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Legislators on March 12, 2014 declined to provide the RTA with any funding in the state’s supplemental budget, but did promise it would receive $900,000 immediately from MDOT to allow it to begin hiring staff and help it develop and implement a master plan for public transit in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, with another $1.1 million to come in June. That is just the tip of the iceberg of what the RTA will need in order to get going, although Paul Hillegonds, the chairman of the RTA board, said it will allow them to get it through 2016, when they plan to go before voters for a millage to provide funding to build and operate public transit in the region.

The RTA will have responsibility over several areas of transit in southeastern Michigan. Under the umbrella of the RTA will be included Detroit and suburban bus service, known as DDOT (Detroit Department of Transportation) and SMART (the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation), Ann Arbor’s bus and transit service (AATA), the People Mover, the upcoming M1 Light rail service that is beginning construction, and proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) service which would connect Detroit, metro airport and some of the suburbs, which is currently in the study phase. While there would be coordination of the different agencies under the banner of the RTA, they would not be merged.

There is not yet a leader for the RTA. John Hertel, general manager of SMART, briefly accepted the job of executive director of the RTA, and then when financing was not quickly procured, he chose to stay with SMART. “Gov. Snyder is very supportive of this legislation and for the RTA,” said Mario Morrow, a spokesperson in the governor’s office. “He recognizes the need for regional transportation is very necessary, and understands clearly that for the counties and southeastern Michigan, regional transportation must be in place. He is confident that it will work.”

Morrow said that there is a posting for CEO of the RTA. “Unfortunately, John Hertel declined to take the position, but if he felt it wasn’t a good fit for him, he did the best thing by declining the post. It’s going to be a lot of working with legislators and others through this process. He’s a friend.”

“This is an issue that has been debated for at least the last 30 years,” noted Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research and Communications. “We need mass transit. Detroit is one of the few major cities in the world without mass transit. The governor has been very successful in getting the legislation passed. The question is if there will be the allocation of resources to get it done.”

While the need for regional transportation is finally recognized by state legislators and desired by many across the region, it won’t be quickly achieved. Like anything with multiple players in government representing various interests, not only is there constant juggling, but analysis and scrutiny of the chess pieces of mass transit continues so it does not stagnate as a transit plan to nowhere.

Currently, the plan for mass transit in the metro Detroit area would coordinate a few different transit options under one synchronized umbrella. In January, Duggan announced some transportation improvements to existing transportation options of DDOT busses to help city residents get to jobs and to provide greater accessibility for people with disabilities. The Job Access and Reverse Commute programs works to

smooth out the current challenges in the DDOT bus system, including increasing routes on several major thoroughfares in the city, and increasing night and weekend bus service in the city.

But that is just a first step, and a band aid which barely covers the wound of the region. A more sizable program is now taking off, representing a broader vision although it only covers a small land mass. public/private streetcar initiative, the M1 Rail, recently broke ground along Woodward in downtown Detroit, and underground work has commenced. The hope is to have its first riders by fall 2016. The M1 Rail is a $140 million 3.3 mile streetcar project which will run from downtown Detroit to Midtown Detroit with frequent stops along the right lane. So far, sources report that the M-1 Rail project has raised about $132 million from various corporations, foundations, government sources and non-profit agencies. It still needs about $10 million more, with about $6 million potentially identified. Naming rights are a possibility as a source for a part of the gap in financing.

Once up and operational, M-1 will operate as a private non-profit, with its operations and maintenance outsourced to a private vendor, which has yet to be chosen.

What is light rail? It is a form of urban transportation, also referred to as streetcars or trolleys, which operate passenger cars on a dedicated track electronically with power being drawn by an overhead electric line, and is usually driven by an operator on board the vehicle. It utilizes high capacity electric rail cars and mostly operates within exclusive right-of-way lanes, although sometimes they operate in mixed traffic.

“The M-1 Rail are streetcars that are pedestrian accelerators, with people hopping on and off of them,” explained Brad Strader, planning division manager at LSL Planning in Royal Oak. “Some people think M-1 Rail is a joke, but it’s not,” asserted Mark Nickita, a Birmingham City Commissioner and architect and urban planner with Archives DS in Detroit which is working with Parsons Brinkerhoff of the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) on areas around the planned stations for the rapid transit plans throughout the metro area, and where to put them, although not on the M-1 Rail. “It’s not three miles in a circle – it’s three miles in length.

You can’t walk three miles straight easily and quickly.”

Nickita explained that the M-1 Rail and the People Mover are completely different entities.

“The M-1 Rail is designed to connect all these different communities. It’s a connector. It makes for a greater downtown. All the assets are interconnected by the M-1 without needing a car, from the New Center area and the Fisher Building, Henry Ford Hospital, TechTown, the Amtrak Station, the Cultural Center, with the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Public Library, and Science Center, Wayne State University, Orchestra Place, the Detroit Medical Center, Cass Park and Canfield, Majestic Theater, the new hockey arena and entertainment district, Foxtown and the Fox Theater and Comerica Park, Grand Circus, Campus Martius, all the way down to Larned and the (Detroit) River. If you live, work and play anywhere in that area, you can hop on and off. It will have a significant impact on the center of Detroit, and connect the districts in Detroit.”

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The New Center District Development plan said it “will focus on creating a walkable mixed-use community that will utilize the new M-1 Rail transportation and connect with TechTown’s new district development and Henry Ford Hospital. It will include locating development opportunities, filling vacant retail space, supporting mixed use development, and creating a parking plan that will support the increase of new residents and business. The district plan also includes improved safety, viaduct and streetscape enhancements.”

Nickita pointed out that the M-1 Rail will differ from rapid transit between the city and suburbs the way that in Chicago “it’s the difference between the ‘L’ and commuter rail.”

To accomplish the long-term goal the region has wanted for commuter transit has necessitated a much broader vision than 3.3 miles.

SEMCOG has been the engine working on a commuter transit system. An alternatives analysis has been conducting studies, including community forums, for the last 18 months to determine what kind of system, where, how much it would cost, where stations would be located, how to fund it and other concerns. An alternatives analysis is a transportation planning process for evaluating modal and general alignment options for a transportation corridor, and is viewed as a good planning practice in assisting communities with objectively selecting the transit options that will address various communities’ needs.

Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG, said they have gone through “months of study of higher level transit analysis, going through comparable studies of cars going through the same routes we’re looking at. In the next couple of months, we’ll be finalizing our analyses in order to make our recommendations.” ollowing Gov. Snyder’s initial transportation agenda, and which then the legislature approved, it was identified that a regional transportation system will be operated by rapid bus lines along Woodward, from downtown Detroit to Pontiac; downtown Detroit to Mt. Clemens along Gratiot; from downtown Detroit to Ann Arbor along Michigan Avenue, including service to Detroit Metropolitan Airport; and then a connector between Pontiac and Mt. Clemens along M-59.

The first route will likely be Woodward from Detroit to Pontiac, a 27-mile route; it is the one now being actively studied. Nickita said the second route could be either the Gratiot line, or the airport line, because there is a strong desire to see connectivity with Metro airport.

“We’ll have a complete study of this phase in the next few months to present to the Regional Transit Authority, which must approve the plan, then we’ll need to do engineering work,” Palombo said. “While we’re beginning development, the reality is that there are no resources right now to construct it. We’re dependent upon the RTA, which is asking the people of the four counties to support a regional tax to fund and operate this transit system. This is one of the things they would hopefully include in supporting. The RTA has taken a position to ask for funding for it and put it on the ballot in 2016.”

A ballot initiative will be placed before voters on the November 2016 general election in order to achieve funding for construction and operation of regional transit, which will likely take the form of bus rapid transit.

Palombo noted that, as they continue to proceed with planning and engineering work, it will be the end of 2016 before they have the

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answer to the question about how to fund it. “If the answer to the ballot proposal is yes, we can move forward. If it’s no, it will take longer,” he said.

Nickita is optimistic about funding now that there is the RTA. “Federal funding goes to where regional planning is in place,” he said. “ The RTA is working to get funds from the feds. We pay all these taxes, and haven’t been able to get back money in grants and federal funding as well as from the state and locals. We never had a city/suburban system in place, and certainly have never had a system that worked efficiently, so the feds have never considered giving money to us, and didn’t channel any money our way. I see significant changes coming now that there is a mechanism to channel money to (with the RTA).

Detroit is the largest city in the country without mass transit, which should actually help us. It should make us a priority to get funding. It’s a big fundamental move.”

Unlike the M-1 Rail, which is using light rail, this rapid regional transit plan is being designed to utilize bus rapid transit (BRT). It’s a bus-based mass transit system that is often referred to as a “surface subway” because it is above ground but moves rapidly with a few specific stops at stations.

To be considered BRT, busses usually operate in their own dedicated lane in order to avoid traffic congestion. While the M-1 Rail is being designed to operate at side lanes, so riders can easily hop on and off, current plans for the BRT on Woodward would have a dedicated lane down the center so as to not interfere with traffic, cyclists and pedestrian, as well as right-hand turning cars and parked cars. Exclusive right-of-way and/or bus priority at signalized intersections allows large volumes of riders to move quickly. Also, since the purpose is rapid transit, rather than frequent stops, the center lane would allow for less impeded gridlock.

However, the final determination for the placement of where BRT would go on the roadway would ultimately rest with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which owns Woodward. Palombo said they are waiting for MDOT’s final analysis on Woodward before SEMCOG can make their final recommendations.

“If you can’t build it on their road, it’s not an option,” he said.

“The rapid transit serves a different purpose than M-1Rail,” said LSL Planning’s Strader, which has been conducting the $7 million alternatives analysis study for SEMCOG, paid for with a federal grant. “It’s for longer purposes, longer travel. It’s for bigger distances between stations, and it will move more rapidly. They’re designed to augment and highlight one another.”

While called busses, BRT are not busses in the classical sense. They sit low to the ground, with the station platforms level to the busses, and are easily accessed by the disabled and parents with strollers. They are usually high capacity vehicles which operate in their own dedicated lanes and, unlike streetcars, operate with an engine versus an overhead electric line. Their major connection to traditional busses is they have rubber tires.

In Cleveland, their system uses bendy stretchlimo like busses that are flexible for turns and can hold up to 100 riders at a time.

They are considered desirable for metro Detroit for a few reasons. They are far more economical to bring in and utilize than light rail or subways because they operate on existing streets with minor modifications. Unlike light rail, there is no

infrastructure, other than stations, that will need to be built in order to make it operational. And BRT routes can be modified over time, unlike a subway line or a light rail track. It’s also very easy to keep the lane of traffic for mixing in with traditional traffic when not utilized by BRT. “I see it being a lot more affordable than light rail,” Palombo said.

Strader said that for the Woodward route, there will likely be about 20 stations, which averages out to one every mile or so. “The streetcars for M-1 on Woodward have stations every three to four blocks, in comparison,” he said.

It is believed that ridership will be very high, he said, which is how they are determining the number and placement of the stations. “We can also change the number of the stations if ridership and development warrant it,” he said. alombo said they are not just seeking to build the routes and their spines. “Part of what we’ll be doing on Woodward is looking at the background of the bus network (SMART and DDOT) so that there will be enough service provided to passengers to accommodate the larger areas,” Palombo said.

“We have to make sure that people can get to and from these facilities, whether by car, walking or biking, in order to take advantage of these higher transit facilities. We’re hoping that there will be some areas along the route where we can put park and ride facilities, where they will make sense.”

“Typically, with these kinds of development, you determine where the population requires park and rides within a few blocks of a station,” Strader added.

Strader said that they will, at some point, have park and rides in Oakland County, but the study has not yet identified where.

There is also the potential for growth and development in the communities and neighborhoods along Woodward near the stations, called transit-oriented development (TOD). “Often some level of investments occur near the stations,” Nickita said. “I think around the stations there will be significant investments. Those cities may want to consider zoning a little differently around those areas in order to plan for the future.”

In other cities, it is not uncommon to see retail and residential, especially in the form of apartments and lofts, sprout up within walking distance of transit stations.

Ensuring commercial development within a TOD to serve mixed incomes is critical, according to Scot Spenser, a transit equity expert and associate director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a Baltimore foundation which works to ensure better futures for disadvantaged children. Spenser said that in many places with TOD, development doesn’t take into account the needs of different users with different income levels.

“The services along transit stops are important for someone for whom transit is not a choice or a luxury,” he said. “Are there day care centers or social services agencies helping folks who are transit dependent?”

The question today remains, without funding, is rapid transit a realistic possibility or just another phantom pipe dream?

“Bottom line, it is not going to be business as usual in metro Detroit,” Nickita optimistically said.

“People want more transportation options than just a car. You know, people associate freedom with driving a car. But true freedom is having a car – and other transportation options as well.”

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214023262- $249,900 Excellent Location! Stone Front, first floor Master Suite, 2 story Great Room with Fireplace and built in Bowers & Wilkins Speakers, Library with built ins, walk out lower level with bar, wet bar, sewing room, wine room and storage, many home improvements, move in ready. www.realestateone.com

214007994- $300,000 Rare find in Commerce on small wide lake/large pond on cul de sac.

Awesome setting, great room with cathedral ceiling and open floor plan with gas fireplace, dining room water side, spacious island Corian kitchen, large master water side with walk in closet and private bath. www.realestateone.com

214022111- $275,000 Stunning custom built brick home in popular Twin Lakes Village features dramatic two story entry with hardwood floors, bright and open gourmet kitchen, deluxe Master Suite with giant walk in closet, first floor laundry, 3 car garage, premium lot with wooded back lot with access to all sports Tull Lake. www.realestateone.com

214021746 - $205,000 Completely remodeled gorgeous ranch in scenic Thendara Subdivision features 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 3” hickory hardwood floors, crown molding throughout, oak and granite kitchen with stainless steel appliances, finished walkout great for entertaining – a must see! www.realestateone.com

214021654 - $275,000 Lovely ranch on canal to all sports Lake Neva & Brendle. Oak kitchen with bamboo flooring, adjacent Florida porch offers lake views from two sides, great room with gorgeous stone fire place, cathedral ceiling, and lake views, large master with direct access to 4-piece bath. www.realestateone.com

214021506- $159,900 Completely remodeled! You’ll be pleased when you walk into this adorable tri-level. Kitchen with eat at island, granite countertops, updated full bath, newer roof, windows, furnace, A/C, hot water heater, sprinklers, huge country size fenced in backyard. www.realestateone.com

214020950 - $199,900 Absolutely gorgeous private location. Lovely colonial sits tucked away on a private cul de sac with beautiful mature evergreens lining the property. Open floor plan with first floor laundry and library. Partially finished walk out has hot tub room, pretty pool and deck offer lots of summer fun. www,realestateone.com

214020496 - $250,000 Striking 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath contemporary with open floor plan!

Kitchen features oak cabinets, ceramic flooring, large eating area is adjacent to tiered deck and paver walkway, master suite has cathedral ceilings and balcony overlooking back yard. www.realestateone.com

214018823 - $230,000 Privileges on Clark Lake! Updates galore including new furnace, vinyl siding, gutters, roof, addition, finished basement with full bath, and extensive flooring. Kitchen with huge island, wood laminate flooring, recessed lighting, spectacular wrap around three season room. www.realestateone.com

214023691- $425,000 Lovely maintained traditional Colonial on almost 1/2 acre lot with sloping back yard in Bloomfield Hills, hardwood floors, open kitchen with large island, great room with fieldstone fireplace, crown molding, recessed lighting, Pella windows, many other amenities, a must see! www.realestateone.com

214023802 - $289,500 Walkout Colonial in highly desired Commerce Pines Sub! Spacious open floor plan with 2800 sq. ft. finished living area including finished walkout, cedar deck, library in basement could be 4th bedroom, home is “move in” ready! www.realestateone.com

214024405- $269,900 This beautiful home features a wonderful open and flowing floor plan.

Huge kitchen with breakfast room has a see through fireplace to spacious great room. First floor master bedroom with tons of closet space, large master bath, separate jetted tub, shower, and vanity with 2 sinks. Oversized 3 car garage. www.realestateone.com

© Real Estate One, Inc., 2014

Lakes Area (248) 363-8300

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

FACES

Debbie Lannen

D

ebbie Lannen, children’s book author, the founder of a senior acting troupe and a playwright, is addressing the critical matter of bullying in her latest play entitled “I’m Sorry.”

The play tackles a variety of scenarios in which a child is bullied. The intent is to teach kids how to avoid having to apologize by being kind to one another before emotional damage is done.

“There are 18 (actors) in the cast and (the play) goes all the way from preschool to cyberbullying,” Lannen said. “This play is really emotional. Everyone who sees it recognizes themselves or someone in it; whether they’ve done it or experienced it. Kids are killing themselves and if we can save one child, it’s worth it.”

“I’m Sorry” opened to an audience of 200 students, parents and faculty at Walled Lake Northern High School before traveling to New York to perform for the Midwinter Madness Festival at Roy Arias Studio.

“Walled Lake Northern was nice enough to allow us to perform at the school,” Lannen said. “That was very exciting. It was a huge community effort and it was a run-though before we went to New York.” Lannen and 32 others – thespians and crew members, departed for New York in February 2014.

“It was a real risk,” she said. “What’s unique about the (Midwinter Madness) festival is you get one rehearsal before your show gets up. It’s kind of scary, but it was a huge success. Kids were coming up to me afterwards and saying, ‘This has to go in my school.’ I’m trying to figure out who’s going to have enough guts to get this into the schools. We’re trying to find sponsorship of some kind.”

In addition to her work as a playwright, Lannen founded The Spotlight Still Got It Players, a senior troupe for actors over the age of 50, in 2009.

“As you get older, you can’t play Dorothy your whole life. You have to play Auntie Em at some point.”

The community theater group performs shows and musicals at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill in Canton in front of a loyal audience.

Lannen also wrote the children’s books Same Dumb Lake, Same Dumb Curves and Crystal-A Fairy’s Dream. Same Dumb Lake, Same Dumb Curves came out in February 2014, and Lannen is lining up book signings.

The busy Walled Lake resident previously owned The Oakland Dance Studio in Walled Lake for 13 years. “My son was turning 5 and I thought, ‘I’m going to close the doors and be a mom.’ We decided 13 years was long enough. It was the best decision ever.”

The multi-talented artist has been married to her husband Joe, who is an actor, for 27 years. Their son, Tony, is making a living as a musician in New York, and Lannen often stays with him while traveling back and forth to the city.

“Tony said, ‘You aren’t moving in, are you?’” Lannen joked.

“We call ourselves the ‘triple Lannen treat’: the director, the actor, and the musician.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent

MUNICIPAL Court ruling could impact trails effort

By Kevin Elliott

A rails-to-trails program on track to link a stretch of the abandoned Michigan Air-Line Railway between West Bloomfield and Wixom is gaining steam, but a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision may have the potential to derail it and hundreds of similar projects across the country.

Members of the Commerce, Walled Lake, Wixom Trailways Management Council on Monday, March 17, approved hiring Northville-based McKenna and Associates to update the council’s five-year master plan.

McKenna, who was the lowest bidder on the project, developed the council’s original master plan, which was adopted in July 2009.

An up-to-date plan is required in order for the trailways council to qualify for funding from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to eventually convert about 33-acres of the former railway lines to a walking trail. When completed, the trail will connect the existing West Bloomfield Trail and the Huron Valley Trail in Wixom. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has approved a $3.75 million grant to acquire the property, which is currently owned by Browner Turnout Co., of Lincoln, Neb. The council is currently in the process of having the land appraised.

“We got the go-ahead from the state. There is about a 45-day time frame, then we take it to the trust fund and MDOT,” said Commerce Township Planner Kathleen Jackson, who serves as executive director for trailways council.

While the council has yet to take ownership of the land, plans are already underway to remove train tracks which cross M-5 Highway between Maple and Pontiac Trail in Commerce Township. A walking bridge will be constructed at the crossing.

“That is slated for this summer,” Jackson said. “MDOT has given us conditional approval, which will include the bridge in their upcoming budget. There’s no timeframe yet, but it will be quite a long bridge because it has to be handicap accessible. It will be quite a big project.”

The Michigan Air-Line Railway was originally constructed in 1883 and later merged with the Grand Trunk

Commerce ballot language approved

By Kevin Elliott

C

ommerce Township residents this August will decide whether to renew an existing .3939 mill tax used to maintain parks and acquire additional land in the township over the next 10 years, under ballot language approved by the township trustees on Tuesday, March 11.

Voters first approved the millage on Nov. 2, 2004. The millage, which has collected about $7.25 million over the past 10 years, expired on December 31, 2013. About $1 million remains in the fund for recreational improvements and acquisitions, along with related expenses.

Since originally passed, funds from the millage have been primarily used to purchase about 518 acres of parkland along Wise Road that was previously owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

That property was purchased for about $4 million. The millage was also used to fund major renovations at the township’s Dodge Park No. 5 park.

If renewed, the millage would raise about $665,892 in its first year, which would be disbursed to the township, as well as a portion to the township’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA), as required by state law.

Board of trustee members unanimously approved the renewal language as follows: “Shall this voted increase in the Charter Township of Commerce millage be renewed at up to .3939 mill (0.3939 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value) and levied for an additional 10 years, 2014 through 2023, inclusive, for the purpose of improving parks and acquiring land and interest in land to create new publicly owned open space within the township?”

Board members questioned the use of the word “increase” in the first sentence of the ballot proposal, as the request wouldn’t represent an increase in the recently expired millage. However, the word “increase” may have to remain on the ballot, as it refers to the original language approved by voters in 2004, when the word “increase” referred to a new millage that would raise the total number of mills above the 5-mill limitation imposed on the township.

The renewal, if approved, would actually be capped at 0.3939 instead of 0.40, as originally passed in 2004, due to the Headlee constitutional amendment passed by state voters years ago.

Western Railway in 1928. For many years, the only remaining part of the railway that wasn’t abandoned was a line running between Wixom and West Bloomfield. The Walled Lake rail station ran its last dinner train in 2008. In January 2011, the railway was formally abandoned and in 2012 the railroad was removed between Walled Lake and the interchange in Wixom.

While funds have been identified to purchase the railway right-of-way from Browner Turnout, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision may complicate the process. A March 10 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding a case on the court’s interpretation of the General Railroad Right-of-Way-Act of 1875 could impact this trailways projects, as well as numerous ones across the country.

In its decision, the court ruled 8-1, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, that property owners hold

the ownership of right-of-way land when railways are abandoned by a railroad company. The ruling negated the government’s long-held position that ownership rights revert to the government when the railroad is abandoned.

Whether the ruling will have any specific impact on the Commerce, Walled Lake, Wixom Trailway Management Council’s action isn’t yet known.

“I just heard about the decision,” Jackson said. “I’m not sure what it would mean. I haven’t yet had a conversation with our attorneys to see what effect it will have.”

Luxury apartments proposed for city A 71-unit luxury apartment complex featuring modern amenities and views of Walled Lake could spur

WESTEND

development in the city, an area developer told city council members on Tuesday, March 4.

Terry L. Bailey, owner of Birmingham-based Foremost Development, is proposing the construction of a three-story complex on E. Walled Lake Drive, east of Pontiac Trail and across from the Walled Lake public beach. The land, which is privately owned and within the city’s Downtown Development Authority district, consists of about two acres of land that is split by Witherall Street.

“This will stimulate a lot of things that happen downtown,” Bailey said.

“This will be the first thing, and then another and another.”

The first thing, however, would be approval of the plan by the city, as well as the closure of Witherall Street in order to connect the two parcels of land needed to create the project. If approved, Bailey said the project would consist of high-end apartments featuring granite counters, stainless steel appliances, a WiFi lounge, and an on-site cinema for residents, complete with theater seating. The development – which would be targeted at young professionals from 22-32 years old, as well those 50 and older – would include “tucked” carports on the first floor, which are similar to an open-air, covered garage.

Bailey said rents would probably range from $950 or more for a onebedroom apartment, to $1,200 to 1,400 for a two-bedroom apartment.

Councilman Bill Sturgeon said he would personally be impacted by the closure of Witherall Street, and questioned whether the roads in the area would be able to handle the additional traffic created by the project.

“I see it has a lot of potential, but I’m concerned about whether the infrastructure can handle the increased traffic,” he said.

Bailey responded that he feels the infrastructure could handle additional traffic, but that a study of the area could be considered.

“I think it’s a very exciting project and we have a lot of questions,” said Walled Lake Mayor Linda Ackley.

“Whether there is support to close the road, I don’t know.”

Council approved a motion to bring the plan to the attention of the city’s planning coordinator for further determinations and discussion.

Public safety plan presented to council

By Kevin Elliott

An ordinance amendment to reestablish a Walled Lake Public Safety Department and an associated director's position was introduced Tuesday, March 4.

Walled Lake City Manager Dennis Whitt presented city council members with the ordinance, which was approved by unanimous vote for a first reading following an explanation of the ordinance amendment by Whitt.

Council members initially appeared to be confounded by the amendment, as the group sat in silence for about 60 seconds until someone eventually asked whether the city currently has a public safety department.

"There is a debate about whether it was ever abolished," Whitt explained.

"The previous public safety director was stripped of his powers, but the department wasn't abolished."

The city, which has both a fire department and police department, created a public safety department in 1999 in order to allow one director to oversee both departments. In the past, the city manager has served as the public safety director. However, the position was stripped of its power.

While the city maintains both a police and fire chief, Whitt said returning the director of public safety position to the chain of command will provide benefits to the city.

Under the proposed ordinance, the city manager would serve as the director of the department of public safety according to terms and conditions established by the city council. Compensation for the director's position would be considered as included in the compensation for city manager.

Should the city council choose to relieve the city manager as director of public safety, the city manager would appoint a new director, subject to confirmation by city council, and would subsequently act under the supervision of the city manager.

"This would add a level above the department heads," Whitt said. "They currently report to me, but that hasn't always happened. If they go on vacation or aren't available, there hasn't always been proper structure."

If approved, Whitt said the position would provide a chain of command

DDA area housing plan presented

By Kevin Elliott

D

evelopers hoping to construct the first residential housing project in the Commerce Township Downtown Development Authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (DDA) Commerce Towne Place project area have presented a formal site plan to members of the townshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planning commission.

Hunter-Pasteur Homes of Farmington Hills presented a site plan on Monday, March 3, of a 39-unit, single-family residential development in a 14.25-acre area just south and southeast of Commerce Township Hall, on the west side of Martin Parkway north of Pontiac Trail. No action was taken by the planning commission regarding the site plan, but it appeared to have been positively received, said township trustee and planning board member David Law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We definitely want to see some single-family homes brought into the DDA project, and it seems to be a nice fit with the planning commission members and the residents of Commerce Township,â&#x20AC;? Law said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were really just coming forward, letting us know what is coming and maybe trying to get a feel. There were no objections or major opposition.â&#x20AC;?

The Wyncliff planned development site is the first project to have a formal site plan presented to the township in the DDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project area, which consists of about 330 acres of land north of M-5 and Pontiac Trail, between Welch and Haggerty Roads. The project calls for single family homes that will retail for between $250,000 and $350,000. The homes will range from 2,500 to 3,200 square feet, with lots ranging from about 12,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet.

According to the site plan, homes would be no more than two-and-ahalf stories tall, and would not exceed 35-feet in height. A landscape plan will be proposed and submitted at a later date.

The plan is expected to likely gain approval by the township planning commission and board of trustees, both of whom have expressed a desire for more single-family developments in the DDA area.

Hunter-Pasteur Homes, in August of 2013, became the second developer to sign a purchase agreement with the DDA for land inside the Commerce Towne Place project area. However, Wyncliff is expected to be the first project to break ground in the DDA area.

for personnel issues, rather than a director who would act in a fireman or police officer's role. Further, he said placing both departments under the umbrella of public safety would be helpful should the city decide to request a public safety millage.

"I'm not going to be putting out fires, or going out and arresting people," Whitt said. "It would be to provide personnel support at the top level. The intent here is to add structure and to sell a public safety millage."

Without a dedicated millage to support police and fire services or other funding sources, Whitt said the city "can't keep both departments."

Rogue lumberjack hits Commerce park Dozens of trees have been illegally cut down from a wooded area of

Hickory Glen Park in Commerce Township this winter, with the severe winter weather preventing township officials from determining who has hit the trees, when or why. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are going to try to find out how or when and why they have been cut down,â&#x20AC;? township supervisor Tom Zoner said on Tuesday, March 18, about the several dozen trees that have been cut down in the park, located on Glengarry and S. Commerce roads. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get back there right now with all of the snow, but as soon as the snow clears, my guys are going to be on it. We are going to figure out who has been doing this and why.â&#x20AC;?

Zoner said the theft of about 50 trees was recently discovered, all of which had been cut down without permission in the park in recent months. The trees, he said, are all about four to five inches in diameter.

WESTEND

The trees, he said, had been cut and removed from the park, with little brush or remnants left.

The 155-acre park consists of a non-motorized pathway connecting it with several other adjacent parks.

Ironically, he said some of those paths were made by motorized all-terrain vehicles trespassing on the property.

However, mountain bikers in recent years have taken to maintaining the trails, with the permission of the township.

Wolverine discusses road improvements Wolverine Lake Village Council members, at their meeting on Wednesday, March 12, approved spending about $675,000 this year for road maintenance and construction projects in the village, including the repaving of Glengary Road.

The majority of the costs, which will come primarily from the villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s road maintenance fund, involve roadwork to be done along Glengary Road, including the construction of a two-foot shoulder on each side of the road.

Additional road projects include repairs along Oak Island Drive and the paving of the parking lot at the Vita Trail.

Village council members discussed the need to include the installation of wider shoulders along Glengary Road, which some had felt might improve safety for those who are walking or riding a bike along the roadway. The widened shoulder option, which the council eventually rejected, would have added about $65,000 in additional costs to the price of the project.

Councilman Ed Sienkiewcz questioned the logic behind a wider shoulder, saying a smaller shoulder would provide savings. Further, he said he felt a wider shoulder would cause motorists to increase speeds on the road, which currently has a speed limit of 35 miles per hour.

Wolverine Lake Police Chief John Ellsworth said he also felt a wider shoulder would likely lead to faster traffic along Glengary.

The project will include the repaving of Glengary Road, including a new two-foot shoulder on each side; an extended right-hand turn lane at S. Commerce Road; a repaved entrance to Clara Miller Park; the paving of the Vita Trail parking lot; new pathways along portions of Glengary to connect to existing paths; and a new pathway along McCoy Road.

FACES

Rick Broida

R

ick Broida fuses his passion for writing and his obsession with technology to review the most innovative products on The Cheapskate, a popular blog on the tech-based news source CNET. “I write a Cheapskate post every day and a how-to post or something related to iPhone or Android. I am a full-time technology writer. (I blog about) what particularly stands out to me as a great deal. ” Broida became interested in computers as a child and jumped into technology early in its public attainability.

“It was the early 80s,” he said. “Seeing Star Wars as a kid struck my interest. Like everyone else, I was captivated by the special effects, and I liked anything that seemed techie or futuristic. As a teenager, I was lucky enough to get an Apple IIE. It was a gift from my parents. They knew I was very interested in computers.”

After graduating from North Farmington High School, Broida went on to study English at Michigan State University, where he polished his writing skills.

“Once I went to MSU, I took every writing class available to me. I took a magazine writing class. I was interested in computer magazine writing,” he said. “I would write creative stories in my spare time; mostly science fiction. I was very enthusiastic about it.”

After graduation, Broida wrote for several computer magazines.

“I was able to make it a full-time job,” he said. “Around 1999 and 2000, after the big dot-com collapse, I was writing for up to 10 magazines at a

time. The majority of them went out of business, which was really scary.”

Broida continued working in the industry and was later approached by the editor of CNET about starting The Cheapskate blog.

“They asked if I would be interested and I said, ‘God, yes.’ That was a little more than six years ago, and I’m proud to say it’s going strong and has a large, loyal following.”

With the success of Broida’s blog, he took the next step in writing The Cheapskate Rules: 21 Easy Money-Saving Tech Secrets.

“I’m overjoyed,” he said. “It was kind of an experiment on my part. I wondered if this would get any traction. By and large, it’s been very well received. It makes me very happy and I’m working on a sequel. It’s basically going to be Cheapskate II. Maybe I’ll make it a trilogy. The exciting part for me was that I could write it, edit it, put it on Amazon and boom, it’s a book.”

Broida lends his technology expertise as a guest on Internet Advisor, a weekly show on WJR (760 AM). He also travels to Los Angeles to prove his technology prowess against a fellow techie on the Internet show Geek vs.

Geek.

The married father of two is a Commerce Township resident whose professional life allows him to utilize his greatest gifts.

“It’s a pinch-me-I-must –be-dreaming career. To be able to make a living doing something I love is like winning the lottery, career-wise.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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

Anaamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palate: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2534 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.242.6326.

Applebees Neighborhood Grill: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 9100 Highland Road, White Lake, 48386. 248.698.0901.

Backyard Coney Island: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 49378 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.926.9508.

Bayside Sports Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 142 E. Walled Lake Drive, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.669.3322.

Biffs Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

3050 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.366.7400.

Big Boy Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Beer & Wine. 5834 Highland Road, Waterford, 48328. 248.674.4631.

Big Boy Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

800 N. Pontiac Trail, Walled Lake, 48390. 248.624.2323.

Big Boy Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Beer & Wine. 7726 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.363.1573.

Billyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tip N Inn: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6707 Highland Road, White Lake Township, 48383. 248.889.7885.

Blu Nectar: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

1050 Benstein Road, Walled Lake, 48390. 248.859.5506.

Boon Kai Restaurant: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1257 S. Commerce Road, Commerce, 48390.

248.624.5353.

Buffalo Wild Wings: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

5223 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.674.9464.

Carinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian Restaurant: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Loop Road, Commerce Township, 48390.

248.926.5300.

EASTER EGG HUNT

Carrie Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Waterford: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

7890 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.9045.

Caseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sports Pub & Grill: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1003 E West Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.669.5200.

CAYA Smokehouse Grille: Barbeque.

Dinner, Tuesday - Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 1403 S. Commerce Road, Wolverine Lake, 48390. 248.438.6741.

China Garden: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. 49414 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.8877.

China House: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 901 Nordic Drive, White Lake Township, 48386.

248.889.2880.

China King: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 4785 Carroll Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48390.

248.363.9966.

China Queen: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1130 E. Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.669.8896.

CJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brewing Company: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

8115 Richardson Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.366.7979.

Coffee Time CafĂŠ: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

1001 Welch Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.624.0097.

Coyote Grille: American. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 1990 Hiller Road, West Bloomfield, 48324. 248.681.6195.

Â&#x201C;The Duck FarmÂ&#x201D;

Byers Homestead is located 1:00 P.M. at 213 Commerce Rd, 2 miles west of Union Lake Rd (Rain or Shine) and take your childÂ&#x2019;s picture with the EASTER BUNNY

Free - Hot Cocoa and Refreshments, plus goodie bags

ADMISSION: $1.00

Â&#x2013; Bring Your Own Basket (BYOB) and please arrive 15 minutes before the Age Group Time

AGE GROUPS

1:15 1 Â&#x2013; 3 year olds 1:45 4 - 7 year olds 2:15 8 - 10 year olds

A BIG THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS Henry Ford Medical Center - Commerce

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The west Oakland area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publicationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Westend.

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WESTEND

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248.792.6464

Dairy Queen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 10531 Highland Road, White Lake, 48386.

248.698.2899.

Daniel’s Pizza Bistro: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2510 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382.

248.363.7000.

Dave and Amy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

9595 Highland Road, White Lake, 48386. 248.698.2010.

Dave’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No Reservations.

901 Nordick Drive, White Lake, 48383.

248.889.3600.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Barbecue. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 4825 Carroll Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.360.4055.

Dobski’s: American, Polish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6565 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.363.6565.

Eddie’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

1749 Haggerty Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.960.1430.

El Nibble Nook: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations for 6 or more. Liquor.

2750 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.669.3344.

El Patio Mexican Restaurant: Mexican.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

7622 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.5231.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 5134 Highland Road, 48327. 248.673.5557.

Gest Omelets: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily until 4 p.m. No reservations.

39560 W. 14 Mile Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.926.0717.

Golden Chop Sticks: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 47516 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393.

248.960.3888.

Grand Aztecha: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6041 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322.

248.669.7555.

Greek Jalapeno: Greek, Mexican. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

6636 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.363.3322.

Green Apple Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 7156 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.366.9100.

Haang's Bistro: Chinese/Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 225 E. Walled Lake Drive, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.926.1100.

Highland Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 7265 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.8830.

Highland House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2630 E. Highland Road, Highland, 48356.

248.887.4161.

Highland House Café: American, Pizza.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

10719 Highland Road, White Lake, 48386. 248.698.4100.

Hong Kong Express: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 5158 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.673.7200.

It’s a Matter of Taste: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce, 48390.

248.360.4150.

Jennifer’s Café: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 4052 Haggerty Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.360.0190.

Jenny’s Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

1186 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390. 248.669.8240.

Jeff's Kitchen: Asian. Lunch & Dinner daily.

Reservations. 1130 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.669.8896.

Kennedy’s Irish Pub: Irish/American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 1055 W. Huron Street, Waterford, 48328. 248.681.1050.

L George’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 1203 S. Commerce Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.960.5700.

Leo’s Coney Island: American/Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6845 Highland Road, White Lake, 484386. 248.889.5361.

Leo’s Coney Island: American/Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 4895 Carroll Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382.

248.366.8360.

Leo’s Coney Island: American/Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2210 Teggerdine, White Lake, 48386. 248.779.7085.

Leon’s Food & Spirits: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 29710 S. Wixom Road, Wixom, 48393. 248.926.5880.

Lion’s Den: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 4444 Highland Road, Waterford, 48328.

248.674.2251.

Lulu’s Coney Island: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

1001 Welch Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.669.1937.

Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323.

248.851.2500.

Mexico Lindo: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6225 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.3460.

Mezza Mediterranean Grille: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 1001 Welch Road, Commerce Township, 48390.

248.926.2190.

Moonlight Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 1123 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.859.5352.

Nick & Toney’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday; Sunday until 3 p.m. No reservations. 9260 Cooley Lake Road, White Lake, 48386.

248.363.1162.

North Szechuan Empire: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39450 W. 14 Mile Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.960.7666.

On The Waterfront: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 8635 Cooley Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.363.9469.

Panera Bread: Bakery, Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

5175 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.618.0617.

Pepino’s Restaurant & Lounge: Italian.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 118 W. Walled Lake Drive, Walled Lake, 48390. 248.624.1033.

Red Lobster: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 479 N. Telegraph Road, Waterford, 48328.

248.682.5146.

Red Robin: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 3003 Commerce Crossing, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.926.2990.

Root Restaurant & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48386. 248.698.2400.

Rudy’s Waffle House: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 674 N. Pontiac Trail,

WESTEND

Walled Lake, 48390. 248.669.7550.

Samuri Steakhouse: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7390 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.661.8898.

Shark Club: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6665 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.4161.

SIAM Fushion: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 6845 Highland Road, White Lake Township, 48386.

248.887.1300.

Siegel’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3426 E. West Maple Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.926.9555.

Sizzl in Subs & Salads: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2051 N. Wixom Road, Wixom, 48393.

248.960.0009.

Socialight Cigar Bar & Bistro: American.

Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 6139 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.669.0777.

Swasdee Thai Restaurant: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6175 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.926.1012.

Sweet Water Bar & Grille: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 7760 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.363.0400.

Taqueria La Casita: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 49070 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393.

248.926.1980.

Thai Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 7108 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.886.0397.

The Lake’s Bar & Grill: American. Lunch, Tuesday - Sunday; Dinner daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2528 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382.

248.366.3311.

The Library Pub: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

6363 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.896.0333.

TJ’s Sushi & Chinese Restaurant: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 8143 Commerce Road, Commerce Township, 48382.

248.363.3388.

Town Lake Family Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. 1186 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, 48390. 248.669.7550.

Uptown Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

3100 West Maple Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.960.3344.

Village Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

1243 N. Commerce Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.366.3290.

Volare Risorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 49115 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393.

248.960.7771.

VR Famous Fried Chicken: American, Cajun. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 47520 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.926.6620.

White Palace: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6123 Haggerty Restaurant, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.313.9656.

Wilson’s Pub n Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2256 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.363.1849.

Wonton Palace: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 5562 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford, 48327. 248.683.5073.

Woody’s Café: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 235 N. Pontiac Trail, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.624.4379.

BUSINESS MATTERS Planterra anniversary Planterra, 7315 Drake Road, West Bloomfield, is celebrating 40 years of service this year, said owner Larry Pliska, who revamped the interior landscape business by adding a unique glass-enclosed botanical garden to its facilities. “The old greenhouse wasn’t efficient enough, but we did host some private parties before the old greenhouse was torn down,” Pliska said about the creation of the 23,000-square foot glass conservatory completed in 2010. Since creating the new conservatory, Planterra has essentially reinvented themselves. The business now has the capability of accommodating up to 180 guests for corporate events, garden parties, seminars, bridal parties and other events inside a year-round botanical garden. However, the conservatory is secondary to Planterra’s primary service, which is commercial landscape design services that established the firm. The award-winning team specializes in landscape design, installation, horticultural maintenance, floral arrangements and holiday decoration. It’s also a distributor of living and replica plants, pots, planters and promotional products. “The core of

westendmonthly.com

our business is interior design. We’ve been doing that for 40 years,” Pliska said.

Florida-theme restaurant Think Bogart and Bacall. Think scuba diving in the Florida Keys. Think Key Largo, 4000 Cass Elizabeth Lake Road, in Waterford. “The name itself came from the move Key Largo. I always liked that movie,” said owner Roger Brikho, who opened the doors to the Floridathemed restaurant in March. “The theme is because it’s right across from Cass Lake, and we have a really nice view of that.” Menu items such as mango chicken, Key Largo capellini and a host of seafood, steaks and other items fit nicely with the cream colored walls and teal hues throughout the restaurant. An indoor stage is used for entertainment on the weekends, and a 3,000-square foot, outdoor patio will be utilized throughout the warmer months.

The bar also features various drinks and specializes in craft beers. Brikho, who had worked in the software industry and owned a pool hall-type bar and grill in the past, said the location, formerly O’Toole’s and Mitchell’s, was vacant for about two years when he found it. “I found this building in ruins of sort and

neglected, and it had an existing (liquor) license,” he said. A new menu was also created with the help of head Chef Mark Greer, who helped open and operate A Matter of Taste in Union Lake.

Cigar lounge opens Jeffrey Yatooma isn’t just blowing smoke when he talks about his debut into the restaurant/bistro business. “It’s been great. The feedback and input we’ve gotten has been very positive.

People love the decor and the food,” he said about Socialight Cigar Lounge & Bistro at 6139 Haggerty Road in West Bloomfield. “We wanted to bring a kind of Birmingham element to the westside.” Yatooma, who has worked primarily in the real estate industry before joining with partners Steven Romaya and Danny Sitto to open Socialight, said the goal was to give customers a great value with a contemporary, sleek atmosphere.

Dinner menu items include meals such as Miso sea bass, rack of lamb, cider salmon and filet mignon. The cigar lounge also features more than 200 different cigars in its walk-in humidor.

Smoking areas are designed to make customers feel comfortable and at

WESTEND

home, complete with couches, recliners, HDTVs and wireless Internet access.

New Chinese fare More than the name has changed the former Amazing House Chinese restaurant at 1130 E. West Maple in Walled Lake since Chef Jeff has bought the location and changed the name to Jeff’s Kitchen. The new restaurant features fusion Asian cuisine that Chef Jeff said is typical of some of the Asian dishes you might find in China. “We are cooking real Chinese food,” he said.

Chef Jeff Xu Jianfeng, who lived and worked in New York City before moving to Michigan about four years ago, said he picked Walled Lake because his children go to school in the area and his family lives nearby. Menu items still include standard dishes, such as Almond Boneless Chicken and Egg Foo Young, but offer a host of more authentic Shanghai “local style” entrees.

Business Matters for the west Oakland area are reported by Kevin Elliott. Send items for consideration to KevinElliott@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

37

ENDNOTE

State investigation of judge needed now

N

ew revelations coming out of the 52-1 District Court in Novi regarding Judge Brian MacKenzie include new allegations that he pressured a criminal defendant to drop a civil lawsuit against the Walled Lake Police Department in exchange for a more lenient criminal sentence is one more reason it’s time for the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission to investigate the judge’s actions.

MacKenzie, who first took the bench in 1988 at the 52-1 District Court, has meticulously nurtured a media image as being an innovative jurist, and has a lengthy list of awards and recognition for development of court policies related to drunk driving, domestic violence, violent crime prevention and drug treatment court, along with positions held in a number of state and national attorney and judicial associations.

However, MacKenzie has taken heat the last several months for a number of reasons, including a potential conflict of interest from ties to the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals.

The judge, which serves the communities of Commerce Township, Highland, Lyon, Milford Village, Novi, South Lyon, Wolverine Lake Village, Walled Lake and Wixom, also serves as president of the drug court association, and does so without compensation. However, his wife is employed in a paid position as the association’s executive director.

Much more worrisome is a ruling in February against the judge, filed by Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, which determined that in at least eight cases over a period of 10 years,

Mackenzie broke the law and issued illegal sentences to defendants who had previously been convicted of crimes. Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Colleen O’Brien, in affirming those allegations, ordered the circuit court to take superintending control over MacKenzie’s court.

Additionally, MacKenzie was ordered to provide the prosecutor’s office with a list of all domestic violence cases he has dismissed over the past decade At the crux of the problem, Cooper had alleged and O’Brien agreed, was MacKenzie’s overstepping state law to provide solutions to cases as he thought best.

“Judge MacKenzie claims that his sentences have worked and many of the referenced defendants have not been charged with a repeated offense,” O’Brien wrote in her ruling. “However, a good result cannot be predicated on illegal actions.

A judge cannot ignore the law.”

The question as to whether MacKenzie ignored the law or acted unethically in his role as a judge is now in question again, as details of a 2010 criminal incident have come to light. The case, as reported by the Detroit Free Press, involves a Redford man suspected of drunk driving in Walled Lake. While being booked at the Wixom police station, the man was Tasered and charged by the prosecutor’s office with resisting arrest and obstructing justice. However, a booking video that has been made public shows the man emptying his pockets before being Tasered and subsequently being kicked or shoved with an officer’s foot. The

man eventually settled a civil case with the Walled Lake Police Department.

However, an audio recording released by the Free Press includes a portion in which MacKenzie tells the man’s attorney the prosecutor and police department would be willing to drop the resisting and obstructing charge if his client would drop his civil suit against the department. MacKenzie is also heard saying that if the felony charge were dropped, the man could be entered into sobriety court for the drunken driving charge.

While MacKenzie states in the recording that he isn’t offering the deal, but rather recommending it to the prosecutor’s office and police department, he also recommends several times that the attorney take the deal.

The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission is the entity in the state that serves to hold judges, magistrates and court referees accountable for misconduct. Based on the previous findings of MacKenzie’s actions, coupled with these most recent revelations, we feel the state’s Judicial Tenure Commission must investigate MacKenzie’s actions and file a full report and recommendations to the Michigan Supreme Court. The high court should then take any necessary actions based on the findings of the investigation.

While MacKenzie’s seat is up for re-election this November, we feel it is necessary for the state to take action now to determine what, if any, wrongdoing has taken place, and take appropriate action. That is the only fair way to provide voters a clear understanding if Mackenzie is someone they can consider for another term at court.

Police budget must focus on local needs

B

usinesses know they often need to spend money to make money. The question is, is the business of law enforcement any different? Residents of Walled Lake have to decide if their police department is in the business of protecting their citizens, or in making their department money, especially when it comes to collecting drug forfeiture funds.

The police department in the city of Walled Lake, between 2007 and mid-2013, spent about $100,000 annually to have one of its officers assigned to a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force. In return, they received $250,000 a year in asset forfeiture funds.

A 150 percent return on investment is a pretty good profit margin by most standards. Yet that officer was assigned cases primarily in the city of Detroit and other places required by the DEA – and not within the boundaries of Walled Lake.

Drug forfeiture funds can only be spent on law enforcement needs, such as patrol cars, guns, gear and other equipment, not on other civic needs.

It is under that principle that we strongly recommend Walled Lake City Council members reject restoring funding of a DEA officer in the FY 2014 budget, as is expected to be requested in the police department’s proposed budget.

In 2013, budget cuts in the city called for the layoff of three full-time police officers, as well as an officer assigned to the DEA special task force.

The cuts, which were instituted under the city’s July 16 approved budget, were done in the midst of a financial crisis in which city leaders were struggling to maintain 24-hour police service. The department now employs six full-time sworn officers, as well as nine part-time officers.

In August, Police Chief Paul Shakinas declined to discuss the finer details of how officers would

be staffed, calling it “like an invitation to rob Walled Lake,” but ensured residents the staffing cuts wouldn’t lead to any disruptions in service.

More recently, Walled Lake City Manager Dennis Whitt said he feels a public safety millage will be needed soon in order to support both police and fire.

Based on the current staffing and budget situation, we feel the department’s budget would be better spent focusing on providing the proper staffing levels for the city’s police department, rather than in seeking drug forfeiture funds.

While we agree that the DEA position and associated funds have been a boon to the city’s police budget – used to purchase an entire fleet of new police vehicles, new police facilities and even an addition to city hall – it’s apparent that staff and salaries are currently the highest priority at the police department.

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