J. MARCH: VILLAGE BAR & KITCHEN • FRONT/BACK COLUMN: PAGE 48 SEPTEMBER 2015
LOCAL MUNICIPAL
E-MAIL RULES PRACTICES, POLICIES COUNTY-WIDE LOOK AT HOW GOVERNMENTS HANDLE ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SCHOOL MEALS: PUSH BACK FROM DISTRICTS AS SALES DROP HATE CRIMES: NUMBERS INCREASING OVER SEVERAL YEARS ECRWSS Postal Customer PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PERMIT #792
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Time to start planning for your summer move. Call Jennifer for your free market analysis today!
Oakland County's Lakefront Specialist
Jennifer Wrobleski 248-854-3100 Office: 248-360-2900 jwrobleski@kw.com www.MichiganHomeMarketPlace.com
#1 Agent at Keller Williams - Commerce
Bloomfield Hills-Fabulous home on private lot amongst million dollar homes on private Wing Lake. 131’ of frontage. Updated kitchen, stunning lake views, and gorgeous pool overlooking lake. $819,000.
JUST LISTED in White Lake-Beautiful colonial on large private lot w/gorgeous pool, finished walkout lower level with bar and full bath, and stunning updated kitchen. $375,000. Call today to schedule an appointment. Stunning beachfront automated home on all-sports Williams Lake. This house has it all! Gorgeous frontage complete w/it’s own light house. Beautiful kitchen, hardwoods, finished lower level w/full bath and full kitchen. Master suite that every owner deserves. $949,900.
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Own your own 3 acre island on all-sports lake in the heart of the lakes area! Walled Lake Schools. Includes buildable lot. Add on, build new, or enjoy the home as-is. The possibilities are endless. Inviting entry, solarium, living room w/ 2 way fireplace to gazebo. Well appointed kitchen. Large deck w/gazebo. Stunning lake views from every room. $860,000.
|
Commerce Twp, MI 48382
WESTEND09.15
27
Local government e-mail policies in Oakland Westend reviews how local municipalities across the county handle e-mail accounts and what policies, or lack of policies, we found in some 50 communities.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
8
The election race for Oakland County clerk is already taking shape and there are some familiar names seeking this post, but the contest could involve just more than making sure the office functions properly.
CRIME LOCATOR
15 School lunch push back Schools nationally and locally are grappling with the recently imposed federal school lunch rules with many noting a loss of revenue and increased expenses.
13
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.
MUNICIPAL
40
Township may change course on planner; presentation made on lifestyle center for new downtown; Commerce wins pool lawsuit; city can now make investments; plus more.
AT THE TABLE
51 35 Hate crimes increasing Statistics from Michigan and Oakland County show an increase in the last few years of what are classified as hate crimes under state and federal law.
Reviewer J. March visits the Village Bar & Kitchen in downtown Milford and finds an ambitious effort in terms of menu but a failure to translate well at the table.
THE COVER The one-room Stonecrest schoolhouse, built in 1860 on the same site as its 1836 predecessor, the only school house in Walled Lake for many years. Westend photo.
ENDNOTE
54
Our views on leadership issues in Commerce Township; the importance of officials using government e-mail accounts.
FACES 24 Diane Orley/Linda Aikens 32 Kevin Saarela 39 Spencer Schram 44 Pastor Brad Hulcy
PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Allison Batdorff | Rachel Bechard | Hillary Brody Katie Deska | Kevin Elliott | Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf J. March | Kathleen Meisner | Bill Seklar PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING MANAGER James Bishop ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in the Commerce, Wolverine Lake, Walled Lake and Union Lake area. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in west Oakland. For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual charge. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (westendmonthly.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order online or scan the QR Code here.
INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Commerce/Union Lake community. The traditional “letters to the editor” in Westend are published in our Incoming section and can include written letters or electronic communication. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 W. Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009. If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes. WEBSITE westendmonthly.com
FACEBOOK facebook.com/westendmonthly TWITTER twitter.com/downtownpubs
Member of Downtown Publications DOWNTOWN | WESTEND | THE GUIDE
2014 CENTURION and Top Quality Service Award Winner
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
ver the last couple of election cycles, Downtown Publications has been extending the slate of offices for which we provide not only coverage but also our editorial opinions or endorsements.
O
Until now, we have really stayed focused on purely local elections at the city, village and township level, and then county commission and the Michigan House and Senate local districts. But, for 2016, we will be extending ourselves a bit further by including the main full-time offices at the county level – county executive, clerk, treasurer and sheriff. Against that backdrop it was interesting to see what in recent weeks has been unfolding for the office of county clerk, now held by Democrat Lisa Brown, formerly a state Representative from West Bloomfield. Not one but two candidates on the GOP side have already announced in advance of next spring's filing deadline that they are seeking to run against the incumbent – Bill Bullard Jr. (we all remember the name from any number of offices he has held) and Rochester Hills City Clerk Tina Barton, new to the world of elective offices. I first encountered Republican Bill Bullard Jr. in the 1978-1982 period when he was a trustee and then supervisor in Highland Township in the lakes area of Oakland. I followed him as he served in the Michigan House and Senate, then during his time on the county board of commissioners, with six years spent as chairman of the board. In 2010 he was appointed as Oakland County Clerk when Ruth Johnson exited to take the Michigan Secretary of State office after the fall elections. Bullard lost his run for election to the post at the end of two years when he was challenged by now-county clerk Brown, some say in part due to his less-than-enthusiastic campaign that year. Brown could also thank the Obama coattails in the 2012 election and the controversy, with the ensuing local, state-wide and national media coverage, surrounding her use of the word “vagina” on the floor of the Michigan House where she was opposing an anti-abortion bill. The proverbial you-know-what hit the fan when chamber leaders barred her from speaking in the House for breaking the rules of “decorum.” Yes, the same house where a noted southeast Michigan Senator, inebriated, walked across the top of a conference table during a caucus meeting in the late 1970's; the same House that in 2015 has given us the sordid controversy/affair involving Reps. Todd Corser-Cindy Gamrat, they of Tea Party fame. So Bullard, a lawyer now doing a stint with an Oakland law firm,
has decided to announce for the county clerk's post once again after having formally filed an election committee in mid January of this year. He is joined by Barton, serving as a municipal clerk in Rochester Hills since 2013, and prior to that as Bloomfield Township Deputy Clerk for eight years under Jan Roncelli, considered one of the leading clerks in the county who narrowly – and I mean very narrowly – lost out on the appointment as county clerk when circuit court judges voted to name Bullard to that spot. As the logic goes, Republicans are expecting a stronger showing than they had in the 2012 election when President Obama took Oakland County by 53.4 percent of the overall vote. Following him into office in Oakland were Democrats Brown along with current Oakland Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash (a total shock to many in both parties), both of whom interestingly enough had nearly the same percentage of votes as Obama in the county, which clearly in recent elections, based on university board of regents numbers, is trending Democratic. It should prove interesting to hear just why first-term county clerk Brown should not be returned to office. For the sake of the office and the service it provides to thousands in Oakland, this will be an important election that hopefully will focus more on the mechanics of running the clerk's office. But there could be (although should not be) an idealogical side to this election, much of which is disguised under the mantel of protecting or improving the election process but really comes down to which political party – usually the one in power – can push their viewpoint to influence change that improves the outcome of future elections to benefit either Republicans or Democrats. Bullard has already interjected ideology – you know, the sanctity of the ballot box issue (less than 20 cases in Oakland where 450,000650,000 votes are cast each election), as someone suggested just prior to press time, in hopes of energizing the conservative base in the GOP. But he has to make it beyond the Republican primary, against a female candidate with the bonafides when it comes to training and certification as a municipal clerk and what I hear is both an ambitious agenda and an undaunted acceptance of the fact that it will take some serious cash to defeat Bullard. I am anxious to see how the race shapes up and plays out for the county clerk's office in 2016 and whether ideology or the functioning of the office is the center of debate, as it should be. David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com
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2 STORY COLONIAL HOME IN COMMERCE TWP! THIS HOME FEATURES 1ST FLR LIBRARY/DEN, NICE OPEN FOYER WITH WOOD FLOORING WHICH LEADS INTO THE SPACIOUS OPEN KIT W/ BEAUTIFUL CABINETS, GRANITE CTR TOPS, CENTER ISLAND, RECESSED LIGHTING AND STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES WITH EAT IN DINING AREA. 3 BEDROOMS, 2 1/2 BATHS, UNFINISHED BASEMENT W/9’ CEILINGS…2ND FLOOR LAUNDRY! 2ND FLOOR ALSO FEATURES NICE LOFT AREA-GREAT FOR KIDS AREA/ENTERTAINMENT! DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ONE AND CHECK OUT THE GORGEOUS BRICK PAVER PATIO AT THE BACK OF THE HOME...GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING AND FAMILY TIME! $289,900. CALL THELMA @ 248-408-0957
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2070 SQFT CEDAR & BRICK RANCH SITS BACK OFF GRAVEL ROAD ON SECLUDED 1.37 ACRES NOT TOO FAR FROM DOWNTOWN MILFORD. 3-CAR+ DETACHED MIRACLE TRUSS GARAGE WITH 2-10' X 10' DOORS, 1- 8' X 7' DOOR & 220V ELECTRIC SERVICE. 3 BEDROOMS, 2.5 BATHS & OFFICE WITH FRENCH DOORS. LIVING ROOM HAS CUSTOM CALIFORNIA CLIFF STONE FIREPLACE & OPENS TO DINING ROOM WITH DOORWALL ACCESS TO LARGE DECK. KITCHEN HAS AN EAT-IN BREAKFAST AREA & ALL STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES ARE INCLUDED. LARGE BONUS ROOM OFF KITCHEN CAN BE USED AS A FAMILY ROOM, MAN CAVE, PLAYROOM, EXERCISE ROOM, ETC. **DEEDED LAKE ACCESS TO SEARS LAKE.** $247,500. CALL NANCY @ 248-388-2266
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INCOMING Home schooling issue While I applaud your nice article on homeschooling (August/Westend), it is still the "same ole, same ole” that no one addresses the "child left behind.” Even though someone "signs" the paper, what would it hurt to follow-up and be sure the child is educated. It is too, too late for my granddaughter, but I know there are others who are not being properly homeschooled. I have been trying for over four years to get this addressed and it falls on deaf ears. It sickens me that know one cares and just don't want to challenge this issue. Joyce Burns Walled Lake
Choose leaders wisely All facets of the media are bombarding U.S. citizens with news of presidential candidates for 2016. As we research the policies, values, accomplishments, goals of the many possible candidates, I suggest we do the same for potential state candidates. Governor Synder and the Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives continue to disappoint me. They did not solve the problem of the horrible roads in our state; taxpayers bear the brunt. They discontinued tax credits for the fledging, growing film industry in Michigan. In June the governor signed legislation that allows faith-based adoption agencies to refuse to serve same-sex couples or unmarried couples. We must choose wisely those leaders who reflect our values and goals. Hannah Provence Donigan Commerce
green acreage out there that could conceivably add to the total land mass not generating tax revenues. And of course that suggests another topic which you have previously broached: water resources. Do golf courses have an intrinsic right to deplete the water table in an area via private wells? (Noted: fire hoselike torrents watering those greens and fairways.) And lastly, is the fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide runoffs from these large tracts of manicured land fairly considered in light of the damage they do to our public waterways? As always, thanks for your thought-provoking coverage in each issue. Charlton Burch Bloomfield Hills (Publisher's note: After receiving your letter, we checked with county tax authorities and land at all golf courses (non-municipal) is taxable. Rest assured that your other questions will be topics for future editorial planning sessions.)
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Golf course land taxes Wow, I was struck by what a low percentage (4 percent) was presented as the overall calculation of the tax exempt real property in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area (August/Westend). Why does that seem like it should be more? That got me thinking: Did you include private, membership-only golf courses such as Oakland Hills, Birmingham Athletic Club, Bloomfield Hills Country Club, among several others? Perhaps I overlooked these in Kevin Elliott's article, but aren't these 501(c)(7) organizations also legally entitled to a tax exemption on their real property? That's an awful lot of florescent
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COLDWELL BANKER WEIR MANUEL
BLOOMFIELD TWP | $1,500,000 Fabulous home in Bloomfield. Stunning marble two story foyer with dramatic curved staircase welcomes you into this custom built home. Floor to ceiling windows in great room, hardwood floors. 6 Bedrooms | 5 Full and 2 Half Baths | 215063811
NOVI | $459,000 Pure elegance w/high quality features: formal dining room, living room and great room w/open floor plan accented w/soaring foyer, wood floors, granite, 42 inch cherry cabinets, custom built-ins. 4 Bedrooms | 3 Full and 1 Half Baths | 215078092
INDEPENDENCE TWP | $269,000 Best deal in Clarkston, priced to sell immediately! Don’t miss out on this amazing historic home sitting on 2 acres just a 5 minute walk to downtown shops, restaurants and Deer Lake beach. Beautiful views. 3 Bedrooms | 2 Full Baths | 215081800
WEST BLOOMFIELD TWP | $775,000 Looking for lots of room to entertain with access and 2 docks on All Sports Upper Straits Lake? This 2 Story home was uniquely designed to give you an open and airy feeling. Renovated in 2007. 4 Bedrooms | 3 Full and 1 Half Baths | 215058430
NOVI | $439,000
WEST BLOOMFIELD TWP | $499,000 Quiet, Peaceful, Elegant are just a few words to describe this Gem located in Prestigious West Bloomfield Twp. Its beauty is only matched by its serenity and luxury. Ideal for entertainment. 4 Bedrooms | 2 Full and 2 Half Baths | 215090652
COMMERCE TWP | $314,999
Outstanding end unit with beautiful pines framing the side and backyard giving a northern appeal! Elegant first floor master suite, dramatic great room w/vaulted ceiling overlook a serene & private setting. 3 Bedrooms | 2 Full and 1 Half Baths | 215083620
COMMERCE TWP | $260,000
Move in time for School in the Award-Winning Walled Lake District! This beautiful 4 bedroom home is turnkey and ready for you to call HOME! Freshly painted inside and out with an all neutral decor. 4 Bedrooms | 2 Full and 1 Half Baths | 215075891
COMMERCE TWP | $225,000
Awesome contemporary home in the desirable High Pointe Subdivision. Open and flowing floor plan between the kitchen and great room. Vaulted ceilings. Fieldstone fireplace. Walk-out basement. 4 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths | 215078815
Outstanding value in Commerce Township w/ lake access, 4 car garage, Walled Lake Schools! Pride of ownership is evident in this meticulously maintained home with versatile, attached 4+car tandem garage!! 4 Bedrooms | 2 Full Baths | 215076055
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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 August 27, 2015. Placement of codes is approximate.
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SCHOOL LUNCH HOW COSTLY IS A HEALTHY MEAL
BY LISA BRODY well-intended federal school lunch and breakfast program went into effect with the 2012-2013 school year nationwide, with much fanfare, but today the program is facing push back from school districts across the nation and locally, along with lobbyists who from its inception have been diligently working to roll back the new standards. As childhood obesity more than doubled in the last 30 years and quadrupled in adolescents, the federal government seized nutritional control of school lunches and snacks, providing strict guidelines for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, which are federally funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their purpose is to provide nutritionally balanced meals to students each day, and since their adoption in 2010, new rules mandate that all public and charter schools offer healthy lunches with an entree, a fruit, vegetable, skim milk, and whole grains. The goal is for schools to provide students with nutritious lunches and breakfasts with less sodium and calories than they had previously been offered.
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MLS# 215040579 $1,590,000
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Yet some schools are reporting that students don't like the more healthy lunches, and that their districts are losing money, both from students purchasing less meals, and from higher costs associated with buying more costly fresh fruit and vegetables which must accompany every meal. Some schools also complain about significant waste, as students are forced to take entire trays of meals, rather than a la carte options, and then those students are dumping what they don't want to eat. Some school administrators also relay tales of some students, notably high school athletes, who complain of hunger after eating the meals, which are smaller than previously prepared meals, with fewer calories, fat, and flavor. Around the country, due to the strict federal food requirements, some school districts are choosing to opt out of the requirements, notably more affluent ones which can manage without receiving USDA funds. Districts which are opting out, from New York City to Kentucky to California, all note that the kids didn't like the healthy lunches they were being offered. Nationwide, according to the national School Nutrition Association, one million fewer students are choosing a school lunch each day. For those districts that want to opt out, their school district is absorbing the cost of opting out, forgoing federal funds that now help pay for student meals. Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut is one of the latest schools to drop out of the federal program, according to Education News, since school
ACCORDING TO ONE LOCAL DISTRICT THAT WANTS TO OPT OUT, “IF WE GOT OFF THE PLAN, WE COULD BE MAKING MONEY THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, MAKING MONEY THAT WOULD GO BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM WHILE STILL PROVIDING NUTRITIONAL MEALS.” board members refused to receive nearly $150,000 in federal funding, stating that the funding they refused is less than the amount it would cost them if they participated in the program, and the program has raised the district's budget deficit. Some schools in Minnesota that have decided to opt out of the federal school lunch program plan to create their own lunch program that will allow them to offer a wide variety of healthy foods, including items with higher calories. “The school lunch program is not meant to meet the needs of very active students,” said Janeen Peterson, food services director for Prior Lake-Savage district. However, in Michigan, that is simply not an option, even for Oakland school districts that express concern about the new rules and the cost of implementing them. According to Bill DiSessa, communications director for the Michigan Department of Education, schools in Michigan are mandated to opt in – in other words, all school districts must participate in the federal school lunch program, and they have been so mandated since 1978, for all public and charter schools. Being allowed to opt out isn't an option because of that mandate, with Michigan one of 12 states mandating schools participate in the federal program. “It's mandatory to participate, unequivocally,” DiSessa said. “If district XYZ says they're not going to participate, I assume there would be penalties. It's a department of agriculture program that the Michigan Department of Education administers.”
As one local district stated off the record, noting they would like to opt out, “If we got off the plan, we could be making money that would benefit the school district, making money that would go back into the classroom while still providing nutritional meals.” The current federal school lunch program, which emphasizes school dietary requirements championed by first lady Michelle Obama, was first approved by Congress in 2010, with the first wave of requirements implemented in the school year 2012-2013, and the second in the school year 2014-2015. Known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, according to the Federal Registry, “The proposed rule sought to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fatfree and low-fat fluid milk in the school menu; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat in school meals; and meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements.” The specific requirements of the USDA law provide that each meal must consist of a minimum of 8 to 10 ounces of whole grains; at least a half cup per week of dark green vegetables; at least a half cup of beans or peas; have at least a half cup of starchy vegetables, with no limit upon the amount of starchy vegetables served; at least three-fourths cup of red/orange vegetables for students in grades K-8, and at least 1.25 cups in grades 9-12; at least a half cup of fresh fruit in grades K-8, and at least one cup in grades 9-12; offer at least a half cup of other vegetables in grades K-8, or three-fourths cup in grades 9-12; tofu as a meat alternative is permitted; have zero transfat, and obtain less than 10 percent total calories from saturated fat; limit salt intake according to grade level; and offer at least a cup of low fat or skim milk, only. About 32 million children around the country participate in school meal programs each and every day. The rules are considered by many, from school districts, some parents and children, to be too stiff, requiring only whole wheat products, low or no fat products, very low sodium standards, and fruits and vegetables as integral components of the school lunch programs. However, nutritionists have heralded the standards as helping to reduce obesity and changing the eating habits of the youth of this country for the better. In 1980, 7 percent of children 6 to 11 in the U.S who were obese; that statistic rose to 18 percent in 2012. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those obese youth are more likely to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, be stigmatized, bullied, and have poor selfesteem. They are also more likely to be obese as adults, and are more at risk for a whole host of diseases, from heart disease to cancer. If the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is helping to combat childhood obesity and teach kids to eat healthier, which will last them a lifetime, why are so many schools finding it so difficult to deal with the requirements? “Food services for school districts are a business. We have to meet our budget. With the new requirements, it will continue to be a challenge,” said Lori Adkins, child nutrition consultant for Oakland Schools, providing educational services and programming for students, educators and administrators for Oakland County school districts. “Compliance with the new federal requirement is expensive, just for the increase in the amount of fruit that is required to be offered,” Adkins pointed out. She noted that for breakfasts that are provided to students receiving free or reduced-priced meals, as well as any students willing to pay, districts are required to have a full cup of fruit, a full cup of fat-free milk, and two grain items. “Students have to take at least a half cup of fruit. Before students could pick and choose what they
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wanted,” she said. “Margins are very tight. Districts can charge $1.25, and the costs are 92 cents per meal.” Of those costs, 40 to 45 percent comprise food costs; the remaining 55 to 60 percent are labor costs. “Unless you have a very high volume, breakfasts are a drag on costs,” she said. All of Oakland County school districts provide breakfasts to at least some of their students. “Districts love to serve breakfasts because they know it's tied into achievement. Superintendent (Mike) Flanagan has set aside classroom time for serving breakfast in the classroom, the first 15 minutes in the morning. But cost is still a factor,” Adkins said. As for the federal lunch standards, “Districts have been very successful in implementing the changes. They're hitting the mark. But participation has gone down significantly. In Michigan, districts served 1.8 million less meals in school year 2013-2014 from the year before,” Adkins emphasized. “With that drop in participation, costs have gone up because schools' costs are up more, they have to buy more whole grains items and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. That's a big revenue drop those districts have to bridge. That's a big reason why more districts are expanding their breakfast programs, to increase revenue.” As Adkins pointed out, healthy eating costs more. Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association, said, “Lunch programs are supposed to pay their own way. But now, they're no longer paying their own way, and beginning to have to
IF THE FEDERAL HEALTHY, HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT IS HELPING TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND TEACH KIDS TO EAT HEALTHIER, WHICH WILL LAST THEM A LIFETIME, WHY ARE SO MANY SCHOOLS FINDING IT SO DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THE REQUIREMENTS? be subsidized. School lunch programs are supposed to be self-sustaining.” The School Nutrition Association is a national organization of 55,000 school nutrition professionals – what are affectionately called “lunch ladies.” They are also a powerful lobbying group representing those lunch ladies and school lunch purveyors, seeking to convey their members' concerns regarding the current lunch requirements. They are actively lobbying Congress and the USDA to roll back some of the most stringent nutritional guidelines, those that were enacted in fall 2014, to their 2012 school year standards. This year will be the second year with those requirements, which according to the Michigan School Nutrition Programs, mandate that all school lunch, breakfasts and snacks must be made of 100 percent whole grain. Every lunch served must include two whole grain products, a fruit, a vegetable, and a low-fat milk. An example of suggested lunches before the requirements took effect might have included 3.8 ounces of pizza sticks with marinara sauce, banana, raisins and whole milk. The new suggested lunch is whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and whole wheat roll, a half cup each of green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower, fresh kiwi halves, skim milk and low fat ranch dip. “Our students have traditionally made smart choices for lunch and most families encourage healthy eating at home and at school. Our food services team has always
provided healthy options for students, so that's not anything new,” said Shira Good, director, communications and community relations, Bloomfield Hills Schools, of food service purveyor Aramark. “The difference is that it's incredibly rigid, and that means they have to be more creative than ever to provide attractive, nutritious menu choices. That's not easy with seven-year-old palates, or even 15-year-old palates, for that matter. But some of our students are familiar with kale and quinoa, so things aren't 'scary' to them.” “Ever since the implementation of the new regulations, Bloomfield Hills Schools' food service department has seen a decrease each year in the number of students buying lunches,” said Mandy Sosnowski, food service director for Bloomfield Hills Schools – Aramark. “The students need more time to adjust to the new foods that meet the new regulations. If we were allowed to have more flexibility with the regulations, we could find the items our students want to eat. They vote with their wallets, and their vote is not without flexibility.” Not everything has been a negative to the students, especially with elementary children, who are open to salad bars, produce from school gardens, items from which are cooked right at the school, and unique, colorful options. “Our elementary school students really enjoy our fruit and veggie bars. They also loved the addition of the fruit and yogurt meals at our elementary schools, made to order deli stations, as well as ethnic favorites at our schools,” Good said. “Several of the burger options were a hit at the high school this past year, and the stir fry is always a favorite.” Judy Evola, spokesperson for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, said they have instituted salad bars in their high schools and middle schools, as well as some elementary schools, that have been very popular. They have been a collaborative effort with the PTA, potentially holding down costs for the district's inhouse food service. This year, Evola said they are adding six salad bars with funding from a federal grant. Some of the elementary schools also have community gardens, providing teaching tools about different nutrients. “Teachers teach them about the different colors in different peppers, the nutrients in lettuce, beets, beans. It's teaching them about nutrition and and getting them excited about foods,” Evola said. In addition, Walled Lake Schools and West Bloomfield Schools have a partnership with Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield, which has a green house on its property with hydroponic gardening. “The director, Amy Strauss, has involved several schools in healthy nutritional education and how the body works, how food makes them healthy,” Evola said. Despite the district's efforts, students are not buying as many school lunches as before the federal regulations took effect. Julie Rader, food service supervisor, reported that in 2010-2011 school year, Walled Lake served 882,173 lunches; in 2014-2015, they served 767,534 lunches, while spending 14 percent more because whole grain, fresh fruit and vegetables are more expensive. Evola said the district is hopeful that once their food suppliers “get in tune with the regulations, the quality of the products they are giving us will increase.” Adkins said that some schools are partnering with local farmers to get local produce into their distributors and directly into their schools. “What appeals to students is when it's fresh and it tastes good,” she said. The Waterford School District utilizes a farm to school program, connecting their schools not only with Henry Ford Hospital but also local and regional farmers, as well as in a national program called the Edible School Yard. Transitioning from Memorial Day through the summer months, the program offers students
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community service as well 250 free meals daily to children 18 and under who qualify for USDA Oakland County Free Summer Food Program. The goal of the program is to bridge the gap between the garden and the kitchen, teaching nutritional education, involving students in growing and harvest activities, and as well as having them sort and weigh their harvested crops. Students learn to grow and outsource food as well as nutrition. Steve King, manager of operations for food services for Birmingham Public Schools, said Birmingham schools have removed all of the salad bars from their schools in order to meet the federal requirements, just the opposite of some of the other local districts, although they have fresh fruit and vegetable bars in all of their schools. “It's sad. The irony with salad bars is you're now limited to what you can offer them,” King said, noting the rigid calorie count, with a maximum calorie per meal for a high school student at 750 to 850 calories. “They (students) could go and pile ingredients, like meats, eggs, cheese, on and then it's not within the calories. We now go with pre-made salads and a packet of salad dressing so it's pre-measured. Students also used to like the soup we would serve” previously with Sodexo, and since the 2014-2015 school year, with Chartwells. “But no way can you serve soup when it's homemade, because when you scoop it out you can't measure out the protein and the veggies. So then you have to serve pre-made soup. And you can't, because
FURTHER SODIUM AND FAT RESTRICTIONS ARE MANDATED WITH THE ACT IN 2017 AND AGAIN IN 2020, WHICH ARE EVEN STRICTER, AND WILL FURTHER IMPACT FOOD TASTE, AND CAUSE DELI SANDWICHES, MEATS AND CHEESES TO BECOME MUCH MORE LIMITED. there's way too much sodium. So there's no soup on the menu in Birmingham Schools. It's a shame. Those are some of the downfalls.” On the converse, King said they are making homemade pizzas with whole grain crusts, low sodium pizza sauce, and low sodium cheese. Previously, students were served pizzas from outside restaurants. “Portion size is a problem (with the requirements),” Oakland Schools' Adkins agreed. “Some kids are hungry with the nutritional standards, which determine the number of calories at each grade level, along with the food director having to determine the calories meeting the challenge. That has definitely been a challenge in the high schools. Some of the student athletes are 200, 250 pounds, and the portion sizes are set by the federal government by calories. It used to be they could get a la carte options. But a la cart options have been impacted, as well, having to meet the requirements.” “Some boys buy an extra entree,” King said. “And, on the flip side, you can take a couple of fruit and vegetable sides because they are very healthy. But if you go around Groves or Seaholm (high schools) around lunch time, the fast food places are full. Instead, they're getting horrible, horrible food.” “Districts with a low percentage of subsidized lunches are losing participants because the students can go get meals elsewhere, and they've lost money from their a la carte sales,” said the School Nutrition Association's Pratt-Heavner. “It's not fair to say what was served before was junk; before 2014, it was better
than restaurant size portions. Our organization supports the 2012 requirements with the 50 percent grains, the sodium requirements, the calorie requirements. Some districts can no longer do scratch meals because it's difficult to meet the requirements, and there are significant signs of financial difficulties with the new (2014) requirements. Before 2012, there were no grain requirements. We're asking to go back to the original 2012 requirements. We're also asking for any item that can be sold as part of a meal, that it can be sold a la carte as well.” Prior to last year, students in all school districts had the option of choosing items for lunch to take. Now, they must take everything offered for lunch on their tray. “Schools should be able to decide if students should be required to take a fruit or a vegetable with every meal,” she said. “It keeps the mandate (for fruits and vegetables) for every meal, but doesn't force kids to take food they're going to throw away and not eat. It would cut down on some of the food waste.” “Students don't necessarily like having to take all of the required components with their meal (fruit, veggie, etc.),” Bloomfield Hills' Good said. “They are also not adjusted yet to the whole grain, low fat, low sodium requirements, but (hopefully) that will come with time.” Another revenue decline occurred in the last school year when all foods sold at school during the school day, whether they were a la carte, in the school store or cafe, or from vending machines, had to meet nutritional standards. Called the Smart Snacks rule, all snacks must be whole grain-rich; have as the first ingredient a fruit, vegetable, dairy product or protein; be a combination food that contains at least a quarter cup of fruit and/or vegetable; contain 10 percent of the daily value of nutrients for calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber; and be no more than 200 calories, with less than 230 mg of sodium, less than 35 percent total sugar, and less than 35 percent of calories from fat. Want a blueberry muffin? Neither do lots of students. Good noted that in the district's newly-opened high school, Java City Cafe, a snack bar run by Aramark, “the muffins have to be within calculated USDA standards. It's a challenge. Kids vote with their pocketbooks.” Students have been walking away from school snacks, either out the door, to fast food joints, Starbucks, or other places, or bagging it from home. Good said students in Bloomfield Hills cannot leave the school campus, so many more are bringing lunches and snacks from home. “It may not taste like McDonald's, but the kids love the entrees,” said Pam Zajac of West Bloomfield Schools, who claims the biggest issue students experience is the lower sodium and sugar. “We have burritos, tacos, nachos, pizza, and a made-to-order deli. We bake our own bread, and our own pizza dough. They can take as much as they want of the items.” She acknowledged that the portions of the items are small, but asserted that the number of meals sold in their five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school have not decreased. “The only difference is since the change it's more expensive to prepare the meals, especially with fruits and vegetables. But we're reimbursed by the FDA,” she said, with 30 percent of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. “We have not thought about opting out of the program because of the good portion of free and reduced lunches we receive. We haven't had a financial impact because of the food program,” Zajac said. Other districts have. Birmingham Schools' King said that gross revenues for food services at the end of 20102011 school year, before the new federal school lunch program came into effect, were $2.22 million, and at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, gross revenues were
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$1.992 million, “for a reduction in revenue of $229,886. The general fund does not make up any of the difference as the program is mandated by board (of education) policy to be self-sufficient. Therefore, changes such as food costs, options, labor, meal prices, capital purchases, etc., are all considered each year to ensure the program in self-sufficient.” Interestingly, when Westend first visited the subject of the new school meals rules in October of 2012, the Birmingham district had already noted an 18 percent decline in lunch program revenues, then bounced back to reflect only a seven percent decline, with officials predicting that within a year the lunch program revenue would return to normal. Deborah Piesz, assistant superintendent for business services for Birmingham Public Schools, said that any differences have been made up by the cumulative fund equity reserves of the cafeteria fund over time, not the district's general fund. “Therefore, there is far less reserves now than there were in 2011,” she said. One way to help balance their budget was by offering breakfast – the 2014-2015 school year was the first year Birmingham Schools had offered it in years, and King said it will be offered again in 2015-2016. “Our superintendent Dr. (Daniel) Nerad is such an advocate for good breakfasts. We served a good number last year, although in one elementary, there was only one kid who got breakfast every day,” King said. “We will do it again this year, and we'll try it for a few years to see if we can drum up more interest.” Huron Valley Schools' Supervisor of Food Service Sara Simmerman said adjusting to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act “has affected our a la carte sales and also our participation, as it has affected a high majority of school districts across the nation.” She said their fund balance decreased in 2014-2015 compared to 2010-2011, but did not provide specific numbers. “Our participation has dropped. We were granted the Whole Grain Waiver by the state of Michigan, which allows some flexibility in the choice of whole grains we serve (not all have to be 100 percent whole grain),” Simmerman said. “For instance, HVS will now have the option of offering pizza crusts, bagels and breadsticks without whole grain ingredients. We also have the whole grain pasta waiver. These whole grain products failed to meet quality standards that provided a superior product for our students. However, there are many other whole grain products our students enjoy, and which still means that HVS grain offerings are still over 85 percent of our grain products.” Further sodium and fat restrictions are mandated with the act in 2017 and again in 2020, which are even stricter, and will further impact food taste, and cause deli sandwiches, meats and cheeses to become much more limited. “We're seeing more and more heavily processed cheese in order to meet the fat and sodium levels,” Pratt-Heavner said, rather than natural cheese, which is high in fat and can be high in sodium. “If they wanted to, districts could serve diet pop or sugar free Red Bull, but they cannot serve two percent milk. It doesn't meet the criteria for beverages,” Adkins pointed out. There is the possibility, even if it is slim, that the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act could be altered. In May 2014, the House Appropriations committee passed an agriculture budget bill that included nearly $21 billion for child nutrition that would have allowed schools to opt out of White House nutritional guidelines passed in 2010. However, in December 2014, buried in the giant omnibus spending bill to keep the government from closing down, that failed, were provisions requiring less salt in school lunches and allowing schools to obtain whole grain exemptions. The federal Children Nutrition act expires September 30, 2015. “It has to be reauthorized for funding every five years with the USDA, and every time they tweak the guidelines,” Adkins said. “We're hoping, and lobbying (via the School Nutrition Association) for flexibility so we can offer a variety of grain products, and have flexibility with some of the sodium guidelines. The sodium guidelines affect the taste for school lunches and the a la carte items, which affect sales. “Directors know that the lunches are a business, and they want lunches to be successful, they want to service their customers, who are the students,” Adkins continued. “General funds (of school districts) should not be used for school lunches. We should be cost neutral. But regulations have put a stranglehold on costs and lunches.” “Our issue, and probably the issue most schools have with the federal program, is not with the need to provide healthy choices,” said Bloomfield Hills' Good. “The issue is we lose local control. We lose the ability to decide what's best and what's right for the students in Bloomfield. We lose the ability to create healthy and tasty choices that our students will love.”
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FACES Diane Orley and Linda Aikens he George Orley Mental Wellness Initiative (GOMWI) honors Diane and Randy Orley’s son, George, who tragically lost his life to suicide in August of 2013, at age 20, when he was a student at the University of Michigan. Earlier this year, Diane turned her grief into action by founding GOMWI with friend Linda Aikens, who has known others who’ve committed suicide, and has a family member who has struggled with depression. The purpose of GOMWI is to shatter the stigma associated with mental illness, and to that end, Orley and Aikens fundraise, spread awareness, and provide support. “The first year (from when George passed) was shock, and getting used to it. The second year has been more about making change and helping the next kid,” Orley said. GOMWI’s launch was held at the Townsend Hotel in February, and included speakers from the Wolverine Support Network (WSN), a peer-to-peer group at U of M aimed at empowering individuals struggling with mental wellbeing. At the inaugural fundraiser, Orley shared her story of losing George, and Aikens shared about the loss of her father. When the floor was open for discussion, “It just became a big therapy session at the Townsend. People loved the opportunity to share their stories with people who are sympathetic and understanding,” Aikens said. That event raised $50,000 for their cause. The two friends met about seven years ago as Cranbrook “school moms,” said Orley, a resident of Bloomfield Township who has a 24-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son who is currently attending U of M, as George did. Aikens lives in West Bloomfield and has three sons, two of whom attend U of M. Orley said she and Aikens “found a common interest, a passion, which brought us together on a different level, and now we’re working on a common path.” As part of a Mental Wellness Day to be held on September 17 at Michigan, 1,100 backpacks will be displayed on campus, illustrating the grave number of college students lost to suicide every year. Called Send Silence Packing, this traveling suicideprevention exhibit is a program of Active Minds, a non-profit also dedicated to removing the stigma of metal illness. GOMWI funded the backpack display in Ann Arbor, which will be a respectful time for reflection. Orley and Aikens will be sharing resources, along with other outreach groups. Of their work so far, Aikens said, “We’ve opened up so many conversations, people from everywhere have contacted us saying ‘Oh my God, I thought I was the only one.’” Orley added, “We’ve become go-to people for kids in the area. I take calls probably weekly of parents in desperation with sick kids.” To address this need, Orley and Aikens are starting the Parent Support Network to help families of young adults who are suffering. Orley and Aikens envision reaching beyond Michigan. Within the next year, the two are hoping to host fundraisers in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., and to support additional college groups that align with their mission. “We’re really trying to shatter the stigma so that kids in the transitional years, from high school to college and leaving home, can talk about it and not have any shame about mental health, depression, anxiety,” Aikens explained. Orley shared, “This has become my life’s journey and path, to help the next child, so that no family has to go through what we’ve been through. It feels good to help others. Seeing the need in the community and beyond is something I can’t turn away from.”
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Story: Katie Deska
Photo: Jean Lannen
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E-MAIL RULES COUNTYWIDE LOOK AT HOW GOVERNMENTS HANDLE ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
BY KEVIN ELLIOTT
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ne in six American workers say that e-mail is "very important" for doing their job, with about 78 percent of office workers in the United States depending on the use of e-mail, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. The nonpartisan think tank has been tracking the use of e-mail over the past 15 years, with a 2002 survey showing that 61 percent of American workers use e-mail at work. For people using e-mail for business-related purposes, having two or more e-mail accounts is typical, or even required. Worldwide, the number of e-mail accounts is expected to grow by 1.1 billion over the next three years. But while the number of e-mail accounts continues to expand, private and public policies regarding e-mail use often fail to keep up with technology and public record laws.
In August, Westend news magazine conducted a survey of the 62 municipal clerks in Oakland County. Based on more than 50 responses to that survey, at least 45 communities provide municipal e-mail accounts to their elected officials. Of those, about 32 have formal or informal policies regarding the use of e-mail, while about a half dozen are in the process of either establishing policies or updating them. Of the more than 30 policies provided to Westend, about half reference the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and whether e-mail could be subject to public disclosure; two specifically reference the state's retention laws regarding public records; while none specifically address the use of private e-mail for public business.
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nder Michigan's FOIA laws, all government records except those specifically stated in the act, are subject to public disclosure, including e-mail. Government agencies can be held liable if they keep e-mail messages too long, if their messages aren't properly destroyed, or destroyed too soon. Under the law, public records sent or received on a private e-mail account are subject to disclosure and record retention rules. First Amendment attorney Herschel Fink, who currently serves as legal counsel to the Detroit Free Press, said access to public records held on private e-mail servers may pose problems at all levels of government, as illustrated in national news in recent months. Fink, who has fought and won national and local cases regarding access to public documents, said public records are subject to disclosure regardless of the form or location. "It's a serious problem, and a problem in Michigan as well," Fink said. "There was one decision that I'm aware of that came out of Livingston County several years ago on this issue. The circuit court judge there found that it was a violation of a number of things, but in particular FOIA, and ordered that e-mails that were sent from and to a private account were public records." Fink said the court of appeals upheld the case. He said the law holds true regardless of the medium used for the communication. The difficulty, he said, can be in efforts to obtain public records from a private source. "When you conduct public business as a public official with a private e-mail, that doesn't get around the obligation to produce their records, it just makes it more difficult to find, and that encourages deception," he said. "It's a significant problem, I think...It's very dangerous for public officials to do that and think they can evade FOIA. It's dangerous ground when public officials do that because it can come back and bite them, and it should." The Michigan FOIA defines a public record as "a writing prepared, owned, used in the possession of, or retained by a public body in
the performance of an official function, from the time it is created." While it's clear that public records are subject to disclosure on private e-mail accounts, not all e-mail is subject to FOIA simply because it is sent or received from a public e-mail account. A 2007 court case in Livingston County involving Howell Public Schools clarified the issue. In the case, a FOIA request was made for all e-mails to and from three teachers at the district, who were also acting officials with the teacher's union. The teachers union objected to the disclosure of all of the e-mails, arguing that personal e-mails and those related to union business weren't public records. While the trial court found the e-mails to be public record because they were held by the school district, a subsequent appeals court ruling overturned the finding. The court found, in its ruling, the personal e-mails, by their nature, weren't public records because they had nothing to do with the operation of the schools. Public sector attorney Phillip Adkison, who represents Commerce Township, said the case established for Michigan that there is a limit to the reach of municipal authority and regulating private activity of officers. "It's in their power to say that if you communicate for public business that it should, or it's even required, that it be on a public account," he said. "The school district even had that policy, but private business was conducted on it in violation of that policy." Adkison said something similar came up once at a Commerce Township planning commission meeting. "A member was making notes during a meeting regarding public comments by applicants for site plans," he said. "The member kept them private and didn't deposit them in the records of the township, but used them more as a personal refresher. In my opinion, that if they weren't shared and just a personal convenience, they aren't public records." Catherine Mullhaupt, director of member information services at the Michigan Townships Association (MTA), said the group doesn't recommend whether public officials should use public or private e-mail, rather stresses that any public record is subject to FOIA, regardless of the account. "That's completely up to them to decide," Mullhaupt said. "We aren't subject to the same limitations as say the (United States) Secretary of State. In Michigan, for (government) employees, the issue of public or private doesn't have the same impact, you're still subject to the same disclosure. It's what is in the document and how it was used, regardless of where it was kept." The following Oakland County municipalities either provide or allow for the option of municipal e-mail accounts for elected officials: Addision Township, Auburn Hills, Berkley, Bloomfield Township, Brandon Township, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Township, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Groveland, Highland Township, Holly Village,
Huntington Woods, Independence Township, Lake Orion Village, Lyon Township, Madison Heights, Milford Village, Milford Township, Northville, the city of Novi, Oakland Township, Orchard Lake, Orion Township, Ortonville, Oxford Village, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac, Rochester Hills, Rochester, Rose Township, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Township, South Lyon, city of Southfield, Springfield Township, Sylvan Lake, Troy, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake, Wixom and Wolverine Lake. Bloomfield Township Clerk Jan Roncelli said the township supervisor, treasurer, clerk, and two of the four trustees have municipal e-mail accounts. Two other trustees, she said, are considering using municipal e-mail accounts – a measure she said she is in favor of requiring. "When I became clerk, it was automatic that I had an e-mail," she said. “It's a nice way to get ahold of people, and it's very easy to do through e-mail." In May, 2015, Bloomfield Township trustees discussed whether or not they should have emails, and whether those addresses are provided to the public. Roncelli said the concern came from members of the public. "There was no problem providing them with e-mail, but we can't force trustees to to take accounts," she said. "To me, you're better off having a public e-mail account. You have to be careful about what you do. I try to keep everything that I do with the public on the public account and a private account for private business. "Personally, I recommend that if you contact the public, that you do it on the public e-mail system." Roncelli said the township's policy regarding e-mail states that municipal e-mail is township property and subject to FOIA. However, she said none of the trustees who have declined taking a municipal account did so citing that specific reason, rather some said they would rather not have e-mails of a more personal nature subject to inspection by the township. Still, Roncelli said public records are subject to FOIA regardless of where they are held.
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lawson City Clerk Machale Kukuk said elected officials' email addresses are created through the city and are listed as a matter of public information. E-mail addresses of appointed commissioners and board members are deemed to be private as a matter of personal courtesy to the appointees, as a matter of informal policy. She said information for any FOIA request can be provided through the city's FOIA coordinator. Robin Luce-Herrmann, attorney for the Michigan Press Association, said state FOIA law is clear about the whether e-mail is subject to disclosure. The problem, she said, is that governmental entities don't maintain private e-mail accounts, such as Gmail. Therefore, the government's ability to provide public records from a private e-mail account can be hampered during FOIA requests.
"It should be clear, whether in paper or electronic form, it belongs to the public body and given access to," she said. "For me, it's more general. It's their job. The taxpayers are paying them ... the fruits of that work have to be made available to the public body and the public, subject to FOIA." The issue, Luce-Herrmann said, is more of a technical problem of accessing records maintained by a private entity.
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ichigan law requires that all public records be inventoried on an approved retention and disposal schedule that identifies how long records must be kept, when they must be destroyed and when certain records can be sent to the State Archives of Michigan for permanent preservation, according to the State of Michigan Records Management Service. However, not all e-mail has the same retention period. As with paper records, e-mail records must be evaluated for their content and purpose to determine the length of time a message must be retained in accordance with the appropriate retention and disposal schedule. Because e-mail messages may be evidence of decisions and activities, both the sender and recipients of e-mail messages must determine if a particular message should be retained to document their role in agency activities. Rules for public records of cities and villages are contained in the state's General Retention Schedule 8, while rules for townships are specified in General Retention Schedule 10. In general, the retention rule for cities and villages states that records exist in a variety of formats, including paper, maps, photos, digital images, e-mail and other forms. Public records, regardless of the the schedule, shall not be destroyed if they have been requested under FOIA, or are part of ongoing litigation. "The retention periods listed on this general
Password protection provides best security By Lisa Brody
oncerns about security, and the ability for hackers and others to gain access to email account information, is something that both municipal employees and municipal leaders must always be cognizant of and work to prevent. Whether utilizing government-provided or personal e-mails, according to security experts, the most important thing to look for is a WiFi connection that is password protected. Gordon Stein, who works for Lawrence Technological University in their math and computer science departments and is the administrator for RoboFest, said, “If you log onto a network that doesn't demand a password, anyone can get
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schedule do not specify the format that the record may exist, because each government agency that adopts this schedule may choose to retain its records using different media," the document states. "Government agencies are responsible for ensuring that all of their records (regardless of format) are properly retained and remain accessible during this entire retention period." Because municipal e-mail servers are property of the municipality, accessing public records isn't an issue when subject to disclosure to the public. However, whether appropriate rules are followed when public officials use private e-mail accounts is another issue. "If it's on their (municipal) server, it's a slam dunk, so it's a technical issue," Luce-Herrmann said. "The state of Michigan and public bodies have rules on the retention of documents. So, in an old-fashioned sense, say a township supervisor reaches an agreement for compensation, and it's written on a napkin from a bar and kept at home, it's still subject to FOIA. The same applies to private e-mails used to conduct public business. We just don't have a slam dunk case on it addressing those technical issues." The Michigan Municipal League (MML) provides sample policies to its members, including policies related to e-mail use and retention. The MML's sample policy regarding e-mail retention doesn't specify whether it applies to the retention of e-mails on private or public accounts, only as to e-mail messages "that are sent and received in the course of conduction official business" in accordance with an approved records Retention and Disposal Schedule. The MML's sample policy defines e-mail as "a means of exchanging messages and documents using telecommunications equipment and computers. A complete e-mail message not only includes the contents of the communication, but also the transactional information (dates and times that messages were sent, received, opened, deleted, etc.; as
your accounts out of the air. They can intercept the incoming e-mail, intercept the user's e-mail, the password, and then the accounts, and then set up their own account through that e-mail.” Stein said it doesn't matter whether the official is using their own personal e-mail or a municipal-issued e-mail account, it is the ease with which the e-mail account can be accessed when using the account at home, through a mobile device, or at some outside location with a WiFi hotspot. “For example, let's say the mayor of Birmingham goes to Panera Bread, and logs on to check his e-mails and does a little city business,” Stein said. If Panera is not password protected and a very secure Internet location, “someone could intercept his accounts and impersonate him, basically sending out e-mails as the mayor, and having access to all of his e-
well as aliases and names of members of groups) and attachments. Transactional information can be found and printed or saved from the e-mail system." The sample two-page policy lays out the responsibilities of employees, the municipality, and the municipality's FOIA and litigation coordinator. While the MML states that the sender of an e-mail is generally considered to be the person of record for an e-mail message, recipients should also maintain an e-mail as a record if they take action as a result of the message. When Westend contacted municipal clerks in Oakland County to obtain those e-mail policies that exist, the following communities replied with either formal written e-mail policies or informal policies: Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Brandon Township, Clawson, Commerce Township, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Highland Township, Independence Township, Leonard Village, Madison Heights, Milford Township, Milford Village, Northville, Novi, Oakland Township, Orchard Lake, Orion, Ortonville, Oxford Village, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac, Rochester Hills, Rose Township, Troy, Walled Lake, Waterford, White Lake, and Wixom. However, none of the policies reviewed by Westend required that electronic communications involving government issues and business be conducted on municipal e-mail systems, if they were available.
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he majority of the formal email policies provided to Westend fall under computer and Internet use policies in each municipality's employee policy. While each policy varies, nearly all address inappropriate use of e-mail, such as obtaining obscene or pornographic materials; security issues, such as the sharing of passwords or virus prevention; and whether or not municipal e-
mails. That's the biggest threat that no one thinks about with the use of free WiFi everywhere they go, especially if they don't use a protected password to log on.” So the municipal employee or official, with union documents or salary information, for example, in their e-mails, could easily be accessed or hacked. Stein said definitely so. “A lot of websites have switched their encryption methods. But some websites haven't,” he said. “I could come around with a cellphone app, and I could access user names and passwords (using that mobile app), and log into accounts with just a press of a button. I could get all the access and all of the information, and I could impersonate someone. Everything can be accessed if it's not secured. You can assume it's possible for someone to access it.”
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mail accounts are permitted to be used for private uses. Most policies also state that e-mail in the municipal system is property of that government, and that users shouldn't have an expectation of privacy, as messages may be reviewed by the municipality or be subject to public disclosure. And, while some policies address retention of e-mail messages, the issue is mostly addressed as a best practices policy for security and storage reasons. In Highland Township, the municipality's email policy specifically addresses e-mail as a public record meeting certain requirements of the state's retention laws. "Electronic mail may constitute a public record under certain circumstances and may be accessible or obtainable by individuals, agencies and others outside the Charter Township of Highland and subject to State archivist rules for retention/destruction," the policy states. "All e-mail originating or received by the Charter Township of Highland computer systems is charter Township of Highland property, and there is no individual right of privacy on Township computer e-mail." Similar language found in Highland's policy is included in the e-mail policy in Oxford Village. Troy's e-mail policy, which was created in 1998 and last updated in 2008, includes a guide to e-mail etiquette, as well as rules specifying appropriate uses and a reminder to
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employees that all messages are property of the city and subject to FOIA.
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he Madison Heights city policy regarding computer and e-mail use does state that computer equipment issued to elected officials may not be used in any violations of FOIA. Further, the policy was updated in 2011 to address the State's Open Meeting Act in regards to e-mail use. "Council shall not use e-mail in the following manner: As a method of conducting a secret ballot (vote) on a matter whose deliberations are required to be open to the public; As a method of conducting a round robin vote on a matter whose deliberations are required to be open to the public; As a method of conducting closed meetings when open meetings are required; As a method of deliberation toward or rendering a decision on a public policy with a quorum of Council; and As a method to conduct a meeting over the Internet." Many e-mail policies that were initially created in the late 1990s have been updated in the past five years or are currently in the process of being updated. Commerce Township Clerk Vanessa Magner said while the township has an e-mail policy, the board is in the process of updating several employee policies, including the township’s e-mail policy.
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"We are in the process of revising the employee handbook, and that will be worked on. We haven't revised it with current technology," she said. "We haven't felt there was an issue, or even known what to address, with private e-mail accounts. When we work on that, I'm sure we'll get an opinion from our attorney to make sure we are handling it correctly." In northern Oakland County, Groveland Township municipal clerk Pam Mazich said the township recently discussed creating an e-mail policy, but currently provides e-mail to staff only, not any of the other elected officials. However, size and location of a municipality don't correlate with how up-to-date a policy is, nor how widespread municipal e-mail is. In Birmingham, elected officials and appointed committee members both use their personal e-mail accounts. While the city maintains an e-mail policy, it is guided by the information technology department, rather than the city clerk's office. Some other, larger cities haven't updated their e-mail policies in more than a decade, rendering them obsolete as technology changes. In Pontiac, clerk Sherikia Hawkins said the policy is so old that it's virtually non-existent. "We are working on an updated policy right now," Hawkins said. "It's significantly outdated. It hasn't been updated in a while, so it's no longer applicable. We are working on that, it's very vague."
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FACES Kevin Saarela rmed with the unrelenting perseverance of a determined mother and the support of family and friends, Kevin Saarela bested a cancerous brain tumor that narrowly took his life. On Friday, October 2, the 15-year-old survivor will lead the parade before the Warriors for Warriors Pink Out football game at Walled Lake Western High School. This will be fifth annual event and Saarela will take center stage as an honorary co-captain. “Kevin realizes how important it is to raise awareness and he wants to help raise money to save other kids,” said his mom, Rachel Skousen, Saarela was 7-years-old when he complained of headaches, but doctors dismissed his headaches as migraines. “If a kid has a headache and nausea, just check it out,” Skousen cautioned. ”If I had listened to the first doctor, Kevin would be dead.” Skousen insisted on testing that later proved to be a lifesaving measure. “I remember I went to the hospital and I had to be put to sleep for an MRI,” said Saarela, “I’m not sure how much I understood.” Doctors discovered a golf ball-sized tumor in Saarela’s brain and he was rushed into surgery. “It’s not something any parent plans for,” Skousen said. Faculty, parents and Saarela’s fellow classmates at Glengary Elementary in Commerce Township rallied around his family. His second grade class sent cards for him while he was in the hospital. The simple gesture lifted his spirits during a time when he needed it most. “It was quite an amazing and humbling experience,” Skousen said. “When Kevin is older, he’ll understand how much the community surrounded him.” Saarela spent 30 days at Children’s Hospital where the Ronald McDonald House in Detroit accommodated Saarela’s family. His mother then decided to take him to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis for further treatment. “The staff (at St. Jude’s) was really nice,” Saarela said. “They were really good with children and there were a bunch of toys.” Saarela’s father would visit on weekends, and his mother worked to divert his attention from the daunting treatments. “When I was sick, my mom would help distract me,” Saarela said. “She took me to Graceland and I remember seeing Elvis’s suits. That was kinda cool.” After nearly a year of tests and treatments, Saarela got a cancer-free diagnosis and returned home to Commerce. Today, Saarela is a Walled Lake Northern High School sophomore with a high grade point average and a passion for science. “My dad helps me a lot with school stuff,” he said. Although he is not able to compete athletically, Saarela and his father lift weights at Powerhouse Gym in Novi. “He can run a mile now,” his father, Eric Saarela, said proudly. “I never thought that could happen.” By taking part in the Warriors for Warriors game, the solidarity of pink in the stands will symbolize the chance for others like Saarela to fight and survive. T-Shirts are available for $15 at Tricho Salon in Twelve Oaks, Your Salon in Commerce, and will also be available on game day.
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Story: Katey Meisner
Photo: Amy Elizabeth
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HATE
CRIMES OAKLAND AND MICHIGAN NUMBERS ON INCREASE
BY LISA BRODY
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n June 17, 2015, during a church prayer service in Charleston, South Carolina, Dylann Roof killed nine African American churchgoers, including the pastor. He later confessed, saying he hoped it would spark a race war. He was charged with 33 counts, including murder, firearm charges, and federal hate crime charges. The hate crime charges were added because Roof targeted his victims purely due to their race and their religion. While Roof's shooting spree horrified the nation, hate crimes are not just the provence of large scale atrocious offenses, but are often smaller and localized, receiving little or no media attention. Hate crimes don't necessarily occur more frequently in one geographic area of the country over another. Hate is an equal opportunity balancing act.
In Michigan in 2014, according to the Michigan State Police's Michigan Incident Crime Reporting, there were 441 hate crimes, a 10 percent increase over 2013, which had a 7 percent increase from 2012, when there were 375 hate crimes. In 2014, 74 percent of hate crimes in Michigan were anti-black; in 2013, 65 percent were; and in 2012, 64 percent were anti-black. Victims tended to be young. The highest number of victims in 2012 and 2013 were between 10 and 19 years of age; in 2014, the majority of victims were between the age of 20 and 29 years old. In all three years Michigan State Police tracked hate crimes, the majority of hate crimes took place in a residence, followed by the highway or an alley. In 2014, elementary schools and secondary schools were the third most reported location for hate crime incidents, while in 2013, a parking lot or garage was the third most reported spot. In 2012 and 2013, the majority of reported incidents occurred between people who were neighbors or knew one another. In 2014, “otherwise known” was the most reported relationship between victim and victimizer. In all three years, “acquaintance” and “stranger” incidents were highly reported, as well. o be classified as a hate crime, no matter the place or who is the victim or perpetrator, there is very specific criteria which differentiates it from just a criminal offense. You can yell foul language at someone out the window of your car at someone in another car, such as “You dirty Jew”, or “Go home camel jockey”, and that would not be considered a hate crime. According to Heidi Budaj, Michigan regional director for the Anti Defamation League (ADL), those are considered bias incidents. “It is a bias incident, but not a crime, because there is no damage, assault, or murder, or other crime,” Budaj explained. Hateful, but not hurtful, in a criminal and judicial sense. A bias incident is conduct, speech or expression motivated, in whole or part, by bias or prejudice, where the perpetrator admits his or her conduct was motivated by prejudice, or that they had selected their target based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or other identifying factors, said Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. A bias incident can include inflammatory speech, ethnic slurs, hate symbols, or involvement with an organized hate group. White supremacists, such as neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, can march spewing hateful speech, but it is considered their First Amendment right, as long as they do not fight with anyone, throw anything, or do anything that crosses the line into harmful criminal action or activity. “We have very liberal free speech laws in the United States, unlike other countries like Spain and France, where that is not permitted,” said Budaj. Budaj explained that liberal free speech laws can be open to interpretation in smaller venues and newer communication mediums, such as social media. “There have been incidents of threatening speech that's a direct threat based on a divorce, where a husband posted to social media threats to his wife,” Budaj explained. “Those threats were determined to not be a crime, so they were not hate speech. The courts ruled she could get a PPO (personal protection order).” There are situations in the newer realm of social media where law enforcement takes exception to free speech and hate crime. “Not
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with terrorist threats. There are different nuances, but those posting are likely to get someone arrested for the threat to national security,” Budaj pointed out. A hate crime is a violent crime motivated by prejudice which happens when the perpetrator targets a victim because he or she is a constituent of a certain group, whether it is racial, ethnic, religious, gender identity, disability, language, nationality, physical appearance, or sexual orientation. Incidents considered as hate crimes can take the form of physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults far exceeding bias incidents, offensive graffiti or letters, or in extreme cases, murder. “There have to be two sides in order for it to be a hate crime. First, it has to be determined that there has been a crime committed. Then, second, there must be a motivation, and that the target of the crime must be part of a protected class,” Budaj said. “Hate crimes are intended not only to injure the direct victim (of the crime), but to also create discomfort for the entire community (the individual is part of), at the very least.” The Michigan legislature amended the Michigan Penal Code, Act 328, adding a section in 1988 to cover hate crimes, making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of not more than $5,000, which became effective March 30, 1989, to cover ethnic intimidation. The law states: “A person is guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, causes physical contact with another person; damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person; threatens, by word or act, to do an act described, or if there is reasonable cause to be that an act will occur.” It further states that, “Regardless of the existence or outcome of any criminal prosecution, a person who suffers injury to his or her person or damage to his or her property as a result of ethnic intimidation may bring a civil cause of action against the person who commits the offense.” “The hate crimes legislation was created because legislators were aware that there was more damage that went beyond that of the initial victim,” Budaj said. “A crime may be identified as a potential hate crime, and investigated as such, but for the prosecutor to determine if hate crime should be added to the original charges in the course of the investigation, it depends on what is discovered in the investigation. Federal investigators may get involved where there's no hate crime legislation, or if it's deemed inadequate. In Michigan, the FBI takes hate crimes, or potential hate crimes, very, very seriously. They often offer their assistance to Michigan State Police, to the county sheriff, or local municipal police because of its importance. They have people assigned to local task forces and law enforcement.” cross the country, including Michigan, more than half of all hate crime incidents are targeted against African Americans. According to the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics, in 2010 in the U.S., there were 8,208 hate crimes reported. Of those hate crimes reported, 48 percent were race related, with 70 percent of those having an anti-black bias. Other frequently reported bias motivations were anti-Jewish, anti-white, anti-Hispanic, antiIslamic, and anti-homosexual, or what is perceived as someone's
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To be classified as a hate crime, no matter the place or who is the victim or perpetrator, there is very specific criteria which differentiates it from just a criminal offense.
sexual orientation. At times, the bias motivations overlap, such as violence that can be anti-black and anti-gay at the same time. In Michigan, in 2013, there were 400 reported hate crime incidents, of which 68 were in Oakland County, 17 percent of the total reported. In 2014, there were a total of 441 reported hate crimes, of which there were 43 incidents in Oakland County, almost 10 percent of the statewide total. Locally, Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt said, “We're not really seeing any incidents at all. Many, many years ago we saw some, like where there was spray painting of a house where a black person had moved into. But that was a long time ago.” He said an alleged incident at Birmingham's Seaholm High School, where racial epithets were written on a bathroom wall, as well as racists notes given to a teacher about an African American student, turned out to not be either a hate crime nor a bias incident, but a cry for attention by a former student. “That turned out to be an attention-getting device. The person who it was targeted against was actually the perpetrator,” Studt said. Bloomfield Hills Police Chief David Hendrickson said, “There's nothing on hate crimes for us.” Ditto Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas. “I cannot even recall a hate crime being reported here in many years,” Shakinas said. “We have been very fortunate to not have one of these cases reported in our community.” Looking back at the last three years, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at their 11 substations, they had reports of 24 hate crimes. “That's about eight a year,” Bouchard said, noting that the most they have had have been in the first half of 2015, where there have already been 11 incidents reported. “There were five total in 2014, and eight in 2013. We're already seeing a big jump this year.” He said he is uncertain as to the reason for the spike, as the crimes do not fit any specific pattern or cause. “Nothing jumps out as trends,” he said. o far in 2015, he said there have been a number of antiblack hate crimes, some anti-white, one anti-Jewish, and one anti-homosexual act. Of the kinds of crimes perpetrated, “One used a computer, another was a juvenile, and there were a smattering of intimidations and assaults,” Bouchard said. He said as he looked through the hate crime records of the past three years, “They were pretty all over the board. The largest group was actually anti-white. There were two anti-Protestant. Three antiJewish, an anti-female, some anti-black, two anti-gay in the last three years, and one anti-physical disabilities.” Eight of the 24 incidents were targeted as anti-white hate crimes. “That's a third of all the cases,” Bouchard said. “Then there were six or seven that were anti-black.” “There's a misperception that we're living in a post-racial world,” the ADL's Budaj noted. Bouchard's statistics reflect reports taken by Oakland County Sheriff's officers at substations. For the county as a whole, anti-black acts of hate crime comprised 25 of 33 Oakland County hate crimes in 2013 where the bias motivation was race, and in 2014, 14 of 25 occurrences. Statewide in 2014, there were 152 hate crimes committed against African Americans, down from 203 anti-black incidents in 2013.
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Anti-white actions, where the bias motivation was race and not religion or another factor, accounted for five of 33 crimes in 2013, and eight of 25 in 2014. At the same time, according to Michigan Incident Crime Reporting, “In 2014, white offenders accounted for 52 percent of the known offenders. Hate crime incidents can be perpetrated by multiple offenders of the same race.” In 2013, there were two incidents of criminal acts on multi-racial individuals, and one anti-Asian. In 2014, there were two anti-Asian hate crimes, and one anti-American Indian/Alaskan native. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) noted in a 2009 white paper, “Our birth was launched with a multi-decade struggle to finally end the lynch mobs that killed thousands of African Americans. When we abolished lynch mobs that viciously persecuted African Americans, we also abolished lynch mobs that viciously persecuted Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Catholics and Italians...Ending lynch mobs against African Americans ended the horror for white Catholics, the second largest group of victims...African Americans continue to have the highest rate of violent victimization.” ccording to the Michigan Incident Crime Reporting hate/bias crime statistics from Michigan State Police, the second highest bias motivation is religion. In 2013, 9 of 17 religiously-based hate crimes in Oakland County were anti-Jewish; in 2014, there were five anti-Semitic incidents out of a total of eight religious bias hate crimes. There were two anti-Islamic hate crimes in the county in 2014, and three anti-multiple religion acts in 2013. “There's a perception out there that when there's a hate crime, and it's against a religion, that it's against Muslims, but that's not true. Sixty-five to 69 percent of religious based hate crimes are antiJewish,” Budaj said. That's not to say that there is limited anti-Muslim or Arabic hate crimes. “In 2000, anti-Islamic hate crimes made up only one percent of all religious based hate crimes. In 2001, when there were the attacks on the World Trade Center, it shot up to 11 percent (nationwide),” Budaj said. “But then it dropped to 4 percent in 2002 and 2003. In 2012, it was 11 percent, and in 2013, it was 13 percent. It's been hovering between 11 and 13 percent. That's higher than it was, but no where near anti-Semitism, in terms of assaults, vandalism, even a few murders.” She said that in Michigan, anti-Semitic actions “are mostly vandalism, where swastikas or other hate symbols are spray painted onto privately held or institutional property.” In an ironic twist, someone who commits an anti-gay act on a federal level will likely be charged with a hate crime. But in Michigan, lacking expanded rights through the Elliott-Larson Civil Rights Act, “LGBT rights are not a protected class. While they can be charged under the state statute, right now it's not a state hate crime unless the FBI gets involved and gets it charged federally as a hate crime,” Budaj said. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, also known as Public Act 453 of 1976, the law is named after its two primary sponsors, Daisy Elliott (D-Detroit) and Melvin Larsen (R-Oxford). It prohibits discrimination on the basis of “religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status” in employment, housing, education, and access to public accommodations. It has been in effect in Michigan since March 31, 1977. Actual legislation to include the LGBT community wasn't introduced until 2005. Since, there have been several bills introduced to add protections for the LGBT community, including in January
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Because sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression are not protected characteristics in state law, the use of slurs do not distinguish the crime as a hate crime.
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2015, but to date, none have passed, excluding LGBT as a protected class, one of 22 states without specific protection for members of the LGBT community. “Hate crimes can happen anywhere and at any time, but not all crimes against gay and transgender residents are hate crimes. What makes a hate crime different than other crimes is that a whole class of people is targeted in an attack, not just the individual victim. The use of slurs in a crime is evidence that there is a hate motivation, but because sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are not protected characteristics in Michigan law, the use of slurs do not distinguish the crime as a hate crime. This means that the crime can't be tried as a hate crime in a Michigan court. If the crime is motivated by the victim's sexual orientation, Michigan will report it as such because the state's crime data collection law does cover sexual orientation. This means that if a victim is targeted because of their sexual orientation, the data on the case will read as a hate crime, but the state will not treat it as such in the courtroom,” said Equality Michigan, a statewide anti-violence and advocacy organization working and representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. uring just the first half of 2011, Equality Michigan said they received 83 incidents of violence or intimidation targeting gay and transgender residents which are considered hate crimes under the federal law, called the Shepard-Byrd Act, added to the federal hate crimes legislation in 2009. “However, because the statewide hate crime law is not comprehensive, incidents against gay and transgender Michiganders that are clearly motivated by anti-gay or anti-transgender bias are ignored as hate crimes,” they said. “Whenever a Michigan crime against a gay or transgender person is suspected of being a hate crime, Equality Michigan ensures that all law enforcement agencies involved in investigating the case are aware of the nature of the crime and will be able to address the needs of the victim.” In August in metro Detroit, there were two attacks on transgender women, including a murder of one transgender woman, Amber Monroe, in northwest Detroit. Detroit Police Chief James Craig noted there have been 15 reported crimes against LGBT individuals so far in 2015, more than double the seven that were reported for all of 2014. 2013 was the first year statistics were kept. “The uptick suggests either an increase in anti-transgender violence, or at the very least, that we are becoming more aware of these crimes, despite the tendency of local media outlets to misgender victims in press reports," noted the Human Rights Campaign. Craig acknowledged that he knows there are more hate crimes that occur against the community than are reported, but that members of the LGBT community “often do not report crimes because there traditionally has not been a strong relationship with police.” Liliana Reyes, the youth program manager for Affirmations in Ferndale, herself a transgender woman of color, said there has been an increase in the reporting of crimes, as well as an increase of response from the police. “In previous years, when a crime occurred, they would use their biologic gender; now they're referring to the victim by their preferred gender pronoun,” she said. Further, the Detroit Police Department has appointed a community liaison officer, Dani Woods, and established an LGBT community advisory board that is staffed with LGBT members along with the police department. “The chief, along with Officer Woods, are really trailblazers,” said Reyes. “We respond with the same zeal and speed as any crime,” Bouchard said of hate crime reporting. “Every victim is entitled to the same justice and protection. The additional element of being targeted for who they are angers me, and adds potentially another layer of charges, but everyone is entitled to the same protection. “I would love to see a day where we don't have any of these crimes, especially no ethnic or hate crimes,” Bouchard continued. “But statistics also show we have a pretty respectful constituency. It reflects a very diverse community.” – research assistance by Katie Deska.
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09.15
FACES
Spencer Schram stand-out film student at West Bloomfield High School, after graduating from the University of Michigan, Spencer Schram flew out to Hollywood, where he is now a production coordinator. Since moving west to follow his long-coveted ambition, Schram has worked on TV spots and movie trailers for blockbusters like “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation.” “Coming out (to Hollywood), I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I have a steady job with benefits and two meals a day.” With a Hollywood apartment located within walking distance to his job at Trailer Park, Inc., Schram has worked on TV spots for the latest “SpongeBob SquarePants” film and a trailer for “Cop Car” featuring Kevin Bacon. Schram works with graphics and coordinates with voice-over artists for film marketing. “We get films sometimes years in advance,” he said. “Sometimes we will get the movie weeks in advance and they’ll need review spots right away.” The eager film aficionado was fortunate to grow up in the West Bloomfield School District where film classes are offered and encouraged. “I took advanced video production and video journalism,” he said. “I was also the teacher’s aide for intro to video.” West Bloomfield High School teacher Kevin Walsh had students like Schram create their own feature films. The aspiring teenage movie producers would get guidance through the filmmaking process and their movies would be shown at the school, Schram said. Walsh offered Schram a unique opportunity to work on a commercial
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being filmed in Royal Oak. “It was awesome,” he said. “It was just a cool experience to be on a real set.” Schram was accepted into the University of Michigan, where he studied screen arts and culture. The film course is one of the highest levels of film productions classes offered at the university. In winter 2011, he worked as a gaffer for “The V Card,” a coming-of-age comedy centering around four female college seniors at the university. “The second year, I was a producer on ‘Fender Bender,’” Schram said. “It premiered July 2013. Both (movies) played at the Traverse City Film Festival.” “It was great. It was really a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m actually good friends with the writer of ‘Fender Bender”. The female lead of ‘Fender Bender’ (Jacqueline Toboni) actually has a recurring role on the show ‘Grimm’ on NBC.” Schram said goodbye to his family and flew to Hollywood with optimism, faith and an impressive body of work. “My family wasn’t sure exactly, at first. They were supportive, but they were concerned,” he said. “They were very impressed that I moved away from home and, I guess, I made it on my own.” Schram returns to West Bloomfield at least twice a year to visit, but he is elated to be working toward his dream of producing trailers. “I’m on the path for that goal,” he said. “(Trailer Park, Inc.) is a fun atmosphere with great people. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.” Story: Katey Meisner
MUNICIPAL Aikens discusses downtown plans By Kevin Elliott
Entertainment and high-end shopping will anchor a massive lifestyle center in Commerce Township's Commerce Towne Place that is expected to be constructed by the fall of 2018, real estate developer Bruce Aikens told township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board members at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 18. "It's not just soft goods. You must have entertainment," Aikens, vice president of Robert B. Aikens & Associates, told board members of the direction of the proposed development. "An upscale theater with a bowling alley, and a comedy club, we are negotiating with one of those." While Aikens said the development will still be anchored by one or two major retailers, the development should center on entertainment, with restaurants and shopping on the outer areas. It's a layout, he said, that's attractive to many potential tenants because it draws in a wide array of consumers. The idea marks a shift in the initial plans, which would have relied solely on major retail anchors. "People can buy stuff on the Internet, but entertainment is something you can't get. You can get Netflix, but people still want to go out," Aikens said. "These upscale theaters and bowling alleys are a really cool experience. You have to get people to come to these centers, that's why it's become a main push." Aikens in October of 2014 announced with the DDA that it intended to purchase about 51 acres of land north of Pontiac Trail and east off of Martin Parkway for an outdoor lifestyle and retail development. The property is currently under contract, as Aikens works to bring in tenants to anchor the development. Since April, eight national retailers have made the trip to Commerce Township to tour the property, he said. "Over the past four months, we met with some of the best retailers in the country to come and visit the site," Aikens said. "Everyone has come away floored." Aikens said in October that the company intends to build an open-air, walkable shopping center, which will serve as a destination spot in west Oakland County. The development also would provide the key commercial 40
Landscape architects present plan ngineers on Tuesday, August 18, presented the Commerce Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) with a first draft plan of a landscape architecture plan that will guide the streetscape and landscape plan along Martin Parkway in the DDA's Commerce Towne Place. Grissim Metz Andriese, of Northville, was contracted in June to develop amenity standards and guidelines for the right-of-way area along Martin Parkway, between Richardson and M-5. The project includes guidelines for lighting, including roadway and pedestrian poles; landscaping along the road and center median; site amenities, such as benches, litter receptacles, walls and other items; signage; and other associated items. "The concept is to develop a landscape for the parkway as a memorable, iconic, timeless design, reinforcing the existing natural beauty and establishing an image unique to Martin Parkway and Commerce Township," Randall Metz, president of Grissim Metz Andriese, said. The draft, which Metz said was being presented to receive feedback from the DDA board and developers, included slides of landscape and streetscape ideas, including a Commerce Towne Place monument, stone walls and signage place holders, as well as potential tree placements and median landscaping in the roadway and roundabouts. Metz suggested using different species of grasses along the median to create a sweeping feel along the roadway. The grasses to be used, he said, would provide different shades and sustain and change through each of the four seasons, rather than a cluster of seasonal landscaping features. Developers who attended the presentation said they were pleased with the initial ideas. "I think it's more than a good start," said Jim Galbraith, with M. Shapiro Development, a developer in the DDA. "Continuity is going to be very important, and that all this blends into the architecture. The branding of this as a common corridor is very critical." Developer Bruce Aikens, who will be building a lifestyle center at Commerce Towne Place, said there were aspects he particularly liked. "I think we need to digest it to give us a chance to understand it and fine tune it," Aikens said. "I love the natural grasses. I think we can do a lot with that." Board members also said they liked the initial presentation. Mark Stacey, DDA director, said there are still many steps left in the project as they move forward, but the idea of the presentation was to give the board an update on the project.
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element for the DDA's Commerce Towne Place project, a 330-acre area north of M-5 and Pontiac Trail, between Haggerty and Welch Roads, which will include a mix of residential and commercial sites combined with conservation areas, public trails, parkland and natural area connected by a system of pathways. Commerce DDA Chairman Jim Gotts said the entire development will create a walkable downtown area, with parking incorporated into the developments, rather than the expansive asphalt lots typical of shopping and strip malls. While Aikens didn't disclose specific negotiations at the DDA meeting, he said they have received about 12 letters
of intent and are in negotiations with those. He said there should be a better feel by December of those committed to the development. Architectural work is expected to begin in 2016, with construction starting in late 2017 and going into the fall of 2018.
Residents petition for park crosswalk More than 250 Commerce residents are petitioning the township's board of trustees to increase pedestrian safety near the entrance to Dodge Park 5 following a near accident involving a 4year-old boy along S. Commerce Road.
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Commerce resident Susie Gallison on Tuesday, August 11, told board members at the monthly board of trustees meeting that she has lived across the street from the park on S. Commerce Road for more than a decade, but she and others find it difficult to walk safely to the park because vehicles travel at a high rate of speed in the area. "The park and the walking path are across the street, but it's hard to get there," she said. "There is no crossing, and the speed limit is 40. There is no crosswalk or anything there." Gallison, who spoke during the public comment section near the start of the board meeting, became visibly shaken while recounting a recent incident involving her young son, who she said was "within inches" of being struck by a pickup while attempting to cross the street with two adults. She said the truck entered the shoulder and the edge of her driveway while passing another vehicle that was stopped to make a left turn into the park. Gallison said she and other residents living in the neighborhood across from the park entrance are concerned for the safety of pedestrians attempting to walk to the park. She also requested a traffic study to be conducted in hopes of lowering the speed limit. She presented the board with a petition containing 260 signatures in favor of increasing safety measures in the area. "It's a wonderful community, and I love having the park, but we need to make the community feel safer," she said, reading one of several comments included with the petition. Board members near the end of the meeting discussed possible options that could be taken to increase safety in the area. While they acknowledged there is a crosswalk available at S. Commerce and Oakley Park roads, it is nearly a mile from the park entrance, and sidewalks don't exist on both sides of S. Commerce Road. Complicating the issue is the fact that the Road Commission for Oakland County is responsible for maintaining the road, as well as addressing safety issues. Trustee Rick Sovel said a traffic study would likely result in increased speeds along S. Commerce Roads, rather than the 40 mph speed now posted. Posting unrealistically slow speed limits tend to create a false sense of security, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Traffic studies used to set speed limits 09.15
Wolverine Lake road program presented By Kevin Elliott
therefore tend to look at the average speed limit of 85 percent of drivers on a specific roadway, and set limits accordingly. Therefore, if a traffic study shows that 85 percent of the drivers on a 40 mph road are traveling 45 mph, the study would likely result in an increased speed limit on that roadway. Trustee Robert Berkheiser recommended using tri-party road funds, and approaching the road commission with the issue to see what could be done. Tri-party projects are those in which the cost is split amongst the road commission, the state of Michigan and the township. Commerce Township Supervisor Tom Zoner said he doesn't believe the road commission is in favor of installing crosswalks, as they may become a liability to the county if an accident occurs. "If you try to use tri-party money, the county is going to say, 'no way,' because they don't want it there," Zoner said. The board subsequently approved a motion to direct Zoner to discuss the issue with the road commission, and report back with his findings.
Commerce board tackles grievances Two union grievances filed against Commerce Township by township hall employees will be sent to a third-party arbitrator to be resolved, while a third will be heard in September by the township board of trustees. Board members at their meeting on Tuesday, August 11, tabled an employee grievance filed in July by a Level I clerical administrator. The employee, Cheryl Smith, who is represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), is seeking to have her pay rate elevated to that of a Level II employee, according to the grievance. Smith, who was represented by AFSCME representative Paul Long, said she works in a floater position, which provides support to various departments within township hall. However, since April, she has been working primarily as in the role of assistant to finance, a Level II position. Under the AFSCME's collective bargaining agreement, an employee who works in a position other than their own for 11 consecutive days or more is entitled to the compensation of that position, Long said.
"The key is that they aren't covering for someone that is off. The floater could fill in for whoever was off, but that wasn't the case here," Long said. "The grievance is that she was working a Level II position as a Level I person, and she should get Level II pay for doing Level II work." Trustee Robert Berkheiser said the Level II position in the grievance hasn't been filled by the township, nor funded in the budget. Board member Rick Sovel said that by floating into that position for a period of time gives the impression that the position was somehow filled without the board's authorization. "It makes it difficult to have those extra positions when we have these types of situations," Sovel said of the floater position. "They knew they could be doing different jobs." Long said the job wasn't the issue, it was that Smith had been doing that job 98 percent of the time since April, essentially filling the Level II position with a floater position designation. The board agreed to table the matter until its September board meeting so that additional information could be provided. Grievances that are tabled for more than 21 days are qualified to go before a third party arbitrator for resolution. Long and the board agreed to revisit the issue at a future meeting to attempt to resolve the matter before going to an outside arbitrator. Two additional grievances tabled by the board at its July 14 meeting were not heard by the board, at the direction of Long. Those grievances will go before a third party arbitrator.
Walled Lake back to investing funds By Kevin Elliott
Gloomy financial conditions draining the city of Walled Lake's rainy day fund over the past several years appear to be off the radar as city council members on Tuesday, August 4, cleared the way for the potential investment of surplus funds. Council members at their monthly meeting unanimously approved two resolutions that revise how the city uses surplus budget funds, including the city's investment policy and approved financial institutions. While the two resolutions are considered perfunctory measures taken to align the city's policies with Michigan law, the actions signal a significant change
oad repairs and maintenance projects throughout Wolverine Lake Village are expected to cost more than $1 million over the next seven years, and outpace state road funding available to the municipality, according to a report presented to the village council at their meeting on Wednesday, August 12. Village engineering consultant Mike Powell provided council members with an overview of maintenance and repair projects. He recommended council prioritize projects during each year's budget cycle, as the cost will be more than available funding. "Although we toured all the roads and tried to identify the precise location of what the road will be needing over the next seven years, the roads may not continue to deteriorate at the same rate they do now," Powell said. "I'm suggesting that each year at budget time, the staff and I go over the proposed maintenance and improvements each year and give you a much better idea for the upcoming budget. Also, keep in mind that each year the amount is typically far beyond the amount that is able to be budgeted." The seven-year plan calls for a total of about $1.3 million in projects through 2021, with $1 million for minor roads and $293,000 for major roads. Specifically, minor road maintenance estimates are $10,000 in 2015-2016; $87,500 in 2016-2017; $185,000 for 2017-2018; $187,500 for 2018-2019; $410,000 for 2019-2020; $126,300 for 20202021. The report estimates major roads will need maintenance in three budget cycles, including $101,000 in 2017-2018; $60,000 in 2019-2020; and $132,000 in 2020-2021. Powell also recommended the village fund road projects through state shared gas and vehicle taxes provided to the municipality under Act 51. That act governs the distribution of fuel and some vehicle taxes, and prescribes how the funds may be spent. The village received about $261,000 in Act 51 funds for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, with about $175,000 for projects on major roads and $86,000 for projects on local roads, according to Wolverine Lake Village Treasurer Mike Kondek. The village has about 15.8 miles of local roads, which include smaller residential and side streets, and 3.7 miles of major roads. Kondek said the funding formula is skewed in favor of major roads projects. "It seems that almost perennially that when we present the budget, I give you a number where the local road fund has to be subsidized by major road funds," he said. "Over the course of four years, it came to abut $250,000." About $25,000 from the local roads fund was used to purchase salt, which Kondek said nearly doubled in price from 2014 to 2015. Another $15,000 was spent on labor costs, with overhead costs, such as employee benefits, eating up a portion of the remainder in the fund. "The majority of expenses in the local road fund, and the funding that we get in Act 51 is nowhere near what it would take in terms of capacity that it would take to come up with the million dollars," Kondek said. "We are living hand-to-mouth in the local roads\ fund." Kondek said state law allows for a percentage of the major road fund to be transferred to the local road fund; however, some alternate funding may be needed to fully complete the road plan presented. "If we go through with this (plan), there will be some funds that will be needed from a different source," he said. "There is always bonding, or borrowing from one source to another, but I think what we have to realize is that if we are going to go through with this, it's going to require to some extent, general fund assistance." The shortfall in available Act 51 funds for road projects isn't unique to Wolverine Lake Village, nor is the frustration shared by the council and its finance committee, as expressed by board president John Magee, who said he wasn't in favor of using general fund dollars to cover shortfalls. "As far as I'm concerned, that is what the state government is supposed to be funding, and the legislature has been sitting on their duff about it now for 20 years," he said. "It's their responsibility to know that it's up to the village to make up for shortfall on the backs of our taxpayers.�
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in the direction of the city's financial wellbeing. Walled Lake Finance Director Colleen Coogan said she categorized the changes as "housekeeping" measures needed for the city's investment policy to reflect changes in state law. "We are subject to Public Act 20, and that was updated for different investments that are out there. There were minor changes to that, and Walled Lake hadn't caught up yet. It's all housekeeping," Coogan said. "We haven't been in the position to worry about where we could put extra money and see if we could get earnings on it." Michigan's Public Act 20 spells out how municipalities are permitted to invest any surplus of public funds, however, for several years, it was inapplicable to Walled Lake. Budget shortfalls in the city's 2014-15 fiscal year budget forced the city to use more than $350,000 from previous years' fund balances. The use of fund balances had become common place in recent years as the city struggled to cover budget shortfalls. However, voter approval in August 2014 of a five-year, 3.95-mill public safety millage provides about $692,000 per year through 2020. Coogan said the city is now coming into a time of stability in terms of its finances, which could potentially lead to the ability to invest surplus funds. In order for that to be done, she said, the city first has to update its policies to align with state law. "We have been addressing cashflow, and now that's under control," Coogan said. "If we do start looking, before we do that, we had to do these housekeeping items."
Future of planning department uncertain By Kevin Elliott
The future of the Commerce Township Planning Department is in a state of limbo. The township has been contracting part-time planning services from McKenna Associates since May 22, following the resignation of former planning consultant Kathleen Jackson. The township board of trustees approved establishing a full-time planner position that would work directly for the township. While the board has already interviewed seven applicants for the position – with a second round of interviews scheduled – a final hiring decision has been 42
Court favors Commerce in pool lawsuit By Kevin Elliott
Commerce Township resident will be required to remove a swimming pool constructed at his waterfront home under an August 11 ruling by an Oakland County Circuit Court judge. The ruling, issued by judge Phyllis McMillen, upholds a July 31, 2014 decision by the Commerce Township Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to deny the construction of the pool, despite prior approval of the pool plan and the issuance of a permit by the township to begin construction. Commerce Township Attorney Hans Rentrope said the decision puts to rest one of two cases against the township on behalf of the homeowner, Joseph Kallabat. A second case seeking more than $25,000 in damages against the township has yet to be decided by McMillen. "The ZBA made the right decision," Rentrope said. Kallabat, who owns a lakefront home in the 8000 block of Flagstaff, had intended to construct a swimming pool and pool house in his waterfront yard. In November of 2013, Kallabat's contractor submitted a site plan to the township for approval, which was subsequently approved by the township's planning and building department, along with an associated building permit. Initial construction started that same month. However, Kallabat was advised by the township in May 2014 to stop work on the pool because it violated the side yard setback requirement in the township's zoning ordinance. Commerce building official Jay James admitted at a July 31, 2014 ZBA meeting that he erred in approving the plan, stating he "missed the distance between the pool and the side property line." Nevertheless, the ZBA denied Kallabat's request for a variance request, noting the decision was in accordance with the state's building code. Kallabat subsequently filed suit against Commerce Township in circuit court to have the decision overturned. In coming to its decision, the ZBA found Kallabat's request failed to satisfy any of the six criteria listed in the township's zoning ordinance. The court agreed. "While this Court does not agree with all of the ZBA's findings, the ZBA's ultimate finding that there was no practical difficulty necessitating a variance is supported by competent, material, and substantial evidence," McMillen stated in her ruling. "Furthermore, the ZBA's denial of the variance complies with relevant law and represents a reasonable exercise of discretion." Although the court decision upholds the township's position on the matter, the court has yet to decide a separate case regarding alleged damages. Rentrope said that case is being handled by the township's insurance carrier.
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delayed twice as the board struggled during a special meeting on Monday, August 24, to determine whether the position will ever be filled. Seven applicants for the planning director position were interviewed on July 28 for about 45 minutes each. Candidates included Royal Oak resident Barry Hicks, who most recently served as city planner for Sterling Heights, and a prior planning director for Jackson and Albion; Madu Oberoi, of Farmington Hills, who currently works as executive director of the Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority, and previously served as planning director for the city of Pontiac; Michael Campbell, of
Northville, who has served as principal planner of Campbell Planning since 2003, and is an adjunct professor at the Lawrence Institute of Technology and the Art Institute of Michigan; former Almont Village Manager Michael Deem, who previously served as a planner in Grand Blanc and Cascade Township; Hartland Township planning director David Campbell; DeWitt attorney Troy Langer, who served as a senior planner for Meridian Township; and Michigan State graduate Kristen Gundersen, of Niles, Michigan, who previously worked as a planner for several years in Illinois for the municipalities of Joliet, Hinsdale, Bensenville, and Naperville.
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Board members at the August 24 meeting voted to conduct second interviews on September 15 with Hicks, David Campbell and Gundersen. At the same time, board members voted to begin the request for proposal (RFP) process to solicit part-time planning consultants, which could be utilized instead of a full-time planning director. Township supervisor Tom Zoner said during the August 24 special meeting that he didn't believe a full-time planner was necessary, and that all of the current work could be done by McKenna planner Amy Neary, who is currently with the township about 25 hours each week. A proposal for services submitted by McKenna at Zoner's request, estimated services to total about $114,000 annually. Additional fees would be charged for attending planning commission and zoning board of appeals meetings, as well as plan reviews. Zoner also stated using a consultant would require the addition of a part-time staff in the planning department. "I want McKenna for my planner," Zoner said. "We are just developing a good relationship with Amy. We have a lot of consistency, and she knows the history of Commerce Township." The salary range for the new planning director position would be between $60,000 and $70,000, with the total cost to the township estimated at $110,000 to $120,000 for total salary and benefits. Trustee Bob Berkheiser questioned the use of a part-time consultant, which would cost the township more money in the overall structure. "I thought we had some decent, qualified people that we interviewed," he said. "If we are looking for someone to wear that hat and run that department, it seems they would have the flexibility to cover the work, and potentially half the cost of contracting. That's what I'm struggling with." Lacking a concrete resolution, trustees will proceed with the second round of planner interviews while also sending out the RFP for a planning consultant.
Wolverine Lake holds 27th Village Festival The Village of Wolverine Lake on Saturday, September 12, will hold its 27th Annual Village Festival and Corn Roast at Clara Miller Park, 2500 Benstein Road. 09.15
The event, which runs from noon until 5 p.m., is a family-friendly event featuring live music, children's activities, raffles and food vendors. The festival is presented by the village's park and recreation board. Entry to the festival is free, with fees for food and some activities. Children's activities include a game tent, inflatable bounce house and other activities. Old-fashioned roasted corn will be available for purchase, as well as bratwurst, hot dogs, soft drinks, popcorn nachos and ice cream Those interested in volunteering or sponsoring the festival may contact Village Hall at 248.624.1710.
Construction begins on Pontiac Lake Road Pontiac Lake Road, M-59 and Fisk Road in White Lake Township, will be closed to through traffic through late October, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) said. Construction crews will be replacing a culvert on Pontiac Lake Road, over the Pontiac Lake Outlet. Motorists are advised to use Pontiac Lake Road to Fisk Road to Highland Road and back to Pontiac Lake Road, as a detour. All detour signs will be posted. The $600,000 project is being funded by state dollars from the road and risk reserve fund. The work includes removal of the existing structure and replacing it with a concrete-reinforced culvert.
Volunteers to help troops, honor fallen Volunteers on Saturday, October 17, will meet at the Shepherd of the Lakes Church in Wolverine Lake for a community packing party to support military troops and working dogs. The event, which is held in conjunction with Military Families United of Michigan and the K-9 Defender Fund, is being held to honor the memory of LCpl Justin M. Ellsworth, who was killed in action on November 13, 2004. Ellsworth is the son of Wolverine Lake Police Acting Chief John Ellsworth and Debbie Ellsworth. This year's event will mark the sixth year of the event being held in his honor. Wolverine Lake resident Joann Sullivan, co-organizer of the event, said volunteers last year prepared 530 care westendmonthly.com
packages and 13 protective gear/medical bags for K-9. "We are very pleased with the results of the packing party and the number of volunteers that we get, but it's because of the number of volunteers we get and the donations that we are able to send as many packages that we do," Sullivan said. Food donations, such as snacks, instant foods, and beverages are recommended. However, all pork products are prohibited. Personal items, such as blankets, pillow cases, towels, magazines, games, and many other products are recommended. No flammable items, aerosols, nail polish, political statements or items containing alcohol will be accepted. Items for military working dogs, such as waterless shampoo, Kong toys and other items are also recommended, but not rawhide, pig ears or hooves. In addition to donations of food and personal items, monetary donations to help pay for shipping and purchase canine protective gear can be made. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It is being organized by Sullivan, as well as Wolverine Lake residents Kristy Nedrow, Debbie Ellsworth and Denny DeWitt. More information can be found online at the village's website at wolverinelake.com.
Bridge repairs to last until late October More than $375,000 in repairs to five bridges over the Clinton River in Waterford and Independence Townships began on Monday, August 17, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) said. The bridges will remain open to traffic while maintenance is conducted. Bridge locations include Cooley Lake, between Cass Elizabeth Road and Hiller roads; Elizabeth Lake, between Airport and Crescent Lake roads; Walton, between Clintonville and Sashabaw roads; and two locations in Independence Township in the Green Lake and Van Norman Lake areas, at Andersonville, between Airport and White Lake roads. The work includes concrete deck patching, asphalt paving, bridge deck sealing, guardrail installation and pavement markings. The projects are being funded by $376,303 from the state's Local Bridge Program and the RCOC. Work is expected to be complete by late October. WESTEND
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CIRCLE 2014
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FACES
Pastor Brad Hulcy astor Brad Hulcy has traveled the world helping the impoverished and observing mankind from the highest form of altruism to the lowest form of immorality. “My first trip was in 1999. I led a team to San Jose, Costa Rica,” Hulcy said. “You would see nice houses, but at the same time you’d see people in cardboard boxes. I’ve never seen anything in the United States like what I've seen in some of these other places.” Hulcy’s home is Woodside Bible Church in White Lake where he serves as the campus pastor. The pastor’s congregation supports a host of causes and overseas programs including an orphanage in Chiang Rai, Thailand and another in Chennai, a city on the southeast coast of India. The orphanages have saved children from extreme physical abuse and human trafficking. “You see a lot of awful things there,” he said. “Just walking around (India), you see (people) who had their eyes poked out. There are women who have had acid thrown on their face or they have limbs that were cut off. They are out begging for money; not (money) for themselves, but for someone who is ‘running’ them.” To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the opening of the orphanage in Thailand, the church paid for 30 of the children to fly to Michigan this past April. Hulcy has led groups who have traveled all over Asia, Africa, Central and South America, helping orphans and young girls who may have otherwise been sold into sex slavery. “Some of these little girls are brought out of cages and sold into sex trade.”
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Fortunately, Indian nationals pose as agents who purchase the girls and move them to safe houses. Hulcy, a Colorado-raised Christian, was brought up by a single mom. His parents’ divorce was a life-altering event. “By the time I was eight, (my dad) left the house and he really left. I saw him two or three times after that.” In school, Hulcy became a behavioral problem. His mother sent him to a Christian school. “I began to understand the Gospel of Christ. It was then that I trusted Christ as my Savior.” Later, Hulcy married Waterford native Shari Hulcy. The two have dedicated their lives to serving the White Lake community through Woodside Bible Church. “We have always served together.” Hulcy’s strongest personal goal is starting a church in the small pocket of land called Kashmir that rests north of India, west of China and east of Pakistan. “For me personally, I have a real desire to make a connection in Kashmir. It's my hope that there will be a little church planted there. There is no indigenous church in that particular region.” Hulcy’s faith has given him a unique perspective on balancing humanitarianism and materialism. “You do one trip and you are forever changed. You come back and feel guilty,” he explained. “Jesus doesn’t want us to feel guilty, but He did say, “to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Story: Katey Meisner
Photo: Jean Lannen
BUSINESS MATTERS
TIRED OF SEEING SPIDERS WEBS AND INSECTS
Dobski’s has closed Prominent Union Lake bar and restaurant Dobski’s, 6565 Cooley Lake Road, in Waterford, closed in August after nearly 60 years in business under different owners. The closing came as a blow to long-time owners Ron and Patrice Brezner, who purchased the restaurant in 1993 from the Dobski family. “It’s an institution that had been around since 1958,” Brezner said. “There is a big void in my life right now. We have been doing it for 20 years. It’s hard to figure out what I’m going to do next.” Brezner had announced in early June that Dobski’s would be closing, but retracted the closing after working with potential investors. However, potential backers didn’t pan out, forcing the restaurant to close in early August. Dobski’s opened in 1958, with the Brezners relocating to a new building in 2007. The new building had won several local awards, including the “Keeping Michigan Beautiful Award” in 2009 and 2010; and “Best of the Best Awards” in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
New PROS headquarters Professional Retail Outlet Services (PROS), 3133 Union Lake Road, in Commerce Township, will be relocating its world headquarters to 2655 E. Oakley Park Road, in Commerce Township. PROS is a national facilities management company with a network of contractors in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. PROS also offers an in-house division of technicians that handle the Michigan and Ohio area. The relocation will move the headquarters into a 29,280 squarefoot building. Colliers International announced the sale on August 18, which represented the investor, Oakley Park Properties.
a special concert event with pianist Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band. The show is a ticketed event with a general admission cost of $35. Lewis is a celebrated jazz composer, pianist and radio personality who has recorded more than 80 albums and received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards. The Steinway Piano Gallery is home to the largest selection of Steinway and Steinway-designed Boston and Essex pianos in the Midwest. For more information about the event, contact the gallery at 248.560.9200.
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New restaurant coming Plans to re-open the former restaurant building that was home to Key Largo, 4000 Cass Elizabeth Lake Road, in Waterford, are underway. The building, which was formerly run as O’Toole’s and Mitchell’s was vacant for about two years until April 2014 when it was opened as a Florida-themed restaurant. Key Largo owner, Roger Brikho, closed the restaurant in November of 2014. Restaurateur Doug Young in August said he and his brother, Burge Young, were in the process of obtaining Brikho’s liquor license and the business. The brothers own and operate Irish Tavern, 4703 Elizabeth Lake Road, in Waterford, and Downtown 51 Grille, 51 N. Saginaw, in Pontiac. Doug Young said he and his brother plan to open the location under a new brand and menu, which will be designed by a well-established chef. “We were wise enough to know that it’s a unique spot and bring in some outside talent,” Young said. The location, located across from Cass Lake, has a large indoor area, as well as a 3,000 square-foot outdoor patio. Young said while plans are in the works, specifics will be announced following the closing of the license and business transaction.
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Ramsey Lewis playing The Steinway Jazz Cafe, located at the Steinway Piano Gallery of Detroit, 2700 E. West Maple, in Commerce Township, on Wednesday, September 23 will host
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Business Matters for the west Oakland area are reported by Kevin Elliott. Send items for consideration to KevinElliott@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.
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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 listings contain many dining establishments with seating in the west Oakland lakes area and then select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Westend. From outside the area, we have attempted to compile more noted eating establishments.
West Oakland Alex's Pizzeria and Bar: American. Lunch, Monday - Friday; Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 49000 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.926.1700. 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. Benstein Grille: American. Weekend Brunch & Lunch. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2435 Benstein Road, Commerce, 48390. 248.624.4100. 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 daily. No reservations. 49414 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.8877. China House: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 901 Nordic Drive,
westendmonthly.com
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. 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 Azteca: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6041 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.669.7555. Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. 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 &
come as you are
JOIN US FOR DINNER ON OUR OUTDOOR PATIO! Enjoy a casual dining experience focusing on quality food made with local ingredients. House-smoked beef and pork along with fresh seafood, steaks, chops and bistro entrées on our relaxing outdoor patio.
Can’t Join Us for Dinner? Then Try C.A.Y.A. To Go! The Family Meal $45 2 lbs. of Meat (choose 2) Choice of Brisket, Pulled Pork, Smoked Turkey 2 Sides of Mac & Cheese 2 Corn Bread 2 Coleslaw HOURS: Tue - Sun dinner starting at 4:30 p.m. Brunch: Sat and Sun starting at 10 a.m. 248.438.6741 • www.cayagrill.com 1403 S. Commerce Rd., Wolverine Lake
WESTEND
The west Oakland area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publication—Westend. Contact Mark Grablowski for advertising rate information. O: 248.792.6464 Ext. 601 C: 586.549.4424 MarkGrablowski@downtownpublications.com
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FRONT/BACK Front/Back is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening in both the front of the house and back of the house in the restaurants in the metro Detroit area.
Two Palladium openings Restaurateur Zack Sklar, owner of Social Kitchen & Bar, Beau’s, and MEX, is unveiling two new Birmingham restaurants around the end of September, all part of his Peas & Carrots Hospitality company. Au Cochon, a French diner, and Arthur Ave., an Italian eatery, will share the space previously occupied by Chen Chow, at 260 N. Old Woodward in the Palladium building. The northern storefront housing Au Cochon will open first, followed a few weeks later by Arthur Ave., the southern storefront. Sklar and Mark Barbarich, chef and business partner, will share a single kitchen serving both ventures. Set to be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., Au Cochon is “the only sous vide certified establishment in Oakland County” said Sklar, referring to a modern cooking technique that is intended to keep meats moist on the inside without overcooking the outer portion, and translates into English as “under vacuum.” Sklar described Arthur Ave. as a “red sauce style place, like old school, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Veal Marsala, Eggplant Parmesan. Very traditional Italian food.” He said the food will be served in red baskets, and the style is “very casual.” Sklar is in the midst of opening two restaurants in Chicago as well.
Eid now owns Forest Grill Samy Eid, manager of Phoenicia, is now the owner of Forest Grill, 735 Forest in Birmingham, which closed for renovations in late June. Eid is replacing former owner and chef Brian Polcyn. Eid, along with Executive Chef Nick Janutol, are working at recreating the menu for the fine dining establishment, which he said will feature contemporary world cuisine. A fall re-opening is planned.
Archer Jr. opens gastropub Central Kitchen + Bar made an August debut in Cadillac Square at 660 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. The 130-seat gastropub is founded by Dennis Archer, Jr., CEO of Ignition Media, publisher of Ambassador magazine, and son of Detroit’s former mayor, who shares the same name. Executive Chef
Christina Stanco, formerly of Café ML and Luxe Bar & Grill, developed the menu, which features burgers, sandwiches, tacos, flatbreads and salads. A couple of items Stanco serves up include the Buttermilk Fried Chicken sandwich with gruyere cheese, pickles, and bacon on a brioche bun; as well as the Duck Confit flatbread with frisee, stone ground mustard, roasted grapes and fried egg. Managing Partner/General Manager Ken Karam also comes from Luxe Bar & Grill, where he was the general manager. On the day of their grand opening, Karam said, “Our calamari has gotten rave reviews. It’s like a sweet and spicy calamari. The staff did great, and the chef’s outstanding.” Designed by the Birmingham-based architecture firm Ron and Roman, Central Kitchen + Bar is open until 11 p.m. Monday Wednesday and until 1 a.m. Thursday – Saturday. Karam added, “The décor is great. It really pulls in the history of the building.” Keep an eye out for Sunday brunch, coming soon.
Midtown mac ‘n cheese Owners Gary Sussman and Chef Lorraine Platman of Sweet Lorraine’s Café and Bar, with locations in Southfield and Livonia, continue to expand, with their latest venture set to open near Wayne State University. Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac ‘n Brews! is expected to open in late September or early October at 4870 Cass Avenue in midtown Detroit. In addition to grilled cheese, soups, and salads, Mac ‘n Brewz! will offer 14 styles of mac ‘n cheese and 12 craft beers. Sussman said vegetarians can try the “Truffle Mushroom Mac, and Mean Green Pesto Mac. We also have meat combinations like Cubano Mac, with ham, pickles, Swiss cheese.” Cheeseburger Mac, Bacon Mac, and Philly Cheesesteak Mac also make the menu. Sussman said Mac ‘n Brews! will open early for breakfast, and serve “a breakfast menu with breakfast burritos, breakfast mac ‘n cheese and breakfast wraps.” Fabulous Mac ‘n Cheez currently has four metro Detroit locations, and the company is building on their success. “We’re expanding to other states, moving into Illinois, Ohio and Florida,” said Sussman.
TJ’s 50th anniversary Traffic Jam & Snug, a Detroit restaurant, bakery, brewery, and
small production cheese maker all under one roof, celebrated their 50th anniversary in August. Owned by Executive Chef Carolyn Howard and her husband Scott Lowell, Traffic Jam & Snug is located at 511 W. Canfield in Detroit next to the Shinola store. Howard said, “We’re proud to have been part of the fabric of the city for so many years. We relish, no pun intended, the opportunity.”
Larger kitchen at theater The cafe at The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township, 4135 W. Maple Road, has undergone kitchen renovations and now offers an expanded menu for lunch and dinner, going by the name The Maple Kitchen. In addition to the sandwiches and salads previously offered, diners and movie-goers can now order appetizers and a wider selection of unique items such as the Chicken Pot Pie Sandwich or the Ripper Dog. Served on a pretzel bun, General Manager Ruth Daniels described the Ripper as “a kosher hot dog deep fried and served with creamy mustard and chopped slaw. It’s amazing how the mustard and the slaw go together.” Also available are beef, turkey and vegan burgers, and “Duck” Fries, deep-fried with duck fat. The Maple Theater and Kitchen continue to offer beer, wine and cocktails, in addition to a full coffee bar, where they serve Great Lakes Coffee. For wait service in the theater, purchase a Club ticket for $5 extra.
For fans of wine and food Designed for wine lovers, Vertical Detroit is a restaurant and retail venture of father-daughter partners Jim and Remy Lufty that will be located in The Ashley at 1538 Centre Street, in Detroit. Expected to open in the first week of October, Remy said, “We’ve been in the wine business a long time…it’s kind of a third generation business.” Jim, who previously worked for his father, has owned Fine Wine Source in Livonia for 20 years. Remy pointed out a few highlights of the menu, to be prepared by Executive Chef Alex Knezevic, including Sambuca Mussels; grapes rolled in brie and dusted with pistachios; and the Burger “Vertical” made with a blend of prime meats from Fairway Packing Co. in Eastern Market. The restaurant features over 250 bottles of wine and nearly 50 choice offerings by the glass. The retail space offers an additional 300-plus
wines for purchase. “We’ve wanted to open something in the city for years. Our family lives in Grosse Pointe. We finally found a great location, and we thought why not do it,“ Remy said.
Twisted eats and nightclub William Quasarano has been named the new executive chef at Twisted Tavern, located at 22901 Woodward Avenue in Ferndale. Featuring a casual menu and comfortable atmosphere, Twisted Tavern opens daily at 4:30 p.m., and serves food late into the night. Adjacent to the tavern is Twist Night Club, which offers eats, drinks and dancing on Fridays and Saturdays, starting at 9 p.m.
New breakfast joint Le Petit Dejuner, a breakfast café spearheaded by Tina Motley of Farmington Hills, opened this summer at 3411 Brush Street in Detroit. The menu features crepes and other breakfast delicacies, such as their croissant French toast, honey pecan pancakes and fluffy omelets. The dishes at Le Petit Dejuner can be ordered family style, or fit for one. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will be happy, as Motley has included black-bean sausage as one of her four breakfast meats.
Outdoors in Greektown Located at 517 Monroe Street in Detroit’s Greektown, Pappy’s Bar & Grill, has built a new sidewalk patio and completed aesthetic renovations, including new ceilings and the addition of a garage door, which can be lifted for diners to enjoy the nice weather. As part of Greektown at Sundown, which runs through Labor Day, Monroe Street is restricted to pedestrian use only on Fridays through Sundays, from 5 p.m. to 2 p.m. Erica Speer, bartender at Pappy’s, said, “There’s live music and magicians walking up and down (the street).”
Snacks and sandwiches The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company, located at 3965 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, has expanded their food and drink offerings. The Michigan roasting company now pours wine, craft beers, and cocktails, served alongside sandwiches and small plates of charcuterie, cheeses and picked vegetables. The Midtown location is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday – Thursday, and until
midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are shortened on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Great Lakes’ coffee roasting operation is in Bloomfield Hills.
Brunch beckons Andiamo Trattoria of Royal Oak, located at 129 S. Main Street, now offers Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., equipped with a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosa Bar. A couple of favorites from the menu include the house-made Buttermilk Biscuits with Italian sausage gravy, the Almond Crust Stuffed French Toast with dried cherries and mascarpone cheese, and the Eggy Delights section, offering a variety of egg dishes. Manager Patti Mooradian said, “It’s a hot area for brunch. It’s kind of a ritual to go out for Sunday brunch. We also have live entertainment from 11 to 2, with someone here playing guitar or fiddle, whatever. We change it up every week.”
Management changes The new general manager of Cameron’s Steakhouse, 115 Willits Street in Birmingham, is Chris Rewald, previously of Joe Muer Seafood.
Pop Up Intel Yemans Street, 2995 Yemans Street in Hamtramck: Dr. Sushi, a.k.a. Nick George, brings a Japanese sushi brunch on September 20. Dr. Sushi prides his operation on being sustainable, selecting fish based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. yemansstreet.com. The Menagerie 31 N. Saginaw Street in Pontiac: Meiko Krishok, caterer of Detroit Guerrilla Food and collaborator in the food truck Pink Flamingo, September 12. Jeremy Kalmus, owner of Rock n’ Roll + Caviar catering company, September 19. Jeremy Kalmus will return on September 26 to prepare a multi-course menu featuring JD’s Motown Mustard, owned by Jeffery Downs, September 26. menageriekitchen.com. Front/Back is reported each month by Katie Deska. KatieDeska@DowntownPublications.com. We welcome news items or tips, on or off the record, about what's happening in the front or back of the house at metro area restaurants.
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. Jenni’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. 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. 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.
Taste of the Lakes Day New Date d n a
Tuesday, September 29 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm JOIN US AT
Edgewood Country Club 8399 Commerce Rd. Commerce, MI 48382 - CASH BAR -
Enjoy Great Food From Local Restaurants & Help Our Communities Youth & Families Applebee’s Grill & Bar Benstein Grille 2Booli Restaurant Bonefish Grill CAYA Smoke House Grill CJ’s Brewing Company Cold Stone Creamery Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Edgewood Country Club Edible Arrangements
The English Tea Garden Fiesta Fajitas Great Harvest Bread Co. Happy’s Pizza Jet’s Pizza Tim Hortons Uptown Grille Willson’s Pub ‘n Grill Wixom Station
RAFFLE SILENT AUCTION DOOR PRIZE
$25 Per Ticket in advance $30 At The Door TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 28 AT: CASH & CHECK ONLY
LAYA (Lakes Area Youth Assistance) 248-956-5070 - 615 N. Pontiac Trail Commerce Twp 248-624-0110 - 2009 Township Village of Wolverine Lake 248-624-1710 - 425 Glengary “TEAM ASHLEY” – PLATINUM SPONSOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE ANYONE INTERESTED IN HELPING THE YOUTH AND BECOME A SPONSOR CAN CONTACT US AT 248-956-5070.
Red Robin: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 3003 Commerce Crossing, Commerce Township, 48390. 248.926.2990. 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, 48390. 248.926.9555. Sizzl in Subs & Salads: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2051 N. Wixom Road, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.0009. Social House: American. Lunch, FridaySunday, & 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. The Root Restaurant & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48390. 248.698.2400. TJ’s Sushi & Chinese Restaurant: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 8143 Commerce Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.363.3388. Uptown Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 3100 W. Maple Road, Commerce Township, 48382. 248.960.3344. Village Bar and Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.529.3859. 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. 48992 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. Wixom Station Food and Drink: American Contemporary. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 49115 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.859.2882.
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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.
North Oakland Clarkston Union: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100. Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday – Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442. 248.634.5208. Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500. Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday – Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660
West Bloomfield/Southfield Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. Meriwether’s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 25485 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, 48034. 248.358.1310. Pickles & Rye: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248. 538.8954. Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. Sweet Lorraine’s Café & Bar: American. Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield, 48076. 248.559.5985. The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334. 248.626.2982. The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Rd, West
Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. The Lark: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6430 Farmington Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.661.4466. Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282.
Birmingham/Bloomfield 220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.792.3579. Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 245 South Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774. Bill's: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Daily. Reservations, lunch only. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8800. Cameron’s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.1700. Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. Eddie Merlot's: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025. 248.723.7960. MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road,
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Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.3663. Peabody’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 34965 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.5222. Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122. Roadside B & G: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations, Lunch only. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. The Bird & The Bread: Brasserie. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.6600. The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. The Stand: Euro-American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.220.4237. Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009. 248.480.4951.
Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917 Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. Andiamo Restaurants: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 129 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.582.0999. Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.0082. The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.547.6699. Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 310 S.
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AT THE TABLE cheese dish came in a crock and was creamy, earthy and savory but in need of some sort of vehicle to accompany it as straight spoonfuls became quickly overwhelming. After that, each dish, one by one, became more disappointing than the next. Chorizo with sweet and sour figs swimming in broken sauce that immediately disintegrated in my mouth. A quinoa cake so promising with sunflower and carrots that had the flavor and texture of a commercially made rice cake. Overcooked lamb chops with a beautiful, bright Romesco sauce tragically lost on top of crusty mashed potatoes. Chicken Empanadas with the perfect amount of heat served with an avocado puree left to die and lastly, a bland tuna tartar served tepid. Opting for the classics, we ordered a Caesar and Caprese salad and a cup of the seafood chowder. Both salads were bland and we eventually asked the server to take the chowder away after the smell became offensive. An impressive sandwich menu prompted us to try the Cheese Steak, Lobster Roll and VBK Burger. The burger was outstanding. Great flavor, perfectly
was crisp, green, bright and smoky. The rest, overcooked, starchy and dry. All of them. Constant reader, it is just about now that you are wondering if I have gotten soft. If the correspondence By J. March describing me as "bitter" and "nasty" and "miserable" has caused me to pause before I offer up scathing descriptions and sarcastic quips. Sadly there are only often wonder how restaurant owners, chefs and so many words to describe what is another restaurant diners talked about concepts and food before the with good intentions and poor execution. I can't speak terms "locally sourced" or "farm to table" came to be. Is to what goes on in the mind of those who create it that diners were so uncaring, no one felt the need to menus as ambitious as Village Bar & Kitchen. I talk about where their meal came from? If so, was it counted 32 entree options on the menu. 32. And this sentiment that resulted in a group of emerging though none of my degrees include the words "chef" or chefs eager to expose the beauty of fresh, local food "culinary arts", I can safely say that the chances of and naturally fed proteins? Or did the surge of reality executing over 50 menu items consistently are slim. television shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef inspire The opportunity to turn over product fast enough to diners to look a little deeper into what they were purchase, stock and prep fresh is unlikely. I would eating? venture to say there are no less then 10 restaurants I guess essentially what I am curious about is within a 20 mile radius that offer everything from which came first, the Organic Free Range Chicken or bar food to pasta to Tex Mex to Thai food. Why the Sous Vide egg? Most importantly, what is the anyone feels like they have to cover seven measure for this self-proclaimed status? A handful of continents, fifteen cooking styles and trends from basil from your garden? Michigan cherries in a salad? the last ten years is beyond me. Not to mention, if What percentage of your offerings should be local and you are willing to bow to foodie has Farm to Table become to sit down nation, then have faith that a small dining what Hot and Ready has to menu with excellently prepared food pizza: a loose translation to draw in that is suited to the individual style of diners who think they are eating the chef will be appreciated, lauded healthy and supporting local farmers? and waited for. Waited for in the form Village Bar and Kitchen in Milford of patient in-house diners and those has hooked its box car to this train. willing to make reservations erasing Owners Tom Meyer and Lenny Skorz the need to cut corners and try to opened in February touting a operate an integral kitchen while "hospitality driven restaurant with farm feeding 120 people between 6 and 7 to fork items" and an executive chef p.m. Not only does the quality of food trained under none other then the bamsuffer, but service does as well. The tastic Emeril Lagasse. Aaron Pegs mans attention to detail in service that is the kitchen that features over 31 menu crucial has lacked at the last several items, including a bevy of tapas items, restaurants. Clearing plates, offering proteins prepared your way and enough drinks, pouring wine, replacing side dishes to stock a buffet..twice. silverware, things that are integral to The interior also mirrors much of Sea bass with Rice Pilaf and Parmesan Grilled Asparagus. Westend photo: Jean Lannen a great experience have suffered due what is going on in restaurants with to overwhelmed servers and front of brick, copper, steel, and refurbished barn seasoned and cooked it was one of the best things we the house management. wood and mason jar lighting. Along with this Most of what Village Bar & Kitchen offered was had. The Cheese Steak was served on a perfectly elemental design also comes the noise which is crispy Italian roll while the Lobster Roll was served on promising on paper. Sadly, it did not translate well overwhelming yet somehow accepted as a to the table. Also worth mentioning is that once our a hot dog bun that I can almost certainly say was contribution to the experience. Hoping for a quieter bill was over $200, we were asked to offer up a pulled straight out of a polka-dotted bag with a twist experience, we dined al fresco on the smaller credit card due to a prior "dine and dash tie. Both sandwiches were bland and dry. streetside patio. experience". One experience, according to the lessEntrees from the sea are offered simply and The Craft Cocktail list offers much of what is than-hospitable owner who seemed less than happy prepared in the style you choose with sauces and trending now like the Moscow Mule, flavored that I had the audacity to ask why they wanted to toppings available. Steaks are the same but also mojitos and margaritas, herb infusions and a hold my credit card. Again, it is things like that include the ever-so-popular granite slab method muddled cucumber and gin drink. Noteworthy was which will deter diners who can become your best which I assumed would include someone wheeling the perfectly balanced Blood Orange margarita with regulars and free word of mouth advertisements. out a smoking hot dirty slab where I would have to agave nectar, Hornitos blanco, fresh lime juice and The burger and the margarita may bring me back cook my own steak on ala Black Rock. Needless to blood orange syrup. The wine list had simple clean but, with so many other choices, I may just opt for say, I passed and instead opted for dishes cooked in offerings sadly shy on choices from Michigan or somewhere that trusts me to eat well, appreciate the kitchen by someone easily more qualified. Seared interesting varietals. Rounding out libations was a beer list with traditional bottle and draft choices like Scallops with truffle cream spinach and creamed corn good service, and pay. and Lemon Salt sea bass. Both the scallops and sea Bells Two Hearted, PBR and Founders All Day IPA. bass were lovely in cut and size. The lemon salt on the Village Bar & Kitchen, 525 North Main Street, Milford What was missing here, and unfortunately from most local restaurants, was a selection of Michigan ciders. sea bass provided great texture and flavor to the 48380. 248.529.3859. Reservations accepted. exterior of the fish that was dry and overcooked. The From the insanely diverse and delicious Virtue Cider Hours are Tuesday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; company to the approachable choices at Vandermill, truffle spinach was deliciously earthy and green and a Thursday, 11 a.m. – midnight; Friday-Saturday, 11 Michigan ciders should make the cut rather than the surprisingly good match for the sweet creamed corn a.m. – 2 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Street but unlike the sea bass, the scallops were ever present Angry Orchard or Woodchuck bottles. parking, parking lot, complimentary valet. undercooked, warm and rubbery. A total of 19 sides The small plates listed are bountiful and range are offered; we tried six. Corn on the cob, parmesan from the outdated bacon wrapped shrimp to J. March has 25 years experience in the restaurant asparagus, mac & cheese, roasted cream corn, predictable calamari to impressively unique spinach industry in southeast Michigan, including candied carrots and sweet potato fries. The asparagus certification as a sommelier. and chick pea casserole. The mushrooms and goat
Milford Village Bar & Kitchen a concept weak in translation
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Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1621. Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675. D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.7400. Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017. 248.288.0220. The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150. Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. Inn Season Cafe: Vegetarian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.547.7916. Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. Local Kitchen and Bar: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.291.5650. Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900. Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. Town Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7300/ Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444.
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Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711.
reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. Tre Monti Ristorante: Italian. Lunch, Thursdays. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1695 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.680.1100.
Troy/Rochester Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 176 N. Adams Rd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.218.6001. Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300. Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. Ganbei Chinese Restaurant and Bar: Chinese. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 227 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.266.6687. O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 5500 Crooks Rd., Troy, 48098. 248.646.7900. McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084. 248.637.6400. Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 870 S. Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5371. Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. NM Café: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Blvd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. Steelhouse Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.817.2980. The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No
Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.1355. Antietam: French. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207. 313.782.4378. Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2040 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.965.3111. Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. Coach Insignia: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.2622. Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214. 313.469.0976. Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction St., Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Breakfast, daily. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. The Grille Midtown: Steak & Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. Jefferson House: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4318. Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday- Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. Maccabees at Midtown: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202. 313.831.9311. Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. 1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221. 313.863.1917. Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch
WESTEND
& Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100. Roma Café: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit, 48207. 313.831.5940. Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207. 313.567.2900. Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702. St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216. 313.962.2121. Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668. The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1435 Randolph St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.4180. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010. Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4313. Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.9470. 24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.964.3821. Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.3965. Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857. Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1646. Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1411. Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.
09.15
ENDNOTE
Require use of municipal e-mail accounts recent survey of Oakland County municipal governments found that nearly 30 percent of elected municipal officials use private e-mail accounts to conduct government business, including trustees and city council members in Commerce Township, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake Village. We are recommending all municipalities provide municipal e-mail accounts to all elected and appointed officials, and that they all use them consistently for communication on governmentrelated issues as a matter of written policy. We have already witnessed, on a national level, some of the issues that arise when public officials use private e-mail accounts to conduct official business. Similar disputes have arisen here in Michigan. Regardless of the level of government, it is increasingly clear that the use of government e-mail accounts by government officials provides the public with unfettered access to public records. A review of Oakland County municipalities that provide e-mail accounts to elected officials clearly illustrates that the size of the municipality has little to do with the ability to provide e-mail to elected and/or appointed officials. Rather, such a determination is often made by the officials that are serving the public. Public officials should remember that last phrase: they are serving the public. Yet, more than a few municipal clerks cited privacy of the public official as the reason for not providing or listing an e-mail account. In Bloomfield Township, one trustee – who actually has an unlisted telephone number – stated at a meeting that he prefers one-on-one contact and residents should reach him by phone, rather than e-mail.
A
Elected and appointed officials also should be aware that any public record, regardless if it is retained in a public or private e-mail account, is subject to disclosure through Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If privacy is truly a concern for those declining municipal e-mail accounts, using a private e-mail account doesn't protect them. Instead, it actually has the potential to result in a greater intrusion into their private affairs. In addition to providing municipal e-mail accounts to elected and appointed officials, local governments should update e-mail policies to require that all government business requiring e-mail use be conducted on a municipal account. That's a distinct difference from many current e-mail policies that merely stress the use of government e-mail not be abused for private purposes. Further, policies regarding e-mail must educate employees and public officials of the state's FOIA laws, open meetings requirements, and rules on the retention of public records. Of the more than 30 municipal e-mail policies provided to Westend, about half included language regarding the state's FOIA laws. However, none of those policies specifically addressed public records subject to FOIA on private e-mail accounts. Only two policies (Highland Township and Oxford Village) include language regarding State Archivist rules on retention/destruction of public records, as it applies to e-mail. While the majority, if not all, municipal clerks are aware of how state FOIA laws apply to public records, few public officials elected to part-time positions on a governing body, planning commission, or zoning
board of appeals are likely to be aware that their private e-mail accounts can be subject to FOIA. We seriously doubt any are aware of the state's rules on the retention of e-mails because they are considered to be public records, thus frustrating potential attempts at disclosure, whether intentional or inadvertently. And any e-mail trail that discusses possible voting of issues on an agenda item could potentially violate the Open Meetings Act. Many municipalities would be wise to take note of the city of Madison Heights' e-mail policy, last updated in 2011, which states how email use must be in compliance with the state law on open meetings. As with many technologies intended to simplify our everyday lives, e-mail use has many unintended effects, particularly when it comes to its use to create or receive public records. Keeping public records in a public system not only makes sense, there are specific laws that must be followed, and leaders must be educated in order to maintain those records. Instituting policies that clearly state potential infractions of state law, whether intentional or unintentional, are part of doing government work in 2015. In short: if a matter is important enough to discuss with members of a public body, it should be done in a public forum, or with a record easily accessible to the public, and that can only happen if all municipalities create e-mail accounts for all public officials who should then be required, as a matter of written policy, that all governmentrelated communication must be conducted through the government e-mail accounts.
Commerce needs leadership and direction hat's going on with the supervisor and board of trustees in Commerce Township, where we believe we are witnessing a leadership vacuum at the very top. We pose this question following a special meeting of the board on August 24, the purpose of which was to decide from amongst seven applicants for the planning director position, who were interviewed on July 28. The position has been vacant since May, following the resignation of former planning consultant Kathleen Jackson after 15 years of contract work. At that time, the board approved establishing a full-time planner position that would work directly for the township, recognizing the growth occurring in the township, as well as the need for a planner to work closely with the development of Commerce Towne Place, the new downtown being planned for the community within the borders of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Yet, at this special meeting, rather than making a decision on a planner, or bringing certain candidates back for a second round of interviews, township
W
supervisor Tom Zoner said that he didn't believe a full-time planner was necessary, and that all of the current work could be done by McKenna planner Amy Neary, who is currently with the township about 25 hours each week. The township contracted with McKenna Associates as a planning consultant while a search for a full-time, in-house planner was being conducted – but was never meant to be anything but a temporary, stop-gap measure. That Zoner suddenly – in the midst of rounds of interviews – changed course and demanded that the board approve his request for McKenna's services, estimated at $114,000 annually, plus additional charges for attending required meetings and reviewing plans, as well as the need to add parttime staff in the planning department, has us questioning his reasoning, ability to properly manage the township's resources, and his proficiency at managing the township's staff, much less leading the board of trustees. For months, it has been increasingly clear that members of the board do not have confidence in Zoner's judgement, repeatedly questioning his
decision-making. They did once again at the special meeting, with trustee Bob Berkheiser questioning the use of a part-time consultant, which would cost the township more money in the overall structure. He also noted they had interviewed some excellent candidates for the planner position who could take over the department, potentially for half the cost. Ultimately, the board split the baby in half, setting up a second round of interviews for three of the planner candidates for September 15, while simultaneously voting to begin the request for proposal (RFP) process to solicit part-time planning consultants, which could be utilized instead of a full-time planning director, rather than just handing Zoner his contract for McKenna. But, our question remains – what is Zoner's hesitancy with hiring a planner, which the township definitely needs? As Commerce continues to grow and develop for the future, Zoner seems trapped in the Commerce he once knew, rather than imagining the Commerce the community could become if managed properly.
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