The 'Ville - April 2019

April 2019 | Vol.2 | Issue 4

Northville’s News and Lifestyle Magazine

Coach K NHS baseball’s hard-charging skipper

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Mark is a former prosecutor, has extensive trial experience, and has been practicing for over twenty years. As a former prosecutor, Mark is skilled in negotiating on behalf of his clients and his widespread trial experience assists him in guiding his clients toward effective resolutions of their pending criminal matters. He is experienced in handling a variety of criminal matters through each stage of litigation, including trial. Mark will guide you through every step of the often times very difficult criminal litigation process.

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When your rights are on the line, you want an attorney you can trust. Mark and his family have been part of the Northville community for generations. Mark coaches for the local high school football team and is an active member of the Northville community. Mark’s legal accomplishments have led to appearances and attention from local news, including local television stations, newspapers, and radio.

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SUPPORT THE ‘VILLE I started The ‘Ville because I felt our community needed a publication focused on … our community.

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4

MARCH 2019

16435 Franklin, Northville, MI 48168 • 734.716.0783 • TheVilleMagazine@gmail.com

Unlike traditional magazines, however, we do not charge a subscription fee. We mail directly to every household and business in Northville, because that model offers our advertisers the best bang for their buck.

And advertising is ultimately what pays the bills. Building an advertising base takes time and persistence.

So, in the meantime, your financial support will help boost our efforts, and insure local journalism is here to stay.

Send us $5, $10, $20 or any amount you can, and we will list your name in upcoming issues as being a supporter of The ‘Ville and local journalism. Because LOCAL matters. Please send checks, cash or lucky charms to: Journeyman Publishing; 16435 Franklin; Northville, MI 48168

KURT KUBAN – Editor/Publisher

Kurt Kuban is an award-winning journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers and magazines, including The Northville Record, over the course of a career spanning more than two decades. Kurt lives in Northville with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children, who all attend Northville Public Schools.

CRAIG WHEELER – Creative Director

Craig has been in the creative industry for over 25 years. He has developed a diverse background in that time, but publication design has been his passion during the past 16 years. Craig enjoys cycling, running, wine tasting, his beloved Boston Terrier and an unhealthy addiction to movies.

MICHELE FECHT – Writer

Michele Fecht is a longtime journalist whose first post-college reporter position was at The Northville Record before moving on to The Detroit News. A 30-plus year resident of the City of Northville and historic (old) house owner, she is an author, researcher, local history enthusiast, and community activist/advocate.

BRAD EMONS - Writer

Thank you!

Publisher

Over the course of his four decades with the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, Brad established himself as one of the preeminent prep sports reporters in the state, winning many journalism awards along the way. His greatest joy is interviewing local athletes and coaches, and reporting on their efforts.

OUR SUPPORTERS

MARIA TAYLOR – Writer

Here is a list of people who contributed to local journalism last month. We appreciate your support!

Munther and Beth Ajlouni

Jill Kurtz

Deanna and Victor Brzeg

Living & Learning Enrichment Ctr

Country Garden Club of Northville

Barabara Maise

Sharon and Robert Dolmetsch

Alan and Judith Somershoe

Perla and Roy Forbes

Miss M. Zonca

Jim and Joanna Kastely

ADVERTISE The ‘Ville is mailed directly to every address in Northville – nearly 21,000 in all. To advertise contact us at:

(734) 716-0783 or thevillemagazine@gmail.com OUR ADVERTISING TEAM

• Mathew Mulholland, Vice President of Sales (734) 395-8646, mathewpmully@gmail.com • Emanuela Caruana emanuelacaruana6@gmail.com • Lisa Meinzinger Abraham meinzinger.abraham@gmail.com

Maria has edited Michigan History and The Active Learner magazines and reported for The Northville Record, Novi News, and Farmington Observer and (currently) BNP Media. She lives in Farmington and, as a self-avowed history nerd, routinely risks her life by standing in the middle of Grand River to take photos of old buildings.

LONNIE HUHMAN - Writer

Lonnie graduated from EMU with a degree in creative writing. He is a longtime newspaper reporter, including two stints with The Northville Record. He is now a freelance reporter for a number of publications, including The Sun Times News in Dexter, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He is glad to be back covering the Northville community.

BILL BRESLER - Photographer

Bill lied his way onto his high school's yearbook staff in 1971 and has worked as a photographer ever since. He recently retired after 39 years with Hometown Life, a newspaper group that includes the Northville Record. He's won many journalism awards for his work, and taught photography at Madonna University. According to Bill's wife, he's too young to retire, so he's happy to be part of The 'Ville.

JENNY PEARSALL – Graphic Designer

Jenny has been in the design and print industry for more than 20 years, holding various positions in graphic design, large format and trade show graphics, print buying, production and print management. One of her favorite memories is working for Colorquik Graphix in the historic Water Wheel building in downtown Northville.

The ‘Ville is a product of Journeyman Publishing, which assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information. Any form of reproduction of any content in this publication without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Comments are welcome at thevillemagazine@gmail.com.

A View From The ‘Ville

Military Banners a Source of Pride C redit the Northville Chamber of Commerce for coming up with a great idea last year when they initiated the Military and Veteran Banner Program. You probably recall the banners that were put up last year in May in honor of Memorial Day, and again in November to commemorate Veterans Day. They were sponsored by people in the community who purchased a banner featuring someone close to them who served in the military, including many combat veterans.

The banners, which included a photo of the person and what branch of military they served, lined Main Street and other downtown streets, and proved to be a source of pride for those in the community.

It’s not surprising that it has turned into one of the Chamber’s most popular programs -- growing from 31 banners last year to about 75 this year.

At a time when far too many of our so-called leaders do their best to tear us apart for political gain, our military veterans remind us what holds us together as Americans.

Every time I walked past those banners last year, it made me think about my own dad who served in Vietnam, and my two grandfathers who served in World War II – one in Europe fighting the Nazis and the other in the Pacific.

When I think about the sacrifices they had to make and the things they were forced to endure to preserve our freedoms and way of life, suddenly the challenges of everyday life don’t seem so difficult.

So kudos to the Chamber for coming up with a program that honors our veterans, and their sacrifices.

Hopefully, as the program continues to grow, we will be hanging a banner from every light post in town.

For more information about the program, visit www.northville.org/ military-banner-program.

WE NEED YOU! If you’re a regular reader, it is my hope you’ve noticed we have very talented writers, photographers, and designers working for The ‘Ville. I’m extremely proud of the team we’ve assembled to put this publication together every month. They take

pride in covering this town, and it shows in their work.

Well, we’re looking for some more talented people to join the team.

While we’re always seeking writers and especially photographers who can help us tell Northville’s story every month, we are in particular need of sales representatives to join our advertising team.

I consider our advertisers a huge part of this magazine. Without them we could not put out The ‘Ville – it’s as simple as that. I want to see our advertisers succeed just as much as they want us to. That’s what community is all about.

We’re looking for some representatives with experience, enthusiasm and a passion to see our advertisers succeed. And, in the process, help us grow so we can continue to tell Northville’s story.

If that’s you, contact me at the email below.

Kurt Kuban is the editor and publisher of The ‘Ville. He welcomes your comments at kurtkuban@gmail. com.

Your Voice: Letters to the Editor 4 Local whiskey maker to unveil new bourbon

Landfill Odors Cause Stink

Maybury's New Action Plan

6 Coach K Drives NHS Baseball

18

22

ON THE COVER: Northville High School baseball coach John Kostrzewa gets his team ready before an early season game against Novi. Photo by Bill Bresler.

8

Military banners to be unfurled again 10 Childhood Program builds foundation for learning 12 Past Tense: Northville Laboratories’ flavors live on 14 Northville Youth Assistance undergoes makeover 24 It’s Your Business: Medical Care Alert 30 ‘100 Women’ prove there’s strength in numbers 32 Dishin’ With Denise 36 The ‘Ville 3

Your Voice Welcome Addition

As a receiver of The ‘Ville, I wish to thank you and your staff for an informative and enjoyable publication. It is a welcome addition to our community with a wide range of articles of current happenings and interesting stories of people and history of our Northville community.

May you have continued success.

Phyllis Ely

Northville-centric

Thank you for your Northville-centric publication!

We cancelled the so-called local newspaper a couple years ago because it was minimizing Northville.

Your publication is a breath of fresh air and so appreciated. Keep it up!

Jim and Joanna Kastely

SOUND OFF

Appreciated

Keep up the great work in producing The ‘Ville publication every month. All who receive and read it appreciate your coverage of the news of our great community.

Alan Somershoe

Loss of Important Building

The Main Street Elementary School was an important building, nationally for its seminal modern school architecture derived from early 20th century European precedents, and locally for its Depressionera civic history.

The school district’s decision to demolish the building, after its ill-conceived laissez-faire planning process which unnecessarily associated retaining the building with high-density apartments, was aggressive, demonstrating a lack of cooperative leadership in its relationship with the City of Northville. The city could have appealed the court’s

Please submit your letters by emailing Editor Kurt Kuban at kurtkuban@gmail.com.

Letters must be 150 words or less. We reserve the right to edit all letters.

Corrections

In the March edition, we made a couple errors in the “A Vibrant Corridor” story about the changes coming to East Cady Street.

First, developer Andrew Daily’s project should have been identified as Delano, a mixed-use development with commercial on the first floor and residential above. Daily said the property will have six approximately 3,500 square foot condominiums, and two commercial spaces approximately 850 square feet.

Daily said the project, located at 106 E. Cady, will break ground this summer.

The other error in the story indicated the first phase of the Northville Downs project would take place at E. Cady and Dunlap. It should have said E. Cady at Hutton. Watermark Residential will construct two buildings --a 306-unit apartment building and a four-story, 18,700 square foot commercial structure The Delano project that will include retail space. They are also building a parking structure and some surface parking on the site.

Expect work to begin at the site sometime this year.

4 The ‘Ville

decision, based on the district’s lack of hardship in retaining the building (NPS had no programmatic use for the property). Or, the city could have acquired the property through eminent domain, as allowed

by Section 399.207 of the Michigan Local Historic Districts Act 169 of 1970. Either action would have been appropriately counter-aggressive. The city passively declined both avenues.

Due to the collective ignorance and indifference of your local institutions, it is gone and Northville is poorer for it, culturally.

Mark S. Chadwick Philadelphia, PA

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stench Seeking Solutions for the

Despite Arbor Hills' efforts, landfill odors still causing stink with locals [ By Scott Daniel ]

F

or decades, Arbor Hills Landfill sat just over Northville Township’s western border at Six Mile and Napier roads collecting waste from communities across metropolitan Detroit in relative anonymity. All of that changed in late 2015 when residents in township subdivisions like Steeplechase, Arcadia Ridge and Stonewater started smelling odors coming from the landfill.

Flash forward to the present where more than 3,000 odor complaints have been filed and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has issued 49 violations to landfill operator Advanced Disposal Services (ADS) and on-site gasto-electricity producer Fortistar Methane Group. Toss in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consent agreement, a non-profit conservancy dedicated to holding the landfill operator accountable and a township government trying to lookout for its residents

6 The ‘Ville

and you’ve got the recipe for a multilayered, messy pie.

“I clearly want to articulate our apology for any odors that are causing an inconvenience to the community,” Arbor Hills General Manager Mark Johnson said. “We want to make this a world-class facility not just for ADS, but the community. That’s my goal and I won’t be happy until we’re there.”

By all accounts, getting there will take time. On March 14, the MDEQ issued a violation notice to the company. A total of 15 citations were made

by Senior Environmental Engineer Mike Kovalchick in the notice, ranging from landfill cap integrity and leachate seeps to landfill gas collection system problems. He also noted improper asbestos disposal, saying the company wasn’t covering asbestos waste on a daily basis, a requirement under environmental law.

Asbestos comes to landfills

in bags, which sometimes burst after being dumped.

Regulations require such material to be covered with soil daily. The notice raised concerns that ADS wasn’t covering asbestos disposal pits until they were filled, which Kovalchick wrote can take “days or weeks.”

In an interview with The ’Ville, Kovalchick said the company had taken steps to correct asbestos disposal problems before an April 4 deadline outlined in the violation notice.

“I feel they’re doing a better job handling it,” he said.

In a follow up inspection, Kovalchick said, “I didn’t see any asbestos blowing around.”

Kovalchick works out of the MDEQ’s Jackson office in the Air Quality Division. He said several other department divisions have been involved in inspection and enforcement actions at the landfill over the years.

“We are aggressively working to identify the problems and get the company to comply with applicable laws and regulations,” Kovalchick said.

Despite the ongoing problems, he said ADS has been responsive overall. “We seem to be moving in the right direction.”

OLD INFRASTRUCTURE Johnson took the reins of Arbor Hills about a month ago.

He has 30 years of experience in the industry, including time at Republic Services and Waste Management. His marching orders from Advanced Disposal are clear -- get the landfill’s infrastructure up to snuff to eliminate odor issues and public health concerns.

“I spent a good portion of my first month just walking the entire facility, well by well to identify what’s going on systemwise,” said Johnson. “I think I’ve got a pretty good grip on what we need to do.”

While ADS acquired the

landfill in 2012 from Republic Services, it didn’t own the gas collection system until early 2017. Since then, Johnson said the company has made strides upgrading “aged” infrastructure. Among the fixes, he said adding gas collection capacity was an important step.

“We’re pulling out almost twice as much (gas) as was being pulled out in 2016,” Johnson said.

Capacity isn’t the only needed infrastructure fix, he acknowledged. Johnson said ADS is working on about a dozen issues that either contribute to odors or keep the gas collection system from peak efficiency.

Progress is being made on all fronts, but he declined to put a specific timeframe on when odor issues would be completely resolved. Johnson thinks the company is about 75 percent of where it needs to be.

“The solutions we’re looking to put in place are not band-aid solutions,” he added. “We’re looking for the long term so that people can go outside and grill and not smell anything but their barbeque.”

ADS is pouring the financial, engineering and other needed resources into Arbor Hills to get the job done right, said Johnson. “Being a good neighbor is our highest priority.”

Besides stopping the expansion, the group’s goals were also to get rid of odor problems and stop waste-hauling trucks from traveling along Six Mile Road.

“The problem was they were barreling past Northville High School and Ridge Wood Elementary,” Birkenhauer said.

“Those poor kids. Stuff flies off those trucks all the time and you don’t know what those trucks are carrying.”

Several months later, ADS put its expansion plans on hold and trucks were rerouted.

Trucks now travel along Five Mile before turning north on Napier Road to reach the landfill’s entrance. “That was a significant victory,” Birkenhauer said.

The Conservancy, a member of the Michigan Environmental Council, remains committed to seeing Arbor Hills run within environmental regulations. “We want them to operate properly,” Birkenhauer said, “to do their jobs.”

She also believes Northville Township must play a bigger role in protecting its residents.

Birkenhauer and other group members chided officials at a March board meeting for not doing more and asked that the township stop sending waste to Arbor Hills.

“Why exacerbate a preexisting issue,” Birkenhauer asked.

CONSERVANCY INITIATIVE Tracey Birkenhauer is doing all she can to hold the company’s feet to the fire. She founded the Conservancy Initiative a few years ago to fight a proposed landfill expansion

by ADS. Birkenhauer made it her mission to get the word out about problems at the landfill.

NO AUTHORITY Supervisor Robert Nix empathizes but says there’s only so much the township can do. “Over this three and half year period, the odors have been too frequent,” he said. “It’s unbearable for our residents.

“We have no authority. It’s not in our jurisdiction. We can’t write notices of violation, we

Conservancy Initiative board members Jenny Cordina, Raj Mummireni, Tracey Birkenhauer and David Horan are fighting to hold Advanced Disposal Services accountable for odor issues at the Arbor Hills landfill. Scott Daniel

can’t fine them, we can’t do anything to shut them down.

We’re in a situation that without the authority, we have to look to the authorities that have jurisdiction over them -- the EPA and MDEQ.” Shortly after problems began, Nix said he reached out to the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Chicago for answers. As a result, the EPA investigated, cited ADS and a consent agreement was negotiated with the company in 2017.

The agreement was designed as a sort of action plan for the company to follow to bring it into compliance with federal environmental standards. Nix said the company has followed the consent agreement and made improvements to its gas collection system, “but it didn’t solve the problem.”

The smell of rotten eggs, which comes from sulfur compounds released by the landfill, and other noxious odors

still taints the area. Between the three large subdivisions, Nix said about 2,000 homes are affected. He said the township continues to push for solutions “The role of the township is to advocate for its residents,” Nix said. “That we can do.”

Nix recently brought members of the Conservancy Initiative together with representatives from the township, city of Northville and Northville Community Schools to form a new “working group.” The idea is to combine resources to tackle landfill issues and improve communications among all stakeholders. The group was slated to meet for the first time on April 8.

In addition, State Rep. Matt Koleszar and State Senator Dayna Polehanki organized a town hall on April 16 at Northville High School. MDEQ and other representatives were scheduled to be on hand to answer questions at the event.

First Batch

By Kurt Kuban

Local whiskey maker to unveil new bourbon in Northville

N

orthville’s Cantoro Italian Market & Trattoria will host the launch of a new Kentucky bourbon produced by a distillery that also has deep Italian roots.

Luca Mariano Distillery, owned by Northville’s Francesco Viola, will make its Old Americana Small Batch Bourbon available to the public for the first time anywhere at the Friday, April 26 unveiling.

The event will feature plenty of food, music and, of course, copious amounts of the bourbon, which has been aging for more than four years at the company’s distillery located in Danville, Kentucky.

The company is named in honor of both Francesco’s Italian-born grandfather, Mariano, and son, Luca.

Francesco says his grandfather passed onto him many Italian traditions, including how to garden, make pasta and wine, and also introduced him to the whiskey making process.

Francesco said he definitely incorporated those Italian teachings into his recipes and distilling process, but he calls his whiskey 100-percent Americana. He said the bourbon that will be unveiled this month was created with the highest quality corn, rye and barley. It features a sweet oak and slight vanilla fragrance, a mildly spicy taste with just a hint of fennel.

In other words, this isn’t your father’s whiskey.

“In the ‘70s, whiskey didn’t taste very good. People drank it for one reason,” said Francesco, who grew up in Hartland. “Our bourbon is very smooth and

8 The ‘Ville

easy to drink. It has a lot of flavor packed into it. It’s strong -- it’s 83 proof -- but there is no burn. Both men and women will like it.”

Francesco has owned the Plymouth-based Versatrans, Inc. since 2000, and its success allowed him the freedom and financial means to begin his “new adventure” when he founded the distillery in 2014.

That same year the company began producing rye bourbon and whiskeys on his 300-acre property, which includes the William Crow House, built in 1783 making it the oldest stone house in Kentucky.

He feels like the sweet spot to age whiskey is between 4-7 years, so he’s had plenty of time to develop a marketing strategy for his fledgling company while his product ages to perfection.

He’s worked closely with Dan Matauch of the Northvillebased Flow Design to come up with logos, packaging, and designs for the Danville property and Willian Crow House, which will become the company’s visitor center.

He’s even formed a band called The Old Americana Band with Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter Kenny Fuller.

The two of them have written around 50 songs -- mostly about whiskey, America and patriotism – recording about a dozen of them (four were released to the public for the first time on April 5). They will regularly perform at the visitor center, telling the Luca Mariano story in song, which Francesco believes will be unique.

“It’s a whole experience

we’re creating,” Francesco said.

“It’s all about bringing people together and having a good time. Enjoying good food, good music, good company and, of course, good bourbon.”

Francesco said people who attend the launch party will definitely get a taste of that experience.

In addition to light hors d’oeuvres, there will be live music featuring The Old Americana Band, Rachele Lynae, who was listed in Nashville Lifestyle’s Top 20 Musicians to Watch, and Franc West, who performed on The Voice. Tickets are $45 each.

Everyone will receive a Luca Mariano gift bag, T-Shirt, and rocks glass and coaster, plus two complimentary drinks. Bottles of bourbon will be available for purchase at the event.

For those who can’t make it, but would

like to give the bourbon a try, Luca Mariano’s Old Americana Small Batch Bourbon will be available at Cantoro’s and Buscemis (680 Eight Mile Road). It’s also in the Michigan Liquor Book, where it can be pre-ordered prior to April 26.

To order tickets for the launch party, visit www. cantoromarket. com. For more information, visit www. lucamariano. com.

Francesco Viola and his Old Americana Small Batch Bourbon that will available to the public for the first time on April 26.

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Military banners to wave again on May 3

T

he Northville Chamber of Commerce invites the community from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, to a celebration honoring those recognized on Northville’s downtown military banners.

The event will take place in Town Square.

The Military Banner Celebration will kick-off the installation of this year’s military and banner program. More than 70 banners will be placed downtown in May (and again in November) honoring those who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces.

A reception for banner sponsors (family and friends) will be held at 6 p.m.

prior to the public celebration at 7 p.m.

Opening remarks will be given by Chamber Executive Director Jody Humphries, a member of the Northville VFW, and Northville Mayor Ken Roth.

A military tribute by the Birmingham Concert Band will be held following opening remarks.

The Military and Veteran Banner Program has been one of the Northville Chamber’s most successful endeavors with support from Dick Scott Automotive Group, Masco Corporation and Ascension Providence.

Those wishing to honor a veteran or active military member can find sponsorship information on the Northville Chamber of Commerce website at www. northville.org.

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Our community is building another great way to play at Maybury State Park

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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The Northville Kiwanis Club and Northville Township Firefighters Charity Fund have teamed up with the Berman Family and a number of local businesses and residents to build a brand-new inclusive playground that all kids can enjoy at Maybury State Park.

This $135,000 project needs your help to reach the finish line. If you’re interested in sponsoring a play component or supporting the project financially or through a donation of your professional skills, call Dan Ferrara at (248) 345-6959 or email NorthvilleKiwanis@gmail.com. Every donation helps us provide the best possible experience for the kids who visit Maybury State Park.

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With April 8-12 being designated as the Week of the Young Child, we wanted to highlight the incredible programs and people that comprise the Northville Public Schools Early Childhood Education and Extended Day programs.

The programs include Full-Day, School-Day, Pre-K PLUS and Half-Day preschool classes, Parent/Child classes, before and after school care in the district’s elementary schools and after school care in the two middle schools.

The Early Childhood Program, which is nationally accredited, has the goal of laying

and sets the foundation for their K-12 experience.”

When asked what the community should know about the programs, Simons said that NPS recognizes and respects “each child’s family background, learning style, thought process and unique developmental level.”

“We know that children accomplish their best learning through play and social interaction.

Our licensed and NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Accredited programs are committed to help

mindset for staff so we are always staying on the forefront of best practices with professional development and training opportunities.”

A good example of what type of learning is happening with the Early Childhood program is the Children’s Exhibit. Simons said each April the exhibit is set up to celebrate the Week of the Young Child and advocate for children within the community. They display the artwork at Northville Square mall in downtown Northville and the project work is accompanied by documentation, which tells the story of the project and includes the child’s voice.

This year’s exhibit runs through April 29 at Northville Square (133 W Main Street).

the foundation for learning and leadership across the school district. In other words, it all starts here!

each child develop to his/her fullest potential.

Pre-K programs build the foundation for a successful K-12 experience” Simons said.

District officials say the aim is to allow even its youngest students in the preschool programs to have a voice and make choices in their learning “all with the goal of giving our students the skills and dispositions they need to be successful in school and in life.”

These are tuition based-programs that provides Pre-K, and before and after school programming throughout the district. NPS currently has about 1,100 students that participate in the programs from two year olds to middle school children. Simons said they offer a variety of program options to fit the needs of families in the community.

“It’s amazing to see the growth with our children, particularly in the area of autonomy and independence,” said Chelsea Simons, the Early Childhood Program Coordinator. “Our teachers provide children with opportunities to make choices and drive their own learning experience. This instills a joy of learning

“Children are excited to come to school because the learning is embedded into their play and they don’t even realize it,” said Joanne Sawicki, Assistant Program Coordinator. “Our district has such a growth

“Our curriculum is project based, which allows for us to tap into children’s interests as a foundation for their learning. Academics are infused into play and hands on activities,” said Renee Kowalczyk, NPS Full Day Pre-K Head Teacher. “The Children’s Exhibit is an opportunity to share the children’s work with the community.”

For Kowalczyk, there is a special feeling that comes with teaching this age group.

“I’ve spent most of my career with four year olds and this has been my favorite age group, having the opportunity to prepare children for kindergarten,” she said.

For more information, about the Northville Public Schools Early Childhood Education and Extended Day programs, please visit https:// earlychildhood.northvilleschools.org or call (248) 465-2550.

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PAST TENSE

One Vanilla Lane Jogue expands century-old flavor producer Northville Laboratories

By Michele Fecht

N

orthville’s oldest continuously operating manufacturer — with more than a century of production at the same location — is inconspicuously tucked behind an unassuming house off Seven Mile Road. It isn’t until you turn onto One Vanilla Lane on your way to Rural Hill Cemetery that the large production facility comes into full view.

Another way to find it is to follow your nose.

For the better part of a century, Northville Laboratories — now Jogue Inc. — has been manufacturing extracts — most notably vanilla — to bakery, confectionary, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. The Northville Laboratories Division of the global operation is just one of five manufacturing facilities in the United States — a sixth facility is about to go online next to Jogue’s corporate headquarters in Plymouth.

While the Northville manufacturing plant has remained a hidden gem, so too has the legacy of its founders who dedicated themselves to the Northville community through their service and generosity, much of which is still evident today.

A FATHER-SON PARTNERSHIP Edward C. Langfield, who

14 The ‘Ville

would go by E.C., settled in Northville in 1914 on the former Thornton property at the corner of Rogers and what was then Mill Street (now Fairbrook / Seven Mile). An injury in the line of duty forced the former Detroit firefighter into retirement, and the Northville site offered him a quiet retreat.

It lasted only until his son,

full time job at Parke-Davis in Detroit.

In 1917, World War I interceded and Conrad volunteered for the U.S. Army.

With his chemistry background, Langfield was assigned to staff headquarters in Washington, D.C., and was put in charge of purchasing the Army’s drugs and medical supplies. The first

Northville Laboratories display at a trade show. Company president Conrad Langfield is second from right.

Conrad (or C.E.), a newly minted 17-year-old graduate of the Indianapolis College of Pharmacy and Chemistry, convinced E.C. to join him in a new start-up — Northville Chemical Company.

Established in 1916, the company manufactured a line of toilet articles and household remedies. E.C. managed the business with Conrad selling products door-to-door throughout Northville while at the same time holding down a

lieutenant was the youngest officer in the Army’s staff headquarters.

Following the war and a six-month recuperation from tuberculosis, Conrad returned home, and father and son went back to work. They also turned their attention to extract production. In 1927, the company distributed 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of extracts throughout the state. The following year, the company merged with Dot Products

of Detroit. Retaining the Northville Chemical Company name, Conrad Langfield took on the role of vice president and general manager. The merger with Dot Products offered the Northville company an opportunity to expand distribution beyond its Michigan markets to a national customer base.

By 1931, the Northville Chemical Company was renamed Northville Laboratories with Conrad Langfield as president, and E.C. Langfied as vice president and chief engineer. Factory expansion, the addition of state-of-the-art equipment, and a new distillation process vastly increased production with the company manufacturing between 600 to 800 gallons of bulk flavoring extracts a week. The company carried 30 to 40 different vanilla blends and more than 100 flavoring extracts. Raw ingredients were brought in from Madagascar, Mexico, Italy and other regions.

Northville Laboratories would continue to expand becoming one of the nation’s leading producers of industrial vanilla and other flavoring ingredients.

CIVIC AND MUSIC LEGACY In 1927, E.C. Langfield listened to the “hired” bands at the Northville Fairgrounds (now Northville Downs) and decided Northville needed a band of its own. With the

support of the school board (which he served as a trustee from 1926-29) and the Northville-Wayne County Fair Association, along with his own financial assistance, the band became a reality. Langfield, also a charter member of the Northville Rotary Club, went on to manage the band and continue to offer his support until his death in 1936.

Conrad Langfield would become sole owner of Northville Laboratories upon his father’s death, continuing to grow the company while also expanding his role in the Northville community. A charter member of Northville’s Lloyd H. Green American Legion Post, Langfield spearheaded the drive to acquire the present headquarters. He was a threeterm village president serving

from 1948-1953. During his tenure, the movement for city incorporation was initiated.

A longtime supporter of the Northville High School Community Band organized by his father, Conrad Langfield would provide a lasting legacy to E.C. Langfield and the community when in 1969 he established the Conrad Langfield Memorial Trust Fund with a $15,000 gift to be used for the promotion and enrichment of the high school band, but not to supplant the district’s obligation to financing the program. The fund — which continues today — provides only a portion of the monies to be used annually. Through careful investing, the original bequest has grown substantially over the decades under the stewardship of the fund’s trustees.

NEW OWNERS After a half-century in the flavoring business, Conrad Langfield sold Northville Laboratories in 1966 to chemist Paul Newman, who continued to grow the company and credited its success to an “excellent team” of chemists, researchers and managers.

Among those on Newman’s team was Dr. Dattu Sastry, then director of the flavor division.

Upon Newman’s death in 1989, Northville Laboratories was in flux until 1991 when Sastry stepped in and purchased the company of his former employer. Sastry founded Jogue Inc. a decade earlier in Detroit at the former Everfresh Juice facility. The acquisition of Northville Laboratories would be the company’s second manufacturing facility. Other

locations today include Florida, California and Plymouth. Dr. Sastry’s son, Anil Sastry, is now CEO of Jogue Inc. The Northville plant continues to emphasize vanilla having maintained its longstanding relationship with growers in Madagascar and Indonesia. Consumers will find its flavors in thousands of products including those of local dairy Guernsey.

Though E.C. and C.E. Langfield would not recognize the organically certified 21st century manufacturing facility they founded more than a century ago, the sweet smell of vanilla would be all too familiar.

Postscript: A sampling of Northville Laboratories early bottles — including one with the company’s signature Gold Label brand — were given to the Northville District Library by the Bruce Turnbull estate.

The bottles, along with a set of drinking glasses belonging to Conrad Langfield, will eventually be displayed in the library’s local history room.

The glasses feature Langfield’s 63-foot cruiser aptly named NO-LA-VAN III. In addition to his numerous accomplishments and interests, Langfield was an avid fisherman and skipper of very large boats.

The Northville Community School Band with E.C. Langfield

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‘COACH K’

Hall of Famer Kostrzewa is engine driving Northville baseball Story by Brad Emons • Photos by Bill Bresler

I

n just 14 years as Northville High’s varsity baseball coach, John Kostrzewa has built quite an impressive portfolio.

The 46-year-old Trenton native, who was enshrined last June into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, embarks on the 2019 season – his 15th with the Mustangs – with an eyepopping 383-96 overall record.

Included in those 383 victories are 11 division, eight conference, one KLAA Association, six district and two Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 regional titles.

The Mustangs also made a run all the way to the 2017 Division 1 finals before

18 The ‘Ville

falling 5-2 to Saline in the championship final.

But to Kostrzewa, it’s more than just the wins.

“What we’re really trying to do is to prepare them for life after baseball,” said Kostrzewa, who has also produced 13 All-Staters, including two who earned All-American honors. “It’s kind of a good stepping stone to what life is all about, being able to have time management, things like that.

The work ethic that’s involved in the weight room is easily transferred over to baseball.

We try to draw some parallels what they do academically and everything else in the confines of the weight room.”

When The Work Begins

For Kostrzewa, it all starts well before March baseball tryouts begin.

Unless they are involved or playing in another fall or winter sport, Mustang baseball players weight train regularly at 6 a.m. three days a week from October until the start of baseball drawing with as many as 50-to60 freshman through seniors in the room.

“That’s a huge benefit for us that we train in the off season because you get so little time to prepare for a game a week-and-a-half once tryouts start,” Kostrzewa said. “Being around in the weight room, getting to know each other -- I think that really helps out

a lot to understand what the expectations are, and being around seniors that have been in the program for a while. It’s a little bit of a whirlwind at first for the freshman, but our freshman and our young guys this year have been awesome.

I feel very fortunate to have that many kids working out at 6 a.m.”

Each spring, the Mustangs try to get a jump on the competition before the season gets into full swing with their annual bus trip to the LA Dodgers’ former spring training facility in Vero Beach, Fla. Prior to their Florida trip (March 29-April 5), the Mustangs posted a 1-2 record splitting with rival Novi and

losing to Livonia Franklin.

The unpredictable Michigan spring weather continues to be a challenge each spring for high school baseball and softball teams.

Ironically, the Mustangs had only one outdoor practice before their official 2019 season opener on March 25 against Novi.

Kostrzewa believes there are many benefits to getting away for a week. The plan is to not only practice in warm weather, but also to build team chemistry in Florida.

“With baseball we don’t get two-a-days like football does,” the Northville coach said.

“We don’t get the time that basketball does. In less than a week-and-a-half we’re supposed to play a game. Not only is it a challenge from a baseball and team standpoint, it’s getting to know one another. We have a slogan, ‘Great teammates make great teams,’ and it just starts with kind of getting to know each other and loving each other, and everything else will come as time wears on.”

The Mustangs lost 17-of21 players off last year’s 33-8 squad that reached the state quarterfinals before losing to Birmingham Brother Rice.

Among the top returnees are three seniors including infielder-outfielder Nick Prystash, pitcher-outfielder Spencer Ziparo and infielder Kameron Unger.

“It’s not like we’re completely new at every position, but obviously you lose that many guys it’s going to be some upsand-downs, and we expect that,” Kostrzewa said. “We’ve got new guys that are enthusiastic and itching to get after it. We expect to be able to compete like we have every other year because

we have some talented kids coming up. It will just take a little while to get their feet wet.”

Staying Involved

Kostrzewa is a 1990 Trenton High grad who was a hockey, football and baseball standout.

He went on to play baseball one season at the University of Kentucky before transferring to Western Michigan for his final three seasons.

Kostrzewa owes much of his coaching success to his high school hockey coaches Skip Howey and Mike Turner, along with summer sandlot coach Tom Noland.

“I knew I wanted to stay involved in the game somehow and I always envisioned myself getting involved in coaching,” Kostrzewa said. “I kind of went a little bit of a different route in a sense where I coached some football early on, then I

coached hockey for awhile (at Northville) with Brad O’Neill where we had some success.

And then the time came up where there was an opening here to become the head (baseball) coach.”

In 2005, Kostrzewa took over as Northville’s new varsity baseball coach replacing Mickey Newman.

“It was something that I always planned on and prepared for and knew what I wanted to do,” Kostrzewa said. “Time really flies and I can’t believe it’s been as long as it has been already. But I really have a lot of admirations for guys like Noland who had done it for so long. A lot of the things we do as a program I learned from the mentors that I’ve had. And we’ve a lot of success.

Coach continued on page 20

Armed Forces Day is May 18 The Armed Forces Committee makes it a point each year to honor, recognize and support military veterans with a variety of activities connected to the annual Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 18.

The day kicks off with a 5K race at 8:30 a.m. followed by a series of round-robin games starting at 10 a.m. against White Lake Lakeland and Chelsea. A concert featuring the Killer Flamingos will follow from 5:30-7 p.m. at Northville’s Ford Field, where there will also be food trucks and beverages.

The concert will be hosted by Northville’s American Legion and an organization called Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled military service members.

The event actually includes a week’s worth of activities. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, military vets will square off against the Northville Police and Fire departments in a charity softball game at the high school.

And from Tuesday through Saturday, May 14-18, a traveling World War II Memorial will be on display in the parking lot in front of the high school.

For more information, email Bill Flohr at bill@armedforcesday.com.

The ‘Ville 19

Coach continued from page 19

Paying attention to detail is the biggest thing he learned during his playing days.

“It really had an effect on me in terms of how I went about college and rest of my life,” the Northville coach said. “There’s not really a lot of ways to cut corners.”

Kostrzewa would be the first to admit he is a “baseball lifer,” but he couldn’t do it without the support from his family.

“My wife (Jenna) knows it’s full-time and the off season is very, very short,” Kostrzewa said. “It’s a full-time commitment and you have to have that support at home.”

John and Jenna have two young daughters, Camdyn and Peyton, along with a new puppy, a shepherd-beagle mix.

“They don’t even know it, but they have also become part of the baseball program,“ Kostrzewa joked.

20 The ‘Ville

Kostrzewa’s family also extends to his loyal coaching staff, which remains intact for the 2019 season including varsity assistants Bill Flohr, Tom Cotter, Ken Spratke and Roy Anderson.

His JV staff features Mike Malley (head coach), Mike Lindman, Matt Adams and Nathan Leonard (manager), while the freshman coaches are Tim Cain (head coach), Don Deptula and Mike Lionas.

“I’m really lucky with the people I’ve had on my staff,” Kostrzewa said. “The commitment they have to our program, many of which have been head coaches at other schools, different levels. They’re all about Northville. That’s one of the things I take the most pride in. The wins are great and everything else, but we have such an outstanding group of coaches that just want to be a part of our program and it’s really something I’m proud of.”

What we’re really trying to do is to prepare them for life after baseball. It’s kind of a good stepping stone to what life is all about.”

2019 Summer Youth Sports Camps

Boys & Girls Basketball Football · Cross Country Hockey · Tennis · Volleyball Swimming · Track & Field Strength & Conditioning Cheerleading · Rowing

northvilleschools.revtrak.net/athletics/youth-camps For more information visit nhs.northvilleschools.org Camp information is under Athletic News.

Register online at

An artist’s rendering of the new Maybury State Park headquarters, which will break ground in the near future.

Maybury Implementing New Plan New headquarters among changes coming to popular state park

By Rebecca Kolinski

N

orthville residents don’t have to travel very far to immerse themselves in nature. Maybury State Park is a local gem consisting of 944 acres of land that features gently rolling terrain, an open meadow, a mature forest, fishing pond, a variety of wildlife, and abundant wildflowers.

Park visitors can enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities all year long, including designated trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and crosscountry skiing. The park also offers many scenic picnic spots for a relaxing afternoon. Picnic shelters are available for rent up to one year in advance for parties and other special events.

The park also features a working farm that is managed by the Northville Community Foundation, an entity separate from Maybury State Park. The

22 The ‘Ville

entrance to the farm is located off of Eight Mile Road, just west of the entrance to the park.

Even with all of the great features the park has to offer, there is always room for improvement. Park Supervisor

Traci Sincock has been working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as part of a planning team to create a general management plan for the park. The DNR is completing the final phase

of the planning process, which gathers input and perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders to define the unique purpose of Maybury State Park and determine the needs and priorities for the

Maybury relies on volunteers from the community to help with trail and tree maintenance, trash pickup, and removal of invasive plant species.

future. be addressed within two to five “The general management years. Priority Level 3 projects plan will set the long-range can be tackled in the next five vision for protecting park to 10 years, once funding has resources while also creating been identified. The general a positive experience for park management plan is reviewed visitors,” explains Sincock. every five years to ensure there The planning process are no major changes that included a stakeholder forum would require a revision to the held in August 2018 and an plan. online survey that was open to One of the Priority Level 1 the public. The survey provided projects is to build a new park valuable information about headquarters. what park visitors and local “The Michigan Department residents hope to see in the of Management and Budget is in park’s future management. charge of bidding the contract “One of the things we learned and selecting a vendor to build from the survey is how much the headquarters,” explains the community appreciates the Sincock. “The construction park,” says Sincock. “It is a place start date has not yet been people can go to experience determined, but once we begin, nature. We have people who it should take about a year to come here every day to take a complete.” run or go for a walk with their In addition to the new park dog.” headquarters, some of the Sincock will be busy in the other Priority Level 1 projects coming years, as she will be described in the general leading or supporting many management plan include: of the efforts to improve the Identifying a location for park. The general management a non-motorized entrance plan includes to the park 10-year action off of Seven goals that Mile Road. address topics Maybury State Park relies on (Implementing such as natural volunteers from the community the new resources, to help with trail and tree entrance cultural maintenance, trash pickup, and would be a resources, removal of invasive plant species.

Priority Level recreation Volunteer efforts are coordinated by 2 project.) opportunities, the Friends of Maybury State Park.

Working education/ They also sponsor family-friendly with other interpretation events throughout the year. Visit government opportunities, their website for more information entities to and at www.friendsofmaybury.org improve development. wayfinding Of course, all of signage to the the action goals are dependent park. on available funding.

Developing a business plan The projects are given a for the park that provides priority level to indicate their sufficient staffing to support the importance. Priority Level 1 park’s year-round high level of projects should be addressed use. within the next two years.

Providing oversight of alcohol Priority Level 2 projects should use within the park year-round.

Get Involved!

Renovating existing vault toilet facilities.

Re-establishing the Napier Road entrance to the Organization Campground.

Constructing a new playground near the Trailhead shelter. (This project is a planned collaboration with Kiwanis and the Northville Township Firefighters Charity Fund.)

Some of the Priority Level 2 projects include planning for improvements to the Oak and Maple picnic shelters, performing an assessment of the fishing pond, and reconstructing the parking lots at the Eight Mile Road entrance to the park. Among the Priority Level 3 projects are replacing the east fishing pier with one that is accessible for people with disabilities, enhancing the picnic shelters by adding electrical service, and re-paving select trails within the park.

One item that is not on the list of 10-year action goals is any expansion of the existing trail system. According to the plan, Maybury State Park has the highest overall trail density among all of the state parks in Michigan, with more than 26 miles of trails within a 1.3 square mile area. Any future improvements to the trail system would focus on connecting to the regional non-motorized trail network or rerouting existing trails to protect natural resources or enhance the visitor experience.

In addition to supporting the 10-year action goals, Sincock is also involved in promoting the park within the community.

She works with local chambers of commerce, businesses, and civic organizations to sponsor events or help fund needed improvements at the park.

Michigan State Park

FACTS Michigan is celebrating 100 years of state parks in 2019. Did you know: • There are 103 state parks in Michigan with over 1,000 miles of trails.

• There are more than 300,000 acres of land in Michigan’s state parks.

• Michigan’s state parks attract 27 million visitors each year.

• In Michigan, you are never more than half an hour away from a state park, state forest campground, or state trail system.

• Learn more at www.michigan. gov/stateparks100.

Maybury State Park is a sanctuary for Northville residents, as well as people from neighboring communities. The updated general management plan will make sure that park resources are protected and available for the enjoyment of many generations to come.

“People have gotten engaged here. They have had their weddings, graduation parties, and other family events here,” says Sincock. “There are so many people in the community who have fond memories and a strong connection to the park.”

The ‘Ville 23

A Welcoming Place for All Kids Northville Youth Assistance undergoes rebranding, makeover

By Maria Taylor

N

orthville Youth Assistance was really focused on those two (NYA) started in 1987. areas,” said Amy Prevo, who’s At that time, the youth been director of the program for assistance programs in a year and a half. “But a lot has Wayne County came out of the changed in 32 years. A lot has juvenile justice program. NYA’s changed in our culture; a lot has focus was on helping first-time changed in our community. The juvenile offenders so they way we raise kids is different, didn’t have a record or end up the way kids grow and develop is in the juvenile different, and justice system we needed – and helping to respond them learn to those from their changes.” mistakes so The TIME: 4-6:30 p.m. they wouldn’t program is a DATE: May 8 go down that shared service LOCATION: Northville Community path. Then, between Center NYA added a the City of mentorship Northville MORE INFO: Call (248) 344-1618 program, and matching kids with trained, Northville Township, with screened adult mentors to the support of Northville provide an extra role model and Public Schools. Last year, NYA non-judgmental, non-parental formed a strategic planning friendship and support. subcommittee to look at “For a long time, the program how the program could be

NORTHVILLE YOUTH NETWORK OPEN HOUSE

24 The ‘Ville

most effective. Out of that came the Northville Youth Network (NYN), a rebranded, updated way to help kids in the Northville community become happy, healthy, productive, successful adults.

A NETWORK One big change is that the organization will no longer do individual counseling sessions.

Instead, the staff counselor, Kerri Ann Sondreal, will do an assessment and provide referrals to specific counseling resources or other services in the area needed. Prevo called it “a better use of resources.”

“We are building a very comprehensive referral system.

Hence, ‘network’ in our name, which is more of what we are: making connections,” Prevo explained. “A kid comes in depressed, or their mom says, ‘I found my daughter cutting

herself,’ or with an eating disorder ... some of those things, we refer right out, because we know you can’t really help a child peel back the layers as to the motivation for those behaviors and really help them ... in six sessions [that NYA used to provide in-house].”

Under the updated system, NYN does what is called case management services. NYN points those who contact them toward the programs and services they need. Then, NYN follows up with the parent to make sure things are going smoothly, and to provide advice as needed.

“Sometimes it can be a very hard system to navigate: insurance issues, lack of providers, sometimes you’re on a waiting list for two or three months,” Prevo said.

“We’re more of a navigator, through the whole process. It’s

somebody local that parents can continually turn to. It serves as a touchpoint in the community, that ‘there’s somebody that can meet with me tomorrow ... and get this off [my] chest.’”

NYN also focuses on taking steps to prevent these kinds of situations from happening in the first place.

“What we’re doing is we’re looking at the whole child: physical, emotional, mental, social, and developing programs and services that support all those dimensions,” Prevo said. That means things like self-esteem, peer pressure, substance abuse, bullying, healthy eating, and mindfulness.

“Kind of a broader approach to youth development. We’re going to really shift and put a focus on education, prevention, and awareness ... so that we catch the kids before they get into these situations where they become a referral.”

This plan allows NYN to continue supporting local law enforcement and the school district with services for kids referred for behavior issues. It also increases protective factors in a child’s life and decreases risk factors, Prevo said.

ROOTS AND WINGS NYN also focuses on building resiliency, including opportunities for parents to develop the skills they need to foster this skill in their kids.

“It’s all about building roots and wings,” Prevo said. “In the real world, they fail. We all stumble ... We hope to cover resiliency because that is a huge factor: the ability to face

Northville Youth Network Director Amy Prevo looks over some case files.

Photo by Maria Taylor

adversity and keep on going.”

NYN’s mentorship program provides kids with a positive role model. Mentors are screened by the police department, go through 10 hours of training over five weeks, and meet their mentees for an hour a week. Both parties are asked to commit for a year.

“It’s incredible, the way in which a mentor changes the trajectory of the lives of some of these kids,” Prevo said. “It can be as simple as going to get coffee or playing basketball or baking cookies – it’s just that consistent, regular contact.”

One mentor took his mentee with him to vote. Another took his mentee to look at cars, because the teen was about ready to get his driver’s license. Ten mentors have been matched, and Prevo hopes the number will grow to 20 or 25 this year.

NYN plans to start its own youth advisory board, plus some kind of recognition program or “turn around awards” for kids who have had more obstacles to overcome than others, and have shown resiliency and perseverance throughout.

School transition programs, like CAMP Hillside, CAMP Meads Mill, and Peer-2-Peer, will remain a focus.

Looking forward, NYN plans to devote more resources

to emerging issues, like vaping, and focus on earlier engagement. The organization started working mostly with teens and high school kids, then shifted to middle school.

“Now, we’re recognizing we need to work with even younger kids: elementary age,” Prevo said.

NYN also plans to work harder at telling its story. A lot of people don’t even know about NYN. “I think it’s one of the best kept secrets in Northville,” Prevo said.

Those who have heard of it know only about the referral and diversion segments. NYN will host an open house May 8 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Northville Community Center so that people can learn about the organization, become familiar with the programs and services they offer, and sign up to volunteer.

“For a lot of folks, there was a perception that this was where kids who experience problems go,” Prevo said. “I want this to be a place that all the kids know about – that there’s no stigma attached – that they see it as a welcoming place for all kids. ‘It takes a village’ might be cliché, but when we work collectively and leverage all our resources, we can be much more effective at supporting our kids.”

The ‘Ville 25

out & about YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTHVILLE THIS MONTH even meet Paul Revere.

Admission is free. For more information, contact Art Bakewell at (248) 349-4198.

Northville STEAM Fair April 24 The 5th Annual STEAM Fair, Family & Community Night will take place from 6-8 p.m. at Northville High School.

The event, funded by the Northville Educational Foundation, will feature projects created by hundreds of Northville students, who will be showing off their fun cardboard creations. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.northvillesteamfair.com.

Lecture Series April 24 The Northville Historical Society Lecture Series will present The History of The Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade at 7 p.m. in the New School Church at Mill Race Village.

There is no cost, but donations are appreciated. For more information, visit www.millracenorthville.org or call (248) 348-1845.

“Sideshow” The Musical April 25-27 The Northville High School Drama Club will perform “Sideshow” The Musical over a three day run at the Northville High School Auditorium.

There will be 7 p.m. shows all three days, as well as a 1 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, April 27. The NHS Drama Club is a close knit group of students working both on stage and behind the scenes to produce three great shows every year - a fall musical, winter student-run production and spring musical. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nhstheatre.com.

Farmers’ Market Opener

St. Baldrick’s Shave-A-Thon Claddagh Irish Pub, located at 17800 Haggerty Road, will host the local St. Baldrick’s Shave-A-Thon event beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.

More than 100 people will get their heads shaved to raise money to fight childhood cancer. Participants solicit donations that go directly to lifesaving cancer research.

This year’s “Barber Coordinators” are Melissa Corriveau-Sullivan and Kristen Code (pictured) of Parlour 7 Salon in Northville. To get involved, contact organizers Robb Drzewicki at plymouthstbaldricks@gmail.com or Matt Kulacki at mattkhomes@kw.com. Sign up today at www.stbaldricks. org/events/metrodetroit.

“Every two minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer. My team and I are proud to be able to answer the question ‘what can I do to help?’ by giving our participants a fun and inspiring way to help fund research,” said Drzewicki.

Girls Night Out April 26 Girls Night Out returns to downtown Northville from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, April 26. Gather your girlfriends and join the shops and restaurants for a night of new merchandise, special offers, giveaways at participating businesses. For more information, visit www.enjoynorthville.com/girlsnight-out.

Antique Appraisal Day April 27 The Northville Garden Club hosts this fundraiser from 10 a.m.-3:30

p.m. at Mill Race Village. Tickets are $20 to get two items appraised by DuMouchelle. No jewelry, watches or clocks will be accepted. All proceeds will benefit local scholarships and civic projects. To purchase tickets, call Kate at (248) 470-7489.

Patriots Day in the Village April 28 As prelude to America’s Sestercentennial of the “shot heard ‘round the world”, Mill Race Village will be hosting Revolutionary War and Colonial reenactors on Sunday, April 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors can interact with patriots and British troops, hear about the war from both perspectives, see demonstrations, watch military maneuvers, and

May 2 The Northville Farmers’ Market kicks off a new season from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the corner of Seven Mile and Center Street. The market runs every Thursday through October. Each week it will feature seasonal offerings

by Michigan growers, vendors and crafters, who will be selling flowers, produce, honey, plants, hand-crafted items, baked goods and more.

Master gardeners will be onsite each week from 8 a.m.-noon. For more information, visit www.northville.org or contact the Northville Chamber of Commerce at (248) 349-7640.

Wildflower Walk May 3 Maybury State Park will host its annual Wildflowers of the Park Walk from 10-11 a.m. Meet at the Riding Stables. For more information, call Maybury at (248) 349-8390.

City Lights Guest Night May 6 The City Lights Chorus, a male A Cappella ensemble that focuses on musical excellence and high-level entertainment, will welcome potential members at 7 p.m. at Ward Church (4000 Six Mile Road). The group, which currently has 40 members, brings together men of all ages to the knowledge and understanding of harmony. To attend, please register at https://bit.ly/2uy5Gam. For more information, send an email to citylightsmktg@gmail.com.

SEND IT IN To get your items listed in Out & About, email editor Kurt Kuban at kurtkuban@gmail.com.

26 The ‘Ville

RIDE THE TOUR SUPPORT YOUR WORLD Kids Against Hunger Northville Civic Concern Friends of the Rouge Maybury Farm Life Remodeled 3 Local Scholarships

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By Chocolate Milk Undefeated – Two Seasons Running You might want to start referring to the Detroit Catholic Central High The 2018-19 School varsity baseball team as celebrities – Michigan chocolate milk mustache celebrities! The team has been named one of United Dairy Industry of Michigan’s (UDIM) Chocolate Milk: Nature’s Sports Drink grant recipients, which emphasizes good nutrition.

CC’s baseball team is one of 64 Michigan high school sports teams awarded funds to purchase and provide low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk to help their student athletes get the nutrition that they need after practices, games and competitions.

“The team is excited to represent the Chocolate Milk: Nature’s Sports Drink grant and plan to have chocolate milk in the cooler to grab instead of sugary energy drinks after competitions,” said Head Coach Dan Michaels.

For more information, visit www. milkmeansmore. org/athletes/ chocolate-milk.

Meads Mill 8th grade boys basketball team recently finished their season undefeated. The team also went undefeated last year as 7th graders, completing an incredible 21-0 record over the two seasons.

“This was one of the most competitive groups of young men that I’ve had the pleasure of coaching,” said Meads Mill 8th grade coach Joe Rohrhoff, who also teaches at Meads. “We had a few close games early on and that just drove them to want to improve every day. I practically had to kick them out of the gym after practice because they loved basketball so much.”

The last time a Meads Mill basketball team went undefeated over two seasons, Rohrhoff was a player in 1996-97.

This year’s roster included Max Anderson, Luke Brohl, Walker Curtis, Thomas Forsythe, Conner Hands, Deepak Laungani, Shourya Marla, Eric Martin, Ryan Poulos, Luca Prior, Angelo Rodriguez, Devin Shaffer, Ben Thakady, Nolan Thomson, and Luke Vingren.

Synchronized Skating National Champions

Local Swimmers Make Splash The Novi

The Allegro! Synchronized Skating Masters team won the gold medal at the 2019 United States National Synchronized Skating Championships at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. The team is made up of 17 skaters, ranging in age from 28-54, including Northville residents Kimberly Hayes (front row holding trophy) and Diane Neafsey (back row, 4th from right). In addition to skating, team members are wives, mothers, and hold down careers as engineers, accountants, healthcare professionals, and teachers, just to name a few.

“Diane and I have been skating together for 20-plus years and are very passionate about our sport,” Hayes said.

28 The ‘Ville

Sturgeons Swim Club relay team of (pictured from left) Kotoko Blair, Emily Lowman, Laurel Wasiniak, and Emily Roden – all 14-year-old Northville girls – set a new state record in the 200-yard freestyle relay at the Michigan Swimming 13-14 & Open Short Course State Championship held in March at both Eastern Michigan University and University of Michigan pools. Their winning time was 1:36.92, breaking the previous record of 1:38.17 set in 2011 by Plymouth Canton Cruisers.

The record breaking performance came in spite of the fact it was the girls first time ever swimming a 200 freestyle in competition. They also took first place in the 400 yard freestyle relay with the winning time of 3:30.73.

Sturgeon coaches Robert Jenrow (left) and Mark Winter are also pictured.

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At the same time, text messages are sent out to loved ones, caregivers and/or neighbors so they are notified of the situation. In many cases, the person doesn’t need an ambulance. They may have fallen and aren’t able to get up.

In those cases, a neighbor or caregiver can come over and help out.

The cost is only about a buck a day, and there are no longterm contract commitments.

“Compare that to the cost of Medical Care Alert owners and longtime Northville residents Lori and Bryan Stapp. going to an emergency room or assisted living, which will cost $3,000-$4,000 per month.

That all adds up really fast and it’s expensive,” he said. “Our products are inexpensive, and provide a safety net for our clients.” hat happens when one “You need some kind of a children in Northville.

While the devices are of your elderly parents backstop when you’re away Medical Care Alert now has designed for seniors, other dies, leaving the other on from your elderly parents,” clients in all 50 states, providing groups have also utilized the their own? It’s a dilemma adult said company president Bryan two main products. One is an products. For example, Stapp children face every day in this Stapp. in-home device, while the other said real estate agents often use country, where an estimated Stapp, a Northville resident, is a GPS unit that is portable them because they work long 10,000 people a day turn 65. left his job as chief marketing and travels hours and It’s an even more difficult officer for Quicken Loans wherever the often go into decision when the kids don’t when the economy and real client roams. unattended OWNERS: Bryan and Lori Stapp live very close, and are left to estate market crashed back in The homes where ADDRESS: 43334 W Seven Mile worry what will happen if there 2007, deciding to form his own company trouble may Road (#400), Northville is an emergency – medical or company. employs two lurk. otherwise -- with the remaining At first he started a company call centers But, by far, PHONE: (248) 331-8697 parent. that offered home alarm – one in New Medical Care EMAIL: info@medicalcarealert.com Northville-based Medical systems, but then founded York and Alert’s main WEBSITE: www.MedicalCareAlert.

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Strength in Numbers ‘100 Women’ team up to fund local charities

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T

hree Northville friends have found that when it comes to giving, there’s strength in numbers.

Suha Costy, Amy Walsh and Lisa Wiseley started the Northville Chapter of 100 Women Who Care, and in less than two years, they’ve grown to some 160 members and donated

almost $100,000 to a variety of charities.

The concept gathers together at least 100 women for one hour, four times a year. Each brings a check for $100, and enters the name of her favorite local charity, non-profit or worthy cause into a drawing.

Three names are chosen,

100 Women Who Care members present a check to the Armed Forces Day committee.

32 The ‘Ville

and nominators give a short presentation about their cause.

“You don’t realize the huge demand for help until you hear about it from these passionate women. They stand up and speak from the heart, and everyone’s in tears,” Costy said.

Then, attendees cast ballots.

The top vote-getter of the night receives all the checks, amounting to $10,000 or more.

Nominees not selected go back into the pot.

All charities must be regional, or local chapters of national organizations, to ensure 100 percent of the money stays in Michigan.

Since its first meeting in May, 2017, the group has donated to eight causes, including Northville Civic Concern, which provides temporary food assistance to residents in need, and Main Street League, dedicated to helping locals in a wide manner of ways.

The group also donated to Homes for Our Troops, which builds adapted homes for severely injured veterans. Costy said it was very rewarding to see their $10,000 go toward finishing touches to make a house move-in ready for a local vet.

“It’s unbelievable the impact that women from such a small city like Northville can make,” Costy said. “We are so proud.”

Costy, a graphic designer, said she and her friends were inspired to start the group in order to bring women together to help others.

“In discussing this with friends, I’m finding many, like me, have been fortunate in their lives,” she explained. “Many of us have families, jobs and responsibilities that make it difficult to donate of our time, or maybe we want to help, but are not sure how. The chance to leverage the positive energy and

camaraderie of 100 women with a sincere purpose to give back is quite compelling and rewarding.”

Beyond money, participants learn more about organizations in the community and often end up donating more time 100 Women Who Care support many local charities, and resources including the Believe In Miracles Foundation. to causes they become interested in.

“You see friends and women They also meet other women in the community who are focused on philanthropy. inspired, and you become

inspired as well,” Costy said.

New members are always welcome to join, and need not live in Northville as long as they are willing to drive in for meetings.

“We want to welcome people who want to be a part of something big, with an opportunity to network and grow,” Costy said. “To be in a room full of women who are all passionate about wanting to give back is a powerful thing.”

The group continues to raise awareness of the needs in Northville and nearby.

“You don’t realize that these charities even exist. You don’t realize there’s sex trafficking, poverty, wounded veterans and children who don’t have homes right in my backyard,” Costy said. “When it’s time to vote, you want them all to win.”

100 Women Who Care Quarterly Meeting When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6 Where: Genitti’s Theatre, 108 E. Main Street, Northville

Kendra Scott Fundraiser When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 11 Where: Kendra Scott, Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi What: 20 percent of jewelry sales benefit the charity chosen in May. For more information: Call Suha Costy, (248) 722-7354 or visit 100womenwhocarenorthville.weebly. com

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On The Road With

J

oe and Joyce Fennell of Northville took along their copy of The ‘Ville on their recent trip to Florida. This picture was taken at the entrance to J.N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida. Pictured (right photo from left) are Kit Cotcher from White Lake, Michigan, Jan Connelly, resident of Northville since 1995 (and now living in Country Club Village), Joyce and Joe. Joe and Joyce, who are new residents to St. Lawrence Estates, spend two months out of the winter on Sanibel Island.

“After seeing The ‘Ville feature On the Road, we decided to share our experience. We really enjoy The ‘Ville and look forward to returning home and visiting the many establishments in Downtown Northville,” Joe said.

The ‘Ville also traveled to Southern California with Northville resident Carol Bernardo (at left), who visited Newport Beach in Corona Del Mar. Here she is catching up on her reading while enjoying the Pacific Ocean, and time with family and friends.

“I’m missing family and friends back home in Northville,” she wrote.

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Dishin’ With Denise

Denise Jenkins serves on the board of directors for the Northville Chamber of Commerce and Tipping Point Theatre. An avid writer and proponent of the arts, she is also plugged into what’s happening in Northville. Contact her at denisemjenkins@aol.com.

April is the month of rebirth T

he daisy is one of April’s flowers-of-the-month.

It signifies loyal love and yet we pick at the petals to test our love. This month it rains one day, and the next day we are enjoying warm, wonderful sunshine. There is mud everywhere, and beautiful buds popping up. It’s the yin and the yang, the good and the bad…and we fondly call it all rebirth. April is confusing, but it’s also the gateway to great things to come!

The Northville Ballet Theatre (NBT) and Northville Ballet are celebrating their 10th Anniversary.

Kathy Cooke Kathy Cooke is the founder and artistic director of the group that has come a long way from humble beginnings – with14 young dancers studying in a home studio on Timberlane Street in Northville. They quickly outgrew that space (although I understand they had a beautiful view) and moved to a storefront studio on Seven Mile Road.

They will perform the classic Don Quixote, with an introduction of Contemporary Christian Dance, May 18-19 at Northville High School.

Tickets are available online at NorthvilleBalletTheatre.com or by calling (248) 924-8357.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Northville Civic Concern and Living Hope International.

Kathy and her husband Kim were both originally from

36 The ‘Ville

Michigan. Job opportunities led them outstate. Kathy had a studio in Virginia for 17 years.

They were anxious to come “home” and when they did, Kathy became involved with Oak Pointe Church. There she was approached to offer ballet classes, by parents who were home schooling. One thing led to another.

NBT now partners with the Northville Public Schools, doing pro bono community outreach performances at six of the elementary schools. They produce “The Nutcracker” during the Christmas holidays.

They have even held fine arts camps in Zambia the past six years and have 20 girls now studying ballet in Zambia.

The real beauty in this story is the graceful way they have “paid it forward” by placing graduates in trainee and apprenticeship programs with Grand Rapids Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Ballet Magnificat! - America’s Premier Christian Ballet Company and the Light of the World Ballet.

Bravo NBT on 10 years, and best wishes for 10 x 10 more.

Chances of winning the lottery are not that great.

So why not bet big on Tipping Point Theatre. Our hometown professional theatre will unveil lucky Season 13 on May 16.

The Las Vegas Night preview celebration will be held at The Inn at St. John’s. Did you now each season TPT employs 90 Michigan artists? This night is your chance to mingle with the actors, take a chance on cool prizes, and enjoy great food and live music.

If you want to run for Mayor of Northville you have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July Brian Turnbull 23 to turn in your candidate packet, which are available at the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall. The Mayor is elected for a two-year term. It seems a long way off, but so far the race in November Ken Roth looks to have two names on the ballot. The current Mayor Ken Roth, and recently announced candidate Brian Turnbull. There are two City Council seats also up for grabs. They are elected to fouryear terms. I ran for office once in my lifetime and I learned a valuable lesson. It’s hard work for little money -- and lots of criticism. I would do it again, but only when I had the time to fully commit.

If you are old enough to remember the show “Bye, Bye Birdie” you surely remember the song “Kids” and the refrain, “What’s the matter with kids these days?” Well, I’m happy to report there are some doggone GOOD kids right here in Northville. The OLV Knights of Columbus chapter held an essay contest for 8th Graders – 1st Prize $500, 2nd Prize $300 and 3rd Prize $150.

The writer received half the prize in cash – half was donated to their charity of choice. The theme of the essay was to reflect how they can, or how they do act charitable. Third place went to Jack Sharkey and his charity Fleece and Thank You. Second place went to Lauren Mullan and her charity Vista Maria.

First Place went to Parker Kara and his charity the Northville VFW. Thumbs up to the writers and to the Knights!

In case you’re wondering, the birthstone for April is the diamond – and we all know, that’s a girl’s best friend. Rock on…

K of C Essay Contest Winners (from left) Parker Kara, Lauren Mullen, and Jack Sharkey

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