Westend: August 2014

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

DANGER UNDETECTED CHEMICALS THAT ESCAPE TESTING IN MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES

IMMUNIZATIONS: PERSONAL FREEDOM CLASHING WITH MEDICINE POLICE DETECTIVES: HOW LOCAL DEPARTMENTS CRACK CASES

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

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westend08.14

13

23 33 Drinking water contaminants

Immunization opt-outs

The investigators

Tap water from Detroit is touted as some of the highest quality drinking water but there are some 200 chemicals present that are not regulated.

Over 10 percent of Oakland County parents opt out of having their children vaccinated, creating a public health hazard.

A look at how detective bureaus are staffed in local public safety departments and how investigations are conducted.

9 CRIME LOCATOR

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

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.

36 MUNICIPAL Commerce Towne Place pathways plan okayed; rails-to-trails progressing; Byers assessment; city liquor licenses on hold; Grand Princess is back; city hall electronic sign; added staffing at township rejected; plus more.

41 EDUCATION Shuman scholarship created; school board November elections; operating millage on ballot.

DANGER UNDETECTED

41 BUSINESS MATTERS

CHEMICALS THAT ESCAPE TESTING IN MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES

Tom's Cleaners; Edible Arrangements; On The Fly Beauty Salon; Lederman Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine; White Lake Kmart.

IMMUNIZATIONS: PERSONAL FREEDOM CLASHING WITH MEDICINE POLICE DETECTIVES: HOW LOCAL DEPARTMENTS CRACK CASES

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

46 ENDNOTE THE COVER

Our thoughts on the pathways snag in the Commerce Towne Place development and another concern that must be addressed.

The E.V. Mercer Beach on E. Walled Lake Drive, just east of downtown, in Walled Lake.

Westend photo: G.Lynn Barnett.

DISTRIBUTION: Mailed monthly at no charge to homes in the Commerce, walled Lake and Union Lake area. Additional free copies are distributed at high foot-traffic locations.

For those not residing in the free mail distribution area, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual fee. Go to our website (westendmonthly.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order on-line or scan the QR Code here.

4

FACES

11Jesse Palter 21Matt Pesta 28

Corbin Pontious

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DOwNtOwN • westeND • tHe GUIDe 124 west MAPLe ROAD BIRMINGHAM MI 48009 P: 248.792.6464 downtownpublications.com facebook.com/downtownpublications • twitter.com/downtownpubs

­Publisher:­David Hohendorf Ad­Manager:­Jill Cesarz Ad­Sales:­Heather Marquis Graphics:­G.Lynn Barnett News­Editor:­Lisa Brody

News­Staff/Contributors:­Allison Batdorff, Rachel Bechard, Hillary Brody, Kevin elliott, sally Gerak, Austen Hohendorf, Garrett Hohendorf, J. Marsh, Kathleen Meisner, Laurie tennent

WESTeND

45

Casey Ryan

INCOMING: we welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Commerce/Union Lake community. the traditional Letters to the editor in westend are published in our Incoming section, and can include traditional letters or electronic communication. Your opinions can be sent to westend@downtownpublications.com; or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 west Maple Road, Birmingham MI, 48009. Letters must include your full name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

08.14

BlooMfiEld | $184,900 Stylishly updated 2-story condo in great location! features 2 Bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 fireplaces, SS appliances, new carpeting, finished basement, and 2-car attached garage.

Enjoy the private courtyard and community pool. Won’t last!

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WaTErford | $299,888 it’s a life-style! Spacious lakefront in a great sub on a quiet all-sports lake! nearly 2700 sf with 3 walk-out levels. 5 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths. open floor plan with custom maple & granite kitchen, cherry wood floors, stainless appliances. Hot tub too!

Presented by: Lori York-Hesse T: 248-760-7640 | lhesse@cbwm.com

HigHland | $239,900 Up north feel…Minutes from downtown Milford. Spectacular 5-acre property to enjoy year-round privacy & nature at its best.

Surrounded by lovely gardens & mature trees, home features 2000 sq. ft., basement, 2-car garage, geo-thermal HVaC & more!

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CoMMErCE | $369,900 Charming Cape Cod in the Hills of Bogie lake. open and airy floor plan with lots of natural light. neutral decor, granite kitchen, 1st floor master suite & a huge basement.

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Walled lake Schools.

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CoMMErCE | $ 399,000 fabulous 2007 built 4 bedrooms with a private backyard. located in a desirable sub with sidewalks. Upgrades include hardwood floors, granite in kitchen & powder room, 42" maple cabinets, tiled backsplash, & ondemand HWH, Walled lake Schools.

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WHiTE lakE | $ 295,000 lovely 2001 built home on cul-de-sac with over ½ acre! 2500 sq ft with 4 br, 2.5 baths including luxury master suite & updated landscaping.

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Huron Valley Schools.

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HigHland | $ 324,000 nearly new, stunning home minutes to downtown Milford! over ½ acre beautifully landscaped, updated kitchen w/hardwood, granite, stainless. luxury master, trex deck, extra deep daylight basement, 3-car garage & more!

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Milford | $ 630,000 Entertainers delight! Make a big impression w/twin sweeping staircases in the 2-story foyer. over 7000 total sq ft incl fabulous walk-out lower level, with every amenity! Car enthusiast will love the 4-car att and 4-6 car detached garages & 2 acres.

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WEIR MANUEL

FROM THE PUBLISHER

hen Westend this past February published information about Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard’s department using a military-style surveillance device to capture cell phone data, I personally found it bothersome.

The suitcase-size surveillance device is called the Stingray. The portable device mimics a standard cell tower, allowing police agencies to grab phone data from a target phone. The problem is that the surveillance device intercepts data from all phones within one mile or a greater area in some cases.

To boil down the particulars, not much is known about the Stingray because some say the U.S. Homeland Security Department, while others say the manufacturer, the Harris Corp., requires a non-disclosure agreement with all units of government, who then can hide behind that fact to deny Freedom of Information Act requests for specifics, including copies of the contract. Costs for Oakland County, thought to be the only Michigan local public safety unit to have such a surveillance device, have been estimated anywhere between $170,000 – $400,000 if you include training and upgrades, underwritten mostly by grant funds from the U.S. Homeland Security Department. Once again, no specifics are readily available.

Similar devices generally capture content of calls and other cell communications, which reportedly can be expanded in terms of details once a data dump has been made.

Burchard’s office maintains that it is only used to track specific criminals to aid in their arrest. Supposedly, his office seeks approval from the court to target a phone, then once data is captured, seeks another court order to gather more information beyond location of the phone, things like addresses, phone logs and text messages.

Let’s grant the sheriff the benefit of the doubt for now, but let’s also remind ourselves that on the flip side you have police in places like Miami who informed the city council that the Stingray was needed to monitor protesters at a world trade conference being held there.

There were also reports that Florida police have used the Stingray over 200 times without obtaining a warrant, and in Los Angeles, the police department uses the device for “any investigation imaginable,” according to the Electronic Freedom Foundation. And that’s the rub.

Michigan and some local governments have been conducting surveillance on citizens dating back to the 1920’s, although the government surveillance debate really went public with the Red Squad debacle from the 1970’s when it was learned that the city of Detroit and the Michigan State Police had built up files on members of what was called the “new left” – which included not just anti-war activists but also members of environmental, gay and women’s groups.

Between the city of Detroit and the Michigan State Police, there were estimated to be 90 or more law enforcement officers dedicated solely to Red Squad activities consisting for the most part of infiltration of political and social groups, resulting in spying on an estimated 50,000 people from a political spectrum that ranged from the right to the left, with heavy emphasis on the latter.

Even more disconcerting are reports that Red Squad files were shared with some larger corporations intent on blacklisting those who had been under surveillance in their quest for “model” hourly workers.

Thanks to political activist, politician and university professor Zolton Ferency and the ACLU, the courts ruled in January 1976 that Red Squads violated both the Michigan and U.S. Constitution and the state and Detroit units were disbanded.

Surveillance targets are allowed to see their own personal files until 2017.

So if history has taught us anything, the government must be reined in from time to time, especially with the changing technological capabilities for capturing private information, and that’s ignoring the issue of what corporate interests compile on consumers, a topic for another time.

That is why I found it refreshing that current Michigan State Representative Tom McMillin, a term-limited Republican from Rochester, has introduced two bills to establish guidelines on cell phone data surveillance, codifying in writing the need for warrants, requirements that those caught up inadvertently in the surveillance would be notified, and establishment of an oversight board that would make sure rules are constantly updated as program upgrades develop.

What’s the chances for passage? McMillin is a candidate for the U.S. Congress 8th District seat, so if he survives an August primary and the November general election, there goes the driving force on this issue. Regardless of McMillin’s fate, it is not likely that the legislature will tackle this with any sense of urgency, although it should.

Citizens are already subjected to an Orwellian array of privacy invasions, from NSA spying, a growing number of surveillance cameras with facial recognition capability, auto license recognition software, red light surveillance cameras and the like.

McMillin’s state bills would be a good first step to establishing some minimum standards and protections from a local law enforcement surveillance effort that has considerable potential for abuse.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com

Dedicated to Quality, Design & Workmanship

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WESTEND

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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 July 15, 2014.

Placement of codes is approximate.

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10

WESTEND

08.14

FACES

Jesse Palter est Bloomfield performer Jesse Palter recounts that she was singing before she could talk.

She first began putting on productions in her grandmother’s living room at five-years-old. Since then her music has been featured on episodes of the popular reality shows Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real World and on Perez Hilton’s blog.

“I was always happy to be on stage and happy to have an audience,” she said.

By six-years-old, Palter was learning to play the piano, performing in talent shows and doing professional theater. In elementary school, the budding musician chose to play the oboe rather than one of the more sought after instruments.

“Looking back, I feel terrible for my parents. I probably sounded like a dying duck learning to play that thing,” she said. “The trumpet came about when I was at Abbott Middle School.”

Coming from a musical family, Palter’s father introduced her to Miles Davis. “(My dad) would sleep with his ear to the radio. He always wanted me to be exposed to the music he loves. I credit a lot of my taste to him.”

A teacher at Abbott encouraged Palter’s mom to get her into jazz and from there, her love of music and a thirst for entertaining catapulted.

“I was such a music junkie,” she said. “I was tremendously shaped as a songwriter by Joni Mitchell. I can remember locking myself in a room and listening to Joni Mitchell ‘Blue’ and trying to get into her head so I could figure out how the heck I could do it.”

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Palter was the average West Bloomfield High School student except that when she left school, she recorded until 11 o’clock at night in a studio with Mark and Jeff Bass, who are well known for producing music for Eminem.

After high school, Palter majored in jazz at the University of Michigan. “I think it was great that I extended my knowledge.”

It was not long before Palter’s sultry pipes and vast musical talent caught the ear of audiences. She won Outstanding Jazz Vocalist honors at the Detroit Music Awards for her album “Beginning to See the Light”.

“It was a really nice pat on the back and it made me want to work harder.”

The freelancing musician now lives in California and performs with her bands Palter Ego and the Jesse Palter Quartet Project. She also plays at parties and weddings. A musical collaboration with actor and entertainer Jeff Goldblum is in its early stages.

“Jeff has become a friend of mine. You never know what’s going to happen in Hollywood,” she said. “He plays at this place called Rockwell (in LA) every Wednesday night and he has hired me to sing. He is a wonderful musician.”

Palter has her sights set high.

“My music has taken me everywhere,” she said. “As far as what I’m planning on for my career, I have a long way to go. I have my eye on the prize in a major way.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Cybelle Codish

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POSSIBLE DANGER IN THE WATER UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS IN MUNICIPAL DRINKING SUPPLIES

BY KEVIN ELLIOTT

ap water supplied by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has been touted for decades as being some of the highest quality drinking water produced by any public utility in the country and required water quality reports by local communities regularly indicate drinking water that meets or exceeds federal standards.

But it’s what isn’t contained in annual water reports released to the public that may raise concerns.

A national analysis of drinking water utilities across the country conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested water supplied to more than 250 million Americans in 45 states. While the report found that 92 percent of the public drinking water utilities surveyed are in compliance with federal drinking water standards, only 114 of the 316 contaminants identified in the analysis are required to be tested under federal law. That leaves more than 200 chemicals that aren’t subject to any kind of government regulations or safety standards in our drinking water.

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“The nation’s tap water has been compromised by weak federal safeguards and pitiful protection of drinking water supplies,” said Jane Houlihan, senior vice president of research at the EWG. “In most U.S. households, pouring a glass of tap water means exposing families to hundreds of distinct chemicals and pollutants, many of them completely unregulated.” mong the unregulated chemicals discovered over a five-year testing period were perchlorate, a toxic chemical that is used as a component to rocket fuel, which has been identified as a contaminant in tests conducted by the DWSD. Other contaminants identified in the national analysis included the industrial solvent acetone; metolachlor, which is used in weed killers; freon, which is used as a refrigerant; and radon, a highly radioactive gas. Other contaminants, such as chromium-6, which has been categorized by the EPA as a likely carcinogen, isn’t specifically required to be tested, but is grouped together with the less toxic chromium-3 under total chromium standards.

The EWG report further states that the EPA and congress force water utilities to spend more than $4 billion a year to treat contaminated water, while a fraction of that is spent cleaning and protecting rivers and reservoirs.

“Utilities do the best that they can treating a big problem with limited resources,” Houlihan said. “We must do better. It’s not uncommon for people to drink tap water laced with 20 or 30 chemical contaminants. This water may be legal, but it raises serious health concerns. People expect better water than that, and they deserve it.”

The EWG analysis revealed 97 agricultural pollutants, including pesticides and chemicals from fertilizer and/or manure-laden runoff; 205 industrial chemicals linked to factory discharges and consumer products; 86 contaminants that originate in polluted runoff and wastewater treatment plants; and 42 byproducts of water treatment processes or pollutants that leach from pipes in storage tanks.

In Oakland County, the majority of residents receive drinking water from the DWSD system, while others not hooked into Detroit’s expansive system are served by local municipal or individual wells. For Oakland County residents hooked directly into the DWSD system, water comes from two main

A

The water then flows through fine sand filters, called beds. These filters remove more particles and certain micro-organisms that are resistant to chloride. Finally, a small amount of phosphoric acid and chlorine are added to the treated water just before it leaves the plant. The phosphoric acid helps control the lead that may dissolve in water from household plumbing systems. The chlorine keeps the water disinfected as it travels through water mains to reach customers.

In addition to a controlled and monitored treatment process, the water is tested for a variety of substances before treatment, during various stages of treatment, and throughout the distribution system. Hundreds of samples are tested each week in certified laboratories by highly qualified and trained staff.

Despite the efforts, the DWSD said some contaminants found in the source water may still remain in the water when it reaches a customer’s tap.

Data included in the EWG obtained by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) includes the presence of bromochloroacetic acid, an unregulated contaminant created as a byproduct during the water treatment disinfectant process. The chemical, as well as seven additional regulated chemicals typically produced during the water treatment or delivery process, were found in the water in the Birmingham system, as well as other communities receiving water from the DWSD, which besides Birmingham include Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Commerce Township and Walled Lake.

Additional contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; and organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.

“A big problem comes from failing septic systems,” said Oakland County

It's not uncommon for people to drink tap water laced with 20 or 30 chemical contaminants.

This water may be legal, but it raises serious health concerns.

– Jane Houlihan, senior vice president of research, EWG. sources. Residents living north of 14 Mile Road receive their water pulled from the utility’s Lake Huron Water Treatment Plant, while those south of 14 Mile receive water from the DWSD’s Springwells treatment plant, along the Detroit River. Other communities, such as Waterford and White Lake townships, receive water from underground wells throughout the township.

Additionally, many southern Oakland County communities purchase water from the Southeastern Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) at three locations. SOCWA provides DWSD water through its member distribution systems to residents in Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Clawson, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Southfield and Southfield Township.

“We test our water at least once a week at 50 different locations,” said Jeff McKeen, general manager of SOCWA. “Detroit (Water and Sewerage) tests continuously at points of production.”

Communities in the SOCWA system may receive water at times from the Detroit River or lower Lake Huron. Each source is given a susceptibility rating from “very low” to “very high” to determine the susceptibility of potential contaminants. The susceptibility of the Detroit River source water intakes were determined to be highly susceptible to potential contamination, while the Lake Huron source water intake is categorized as having moderately low susceptibility to potential contaminant sources.

Patrick Williford, principal analytical chemist for the DWSD water quality laboratory, said the department takes hundreds of water samples each day during its water processing in order to maintain quality and develop best treatment practices. He said the department also monitors many secondary and unregulated contaminants that can enter the system.

“We do process control testing, which means we are monitoring the quality of drinking water going through the system during processing to help us develop the best treatment.”

The water treatment process begins with disinfecting the source water with chlorine to kill harmful micro-organisms that can cause illness. Next, a chemical called alum is mixed with the water to remove the fine particles that make the water cloudy or turbid. Alum causes the particles to clump together and settle to the bottom. Fluoride is also added to protect teeth from cavities and decay.

Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash. “Coliform and other things that make you sick can get into the surface water and people who live close to septic systems have issues because of high water tables. When there’s a failure, it happens quick.”

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants, according to the DWSD, and often does. ocal governments receiving water from the DWSD system, as well as water systems relying on wells to supply drinking water to the community, are required to issue annual drinking water quality reports, sometimes dubbed “Consumer Confidence Reports.” The reports provide a basic snapshot of a community’s water quality. However, not all the contaminants that may be present in a particular community’s drinking water are regulated by the EPA. For instance, Waterford Township, which receives its water from 19 wells in 11 different locations in the township, lists seven unregulated contaminants that were tested in 2013. Of the seven contaminants, three were sampled at detectable levels, including molybdenum, strontium and chromium.

Molybdenum is an essential nutrient in human diets, and is found in small amounts of leafy vegetables, grains, sunflower seeds and other foods.

The typical U.S. diet provides about 100 micrograms per day, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which uses a health advisory level for molybdenum of 90 micrograms per liter (ug/L). Waterford Township’s water has a molybdenum presence of about 6.95 ug/L, according to the township’s 2013 water quality report.

The report also showed strontium levels at 359.9 ug/L, with the EPA’s recommended limit of 4000 ug/L for drinking water. Strontium is a naturally occurring element that may be found in rocks, soil, dust, coal and oil.

Naturally occurring strontium isn’t radioactive, but may be harmful to children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chromium levels of .05 ug/L were recorded in Waterford Township’s drinking water, according to the report, with no levels of chromium-6 in the drinking water. The EPA recommends a maximum contaminant level of total chromium in drinking water to be at 100 parts per billion, or about 100 ug/L.

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Chromium is an odorless and tasteless element found in rocks, plants, soils, humans and other animals. The most common forms of chromium are chromium-3 and chromium-6. Chromium-3 is an essential dietary element, but chromium-6 is often produced by industrial processes and is classified as a likely carcinogenic for humans, according to the EPA. “Chromium and other things were (present),� Williford said about testing conducted by the DWSD in 2011. “There are some claims out there by groups about chromium, and we have done some monitoring on them. They are all within regulatory limits.�

Williford said total chromium levels at the DWSD rank it as a “nondetected� contaminant, which means that combined levels of all chromium variations are below the method reporting limit (MRL), which is also below the EPA’s maximum contamination level (MCL) of total chromium, which is .1 mg/L, or 100 parts per billion, or ppb. However, chromium-6 was found at the DWSD’s Water Works Park plant tap on May 16, 2011 at .13 ppb and at .09 ppb on December 6, 2011. The MRL or the minimum level of contaminant able to be detected by lab equipment, for the 2011 analyses was .02 ppb, he said.

Currently, the EPA doesn’t have an MCL requirement on chromium-6, and testing isn’t required to determine what percentage of total chromium is chromium-6.

Julia Ortiz, spokeswoman for the EPA’s Drinking Water Division, said that in 1991, the EPA established an enforceable drinking water standard of 100 ppb for total chromium, which includes all variations of chromium, including chromium-6. “This standard was established on the best available science at the time, which indicated that some people who use water containing chromium in excess of the drinking water standard over many years could experience allergic dermatitis (skin reactions),� Ortiz said. owever, the EPA in 2011 said recent studies indicate the potential for greater human health risks from chromium-6 than what was previously thought. Based on newer public health information, the EPA that year issued new recommendations to water systems to encourage enhanced drinking water monitoring for chromium-6. Currently, Ortiz said, the EPA is in the process of assessing chromium-6 regulations. The EPA’s findings are expected to be available for public comment in 2015.

Meanwhile, California this year became the only state to place regulations into effect regarding chromium-6 levels in drinking water.

Effective July 1, California’s maximum contaminant level for chromium-6 is at .010 mg/L or 10.011423 ppb.

Chromium-6 is produced by industrial processes and manufacturing activities, including discharges from steel and pulp mills, among others. At many locations, chromium compounds have been released into the environment through leakage, poor storage or improper disposal practices.

Chromium compounds are very persistent in water as sediments, according to the EPA. According to the EWG, various conditions can cause chromium-3 to turn into chromium-6, and vice versa. The widely used tap water disinfectant chlorine, for instance, can cause this to happen. Highly acidic conditions may also cause changes. “For years, scientists assumed that all hexavalent chromium was converted into trivalent by the stomach’s acidic environment, rendering it harmless,� Rebecca Sutton said in the report on chromium-6 in drinking water she wrote for the EWG. “It’s now clear, however, that some of this toxic chemical can pass through the stomach unchanged and penetrate tissues and organs throughout the body. Studies in both animals and people show that exposure to hexavalent chromium via drinking water leads to elevated chromium in tissues, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, blood, liver, kidneys and spleen, and increased toxicity.�

Sutton also said that some individuals, particularly children and pregnant women, may be particularly susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of chromium-6. People with less acidic stomachs, she said, appear to have limited ability to convert hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium, exposing them to higher levels of the toxic form and putting them at greater risk.

Contamination of tap water with chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, was the basis of the 2000 movie, “Erin Brockovich,� which told the story of chromium in the cancer-stricken town of Hinkley, California. Residents there won a $33 million settlement from Pacific Gas and Electric. A 2005 Wall Street Journal investigation of the chromium contamination in Kettleman City, California, revealed the gas company had hired consultants to publish a fraudulent analysis of cancer mortality and chromium in a attempt to disprove the link between illnesses and the element.

Sutton’s EWG report on chromium-6 looked at the contaminant’s presence in 31 of 35 cities tested in the country, including Ann Arbor, Michigan.

While those 31 cities serve more than 26 million people, California is the only state that currently requires testing of chromium-6 in drinking water. westendmonthly.com

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442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

“The total number of Americans drinking tap water contaminated with this compound is likely far higher than is indicated by EWG’s tests,” Sutton said. “At least 74 million people in nearly 7,000 communities drink tap water polluted with total chromium, which includes hexavalent and other forms of metal, according to EWG’s 2009 analysis of water utility tests from 48,000 communities in 42 states.”

The EWG’s paper urges the EPA to move faster in establishing a legal limit for hexavalent chromium in tap water and require all water utilities to test for it.

Ortiz said the EPA regularly re-evaluates drinking water standards and, based on new science on chromium-6, had begun a rigorous and comprehensive review of its health effects in 2008. In September 2010, the EPA released a draft of that scientific assessment for public comment.

In February 2012, the EPA began a new schedule to assess the effects of chromium, which is still underway. Once it is completed, Ortiz said the EPA will review its conclusions and consider all the relevant information to determine if new drinking water standards for chromium-6 are warranted, or if any other revision to the current total chromium standard is needed.

While the annual reports typically contain a table of contaminants that are detected in a community’s water, there may not be legal requirements for a water utility to bring the contaminant below recommended levels.

Richard Benzie, community drinking water department director for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the EPA has a process where they develop a candidate list of possible dangerous contaminants for future regulatory action. “It’s a multi-year process of toxicological studies, where they are researching animal and/or human studies on their exposures.

It can take 10 to 15 years from the time it pops up to recognize its dangers and its presence,” he said.

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires the EPA to review each National Primary Drinking Water Regulation at least once every six years and revise them, if appropriate. The primary standards are legally enforceable standards that apply to public water systems, and aim to limit levels of contamination.

Secondary standards also exist as non-enforceable guidelines regulating

was “well below” the EPA’s MCL, but slightly above the detection limit at the Springwells plant. he two contaminants are included on a list provided to Downtown Publications of regulated and not-regulated contaminants that required monitoring but were not detected at all five water plants between 2008 and 2014. The list includes various synthetic organic chemicals, VOCs, radioactive contaminants, inorganic contaminants, flame retardants, explosives and other contaminants.

Mary Lynn Semegen, water quality manager for the DWSD, said the most recent study of unregulated contaminants the department conducted was in 2007, when the EPA asked the department to do some water samples of contaminants at the southwest water treatment plant in Detroit for raw river water and for treated water. Examining 85 different chemical compounds, she said only two were found in the treated water, and those were in levels so small that they pose no threat to human health.

One of the chemicals found was perchlorate, which the EPA is in the process of determining if it requires regulating, and at what levels.

Benzie said perchlorate is being fast tracked by the EPA. “It’s been found in a lot of the water near military bases and airports,” he said. “It’s also common in some food and in beer. It’s not easy to remove from water in treatment because it’s voluble. It can be dangerous to the fetus of a pregnant woman and to the development of the thyroid. It’s a difficult decision. When they make a decision to go regulate something, they have two years to determine the regulations.”

In addition to perchlorate, Semegen said the DWSD’s testing found Bisphenol A (BPA) in the system, a chemical in certain plastics which has been shown to have hormone-like properties.

“BPA is now so ubiquitous in the environment, so it’s not surprising (it was detected). But once it went through treatment, it was reduced tenfold,” she said, noting it received no special treatment for removal.

For emerging contaminants, the EPA has placed them in the unregulated contaminant program, which is in its third round of testing. She said the EPA checks them every five years and takes different contaminants and chemicals and sets national standards. The EPA samples those quarterly,

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Some people who use water containing chromium in excess of the drinking water standards over many years could experience allergic dermatitis (skin reactions).

– Julia Ortiz, EPA Drinking Water Division spokesperson. contaminants that may cause cosmetic or aesthetic effects, for which water systems are not required to comply. Unregulated contaminants aren’t subject to any proposed national primary drinking water regulations, but are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems.

Ortiz said the six-year review of primary standards is to identify those regulations for “for which current health effects assessments, changes in technology, and/or other factors provide a health or technical basis to support a regulatory revision that will maintain or strengthen public health protection.” ut another way, federal law doesn’t require tap water to be safe for long-term consumption; the long-term risks of cancer and other health threats are balanced against the feasibility of purification, according to the EWG’s report. As a result, there are hundreds of contaminants for which there are no legal limits at all, so any amount is legal.

Among the contaminants found in water tested by the DWSD were detectable levels of the radioactive material radium 226 and radium 228. Williford said the levels were found in a 2014 test conducted at the southwest plant and Lake Huron treatment plant, but the combined levels of radium were still below half of the MCL standards.

Radium is naturally occurring in some organic, deep bedrock aquifers.

When consumed in water, a small portion of radium may be absorbed by the digestive tract and distributed throughout the body. The rest is passed unchanged from the body, with some being excreted in waste. Exposure to high levels of radium for extended periods may cause depression of the immune system, anemia, cataracts and fractured teeth, as well as increased incidence of bone, liver and breast cancer.

Williford said 2014 tests at the DWSD also showed detectable levels of total xylenes, which include various volatile organic compounds. Xylenes are released into the atmosphere as emissions from industrial sources, auto exhaust and volatilization from their use as solvents. Williford said the level

nationwide, three months apart from water systems, or twice yearly from groundwater, and then determine if its worth monitoring or if their presence is ubiquitous.

BPA was first investigated in 2008, and again in 2010, as the FDA identified it as a possible hazard to fetuses, infants and young children. It was removed from baby bottles, sippy cups and reusable water bottles, but it remains pervasive in the water supply.

Beginning in 2014, the DWSD is getting ready to do some sampling under the unregulated contaminants monitoring rule on endocrine disrupters, or hormones, in the water. That monitoring will continue for a year in order to see if there are chemicals present that the EPA may want to regulate in the future. The EPA uses the unregulated contaminants monitoring rule program to collect data on chemicals and contaminants that are suspected of being present in drinking water but do not yet have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Semegen said BPA was found in the water system at 233 parts per trillion untreated; but at 27 parts per trillion treated.

“That’s extremely low levels,” she said. “It’s detected in nanograms per liter or parts per trillion. Figure it as one drop in a trillion other drops.”

However, those tiny drops may be adding up to create a toxic mix of contaminants that should be considered by the EPA, according to some environmentalists.

“The framework under which the EPA sets drinking water standards is outdated,” said Sutton. “For example, the agency is not required to set maximum legal limits for contaminants at levels that protect the health of children or to consider the heightened vulnerability of the fetus and newborns.

“In addition, the EPA sets maximum legal limits for contaminants as if people are exposed to just one at a time. That’s not the reality – research shows that people carry hundreds of chemicals in their bodies at any given time. A growing number of studies also show that the risks add up when people are exposed to multiple chemicals that can act in tandem or cause harm, and that total risk can be greater than the sum of the parts.”

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MLS 214070324 – $435,000 Custom built ranch with attached in-law quarters on 2.5 acres! Stunning great room with hardwood floors and stone fireplace, huge master with stairs to the hot tub in walk out below, large kitchen features island, granite counters, tons of cabinets, and Pella door wall leading to deck, separate apt. offers a kitchen, living room, full bath, bedroom and private entry. www.realestateone.com

MLS 214067978 – $449,999 Impeccably maintained contemporary with updates throughout. Prestigious tree lined Homestead Shores, private beach and swim area with boat privileges on Lower Straits Lake. Open floor plan on .5 acre, updated large maple and granite kitchen, secluded screened in porch with adjoining large deck, first floor master, finished basement, Walled Lake Schools. www.realestateone.com

MLS 214072735 – $279,000 First time on the market! Very clean and well maintained 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on cul-de-sac with premium landscaping, quality brickwork. 3 season room catches all the sunlight overlooks mature trees, flowers, and brick walks, full basement, oversized garage. www.realestateone.com

MLS 214074157 – $219,900 Spacious 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath Colonial with open floor plan located deep in a very popular Wixom Sub. Formal living room with large bay window, hardwood floors, crown molding, updated kitchen with new stainless steel appliances, breakfast nook leads to huge paver patio for entertaining, this home has it all! www.realestateone.com

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Lakes Area (248) 363-8300

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

FACES Matt Pesta e was only nine-years-old when he found his swing; this month, Matt Pesta will compete against the likes of Tiger Woods in the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Championship Tournament. “(Qualifying) was the best feeling I could describe. I felt complete euphoria and joy,” he said. “It’s considered the holy grail of golf. It was overwhelming. I got a flood of support from friends and family.”

The Commerce Township native grew up in a home off Bass Lake Road and attended Walled Lake Central High School. While on the school’s varsity golf team he got his first hole-in-one.

“It was a high school match at Edgewood Country Club in Commerce Township,” he said. “I think someone on the radio the next day gave me a shout out and they mentioned it at school the next day. It was great.”

The young talent set his sights on golfing professionally. “Once I started playing golf, I knew I wanted to be a pro.”

After high school, Pesta attended Ferris State University to study professional golf management.

“They train you to become a golf pro,” he said. “It’s the quickest way to become a PGA member.”

Among his many supporters, Pesta credits PGA master professional Bob Ackerman, owner of Bob Ackerman Golf Academy in Commerce Township, with much of his success.

“He’s given me a place to play and to teach and he’s never asked for anything of me,” he said. “He’s played hundreds of rounds of golf with me. Without him, there’s no way I’d be where I am today.”

Pesta worked at Beacon Hills Golf Club in Commerce for some time and he now teaches at Lincoln Hills Golf Course in Birmingham. “You could call it a dream job.”

The PGA Championship Tournament will take place in Louisville, Kentucky August 7-10. It is just one of hundreds Pesta has competed in, but by far the most important.

Dressed head-to-toe by sponsors Titleist and Foot Joy, he will play alongside living legends. On the sidelines will be Pesta’s parents and his longtime girlfriend, Chelsea Rodgers. “(Rodgers) is very supportive of my career,” he said.

“In the last two years I’ve needed more support than ever. It’s wonderful to have a partner who has my interest at heart.”

Prior to the tournament, Pesta’s focus will be entirely on his game. “I’m planning on practicing every spare moment; a state of perpetual practice,” he said.

“I’ll put all resources into getting ready.”

Qualifying for the PGA Championship Tournament fulfilled one of Pesta’s goals, but playing professionally is his highest career objective.

“My ultimate goal is to play my way into an exempt status on the PGA Tour.”

Pesta has worked his lifetime for this moment on the green and he is honored to represent his hometown in the national spotlight.

“After years of working in the customer service end of the golf business, I feel like I’m through the looking glass. I’m able to play golf at its highest level and it’s a dream come true.”

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Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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WEIR MANUEL

IMMUNIZATIONS PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE VS. PERSONAL FREEDOMS

BY LISA BRODY

rior to 2007, Jenny McCarthy had been popularly known as a Playboy model and comedian. Her resume, so to speak, expanded in May 2007, when she announced that her two-yearold son, Evan, had been diagnosed with autism, and it had been caused by vaccinations. She wrote a book, “Louder than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism”, describing how Evan’s autism was triggered through a vaccination, and that she had helped him recover as a result of alternative therapies, all of which have been rejected by the medical and scientific communities.

McCarthy based her claims that vaccines cause autism on a paper by a British researcher, Andrew Wakefield, which linked the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and autism, which was later proven to have been based on manipulated data and fraudulent research. In fact, Wakefield’s study was formally retracted and he has been struck off the medical register in England. He is no longer licensed to practice medicine.

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Yet both the myth that autism and other illnesses are caused by childhood immunizations persist, with some parents with access to lifesaving vaccines choosing not to vaccinate their children. The debate McCarthy set off persists. In fact, in Oakland County, over 10 percent of parents currently choose to opt out of vaccinating their children, not only preventing their own offspring from being inoculated from diseases that could be wiped out, but creating a public health threat because these same children can become carriers, exposing others to diseases that can make thousands ill. Throughout Michigan, about 6 percent of parents have not vaccinated their children by the time they entered kindergarden, an increase from 1.88 percent in 1993.

It’s a situation that infuriates Commerce Township pediatrician Dr. Beth Baver of Edgewood Pediatrics.

“Parents don’t get it. They’re also exposing other people to many, many terrible diseases. There is so much misinformation on the Internet, but they believe that they know more than me,” she said. “Anyone can put anything on the Internet, and so much information is not true. I can show them a scientific study that shows them there is no correlation between vaccines and autism. It’s been proven false. Jenny McCarthy’s son has been proven to not have autism, but a genetic illness. It’s sad that people will not believe me, as an educated doctor, versus junk on the Internet.”

“A typical physician goes through 14 credits of tough pre-medical science and mathematics college courses, takes a difficult admissions exam, and only 5-10 percent of these hardworking candidates get accepted to medical school. After two years of intense advanced-level biology and biophysics courses (liked by many to ‘drinking from a fire hose’) and two more years of rapid fire clinical rotations, one enters residency for another four to seven years, and often an additional fellowship after that. Still, many patients fall into the rut of ‘noncompliance’ or ‘nonadherence’ as it has more recently been termed: the refusal, intentional or not, to follow a doctor’s medical recommendations,” wrote Jean Kim in the Daily Beast on July 14, 2014.

“The dark side of alternative medicine is the rejection by otherwise rational human beings of basic scientific principles and safety.”

In order to attend school in Michigan, as well as all 50 states, children are required to receive immunizations against childhood illnesses and other communicable diseases by the time they begin kindergarden, and then again at grade seven. According to the Center for Disease Control, and echoed by the Michigan Department of Community Health, current guidelines recommend that in order to enter all public and non-public schools in Michigan, children must receive three doses of a Hepatitis B vaccine, the first between birth and four weeks, preferably before the baby is discharged from the hospital, and then again at least eight weeks after the first dose, with the final dose at about 24 weeks. The rotavirus vaccine, to prevent against a serious and contagious gastroenteritis virus, is usually given to babies at six weeks old, and again four weeks later, and then after another four weeks. hildren need four doses of the polio vaccine by the time they begin kindergarden, and then another three doses of a booster between seven years old and 18. Polio, a highly contagious viral illness that can cause paralysis, difficulty breathing and even death, was least seen in the United States in 1979, but continues to affect children and adults in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and areas in Africa, according to the Mayo Clinic, due to a lack of vaccinations. Epidemiologists affirm that there is absolutely no link between the polio vaccine and HIV, despite assertions in the 1990s by the writer Edward Hooper.

Four doses of the DTP vaccine, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, are needed to provide immunity to these diseases, with one given at 18 months of age and a booster given to children 11 and older. Two doses of the MMR, measles, mumps and rubella, shot should be given to children on or after they are a year old, with the second dose given four weeks later.

The chickenpox, or varicella, vaccine, is a newer vaccine given to children in two doses at or after 12 months old. In addition, a yearly flu shot is recommended, but not required, for school attendance.

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Older children, at sixth grade, are recommended to receive a meningococcal vaccine.

Karen B. Mitchell, M.D., program director for Providence Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program in Southfield notes that making sure that everyone in the family has been immunized is important not only for the individual’s health, but for everyone’s well being. In Michigan, only 72 percent of Michigan children and 63 percent of teens have received their full contingent of immunizations, according to the CDC. ome parents may not have gotten around to getting their kids fully vaccinated. Kathy Forzley, manager of the Oakland County Health Division, said that many parents don’t get around to vaccinating their children by the time they start school, and because their child cannot start school without the immunizations unless a medical waiver is signed, they sign the waiver.

“Many parents aren’t 100 percent opposed to vaccinations. This is a busy community with busy parents. We actually have many parents who intend to vaccinate their kids, but just have not gotten around to it,” Forzley said. “It’s not a good practice because it’s important to vaccinate children on schedule. We’re working hard right now to educate parents about starting early with back-to-school pushes, so parents don’t run into that crush at the end of August, beginning of September, where they can’t get their children into the pediatrician or family doctor.”

Forzley said all vaccines are available at the Oakland County Health Department, which has two offices, one on Greenfield in Southfield, and the other on N. Telegraph in Pontiac.

Dr. Jennifer Castro of Bloomfield Pediatrics in Bloomfield Township said that the trend her practice is seeing is less parents opting out of vaccinating their children than even just a few years ago. “Parents are educating themselves more, and there are more and more studies that show that vaccines are safer than ever before. Some parents are still choosing to spread it out, and still hesitate to fully follow the pediatric recommendations, or still have fears. We don’t recommend that, but we do work with people,” she said.

Some parents, however, still choose religious or philosophical opt-outs.

“Education is our best tool. If we’re educated for the good and bad, we can make the best decisions possible, so parents can make the wisest decisions for their children. As pediatricians, we tell you we’re making decisions based on the best information we have today. We explain that among the consequences is the potential to get the disease, which could be a mild case, the loss of a limb, loss of hearing, all the way to death,” Castro said. “We’re fortunate to live in a society that doesn’t see a lot of consequences to not vaccinating.”

Baver tells another tale. “I saw a baby that was 11-months-old, and the parents refused all vaccinations, and she got whooping cough.

Whooping cough is no fun. It lasts three to four months. The parents kept saying, ‘What can you do?’ Nothing. You chose to not immunize your child and she’s now sick, and she’s going to cough for three months until she turns blue.”

For some parents, despite the medical advice, they have medical, religious, or philosophical reasons that caused them to make the choice to not immunize their children.

Fiona McCann, a massage therapist in Troy, decided not to immunize her three-year-old son Collin, and to date, he has not had any vaccinations. “I had a negative reaction to vaccines first when I was 16 and I was working for Birmingham Schools in their day care,” McCann said. “There was this sweet 18-months-old boy, Andy. One day, he went to get vaccinated and he never spoke again. He just pinched, rocked and pounded his ears. He was fine before his vaccination. This is not normal, but it’s what happened from the vaccination.”

Of her 32 nephews and nieces, she said none have been vaccinated and all have been well. “My mom said we’re born with partial immunity.

We’re continually getting an immune system,” she said. She said she’s not sure if she and her ten siblings received all of their vaccinations as children.

McCann, and other parents who choose not to vaccinate, can still

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send their children to public, private or parochial schools in Michigan, but they must get a signed waiver from a medical doctor, or fill it out themselves, and state a reason for their abstention. While McCann said she may choose to home school Collin, if she does send him to a public school when he reaches kindergarden age, she will opt for a philosophical exemption from vaccines. accines that Michigan requires a waiver for are diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenza type B and pneumococcal conjugate (for pre-school programs), meningitis, and varicella (chickenpox). These mandates apply to all children attending a licensed daycare program; any public or private school; many summer camps; and some colleges and universities.

All of the local public and private schools follow the state guidelines.

“Immunizations can never be ‘required’ but they are strongly recommended,” said JoAnne Messina of Bloomfield Hills Schools. “I am not allowed to prevent a student from enrolling even if they have never been immunized. Parents simply complete a waiver and provide the reason that they are not having their child immunized. Generally speaking, parents object to immunizations for religious or personal/philosophical reasons. Doctors have a separate form to complete if there are medical reasons to avoid immunizations.”

Vaccine exemptions fall into three categories, medical exemptions, where a child has a serious allergic allergy to the vaccine or components of the vaccine, or may have an immune system disorder; religious exemptions, where the person’s organized religion prohibits vaccinations; and the philosophical, or personal belief, exemption.

True medical reasons are rare, as are severe allergies to elements within vaccines, or children with compromised immune system disorders which prevent them from receiving any vaccines. They are also most at risk from exposure to illnesses and childhood diseases.

“Many of the waivers are self-prescribed ‘medical’ reasons by parents, and they’ll put down a reason that a doctor would not recognize,” said Forzley.

“I rarely hear religious reasons (for exemptions),” said Baver. She said about 10 percent of her parents opt out of vaccinating their children due to philosophical reasons, consistent with current Oakland County numbers, which are currently 10.3 percent. “All of them seem to suffer from fears that have been built up year after year from the Internet.”

To combat some of their trepidations, she said their practice tries to have conversations with them, present them with flyers and information about the necessity of inoculating their children.

“We try to re-educate them,” she said. “I try to talk them, lay it out and explain to them what the truth is. They’re convinced the vaccines will harm their children, even though it’s not true. Old vaccines were not the same quality as we have today. There are no preservatives, and they’re not getting a whole bacteria or a whole virus, or a chemically-treated antigen. Children are exposed to thousands of antigens everyday – far more than we expose them to in a single vaccine.

“About 25 percent of parents will be convinced, and they’ll think about it, and do it on an altered schedule, maybe spread out the vaccines, or wait until their child is older,” said Baver. “But there are plenty of patients who won’t, or who will wait until the child is much, much older.”

“Some of the concerns about the number of antigens and the number of vaccines children have to get are so minuscule,” said Dr. Pamela Hackert, chief of medical services for the Oakland County Health Department. “One finger up the nose has so many more antigens than any one vaccine. If you don’t get your child vaccinated, it’s the same as not using a car seat for your child – not everyone does, but everyone should.”

Hackert explained that the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatricians recommend that many vaccines should be given at certain times, and together, “because they work synergistically. They were designed to work well together.”

“Some parents decide to break up giving their children vaccines, but

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they actually put their children at more risk,” said Oakland County’s Forzley. According to a 2000 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), many scientific and medical research studies repeatedly have found that individuals who exercise religious and/or philosophical exemptions are at a great risk of contracting infections, which puts themselves and their communities at risk.

Individual versus public health priorities were first argued in the United States Supreme Court over 100 years ago, when a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts refused to be vaccinated for smallpox because he believed that the law violated his right to care for his own body the way he knew best. The Court rejected the man’s challenge, and in 1905, laid the foundation for state actions to limit individual liberties in order to protect the public’s health. That precedence has remained through other challenges: the public good over an individual’s liberty.

While some parents assert biblical support against vaccinating their children, few religions actually support that contention. Religious objections are generally based on the ethical dilemmas connected with using human tissue cells to create vaccines, and the belief that the body is sacred and should not receive certain chemicals, blood, or tissue from animals, and should be healed only by natural means.

According to Dr. Vincent Ianelli MD, on pediatrics.about.com, “While there seem to be many people in religious groups that cluster together and refuse to get vaccinated, they are often actually claiming personal belief exemptions and not true religious exemptions.”

In actuality, almost all religions permit, and even encourage, the vaccination of its members. While some believe that Catholics are opposed to vaccines, the Catholic Church is actually pro-vaccine, even for those which are cultured in cells that were originally derived from aborted fetuses. “If no safe, effective alternative vaccines exist, it is lawful to use these vaccines if danger to the health of children exists or to the health of the population as a whole,” states the church. Other Christian churches do not have any specific scriptural or canonical objections to the use of vaccines.

There is some confusion regarding Jews because some vaccines contain components of pig and gelatin, inferring that it must then be against Jewish dietary law for their members to be vaccinated. Rather, it follows the edict “to save a life,” where vaccines are judged based on concepts of medical law and are encouraged. mong some Muslim fundamentalists in some areas of the Third World, there is a belief that it is against Islam for adherents to be vaccinated against the polio vaccine. But the majority of Islamic leaders have issued clear statements describing how immunization is consistent with Islamic principles.

Since 1952, Jehovah’s Witnesses have stated that vaccination “does not appear to be in violation of the covenant made with Noah.”

Christian Scientists, who fundamentally believe that diseases are not real and can be healed by focused prayer, do not have rules against immunization.

Members of the Dutch Reformed Church, going back to a tradition of refusing smallpox vaccines in the early 1800s, do believe in the adverse effects of vaccines and traditionally refuse vaccinations. Because of this, there have been polio, measles, congenital rubella syndrome, and mumps outbreaks in their communities, including one in the Netherlands in 2013 where 1,226 cases of measles, including 176 serious cases leading to complications including encephalitis and pneumonia.

“We have had one or two families with religious waivers. Both families were Jehovah’s Witnesses,” said Kristin Ahrens, health and wellness curriculum director and the middle school nurse for Detroit Country Day School. She said there are a couple of students with medical waivers and a handful that have philosophical waivers.

What some parents who opt out of immunizations may not realize is the risk their children can pose to others. A person carrying a disease may not become ill, or may not get sick for a while, but can still spread the virus to others, and once it begins to spread, a highly-communicable disease can’t be easily contained. Measles, for example, results in a very

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visible rash, but there is a significant period of time between being exposed to the virus and the actual development of the rash. People actually become contagious with measles before they break out with the rash and can spread the virus before they even realize they have the disease.

Ahrens said that while there are always worries about non-vaccinated children being carriers of diseases or illnesses, “Our parents are pretty welleducated, so there aren’t any panics.”

Bloomfield Hills Schools’ Messina noted that, “If you think about it, it isn’t just the school that is at risk. We refer to these diseases as ‘childhood diseases’ because they are most often contracted during childhood, but that doesn’t mean that adults are safe. Several years ago, I worked with a man who contracted measles, despite his childhood immunization. Any person who has not been immunized runs the risk of contracting ‘that’ disease and then spreading it.”

Efficacies weaken and exposure can prove harmful, especially to members of the public who may have illnesses, have a disease, be recovering from surgery or cancer treatments.

Parents who sign waivers with a philosophical reason for exempting their child from vaccinations when they begin school usually have to remove their children from school if there is any kind of a communicable disease outbreak for the duration of the outbreak. iona McCann said that she will not have a problem removing her son from school if and when the time comes. She said her concern for autism outweighs any concern about her son missing school. “I feel all vaccines are the same. There is a negative effect with all of them. The chemicals that are in them, and all sort of crazy stuff in them, are dangerous.”

“We all follow the same state-mandated rules,” explained Judy Evola, spokesperson for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. “Whenever there is any kind of communicable disease outbreak, we notify the Oakland County Health Department, and we work with them. We notify the parents in the classroom, and in some cases, the entire school, usually be e-mail or by voicemail. We provide the parents with fact sheets from the Oakland County Health Department. It’s always our priority to keep our parents informed.”

Marcia Wilkinson, spokesperson for Birmingham Public Schools, concurs.

“In the event of an outbreak of a communicable disease, we follow the directions of the Oakland County Health Department. That may mean that non-immunized children have to stay home but that is determined by the county,” she said. “The decision to immunize is a very personal one for a family. While we certainly respect that decision, we must also act in the best interest of the general population and follow all health department protocols.”

“Whatever medical professionals tell us, we follow that, and then we have to get a doctor’s approval before the student can come back to school,” Evola said.

Oakland County’s Forzley said that when there is an outbreak, such as a chickenpox outbreak, and a student has to stay home, usually parents will then decide to bring their child in to become vaccinated. Once inoculated, they can return to school.

While vaccines can be expensive, especially for physicians to purchase as pharmaceutical companies have increased their costs to doctors, health professionals all want to assure parents that in Michigan, vaccines are covered by providers. Those without insurance or with limited coverage can get free or reduced cost vaccines through the Oakland County Health Department.

“It’s called the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, for insured or reduced cost throughout the state, and many pediatricians and family doctors also participate,” Forzley said.

“Cost is always an issue, but in Michigan, if you don’t have coverage, the government provides it for you. Maybe you can’t get free vaccinations at my office, but they’re available at the health department,” said Dr. Castro. “We don’t make money off of vaccines. But there’s no excuse to not get vaccinated because of cost.”

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FACES

Corbin Pontious young man with a big heart, Corbin Pontious ran the Boston Marathon this year for the non-profit organization Team Joseph, a charity created to fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“I have a soft spot for children suffering with disease. I had a childhood cancer. I went through radiation and chemo,” he said. “But, I am a longtime survivor now.” Pontious chose the cause after meeting Joseph Penrod, a child suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“Meeting Joseph inspired me. I run for the kids who can’t,” he said.

“Joseph’s mother and I thought it’d be nice if I could run for it for Boston.

They have a website set up and people donated money. We made just over $3,800. They’ve been raising tons and tons of money for it, but they have more hope for that section of the non-profit organization.”

Although Pontious has run other marathons, the Boston Marathon was of particular significance to him.

“You have to be 18 to run the Boston Marathon. I was 18 and 20 days when I ran it. We think I was the youngest,” he said. “That one was pretty amazing. There was a huge amount of people. It lifts you up off the ground.

It’s an amazing sight and an incredible feeling crossing that line.”

Pontious began running in the sixth grade while attending Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake. Not long after, he ran his first 5K for the annual Passion for Life run in Walled Lake.

The young athlete was also interested in basketball and football, but decided to focus his attention on his greater passion. “I joined cross country and track,” he said.

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Walled Lake Central High School coach Justin “Schu” Schumacher has played a substantial part in Pontious’ success.

“He helped me train for my first marathon,” he said. “We have a close bond, me and Schu. I ran 30 miles with him. He’s a really great guy and a really great coach.”

Pontious has run marathons with and through the encouragement of his good friend Max Thompson. His mother, father and sister have also served as a great support.

“My mom and sister come out and watch me,” he said. “We have a small group of guys who travel out to these marathons and run them. We kind of all stay together.”

Fusing his empathic nature and innate talent, Pontious plans to continue to back various charities.

“We’re going to try to continue fundraising,” he said. “I have a 50 mile race coming up: the North Country Ultra Marathon.”

Upon graduation from high school, the 4.0 student is going to Michigan State University, where he has plans to become a physician. “I want to keep my options open, but I’m interested in surgery,” he said.

Pontious’ life experiences provide him with insight and perspective well beyond his 18 years. “The best moments of my life so far are running in Boston and when I was finally cured of cancer. Both of those were really huge times in my life.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Jean Lannen

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PRESENTS

August 8th Groove Therapy Genisys Credit Union Insite Commercial

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Sponsors

Friends of the Commerce Twp. Library Gordon Chiropractic Giffels-Webster Engineers

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08.14

LOCAL POLICE INVESTIGATORS STAFFING DEPARTMENT DETECTIVE UNITS

BY KEVIN ELLIOTT ne full-time detective works five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bloomfield Hills. The sole position is usually enough to handle the routine case load for the city, which typically consists of obtaining arrest warrants, handling court cases and working an occasional crime that patrol officers can’t handle themselves.

“We are a small agency that serves a bedroom community,” said Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department Detective Lt. Terrence McDonnell. “As such, we do not experience a large amount of what you would call ‘serious’ crimes.”

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Cases involving criminal sexual conduct are a rare exception, he said. More typical criminal cases McDonnell tends to work on include thefts or drug possession.

Yet nothing was typical about the evening of April 30, 2014, when a Bloomfield Hills man was shot during a botched robbery at his home.

It was nearing midnight at David Zacks’ home in the 700 block of Woodwind Drive when a man claiming to be a police officer approached the 57year-old attorney’s door and demanded to be let into the house. Zacks refused and threatened to call the police. After Zacks shut the door, the stranger drew a handgun and shot several bullets through the door, striking Zacks around the stomach and hip. Police, at the time, said the shooter fled to a dark colored vehicle that left the area.

The following day, Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Director David Hendrickson revealed the incident stemmed from a botched robbery involving a 23year-old woman Zacks had previously met. The woman allegedly concocted a plan to break into the Zacks’ home with the help of three men and steal the contents of a safe and other valuables. When the group arrived to find the home occupied, police said they obtained a gun and returned to rob him.

Within days, Bloomfield Hills police arrested four suspects in connection to the incident, including Cassandra Lynne Chobod, 23, Devon Miller, 21, Christopher Hernandez-Montiel, 20, and Henry Williams, 20, all of Macomb County. Authorities say Zacks met Chobod at a gentlemen’s club in Dearborn where she was working as a dancer.

Chobod and the other suspects have since been ordered to stand trial on multiple charges. endrickson, who was hired in May 2013 to head up the Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department, said he has been focusing the department on providing fast and effective service. That includes having patrol officers conduct investigations themselves, rather than simply handing them off to a detective. For the Bloomfield Hills department, that means having better trained officers, conducting quicker investigations and increased chances of solving routine crimes.

“From our perspective, we are a small department. We have 25 officers,” Hendrickson said. “We really only have the need for one detective, and we can supplement that with the officers that are on the road.”

So, how does a law enforcement agency with one detective and about two dozen patrol officers crack a major case like the Zacks’ shooting and bring four suspects up on charges within five days?

In short: it doesn’t.

Realizing the need for help with more serious crimes, Hendrickson had the department join Oakland County’s Major Crimes Assistance Team (MCAT) in March of 2014. A month later, the decision would prove to be a wise one when working the April 30 shooting.

“We took a case where we had an attorney shot and went five days from shooting to prosecution,” said Birmingham Deputy Police Chief Mark Clemence, who serves as coordinator for the MCAT. Clemence, who helped form MCAT in 2009 with Troy Police Department Captain Keith Frye, said the team had a total of 11 detectives assisting the Bloomfield Hills Police Department on the shooting investigation, including two from Auburn Hills, four from Troy and one each from Bloomfield Hills,

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Birmingham, Rochester, Clawson and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s Rochester Hills substation.

“The majority of serious crimes are done by a small number of people. The more we can work together and collaborate, the better we are going to be,” Clemence said. “We have different investigators in MCAT who are experts in different areas. That’s one of the reasons MCAT was formed, to draw on that experience. It’s still that department’s case. Basically, we play an advisory role. It’s still that department’s jurisdiction.”

MCAT was created as a collaborative initiative aimed at resolving complex criminal cases by providing additional personnel and equipment to member agencies involved in major criminal investigations. The team was formed through interlocal agreements with participating governments.

Agencies participating in the MCAT include Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Clawson, Troy, Rochester and investigators in Rochester Hills at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s substation. he Birmingham Police Department’s Investigation Division is headed by a “working” lieutenant, meaning he or she actively works cases. Additional investigators in the division include a general case detective, one school liaison officer, who works as a general detective during the summer months, and one investigator assigned to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET).

The division is responsible for follow-up investigations involving crimes, liquor and narcotics violations, liquor license applications and employee background checks. The investigative division also conducts educational seminars and decoy operations to promote awareness and compliance regarding alcohol and tobacco laws.

According to the department’s 2013 annual report, the department had a total of 18,372 calls for service, which includes investigation cases, as well as traffic and patrol calls for service. In terms of investigative cases, the department took 58 calls for cases of vandalism; 32 burglary cases; 187 larcenies; 15 vehicle thefts; six robberies; and three cases of criminal sexual contact.

Clemence said detectives work an average of 1,000 total cases a year that come into the department, with identity theft being one of the largest growing crimes being investigated.

In addition to collaborating with MCAT, the Birmingham Police Department, as well as most others in Oakland County, can receive assistance from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, which operates a state-of-the-art crime lab, including a biological and DNA testing lab that recently completed construction and will be open for operation soon.

“Our DNA lab just finished construction,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “We have been waiting to have that in-house for about seven years. It’s a very long, arduous process, and we are now in the testing phase. It’s really the final piece of the puzzle for it to be stand alone.”

Bouchard said the office already processes firearm and computer forensics and a host of other specialties, which are available for use by local departments. The final component, he said, is the capacity to test for DNA evidence.

“We hope to be up and running this year,” Bouchard said. “In terms of how operational and how many cases we take, that will take a little

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time. We will start with internal cases and high priority cases. We intend to staff up the lab over time,” he said, adding that a director for the lab was already hired. “The Michigan State Police has a tremendous burden, and the closure of the Detroit Crime Lab caused a slow down for the whole state.

The state has been undersourced by policy makers for a long time.”

Bouchard said his push for establishing a lab capable of processing DNA came while waiting for results of DNA evidence in connection to a particular rape case. Investigators waited for evidence results from the state crime lab for about eight or nine months, he said.

“We got the results and made an arrest, but in the meantime, there were two more assaults,” he said. “That crystalized in my mind that we needed to refocus. It has taken years. It’s very expensive, not just the equipment, but the build out on the facility and staff, which is highly trained and skilled. It’s an ongoing, continual cost. In my mind, it’s one of the most important things we can offer. It helps solve crimes and it does it fast.”

The sheriff’s lab provides crime scene analysis to any law enforcement agency in Oakland County that requests assistance, and does so on a 24-hour basis. The lab also operates a mobile crime lab, which can respond to any crime scene, civil disorder, drowning or other incident scene to collect and tag evidence, photograph, video and remove any evidence to be analyzed. Routine analysis includes fingerprints, latent prints, composites, narcotic and dangerous drug determinations, and expert testimony on blood splatter interpretations.

The sheriff’s investigative division includes several other specialized teams, task forces and programs. The division’s auto theft unit is a multijurisdictional task force investigating all auto theft related crimes. The office touts a 79 percent drop in auto theft rates since the unit was formed in 1986.

The unit in 2013 recovered 236 stolen vehicles worth $2,317,449.

Specialized units, such as the auto theft unit, are typically utilized by local police departments, as well as investigators assigned to individual substations, such as those in Commerce Township. ommerce Township’s substation employs three general detectives and a school liaison officer, who investigates general detective cases during the summer months, and a detective sergeant. The detective bureau is assigned all felony cases, as well as some misdemeanor cases. Initial reports are typically taken by patrol deputies, with cases assigned to detectives. Detectives at the substation were assigned 357 total cases in 2012, with a big increase to 417 in 2013.

Detectives assigned to the substation work also have all the sheriff’s office’s specialized resources available to them, such as the fugitive apprehension team; a computer crimes unit; fire investigation unit; multi-agency narcotics enforcement team; warrants unit; special investigation unit and gangs task force; and a multi-agency crime suppression task force.

The sheriff’s arson investigation unit is utilized by virtually every police department in the county.

Recognized as one of the top investigation units of its kind in the country, the unit conducted 162 fire investigations in 2013, of which 37 were determined to have been caused by arson.

Wolverine Lake Village Acting Police Chief John Ellsworth said while the village’s police department

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doesn’t employ a detective, each of the department’s officers is responsible for following up on investigative cases on their own.

The department employs five full-time officers, three part-time road patrol officers, and one parttime marine patrol officer. Ellsworth said officers are capable of investigating most crimes, but assistance from the sheriff’s office and neighboring departments have been requested for assistance.

“We ask for assistance from surrounding communities for specific situations, like an evidence technician. Having Oakland County helps,” he said.

“They have been a great asset. They are definitely on top of it when it comes to major crimes. We work very well together. We don’t turn it over to them — they work with us. Since we are a nice, quiet, little community, it doesn’t happen very often.” he neighboring city of Walled Lake has one detective assigned to its investigative division, who is responsible for handling all cases officers aren’t able to finish by the end of their shift, said Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas. The detective, who is appointed by the chief, also handles warrant requests, and district and state court appearances.

“We handle what we can here,” Shakinas said.

“There really isn’t much we have to farm out that we can’t do in-house, even though we are small.”

While major cases aren’t common in Walled Lake, the department found itself in the midst of two homicide investigations within the past year.

“If we have a serious crime, like murder, I’ll assign a major crimes task force,” Shakinas said. “I assign a group of officers. The last one, I assigned eight officers to that, and they all had different jobs.”

Walled Lake police officers on May 11 were assigned to a homicide investigation involving a 21year-old man who came into the police department with his mother and admitted to killing a man and trying to hide the victim’s body in his closet.

Alex Jay Adamowicz was charged on May 13 with homicide for the April 12 slaying of John Watson, 51. Police said Adamowicz came into the department with his mother after she came over to his apartment at 1483 W. West Maple to visit for Mother’s Day. Shortly after arriving, she noticed a foul smell in the apartment and questioned her son.

Police discovered Watson’s partially decomposed body wrapped in cellophane in a bedroom closet.

Shakinas said Adamowicz slashed Watson’s neck on April 12 during an argument. He was arrested the following day in Novi on drunk driving charges and held overnight. After being released, Adamowicz made an effort not to leave the apartment where he was concealing the Watson’s body.

The investigation was the second recent homicide case for Walled Lake police, which on December 17, 2013 arrested a 28-year-old man for the suspected shooting death of his 45-year-old neighbor. Police say Charles Jacob Simkins shot and killed Edwin Criswell during an altercation stemming from a dispute about a dog in the 1100 block of Sigma.

Shakinas said the department handled the majority of the investigation, but had some assistance from Michigan State Police for processing DNA. “We are just getting stuff back now for the December murder,” Shakinas said. “That’s an acceptable timeframe. For blood draws for DUIs, it’s about three or four weeks.”

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The Walled Lake Police Department also is part of the West Oakland Major Crimes Team Task Force, which is headed up out of the Novi Police Department and includes departments in Wolverine Lake Village, Wixom, South Lyon and Novi. The task force was utilized in 2012 when several vehicles were shot at along the I-96 corridor. Raulie Casteel, of Wixom, was convicted in January 2014 of terrorism for the shootings, which occurred in Oakland, Ingham, Shiawassee and Livingston counties.

Shakinas said the detective position is typically a three- to five-year assignment that gives officers an opportunity to receive additional training.

“It’s usually a three-year detail that we rotate,” Shakinas said. “They have the opportunity for different training. I try to give them three years. We have run them for five (years), but there is some burnout at that point.”

Detective positions at some larger departments is typically a longer commitment, and competition to land the job is often highly competitive.

Captain Scott McCanham, who heads up the Bloomfield Township Police Department’s Investigative Division, said officers who make detective usually stay in that position until retirement.

“Once they become detectives, they generally don’t leave the bureau,” McCanham said. “They tend to retire out of there.”

The Bloomfield Township Police Department’s Investigative Division consists of adult and youth investigations, and is staffed by detectives trained in all aspects of criminal investigations, as well as some specialized investigations.

McCanham said there are five full-time detectives and two school liaison officers in the division, all of whom rotate assignments every five years. The division also employs a civilian identification technician and an evidence technician, who oversees the property evidence room.

“They can investigate anything, but we try to keep them with some specialities,” McCanham said. “We rotate that around a little because you can get burned out doing one type of crime all the time.” onsidering the wealth of information a detective gathers during his or her career, it’s not uncommon for departments to call upon former investigators to assist in a case or court testimony.

“We had a retired detective we called on a case he worked from 1997,” McCanham said. “He retired at the end of 1999, and he was needed in court. It was off a case he worked, and that suspect was up on homicide.”

Detective positions at the department are highly coveted. A recent opening in the detective bureau resulted in about 35 applications from officers in the department.

In order to be eligible for the position, officers must have at least four years of experience at the department, and pass a written test. Applicants are assessed by seniority, and go through a step-by-step review process that includes an oral board examination, a command-staff evaluation and other department evaluations.

The division maintains an in-house crime lab and a certified, latent-print examiner, which McCanham said helps save time in processing prints because investigators don’t have to rely on the state or county crime labs to get results.

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“They are always busy,” McCanham said of county and state crime labs. “We do anything we can do to lighten their load, and our detectives appreciate the turnaround time we have here.”

In addition to being a member of MCAT, McCanham said the department receives assistance from state and county departments when needed, particularly in the area of arson investigations and computer forensics.

“We are limited on computer forensics, which is one of the hottest topics and trends,” McCanham said. “The time required to become an expert in that area is considerable. We aren’t a big enough department to dedicate someone to that all the time. We don’t hesitate to use the county or state for computer forensic examinations. We have enough knowledge to know when we need to push it to that level.”

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Computer Crimes Unit conducted 267 examinations in 2013.

Examinations typically take as long as 23 weeks to complete an examination because computer hard drives dramatically increased in size. he Bloomfield Township Police Department’s Investigative Division was assigned 1,058 cases in 2012, and closed 727 cases the same year. A case is closed when no more can or needs to be done with an investigation. A case may be closed with or without a prosecution, but remains open as long as it is relevant and productive leads can be generated.

In addition to criminal investigations, the township’s investigative division conducts background investigations, which take an average of two to three weeks to complete.

“We don’t put numbers on things, but we want our people to come up with two to four references that aren’t on anyone’s reference list,” McCanham said. “You find them and knock on their doors.”

McCanham said identity theft is a category on the rise and one that takes considerable time to investigate. Two of the department’s detectives focus primarily on identity theft and fraud.

“The requirements to prove one of those cases is unbelievable,” McCanham said. “You have to prove whoever cashed (a fraudulent check) knew it was fraudulent, and prove the identity of the person who did it. Banks that require thumb prints make it easier, but we still have to talk to the suspects, and the stories are endless. We have to prove that check was stolen and they knew it was stolen. The new technological stuff that comes out – it’s like they are a step ahead of us. They know the game and the scams out there are unbelievable.”

Bouchard said most of the local departments in the county rely on the sheriff’s computer crimes unit to assist with computer crimes.

“When I became sheriff, I tried to look over the horizon and see what would be facing us in the future,” he said in forming of the computer crimes unit. “Computers are not only a staple in everyone’s life, but every criminal’s life. We might find a crime that was done with a computer, but we also can find motive. We assisted a neighboring county years ago with a homicide. No crime was committed with the computer, but evidence on the computer was very helpful in creating motive and proving forethought in the mind of the perpetrator.”

Evidence obtained through technology was also one of the keys to identifying and locating the suspects charged with the Bloomfield Hills shooting case, Clemence said.

“Cell phones,” he said, without revealing the specifics of the investigation.

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MUNICIPAL Prosecutor ordered to disclose cases

By Kevin Elliott

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper’s Office on Monday, July 7, was ordered to disclose details of some 33 court cases she said are evidence that 52-1District Court Judge Brian MacKenzie should be found in contempt for ignoring a higher court’s order issued earlier this year in response to a complaint the prosecutor had filed with the court against Mackenzie.

The order stems from a February ruling by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Colleen O’Brien that found MacKenzie had violated state law and issued illegal sentences to defendants under the state’s domestic violence statutes. In her ruling, O’Brien ordered MacKenzie to provide Cooper’s office with all domestic violence cases he has dismissed since March 24, 2004.

MacKenzie’s attorneys said staff at the court went though “great lengths” and spent significant time and resources to compile the original list of cases for Cooper’s office, and that the prosecutor’s complaint is an attempt to broaden the scope of O’Brien’s order by including cases that don’t fall under her ruling.

MacKenzie, through a review of cases by the 52-1 District Court administrator, had provided Cooper’s office with a list of 78 cases that had been dismissed by MacKenzie over the course of 10 years. That list was pared down from a list of 478 domestic violence cases assigned to MacKenzie during the 10-year period.

The court administrator determined that 402 of the cases “were not responsive” to O’Brien’s February order.

In June, Cooper filed a second complaint against MacKenzie alleging he was ignoring O’Brien’s order. Her office cited 33 court cases that she asserted should have been provided to her office by MacKenzie, which she said her office had discovered during its own review of cases.

MacKenzie’s attorneys say the complaint was an attempt to damage the judge’s bid for re-election for his seat at the 52-1 District Court.

“The filing of the present motion appears to be a continuation of a politically-motivated campaign designed to negatively impact Judge MacKenzie’s bid for re-election,” his attorneys stated in a response to the complaint filed in July.

MacKenzie, who was first 36

Possible Byers repairs to be assessed

By Kevin Elliott

he Commerce Township Board of Trustees on Tuesday, July 8, authorized spending $7,500 to hire an engineering firm to assess potential repairs to the historic Byers Farmhouse.

Built more than 150 years ago, the township’s historic farmhouse underwent a host of emergency repairs over the winter in order to hold one of the southern walls of the building together with the roof. The floor of the house sags and has been placed under an occupancy restriction by the township’s fire marshal, severely restricting the use of the building and essentially prohibiting any use by the general public.

To immediately address the problem, the township’s consultants attached wood buttresses to the outside of the wall to keep it in place.

The township board in March approved spending about $1,800 to make a more permanent repair, which included installing an aircraft cable to the ceiling to pull the walls and roof back together.

In April, Jim Meenahan, president of the Friends of the Byers Homestead, urged the board of trustees to have the township’s engineering consultant look at the farmhouse as well as the historic barn at the homestead to determine what work is needed to bring the structure up to modern building code, and to determine the cost of doing the work.

The board on July 8 authorized hiring Bud Design and Engineering Services, of Grand Blanc, to conduct an assessment of the house. The assessment also will include an evaluation of mechanical, plumbing and electrical conditions. Specifically, the assessment will include a structural analysis of the foundation, the first floor joist support system, a second floor assessment and bearing wall analysis, rafter assessment and recommendations for repairs or replacements. A code analysis will also be done, as well as an analysis of all of the structural aspects of the building.

The Byers Homestead land was settled in 1825 by German immigrant Abram Walrod, who constructed a log cabin next to a canal on the land.

The cabin was replaced in the 1840s with a farmhouse, which still stands today. Known as “the Duck Farm” to some locals, the homestead represents the original settlement of Commerce Township and has been visited by thousands of residents.

The Friends of Byers Homestead was formed in 1995 to protect and maintain the homestead, which resulted in the township’s purchase of the property in 1998. The Friends are now responsible for coordinating the preservation and maintenance of the grounds.

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appointed to the 52-1 District Court in 1998, is up for re-election this August.

He is being challenged by two candidates, attorneys Travis M. Reeds and Scott W. Powers, the latter being the son of 52-1 District Court Dennis Powers.

“Despite Judge MacKenzie’s timely compliance, given the herculean task of reviewing 10 years of cases, the prosecutor now alleges that Judge MacKenzie has failed to identify an additional 33 cases that should have been disclosed,” Timmis said in his response.

The June ruling by O’Brien orders Cooper’s office to identify all of the 33 cases she cited in her complaint. Her office had previously declined requests by MacKenzie’s attorneys to identify all except three of the cases, because “we would like to use them as a control and check,” should MacKenzie decide to fully disclose his list of cases, the prosecutor’s office responed.

On June 7, O’Brien ordered the cases to be disclosed so that MacKenzie’s attorneys could review and respond to the complaint.

The 52-1 District Court serves the communities of Commerce, Highland, Lyon, Milford and South Lyon townships, as well as Milford Village, Wolverine Lake Village, and the cities of Novi, Walled Lake and Wixom.

September hearing set on Judge Powers A Novi district court judge accused of skipping work and receiving thousands of dollars in illgotten reimbursement funds will fight at a hearing on Wednesday, September 3, allegations filed against him in a complaint to the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission.

The complaint lists eight allegations against 52-1 District Court

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Judge Dennis Powers, including charges that he received thousands of dollars in fraudulent milage reimbursements while being paid to attend non-work related conferences and golf outings.

Powers, who earns $138,272 as a judge for the district court in Novi, made news last year when Fox-2 News reporter Rob Wolchek alleged the judge was taking extended lunch breaks and coming in hours after he was scheduled to be on the bench. A complaint filed with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission in June alleged Powers received reimbursements on fraudulent milage reports; turned in fraudulent conference reimbursement requests; misused county-issued equipment; failed to perform his duties impartially and failed to follow the law; took part in improper extrajudicial activities; engaged in improper and inappropriate behavior; and misrepresented financial reimbursement claims.

Complaints made to the commission are investigated by staff, which then makes recommendations for action to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may then take actions based on the recommendations. The September hearing will be conducted by a special attorney appointed by the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission.

Court decision won’t hamper rails-to-trails

By Kevin Elliott

Efforts to complete a rails-to-trails program linking a stretch of abandoned Michigan Air-Line Railway between West Bloomfield and Wixom won’t be thwarted by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that has potentially derailed hundreds of similar projects across the country.

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

Plans are underway by the Commerce, Walled Lake, and Wixom 08.14

Firefighters push for new ranking system

By Kevin Elliott

Trailways Management Council to convert the former rail line into a public walking trail. When complete, the trail will connect the existing West Bloomfield Trail and the Huron Valley Trail in Wixom. The trails council has secured a $3.75 million grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to purchase the former rail property from the Browner Turnout Co., of Lincoln, Nebraska.

While the council has yet to take ownership of the land, work is 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.

While funds have been identified to purchase the railway right-of-way from Browner Turnout, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has impacted other similar projects, but Commerce Township’s attorney does not believe it will have the same impact locally. A March 10, 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding a case on the court’s interpretation of the General Railroad Right-of-WayAct of 1875 may impact some nationwide trailways projects.

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.

Commerce municipal attorney Phil Adkison, who is advising the trailways council during the process, said he recently reviewed the Supreme Court’s ruling and determined it won’t impact the local trailways council’s plans.

“The issues that the Supreme Court decided was about the residual rights to the property when a federally granted easement was abandoned,” Adkison said. “The old Michigan Railway was acquired by individual property owners who banded together, not part of a federal land grant. It doesn’t impact our project.”

A master plan for the trail has recently been completed, which is required by the state to qualify for the state grant. The council is currently in the process of having the land appraised. The appraisal process, Adkison said, is the final process needed before the council can enter into a purchase agreement to buy the property.

Walled Lake tables liquor applications Three Walled Lake businesses seeking one available liquor license in the city will have to wait until August for consideration, as city council members on Tuesday, July 15, tabled two applications and denied one other.

Owners of The Sushi Den, 716 N. Pontiac Trail; Jeff’s Kitchen, 1130 E. West Maple Road; and Blue Bliss, 209 Walled Lake Drive, all submitted applications for liquor license approval which came before the Walled Lake city council. Applicants must receive approval from the local government in order to be considered for approval for a liquor license by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Walled Lake City Manager Dennis Whitt said The Sushi Den is working on an expansion and is asking for approval from the city in order to apply for a liquor license. The owner of Blue Bliss, a frozen yogurt shop in downtown Walled Lake, said he would like to expand his business to offer gyros and salads, as well as drinks for customers in order to create a destination dining spot near the water. Jeff’s Kitchen, formerly Amazing House Chinese, was renamed with a new menu. Owner Jeff Xu Jianfeng is seeking to offer his customers additional refreshments.

Walled Lake Mayor Linda Ackley suggested tabling the measures so that the police, fire and building departments could conduct investigations of the businesses and provide council members with additional information prior to making their decision.

The city is permitted a total of six liquor licenses, with only one of the licenses currently available.

Council voted unanimously to deny the application from Blue Bliss, as the business is zoned in the C3 business district, which prohibits restaurants from serving liquor.

However, the owner may apply again at a later date, as the city is working to amend its zoning ordinances and permit C3 businesses to serve alcohol.

Council members also agreed to table the first reading of the new zoning ordinance regarding C3 businesses. Council members indicated they wanted criteria for businesses applying for a liquor license included in the proposed ordinance.

irefighters looking to work their way up the ranks at the Commerce Township Fire Department are pushing a new personnel structure that would create four new staff titles and added officer responsibilities, and Commerce trustees are weighing the pros and cons.

The department currently lacks a formal internal command structure, meaning that firefighters retain the designation of “firefighter” without any opportunity of promotion, regardless of merit or seniority. Firefighters on Tuesday, July 22, at the Commerce Township Board of Trustees meeting proposed a new command structure, which would add the ranks of engineer, sergeant, lieutenant and captain to the list of titles.

Commerce Township firefighter James Liker said the lack of a command structure at the department poses some problems at the fire department. For instance, a lack of ranks sometimes confuses who should be in command of fire scenes and other incidents. Currently, the first firefighter at the scene is the incident commander, with the second on scene acting as second in command, regardless of seniority or experience.

Liker said the lack of ranks can also limit efficiency and effectiveness within the department.

“Right now, we don’t have authority to fix the problem,” he said. “The system we operate in today is: ‘I have seniority, but no authority.’”

Liker said inefficiencies were apparent during a recent bout of storms in the township that resulted in 85 calls for service in the township.

“We had four people trying to handle 85 calls,” he said. “It wasn’t as effective as possible because there was nobody leading. We were all scattered, trying to handle calls in our own area. Nobody was really directing the operation.”

Firefighters asked representatives from other communities to speak at the trustees meeting to discuss rank structure options.

Lyon Township Fire Chief Ken Van Sparentak, who left the Walled Lake Fire Department last year, attended the meeting, telling trustees the lack of a rank structure at the Commerce Fire Department could also be an issue if they consider consolidating services with another department in the future.

“It’s unique that there is a department without a rank structure, and that’s not necessarily a compliment,” Van Sparentak said. “That leaves no plan if the chief leaves. (A rank structure) is a way of holding people accountable. People who have earned the position are the ones you want in command, not necessarily those with seniority. Another negative impact, with things going on with possible consolidation, a lot of departments should be sharing more services. We don’t need 40 fire departments for 40 communities. It makes sense for Commerce and Walled Lake, but there is no rank structure here, and that might have been something that didn’t allow that to move forward in the past.”

In essence, the lack of a rank structure would mean firefighters with experience and seniority could be outranked by officers from another department during a consolidation.

The Commerce Fire Department’s current structure allows for a fire chief, a fire marshal, full-time firefighters and paid on-call firefighters.

Representatives from the department proposed at the meeting adding the titles of engineer, sergeant, lieutenant and captain to each of its three shifts, resulting in 12 new positions.

Township Supervisor Tom Zoner said the proposal lacked financial information to show the cost of a new structure to the township, and whether it could be implemented under the current budget. “I would like to see more work done to show or quantify that we can do this, and this is how you can do it without changing the millage rates,” he said. “You are at 1.8 mills now, with the limit of 2 mills.”

Trustee Rick Sovel said the proposed structure seemed to have too many officers, making the command top heavy. “It seems like everyone is an officer,” he said. “Maybe if there were less officers.”

Representatives from the fire department described the proposed titles and responsibilities, with some of them serving only as a new title or recognition for specific numbers of years of experience, while others would serve as officer positions that come with additional responsibilities.

The department’s work group will return before the board in September with additional budget information about the proposed rank structure, as well as specific examples of where the structure would add efficiencies.

F

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MUNICIPAL Compromise on pathways reached

By Kevin Elliott

A plan for a system of pathways through the future downtown area of Commerce Township was approved Tuesday, July 22, at a special meeting by the township’s board of trustees, essentially paving the way for the first sale of property in the 330-acre Commerce Towne Place project area.

The plan, which calls for a system of concrete paths along Martin Parkway, Haggerty and Welch roads, was incorporated into the planned unit development (PUD) agreement and approved by the township board by a vote of 4-2, with trustees Rob Long and David Law voting against the motion. Trustee Bob Berkheiser was absent. The approved plan rejected recommendations from the township planning commission that incorporated additional concrete and limestone aggregate pathways.

“I think we did a very good job getting input from the relative boards and commissions, as well as the stakeholders involved, as well as our legal advisors and planners, The Michigan Trails and Greenway Alliance,” said Kathleen Jackson, Commerce Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) director and township planning consultant.

“We have a (pathways) master plan now, and we can always upgrade that in the future. The board made a financial decision and that will benefit the project area as a whole.

We aren’t losing connectivity and that was the main concern.”

Plans to construct a downtown area for the township began taking shape in 1998 when the Commerce Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) began looking for ways to improve traffic congestion around Pontiac Trail and Haggerty Road where M-5 terminates. By 2007, the DDA purchased two golf courses in the area, as well as 70 acres of former state-owned parkland. The purchases allowed for the construction of Martin Parkway to connect traffic from M-5 to Richardson Road. Plans for the remaining land include a mix of residential, commercial and natural areas dubbed the Commerce Towne Place. The entire project is to be a walkable community, connected by a system of pedestrian pathways.

While the land has yet to be developed, with the exception of the Martin Parkway, a system of interconnected pathways already exists on the former golf cart paths from the former Links of Pinewood and El Dorado golf courses. To date, 40

Five running for Wolverine Lake council

By Kevin Elliott

oters in Oakland County’s Westend communities on November 4 will have to decide between five people vying for Wolverine Lake Village Council, as well as an unopposed race for the clerk’s position in Commerce Township.

Five candidates have filed to compete for four open seats on the Wolverine Lake Village Council, with board member Pam Kaznecki choosing to step down from her position. Incumbents Ron Cumbo, John Magee and Ed Sienkiewicz will be running to keep their seats on the village council, while newcomers Mark Duff and Mike Stack are seeking election to the board.

Voters casting ballots in the village election may vote for four candidates, with the three highest vote totals filling four-year terms on the board, and the fourth highest vote total filling a two-year term on the board.

Commerce Township Clerk Vanessa Magner is running unopposed for her position on the Commerce Township Board of Trustees. Magner, who earns about $74,000 per year at her position, will be running to complete a partial term ending on November 20, 2016. Magner was appointed to the clerk’s position in 2013, after former clerk Dan Munro resigned to pursue a position in the private sector.

V

the only improvement to those pathways has been the placement of asphalt millings on them, which became available from the resurfacing of Union Lake Road.

Initial cost estimates to resurface the pathways ranged from $1 million to $2 million, of which commercial and residential developers purchasing land in the area would be expected to share in the cost. However, developers who have already entered into agreements with the DDA for the specific parcels said they negotiated agreements with the understanding that the pathways would remain “as is.”

Hunter Pasteur Homes of Novi agreed last year to pay about $1.04 million for roughly 15 acres of land to construct the Wyncliff development, consisting of 39 single-family homes just west of Commerce Township Hall. The Wyncliff site plan was approved in June by the Commerce Township Board of Trustees, with plans for construction to begin this summer. However, the project has since been delayed as the developer waited for a pathways plan to be developed and approved.

In an effort to expedite a pathways plan, township trustees offered input on the types of material used for redevelopment of the existing pathways system. Input used by engineers with Giffels Webster to complete a master pathways plan called for a mix of concrete pathways in some areas and limestone aggregate, or crushed gravel, in other locations. That plan was reviewed on July 14 by the township planning commission, which recommended it be incorporated into the Planned Unit Development Agreement (PUD) for

final approval.

“We have been working for almost a year on getting site plan approval on Wyncliff,” Hunter Pasteur president Randy Wertheimer told the DDA board on July 15. “We received, six or seven weeks ago, final approval by the planning commission. Shortly after that, the pathways issue came up. We have been working for nine months and it was never discussed.”

Wertheimer said he is now being asked to spend an additional $55,000 to $60,000 – after the site plan had been approved –”out of thin air.”

“Here we are, ready to write a check, and we have been on hold,” he said. “If we don’t close by August 15, we can’t pave by November 15, and the whole thing is pushed until next year, and then we wouldn’t want to close until next March.”

The approved PUD and incorporated pathways plan allows for Wertheimer to remove an existing pathway that would intersect backyards in the Wyncliff project.

Under the agreement, Hunter Pasteur will donate $20,000 to a pathways fund dedicated to improve pathways in the area. Wertheimer previously asked for a reduction on the purchase price of Wyncliff project property of about $43,000.

Board rejects new full-time position Efforts to hire additional full-time staff in the recently formed Commerce Township Community Development Department failed on Tuesday, July 8, as half of the township board of trustees voted not to authorize a new position.

WESTEND

The department, which consists of the former planning department and the building, water and sewer department, was formed late last year, and the Commerce Township Board of Trustees in December hired Terry Carroll as director to oversee the department.

Carroll, who previously worked as director of planning and economic development for Van Buren Township, requested in June the board authorize the hiring of one additional full-time staff member for the department.

Township supervisor Tom Zoner had already posted an advertisement for the positioning, but removed the ad at the direction of the full township board. The board asked Carroll to return on July 8 with information that would support the need to hire additional staff.

“Many of the recently approved developments are attempting to get their utilities and roads in before the weather turns this winter and we are expecting them to come in over the off season to get their construction documents and permit applications in to begin construction as soon as the weather will permit in spring of 2015,” Carroll said in a memo to the board.

Additionally, Carroll said the staff at the department currently has some of the largest paid time off banks in the township organization, and that those hours can be used at the discretion of the employee, meaning there is reduced coverage of phones and counter help.

Township clerk Vanessa Magner, treasurer Susan Gross and Zoner voted in favor of authorizing the position, while trustees Robert Long, Rick Sovel and Robert Berkheiser voted against. Trustee David Law was absent from the meeting.

“I’m not convinced yet,” Long said about the need for the full-time position. “I would like to see you fill the half-time position and take a waitand-see approach.”

Berkheiser said he opposed the additional position because it should be included in the budget process, rather than in the middle of the fiscal year. However, Magner and Zoner pointed out that the full-time position was included in the current budget.

Zoner said efforts over the past three years to hire a full-time person to replace one of the current part-time positions has been frustrated by the board.

“The township board keeps reacting that, ‘we think you should do it another way,’ even though you say you aren’t micromanaging. I would think you would trust the people you are hiring. You are not only giving (staff) support ... but being responsible to the township,” Zoner said.

08.14

BUSINESS MATTERS

EDUCATION Car dealer donates to school foundation Walled Lake students who want to be involved with the district’s performing arts programs but are in need of assistance may benefit from a recent $50,000 donation to the Foundation for Excellence.

The donation was made by Bob Shuman on behalf of his Walled Lake auto dealership to the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools Foundation of Excellence to create the Shuman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Performing Arts Student Grant. Initial student grant awards will be issued for the 2015-16 school year, and will continue thereafter on an annual basis. Student applications will be rolled out by January 2015, and awards will be announced in May 2015.

Shuman is the newest member among the foundation’s 14 volunteer trustees, who support increased educational opportunities in the areas of technology, literacy, arts, leadership and community for the school district. The mission of the foundation, which has raised more than $850,000 during its history, is carried out year round in order to preserve its 23-year history of engaging support and resources for classrooms in the district.

Mini-grant disbursements in the 2013-14 school year resulted in providing funds to support the district’s K-12 Art Exhibit, an elementary school family literacy night, and disability awareness day, a middle school anti-bullying program, procurement of iPad minis and graphing calculators for the classroom, and other projects.

“Students learn leadership, team work, collaboration, responsibility and many other essential skills by participating in performing arts programs,” Shuman said. “My children and thousands of students and families have benefitted greatly over the years from their participation in marching band and various other performing arts opportunities. I am very pleased to be able to offer these opportunities to students who may not have considered them as a result of the financial commitment.”

Millage renewal on fall school ballot Voters in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District will

decide this November whether to renew a 10-year operating millage, as well as the re-election of three board members who are running unopposed in the 2014 general election.

Current school board president Greg Janicki and secretary Kathy Lyall are running to retain their seats on the district’s board of education.

Neither Janicki nor Lyall are being challenged by any opponents this November. If elected, Janicki and Lyall will serve six-year terms.

Trustee Christopher Titus will also be running to serve the remainder of a partial term, which expires December 31, 2016. Titus is also running unopposed.

Walled Lake Schools’ voters are also being asked whether to renew a pair of 10-year operating millages required for the district to receive revenues at the full per-pupil foundation allowance by the state of Michigan. The proposal is to renew both an 18-mill levy on non-principal residences, as well as a 3.9-mill tax levy – which is currently levied at 2.1971 mills – that would generate about $30 million each year for general operating purposes.

While the current millage only is levied at 2.1971 mills, the millage permits the levy to be increased up to 3.9 mills, if it is determined to be needed for schools operations.

Specifically, the proposal will ask voters: “Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, situated within the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, County of Oakland, State of Michigan, be increased as provided in the Michigan Constitution, in the amount of 18 mills ($18 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), and against all principal residences and other property not exempted by law, by 3.9 mills ($3.90 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), both millages to be for a period of 10 years, from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2025, inclusive with the above 18 mills and the above 3.9 mills (of which only 2.1971 mills are currently being levied) being a renewal of authorized millages which would otherwise expire on December 31, 2015?”

New cleaners opens shop Laundry has gotten a lot easier in west Oakland County with the opening of Tom’s Cleaners, 2171 N. Pontiac Trail, in Walled Lake. Owned and operated as a family business, Tom Mansour said he took his experience in the laundry and dry cleaning business and put it to use by opening his own store. Up and running now for about two months, Mansour said the location on the busy corner of Pontiac Trail at Welch Road was a good location for his first store. It’s also close to his home in West Bloomfield. Mansour said he will be adding wash and fold laundry services soon, as well as a delivery service.

Floral fruit arrangements Flowers are fine, but people looking for something special with a twist may be pleased to learn of a new Edible Arrangements store that has opened up at 23 S. Cass Lake Road, in Waterford. Store manager David McCann said owners Leslie and Al Robinson opened the first Edible Arrangements store in Michigan with the opening of their Troy location.

Their second store opened last month in Waterford. “It’s beautiful, when you walk in there is a full mural with edible arrangements,” McCann said.

“It’s a small storefront, so you can walk in and see the display case. And everyone who comes in gets a sample.” Edible Arrangements specializes in fresh fruit arrangements, mixing the concept of fruit baskets with designs inspired by the floral business. Arrangements are made fresh daily and gifts are made to order with fresh fruit and gourmet chocolate-dipped fruit. Whether it’s a watermelon and kiwi bouquet of tasty fruit with pineapple slices; honeydew and strawberries; or a simple box of chocolate-dipped fruit, the store offers seasonal and holiday baskets for most every occasion. “Fruit is a bit seasonal,” McCann said. “Right now, we are running kiwi and watermelon, which we normally wouldn’t do in colder months. Our basics are strawberries, pineapple and honeydew.”

is one of the first of it’s kind, walk-in beauty bars. On The Fly offers six different blowout styles, plus Botox treatments overseen by board certified dermatologists. The beauty bar is overseen by doctors Emily Levin, a board certified dermatologist, and Dr. Ilana Kutinsky, a board certified cardiac electrophysiologist. Levin holds a medical degree from Wayne State University and received her dermatology training at Henry Ford Hospital before joining Northwest Dermatology in Southfield prior to joining On The Fly. Kutinsky earned her medical degree from Michigan State University, and completed her internal medicine residency and cardiology and elecrophysiology fellowships at the University of Colorado, before connecting with Levin to create On The Fly. Hair services include blowouts, which involve shampoo, scalp massage and a blowout of your preferred style.

Therapist joins practice

Blowdrys and botox

Ryan Desgrange has joined the staff at Lederman Kwartowitz Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, 2300 Haggerty Road, Suite 1110, West Bloomfield, as the practice’s newest certified physical therapist.

Desgrange specializes in adult and pediatric evaluation and treatment of orthopedic injuries and conditions, including musculoskeletal trauma such as fractures and sports injuries, and chronic conditions like arthritis and joint pain. He has more than a decade of experience in orthopedic, emergency room and urgent care medicine, as well as athletic training.

In his spare time, he is an accomplished runner and a 2006 Glass City Marathon record holder, in Toledo, Ohio, as well as the 2007 overall male winner of the Martian Marathon, in Dearborn Heights.

Desgrange is also a former Guiness Book of World Records holder for “Fastest Marathon Run As a Movie Character,” running as Rocky Balboa, from the “Rocky” movie series.

Lederman Kwartowitz Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine provides orthopedic care for adults and children, including care for fractures, athletic injuries and chronic conditions.

In a hurry to look good? Pop in anytime for blowouts, updos or Botox treatments without an appointment at On The Fly Beauty Salon on the Boardwalk at 6909 Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield. On The Fly

Business Matters for the Birmingham Bloomfield area are reported by Kevin Elliott. Send items for consideration to KevinElliott@downtownpublications.com.

Items should be received three weeks prior to publication

FACES

Sue Tabashnik he’s the author of “The Fans’ Love Story Encore: How the Movie Dirty Dancing Captured the Hearts of Millions!” Sue Tabashnik watched the 1987 classic in the theater and fell in love with the film.

“I have a hobby of going to the movies every weekend,” she said. “I saw ‘Dirty Dancing’ the first weekend it was out and it really grabbed ahold of me.

It was about the power of love and people from different sides of the track getting together.”

Tabashnik was drawn to the dancing, music and, of course, the late actor Patrick Swayze.

“I started to wonder more about Patrick Swayze,” she said. “I read and watched any interviews I could get on him. He was just so human, sensitive and vulnerable.”

As a child, Tabashnik wanted to write Broadway musicals. Although she maintained a strong interest in writing, she did not have the opportunity to showcase her talent until she was part of the Official Patrick Swayze International Fan Club. There she wrote articles for the club and was able to interact with other fans.

“I thought, ‘Hey, I’m not nuts at all.’ There are all these other people interested in Patrick Swayze. It was exciting and fun to have a little Hollywood in my life,” she said. “I met up with (Swayze) in 2004 in Detroit. He was very good to his fans. He would always send photos, meet fans and kept them apprised of what projects he was working on.”

Combining her passion for the movie and love of writing, she penned “The Fans’ Love Story: How the Movie Dirty Dancing Captured the Hearts of

S

Millions!” in 2010 and followed the work up with her recent book “The Fans’ Love Story Encore”.

While researching her books, Tabashnik traveled to Mountain Lake Hotel in Pembroke, Virginia, where a portion of the movie was shot. She conducted interviews with Linda Gottlieb, producer of Dirty Dancing, and Maurice Williams, writer and singer of the song “Stay” from the movie soundtrack.

In her book, she shares interviews with Jackie Horner, Dirty Dancing story consultant and Catskills dance professional, and Steve Schwartz, a former Catskills dance teacher.

The book includes photos from the set, interviews from fans who discuss their personal connection to the film and tributes to Patrick Swayze, whose death was particularly devastating to Tabashnik.

“With pancreatic cancer, the odds are not good,” she said. “It was really sad, but he handled it with a lot of grace and dignity. He was very inspirational.”

To that end, the Walled Lake resident donates a portion of her book sales to the Patrick Swayze Pancreas Research Fund Established at the Stanford Cancer Center.

With the success of her first two books, Tabashnik intends to write another book. “Writing is really my passion. That’s what I get up for in the morning in terms of career,” she said. “I am definitely going to write another book. I don’t know if it’s going to be about Dirty Dancing, but never say never.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Jean Lannen

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.

Anaam’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.

Billy’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.

Carino’s Italian Restaurant: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Loop Road, Commerce Township, 48390.

248.926.5300.

Carrie Lee’s of Waterford: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

7890 Highland Road, Waterford, 48327.

248.666.9045.

Casey’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

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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.

CJ’s Brewing Company: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

8115 Richardson Road, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.366.7979.

Coffee Time Café: 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.

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,

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44

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, 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,

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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.

08.14

FACES

Casey Ryan ommerce Township native Casey Ryan endured a painful coming out process that led to the founding of Spectrum Therapy, a therapeutic practice in Colorado that reaches out to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

“I wanted to give people the opportunity to talk to someone who has gone through it.”

Growing up in a staunch Christian household, Ryan said he knew telling his family he was gay would be very difficult. “I spent years praying to be a different person.” The secret nearly caused him to end his own life.

“I questioned whether I wanted to live being gay. I came out to my parents when I was 21.

The alternative was not living.”

At that time, Ryan was attending Wayne State University with the assistance of his parents. As a result of coming out, Ryan stepped away from his education. “My dad said, ‘I now have three sons instead of four. Get out.’”

Ryan soothed his tormented soul with drugs and alcohol.

“There were many years of debauchery. I’m aware of the damage I did to my life expectancy.”

After finding a community of other gay people who he could relate to, he was able to gather strength. “I realized I wasn’t alone. I became comfortable with (being gay) and independent.”

Through family therapy, Ryan said was able to maintain a connection with his family.

“My mom told (my dad) that there would never be a day that she wouldn’t welcome one of her children in her life,” he said. “We went to see a therapist. My dad said he was there as a physical support to his wife. He asked not to be asked any questions and said he would refuse to answer any questions. But for six months, he had to listen.”

Ryan returned to WSU to study psychology and discovered the career path that would allow him to help others in the LGBT community.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Ryan and his longtime partner, Chris Vitatoe, moved to Colorado in pursuit of a new beginning.

There, he earned his masters of arts in marriage and family therapy from Argosy University of Denver.

In 2011, Ryan, by then a psychotherapist, opened Spectrum Therapy, a practice that helps patients with the “coming out” process, identity development, bullying and other issues.

Motivated by his own experiences and discord in schools around the country, Ryan is writing a proposal to speak at local school districts. “I want to tell them it’s OK to ask for help and not to be ashamed of seeing a therapist when you are weak or down.”

After 10 years together, Ryan proposed to Vitatoe while in Barcelona earlier this year. A March 2016 wedding is scheduled.

In time, Ryan’s father has come to accept him and he anticipates seeing his father at the wedding.

Therapy played a substantial part in the mending of an important relationship for Ryan and he is now able to do the same for others.

“It has definitely come full circle.”

C

Story: Katey Meisner

ENDNOTE

Missed opportunity with lack of planning ommerce Towne Place, the name for Commerce Township’s Downtown Development Authority’s planned 330-acre development area north of M-5 Highway and Pontiac Trail between Haggerty and Welch Roads, is at a pivotal development point. If members of the township’s board of trustees, DDA board, and planning board continue in the loose, willy nilly style of planning – or lack thereof – they have been proceeding under, Commerce will have squandered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a beautiful commercial, retail and residential downtown community from scratch that will invite generations to live, work and recreate in the township.

The alternative may be a second rate development reminiscent of M-59, Orchard Lake Road or the Dixie Highway in Waterford.

The key, as it always is, lies in proper planning, whether it is in master plans, the adherence to strong sets of regulations and standards for builders and developers, the creation of an overlay district, and ultimately, the vision of leaders in the township.

Time is of the essence as four of the parcels in Commerce Towne Place have been sold to developers.

The DDA began years ago when the township needed, for a variety of reasons, to bring Detroit water to commercial and some residential areas in the township. Then the focus of the DDA, starting in 1998, turned to township concerns for ways to improve traffic congestion around Pontiac Trail, Haggerty Road, 14 Mile Road and Maple, where M-5 terminated. In 2003, the DDA funded traffic studies in the area to determine where traffic exiting M-5 could go, and what could be done to facilitate north-south traffic between M-5 and M-59. At the same time, the former Links of Pinewood owner, the late Ernie Fuller, had talked about establishing a 27-hole, championship golf course in the area. The discussions eventually developed into the sale the Links of Pinewood and adjacent El Dorado golf courses to Commerce Township with the intent of developing a downtown. The DDA in 2007 purchased more than 70 acres of Dodge Park V from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The land purchases made it possible for the DDA to extend Martin Parkway south to M-5 to improve traffic flow. It was from there that Commerce Towne Place was born.

Land was purchased, Martin Parkway was completed, future land planning was started and then two things happened – a recession took hold and the head of the DDA effort at the time was replaced, for whatever reason, and his detailed vision for this development was basically put on the shelf with little attention to finalizing the necessary planning.

A glitch created by lack of planning reared its

C

head in the last month, when developers who have purchased parcels taunted the township with either walking from their purchase agreements, or attempting to negotiate lowered purchase prices, because of uncertainties regarding the materials and maintenance of the DDA’s pedestrian pathways throughout the development. Under the original purchase agreements, it was clear the developers were responsible for any improvements to the existing pathway system in the project area, as well as all future maintenance, to be determined by the township. But a master pathways plan created by the DDA and the planning commission in midJuly called for an additional half-million dollars worth of limestone aggregate and concrete pathways within the development.

“We have now reached the point where the DDA has entered into agreements with developers for the sale of portions of the project site,” township attorney Phil Adkison said. “This has necessitated addressing the specifics of the township board’s expectations regarding the pathway system for this project.”

Although a plan was hastily developed, the township board of trustees rejected the master pathways plan, leaving pathways to remain essentially “as is”, or with simple asphalt millings.

Further, arrangements were made with one developer to donate money to a pathways fund in return for the removal of a pathway in what would be the backyards of proposed homes.

Frankly, the pathways fiasco was shameful, both on the part of the township and the DDA, and on the part of the developers who knowingly entered into development deals that stated they would maintain the pathways to standards set by the township and then turned around and threatened the township.

We take the township to task for not having a master pathways plan until they were pushed to the wall, when such a plan should have been developed at the point the land was first marketed for sale so all parties would know what the standards would be for Commerce Towne Place.

From our vantage point, after attending the DDA, board of trustees and planning meetings, Commerce Township is flying by the seat of its pants when it comes to developing Commerce Township Place, which will ultimately mean this will be a second-rate development. To avoid that, it’s vital to have a shared vision of what this downtown is to look like, with codified plans and development rules, and then all stakeholders must work to make sure developers meet these standards. Sorry, but to just leave the final development details to the whim of approving boards as they view individual plans is an archaic approach that does not assure the community of a cohesive, top-drawer development.

There should have been a codified plan on

exactly what each zoned parcel is to become.

There should be standards for architectural design guidelines, from the materials used, scale, roof design, colors, building heights, sustainability, setbacks, landscaping, pedestrian circulations, parking, lighting, trash containment, operations and noise abatement, parks, green spaces, boulevards, traffic circulation, wayfinding, signage, streetscaping, restaurants, bistros, outdoor cafes, walls, hedges, fences, and all of the specific codified building standards for the development.

Ironically, there is a handbook, created in July 2008, before the economic collapse and subsequent Great Recession, called the Commerce Township Development Handbook, which outlines in exquisite detail all of the above specifications. It is thorough, thoughtful, wellresearched, well-written, and should have been adopted as the overriding principles for the development of a mixed use downtown known as the Commerce Towne Place.

Any municipal planner worth their salt will tell you that the groundwork for a successful development lies in having the specific rules and guidelines for future development laid out in advance and then having the wisdom to hold to these specifications, thereby avoiding a situation where developers just whipsaw the community until they get what they want.

We advise all members of the Commerce Township DDA board, planning commission and board of trustees to obtain and read the document we have read, and then approve it as quickly as possible. Create the sets of regulations and standards, and the overlay districts if necessary, for Commerce Towne Place that will allow it to become the first rate downtown you initially envisioned. Adopt those regulations, ordinances and standards, and those are what builders and developers must follow to develop an appropriate and beautiful community.

We suspect that, thanks to the recession the community has just been through, township officials were of a mind to quickly sell off and have developed the DDA land to minimize the impact on the community which has been paying off the bonds on this project. But we also think that many of these same officials are realizing now that there is no need to hold a fire sale and possibly squander a perfect opportunity to create a cutting edge downtown area for Commerce, one that will withstand the challenges of time and the economy like any well-planned downtown should.

So let’s start with the premise that Commerce Township is a gem in western Oakland County, with a chance to create a downtown that will set the standard for decades. And that can only come from better advance planning than we have seen to date.

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