September 2020 | Vol.3 | Issue 9
Northville’s News and Lifestyle Magazine
Sudden change
Mustangs football is back on this fall
A Whole New Concept in Luxury Living
Welcome to TERRA:
Gated Ranch Home Community
We designed the Terra community to be unlike any other in Southeast Michigan, complete with the feeling of relaxation, serene calm and ‘get-away-from-it-all attitude’ that reminds us of lazy summer days “Up North”. Terra has been carefully planned to provide an extraordinary living experience. Nestled in quiet seclusion beside 300-acres of protected parkland, the setting is incomparable. Each homesite takes advantage of natural features in the landscape. Each custom home expresses its owners’ vision, featuring clean lines of Prairie-style architecture. Terra is built to the highest quality standards and attention to detail that Cambridge Homes has been recognized for.
Community Features • • • •
40 scenic homesites in Novi, MI Private gated community Prairie style architecture Fully customizable ranch floorplans • Secluded setting – surrounded by 300 acres of protected woodlands • Landscape maintenance and snow removal services provided • Exposed aggregate driveways and sidewalks Our definition of • 2 pocket parks “downsizing” offers a whole new concept in • Guest parking luxury living • Direct access 4.66 miles of Ourto definition of “downsizing” offers a walking trails From the award-winning whole builder and developer of new concept in Novi’s most iconic luxury living communities:
From the award-winning From the award-winning builder & developer of Novi’s builder and developer of Novi’s most iconic most iconic communities communities:
Pictured Above: Terra Model, located at 9 Mile & Garfield Rd in Novi, MI
Welcome to Terra
Community For more information on TERRA, our new luxury ranch home gated Features: community, We designed the Terra community to be unlike any other in Southeast Michigan, complete with the feeling of please call (248) 348-3800 orrelaxation, visitserene ourcalmwebsite at www.cambridgehomesmi.com. and ‘get-away-from-it-all attitude’ x 40 scenic homesites in Novi, MI x Private gated community
x Prairie Pictured Above: Terra Model, located at 9 Mile & Garfield Rd in style Novi, MIarchitecture
that reminds us of lazy summer days “Up North”.
x Fully customizable ranch floorplans
Northrop-Sassaman Chapel
Service ‌ a Family Tradition for 75 years
(248) 348-1233 19091 Northville Road ¡ Northville, MI 48168 James R. Steen - Manager
SUPPORT THE ‘VILLE • If you enjoy getting The ‘Ville each and every month, please consider making a donation. • Your financial contribution will help us survive and grow. • Help insure local journalism is here to stay. Send us $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.
LOCAL MATTERS! Please send checks, cash or lucky charms to: Journeyman Publishing 16435 Franklin Northville, MI 48168 Thank you!
Publisher Here is a list of people who contributed to local journalism last month. We appreciate your support! Luci Klinkhamer Julie & Dale Mantay Mitchell G. Ober William & Berclay Ruschak
VOLUME 3
ISSUE 9
SEPTEMBER 2020
16435 Franklin, Northville, MI 48168 • 734.716.0783 • TheVilleMagazine@gmail.com
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
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.
WENSDY VON BUSKIRK – Writer
Wensdy graduated with a degree in journalism from Wayne State University. Her first job was working as a reporter for The Northville Record. Now, as a freelance writer and editor, she works for a variety of magazines, and is excited to get back to her roots in The ‘Ville. -Photo by Kathleen Voss
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.
BRYAN MITCHELL - Photographer
Bryan started working as a photographer more than 30 years ago, and was the Northville Record photographer in the 90's. He has freelanced for The Detroit News, The Guardian, Reuters, and other publications. His photography has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the globe. The Northville resident also coaches mountain biking at Northville High School.
MARIA TAYLOR – Writer
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.
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
Let’s Rally Around the Duhn Family I
f you are a regular reader of this magazine, you know I often implore everyone to support our advertisers. They are the backbone of this publication, and make it possible for us to mail the magazine to every address in Northville free of charge. The fact is without them, we wouldn’t be able to produce the local journalism that I know so many of you appreciate. What makes our advertisers so special is the fact that they are local. Many, if not most, are Northville residents, and all of them are as invested in this community as you and me. So, when I ask you to support them, it’s not only because they support me, but because I want them to succeed. Their success is our community’s success. Now, I’m asking you to support one of our advertisers for a much different reason. As many of you have probably heard by now, there was a tragic accident on the night of Sept. 3.
Dominic Duhn, 20, of Northville Township was struck by a vehicle and killed while skateboarding (one of his passions) on Sheldon Road south of Six Mile at about 11:40 p.m. The driver of what police believe was a white or silver sedan never stopped at the scene of the accident, and is now sought by police for questioning. Although I didn’t realize it at first, Dominic is the son of one of our advertisers, Drew Duhn, who owns Briarstone Building, a Northville-based company owned by a Northville resident. By all accounts, Dom was a great kid with a bright future. A Northville High graduate and former Boy Scout, he was a Michigan State student studying agriculture and business management. If you read some of the touching remembrances (www.dignitymemorial.com/ obituaries/livonia-mi/dominicduhn-9346887) written by friends and family members, you really get a sense of how he
touched so many lives. Some of his friends have even suggested creating a skateboarding park in Northville in his honor, a great idea. My hope is that by the time you are reading this, the person who was driving that vehicle has already come forward and contacted police, who believe the driver may not have even known he or she hit a person, though that seems doubtful. The Duhn family is hoping someone comes forward to help them find out who the driver is. If you were in the area that night and saw anything, or if you know someone with windshield damage on a white or silver sedan, please contact the Northville Township Police Department at (248) 349-9400. There is another way you can help the family. Drew and his wife, Gabriella, have established a scholarship fund in their son’s memory. The Dominic Duhn Memorial Scholarship Fund will
be awarded to local high school seniors who have good grades and a passion for service. They are asking the community to donate to the fund, so they can get it off the ground and make sure Dom’s legacy lives on in perpetuity. Please visit www.gofundme. com/f/dominic-duhn-memorialscholarship-fund, and contribute if you can. When I started this magazine, my central goal was to create something that would tie our community together. It is my hope that the community will now rally around the Duhn family, help them with their grief and make this devastating tragedy slightly more bearable. I have no doubt the Northville community will come through. Kurt Kuban is the Publisher and Editor of The ‘Ville. He welcomes your comments at kurtkuban@thevillemagazine. com.
Your Voice: Letters to the Editor 4 Post Office will play critical role in election 12 Family seeks answers about fatal hit and run 14 Gymnast Michael Jaroh headed to Happy Valley 18
Mustang Football Where Hope is Back Takes Root
8
Doing Whatever It Takes
22 38
ON THE COVER: Senior RB Cayden Saunders goes through a drill during practice. He will be leading the way for the Mustangs, who kick off their season Sept. 18 against Canton. Photo by Bryan Mitchell.
The many colors of author Supriya Kelkar 26 City to limit supersized ‘Bigfoot’ homes 28 Past Tense: Class Picture Day 34 ‘History Maker’ Sarah Ann Cochrane 36
Your Voice Party shouldn’t matter
I fully agree with the logic and fairness of Kurt Kuban’s column (“Should We Look at the Way We Do Elections?”) on the recent election. I wanted to vote for Robert Nix as Supervisor. I spoke to him in the parking lot before I voted. I thanked him for his recent work on the roads and said I would vote for him on the ballot. I did use my vote in support of the operating millage renewal. I went to vote for Mr. Nix on the ballot and was blocked by the constraints of the present election and ballot rules. My vote and support for him was not allowed and never counted. Thank you for this important article. Democracy depends on citizens participating in the process. That process includes the opportunity to vote for all candidates on the ballot, regardless of party. David Maloney I couldn’t agree more with your editorial in the August issue: Northville Township needs non-partisan local elections so that voters from both parties can always make their voices heard. I don’t see how party affiliation is relevant to how local officials deal with local issues. Nor is how they feel about Right to Life, which Mark Abbo, Roger Lundberg and Jason Rhines used as a wedge issue. While we’re at it, let’s urge our representatives in Lansing to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and end the electoral college’s ability to circumvent the votes of a majority of U.S. citizens. Keith Langham
Millage Committee did great job
I enjoyed reading the article “A Real Nail Biter” in the August edition. I think it failed to include one important part of the election: the work of the Citizens for Northville Township 2020 Millage Committee, of which I was the chairperson. The committee was made up of over 20 Northville residents who, in spite of Covid limitations, were able to achieve the following: - Put out (and cleaned up) more than 130 yard signs. - Distributed (safely) over 1,000 pieces of voter information cards to Northville homes. - Collected funds to mail information cards to over 7,000 addresses on election day and greeted voters on their way to the polls. For all of their efforts, they were rewarded by an overwhelming show of support. A special thanks needs to go to Jim Tesin who was the treasurer for the committee. It was truly a community effort and we want to thank the citizens of Northville Township for their support. Jim Petrie
SOUND OFF 4 The ‘Ville
Column was misleading
Kurt Kuban’s discussion of absentee ballots in his August column was intentionally misleading. President Trump has made a difference in his discussions between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots. Absentee ballots are first requested on an application, which contains the requestor’s signature and sufficient information to vet the requester and insure that person is registered and the address matches the clerk’s records. The ballot contains a bar code, and the envelope with the return ballot contains the voter’s signature. Mail-in ballots are often randomly mailed, and may not even be signed when returned. Like putting a stack on a kiosk in a mall. No ballot integrity in this method. If the process has all the elements of integrity that are contained in the absentee description, then OK, but if not, there is the possibility of fraud. With the exception of the Secretary of State’s blind mailing of applications, Michigan passes the integrity test and Trump would approve. Richard Bond In the August issue, editor Kurt Kuban seemed confused. He made it sound like absentee ballots and mail-in ballots are the same thing. They are not. Absentee ballots are requested by the voter. Mail-in ballots are not. President Trump approves absentee ballots, but is against mail in ballots. He would have had no problem with the 8,284 absentee ballots cast in our town in the last election. Teresa Sleiman Just clarifying that when President Trump refers to potential election fraud by mailing ballots, he is not referring to absentee ballots, which are checked and verified against registered voter records by the clerks’ office. This is quite different from the mail in voting being proposed. You may want to follow up on this in your next “A View From The ‘Ville.” Ray Ferrer I take issue in Editor Kurt Kuban’s column with the statement, “President Trump says that people mailing in their ballots is a plot…” The President supports absentee voting; he votes absentee himself. He opposes local and state officials mass mailing ballots using potentially inaccurate voter data. The difference is huge. Absentee voting is initiated by the registered voter, at their request, their identity having been verified. Public officials mass mailing ballots without individual voter request is fraught with issues, like verification of identity. I would hope you and local publishers would be more careful with the facts. We have enough false information at the national level. Bert Nisbet
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.
Support Darga for County Commissioner
I have been a resident of the City of Northville since 1998. During that time, I have come to know most of the people who have served our local government on a personal and professional manner. None do I trust more to do what is right for our 9th District in the County of Wayne than Nancy Darga. Nancy more than any other has a strong, independent voice and will take bold action. Both Nancy and I ran for City Council in 2015. During my campaign, despite the fact we were opponents, she was more than willing to help me understand in a clear and thoughtful manner the current issues facing our city. I am confident that Nancy will display this same integrity in making decisions for us on the county commission and work hard to revitalize Wayne County. For those who already know Nancy I am sure you agree she is the right person for the job, but we all must do our part. Please tell your friends and family to support Nancy Darga. Joseph P. Corriveau Please join me in supporting Nancy Darga for Wayne County Commissioner, District 9. Nancy has a vision for revitalizing Wayne County, which includes strengthening our Health & Safety Departments, rebuilding our aging infrastructure, protecting our park land and re-energizing our economy. Serving on the Northville City Council for 12 years, I could always count on Nancy to fairly consider and rule on issues important to the residents of Northville. Her years of work experience and public service make her eminently qualified to lead our county into the future. She has championed efforts in restoring the Rouge River watershed, protecting our park lands and preserving historic landmarks. Nancy will lead with integrity and accomplishment. Luci Klinkhamer As a resident of Northville since 1996 and a member of the Northville Arts Commission since 1997, I have known Nancy Darga for many years while she has worn many different “hats” in her devotion to community service. Nancy is one of the most passionate people I know. She researches, she questions (and is not afraid to ask the hard questions), she articulates and she fights for good governance. She is an excellent choice for Wayne County Commissioner and definitely has my vote. Sue Taylor
Walkers – stay on the left
As daily walkers in Northville Township, we notice that pedestrians are everywhere on the sidewalk-less streets—left, right, and middle of the road. In Michigan, according to the Secretary of State, guidelines are quite clear: “Pedestrians are reminded to: Walk on the side of the road as far to the left as possible or on a paved shoulder against oncoming traffic where there are no sidewalks.” Walking on the right WITH traffic will not permit walkers (often with earbuds!) to see or hear vehicles behind them until it’s too late to take evasive action. Please, pedestrians stay on the left! Marilyn and David Bartel Northville Township
Campbell-Voytal is proven leader
Kim Campbell-Voytal is a recognized educator and experienced public health leader who will make an important contribution to the Northville School Board if elected this November. I had the pleasure of working with Kim at Wayne State University for over a decade. Kim was the program director for the graduate and undergraduate Public Health Programs. As director, she successfully advanced program excellence and moved the programs toward national accreditation at a time when state funding was constrained. Kim has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and actively mentors faculty in their teaching roles. Kim is a leader who listens, seeks consensus, and makes best-evidence decisions with the interests of educators and students at her core. Kim would bring a fresh perspective, energy and expertise needed by the School Board as it faces the many challenges ahead. For these reasons, I urge you to vote for Kimberly Campbell-Voytal in November. James Janisse
Tanya Lundberg has right background
It is my honor and pleasure to endorse Tanya Lundberg for Northville Township Trustee. Ms. Lundberg is an accomplished lawyer and Assistant Dean of Career Services and Outreach at Detroit Mercy Law. She is an active member of the community supporting various local organizations such as Northville Youth Football Association and Northville Public Schools. She acts with integrity, caring and thoughtfulness -- traits that are imperative as a civil servant representing all residents of Northville. She is committed to protecting our environment, promoting inclusive and welcoming environment in our community and supporting economic development through residential and commercial development. Ms. Lundberg has an excellent background to serve as Northville Township Trustee. Her leadership and thoughtfulness will be strong assets while working with others and promoting well-being for our residents and community. Thank you for your consideration of Tanya Lundberg for Northville Township Trustee. Jennifer Stuzin I am writing to support Tanya Lundberg’s campaign for Northville Township Trustee. I stand behind Tanya’s campaign focus areas. Protecting our environment is crucial, and ensuring our township is maintained for a safe and healthy environment for years to come is so important. Carefully considering future residential and commercial development, especially its impact on the community, green spaces, and needed infrastructure are essential. Finally, inclusion is central to my beliefs. As an educator, examining and reflecting upon policies, interactions, experiences, and bias is a constant practice. Striving to include all in our community is essential, and doing the work of making change is critical. I trust Tanya to advocate in these areas as township trustee. Kristin Stoops
The ‘Ville 5
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ach at pr ch Matt Lad l. Head Coa el ch ryan Mit Photo by B
ns By Brad Emo
E
d season te a vi re b b a r fo y d a al, Mustangs re rs ve re g in n n tu s r e ft A
ven in practice, Matt Ladach is normally high energy, often an exuberant guy when it comes to coaching his Northville High School football team. But the 2020 off season has been anything but normal due to the ongoing concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. With all the social distancing restrictions, it’s been a strange start to say the least not only for Ladach, who enters his 11th year as coach with a career record of 73-44, but also for his players and coaching staff. After the Michigan High School Athletic Association announced on Aug. 14 that the season had been postponed until the spring of 2021, players got a second chance when Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave the MHSAA the O.K. to return to practice (Sept. 8) with the first game and an abbreviated 2020 six-game regular season starting back up on Sept. 18. Every team will get at least one playoff game. The news on Sept. 3 left area coaches somewhat stunned and scrambling to say the least. For Ladach, it’s been tough to adjust to the whole situation.
8 The ‘Ville
“I like to give the guys high-fives, I like to give them fist bumps,” Ladach said. “I pat them on the back all the time. It’s hard because all those little things that you get so used to doing . . . but now, we’ve got to stay away. That has been very hard. The other part, I would say, is the uncertainty of everything. I’m probably, to a fault, a very organized and well-planned individual, so the uncertainty of all of this has been driving me a little nuts.” It’s been a tough adjustment for the players, as well. “It’s a big sacrifice, just trying to get the hang of everything, the guidelines, rules, just everything,” said senior Cayden Saunders, a returning starter at running back and linebacker. “Especially being a football team, it’s hard being spread out all the time because we’re used to being close together, all hyped up and everything. It’s a different situation this year.” Ladach said his freshman, JV and varsity squads have adapted well to the changes when it
comes to water breaks, pretraining and post-training. Participation numbers haven’t been really affected due to concerns over the pandemic, according to Ladach. “We had a pretty good summer. It’s been good,” he said.
IMPROVING THE OFFENSE
After Ladach guided the Mustangs to seven Division 1 postseason playoff berths in eight years from 2009 through 2016, Northville has suffered through three consecutive 3-6 seasons, including a 2-5 mark last year in the KLAA West. In 2019, the offense didn’t generate much of an attack scoring. Northville managed only a total of 89 points in nine games. “Collectively, as a team, our defense has been pretty good the past couple of years,” Ladach said. “But we were on the field way too much. Our defense took way too many snaps the last few years. The more often on the field, the more opportunities the opponents get . . . so we really need to limit our opponents’ possessions and need to be able to limit the length of their drives. I think fewer defensive snaps is really a key for us and obviously that means more offensive snaps. We just got to be able to put our kids in the best position
Cayden Saunders is a returning starter at running back and linebacker.
we possibly can and when we have opportunities, we’ve got to capitalize on them.” Revamping and improving the offensive line this fall is job No. 1 for Ladach, who will rely on the experience of returnees Joshua Kreder, a senior, along with juniors Ryan Reynolds and Jake Merritt. “We’ve really just got to stay more conditioned and then be more up tempo because a lot of times the skill positions were ready last year and then the O-Line took a couple of more seconds to get up,” Kreder said. “The conditioning and the mental go hand-in-hand.” Even with the offseason limitations, the players believe they are light years ahead of last season. “We’re really united right now,” Reynolds said. “I think if we just keep that up, keep our chemistry going, we’re going to go a lot farther than we have been.” Ladach believes the Mustangs have depth at a number of offensive skill positions, and he’s excited to see what can happen on the offensive side of the ball. “We definitely won’t have wholesale changes, but there will be little tweaks. And most of that will be personnel driven,” he said. Entering camp, the Mustangs had three players competing for the starting quarterback job including juniors Jack Holland and Tommy Mandell and sophomore Luca Prior. Ladach said Mandell might be the quickest runner out of the three, while Holland and Prior have the edge throwing the football. The receiving corps is deep with the return of senior Brett
Rankin, an honorable mention All-KLAA pick, along with juniors Kai Sanders and Parker Ladach. “It just seems like this team is buying into what we’re doing, just ready to work,” said Rankin, who also plays defensive back. “Obviously it’s very different, people social distancing, wearing masks. A lot of drills are limited. No real getting together, stuff like that. We’re doing the best with what we’re trying to do. I’ve adjusted and I think everyone has.” Last year, Ladach used as many as eight sophomores on the varsity squad, including offensive lineman Dominic Green, wide receiver Grady Zoroya and defensive lineman Matthew Barnett, and that experience should pay off this year.
gotten a lot more accurate and a lot more plays coming out this year,” Kai Saunders said. “And I think we’ll have a better season.” Meanwhile, older brother Cayden Saunders is excited for what the 2020 season could bring despite all of the COVID concerns. “I think this year we just have to get everybody to buy in, commit more to the system,” he said. “We especially have a lot of real good guys this year. And what I’ve been seeing so far, I think we can really turn this thing around this year.”
KLAA IS TOUGH
The Mustangs will open their abbreviated 2020 season on Friday, Sept. 18 at Canton (5-5, 4-3) before returning home on Friday, Sept. 25 to take on KLAA West favorite Brighton (11-3, 6-1), the Division 1 state runner-up. “I think our (KLAA West) division is going to be excellent,” Ladach said. “I really think each team is improved. There’s no easy opponent on our schedule.” Putting out a more balanced team offensively will be the key for the Mustangs’ success. “We’ve
Senior receiver Brett Rankin was an honorable mention All-KLAA pick in 2019.
The ‘Ville 9
Northville Mustangs 2020 Varsity Football Schedule
CANTON September 18
BRIGHTON September 25
NOVI October 16 Home
Away
Neutral
SALEM October 2
HOWELL October 23
HARTLAND October 9
MHSAA PLAYOFFS October 30
ALL games start at 7:00 pm. HOME games are played at Tom Holzer Field.
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Northville Post Office will play critical role this election By Maria Taylor
D
elays, overhauls, and pandemic-related shutdowns have put the US Postal Service in the national spotlight. On the local level, Northville’s downtown post office is not without controversy of its own. Last fall, USPS officials announced that the post office had outgrown its space at 200 South Wing Street and was going to relocate. In a February 2020 letter to Congresswoman Haley Stevens, USPS said it had picked a new site a half-mile away — but didn’t say where. Then, the pandemic hit. Like everyone else across southeast Michigan, Northville area residents started seeing their mail carriers less and less — even as the biggest election in four years draws near. USPS SHAKEUP Stevens said her office has been getting calls from people whose mail has been late. “The post office is a literal lifeline for countless people who rely on it to receive prescription medications, for small businesses to ship to their customers, for seniors to receive Social Security checks, to do their taxes, pay their bills, and so much more,” she said. “As the election approaches, certainly people are looking to the post office, as they have always looked to the post
12 The ‘Ville
office, to deliver critical resources.” Stevens feels that recent USPS management decisions have only inflamed pandemic-related slowdowns. “What we’re seeing is a ricocheting effect,” she said. “The Postal Service is running at what they call Christmas levels of mail. Right now is not the time to be putting into place institutional reforms that strip away processing machines.” Stevens said she is working on “making sure that we have a functional post office now and into November.” In late August, she voted for the Delivering for America Act, a bipartisan bill which (if signed into law) would prohibit USPS from implementing changes to levels of service for the duration of the coronavirus crisis or through January 2021, as well as provide funding for USPS operations. Closer to home, Northville officials are still waiting to hear what’s next for the local post office. “At this point, there has not been further communications at the federal level about the post office next steps,” said Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull. “They have not made any arrangements with any landlord, to our knowledge.” The radio silence has sparked rumors
A voter uses the drop box at Northville City Hall.
that federal USPS changes will be used as a ploy to close the Northville post office. Turnbull shot that down. “That’s not the way it’s going to be,” he said. Northville residents can be sure of one thing: The post office will still be in place, in its current location, for the election in November. “Obviously, USPS is an inherently important part of elections,” said Northville Township Clerk Marjorie Banner. “They deliver all our ballots, so we rely on them to be timely and efficient at their job.” And if the presidential primary in August was any indication, more voters than ever will be following a long American tradition of voting by mail.
VOTING AT HOME Voter data from the local clerk’s offices show a clear trend: Northville and Northville Township residents are choosing to vote at their kitchen tables rather than at the polls. In the 2016 primary in the City of Northville, 27% of total votes were cast by absentee ballot. In the primary last month, it was up to 51% — meaning the majority of city voters chose to vote absentee. The number of absentee ballots almost doubled, from 662 in August 2016 to 1,307 in August 2020. In Northville Township, the number was even higher. Of the 10,750 ballots cast in the August Primary Election, 8,284 were absentee. For the November election, Northville City Clerk Dianne Massa expects about 75% of the total votes cast in Northville will be absentee — a huge jump from the last presidential election, which had just 35% of Northville voters choosing absentee. Meanwhile, as of early September, Northville Township was inching toward 12,000 absentee ballot applications, which is “almost twice as many” as normal, Banner reported. And that’s despite political rhetoric claiming that while “absentee” voting is safe, “mail-in” voting leads to voter fraud. Massa’s fact-check didn’t take long. “They’re the same,” she said — and those familiar with the voting process, from national experts to local clerks, agree that allegations of widespread absentee voter fraud are unfounded. Banner encouraged voters to continue voting absentee. “In Northville Township, we feel it’s safe, secure, and people’s votes do get counted,” she said. “We count every absentee ballot as long as they reach us by 8 p.m. on Election Day. I encourage [Northville Township residents] to make use of that, especially in these times of COVID.” DELIVERY DELAYS Poll workers tend to view the primary election as a test drive for the general, and in the August election, Massa said some voters saw delivery issues by USPS. “Some experienced longer delivery times,
Voters can drop their absentee ballots either in the mail or the drop box at township hall.
In Northville Township, we feel it’s safe, secure, and people’s votes do get counted. We count every absentee ballot as long as they reach us by 8 p.m. on Election Day. I encourage voters to make use of that, especially in these times of COVID.” Margie Banner Northville Township Clerk
especially for ballots mailed out of state,” she said. “The Northville postmaster works with my office to help resolve any issues to make sure ballots get delivered.” Only two ballots were delivered to Massa’s office after Election Day, and she said that’s consistent with previous elections. She is, however, concerned about mail delays in November. She and other clerks are encouraging voters to send in their absentee ballot applications early, and to return their ballot straight to the City Hall drop box. “Please apply for your ballot early, especially if your ballot has to be mailed,” she said. “If you cannot take advantage of returning your ballot using the City Hall drop boxes, get it in the mail quickly.
Returning your ballot early is appreciated so the Clerk’s office can get it checked in and ready for processing on Election Day.” Drop boxes can be used for ballots as well as ballot applications. Northville has a drop box in the City Hall 24-hour vestibule and a new drive-up drop box in the circular City Hall drive. Northville Township Hall has a 24-hour drop box in the bill payment area. “We had a large number of people drop them off for the August election. They made use of that drop box frequently,” said Banner. “But obviously, we expect a lot of them to come in through the mail.” Banner said that while the Northville Township Clerk’s office did experience some mail-related problems, she was able to correct them and get the ballots out. “And if people did not receive them, we were able to reject the ballot that was sent, that they did not receive, and reissue them a new one,” she said. “So I don’t think anyone went without a ballot if they wanted it. “We had a handful that came in afterwards, but some of them were stamped the day before,” she continued. “I don’t think that’s the post office’s fault; I think maybe that’s human error. I would encourage voters to get their ballot voted right away, and send it back or drop it off ASAP rather than waiting until the end.” Voters can go to www.michigan.gov/vote to track the status of their ballot, including verifying when their ballot was received by the Clerk’s office. When it comes to USPS, Banner is less concerned for the November 3 election than she was for August. “I don’t envision a bigger problem this time — maybe even less of a problem,” she said, “because I think the post office is trying hard to make it right.”
VOTING ABSENTEE If you are considering voting absentee this November, you need to contact your local Clerk’s Office. Northville Township: Call (248) 348- 5825, email Clerk@twp.northville.mi.us or visit www.twp.northville.mi.us City of Northville: Call (248) 349-1300, email dmassa@ci.northville.mi.us or visit www.ci.northville.mi.us/services/city_clerk The ‘Ville 13
‘We’re Leaning Heavily on the Community’
Northville family seeks answers about hit and run that killed son By Alex Lundberg
D
rew Duhn and his family third year of agriculture and have been comforted by the business management. He liked outpouring of love they’ve skateboarding, snowboarding, felt in the wake of the death of hanging out with his friends and his son, Dominic. going to concerts.” “I’m Still home overwhelmed from school by their (MSU is stories,” he not doing said. “We’ve in-person been hearing instruction), about how Dominic Dominic had spent helped people the summer out, helped doing pickup them get landscaping out of their and lawn Dominic Duhn was a longtime Boy comfort care jobs Scout. zones and around the get moving. To hear all of these neighborhood. Duhn said he stories has been great.” and his friends had done a Dominic Duhn of Northville good enough job that they had Township was struck by started to get referral work from a vehicle and killed while their customers. skateboarding with a friend on Mr. Duhn’s family has Sheldon Road south of Six Mile set up a GoFundMe page so at about 11:40 p.m. Thursday, they can create the Dominic Sept. 3. He was 20 years old. Duhn Memorial Scholarship Warm recollections aside, Fund -- “to honor his life and Duhn said his son was a fairly create a lasting legacy for his ordinary guy. community.” “Dominic was a typical The scholarships will be Michigan State student,” Duhn awarded to seniors who have said. “He was home from his good grades and a passion for
14 The ‘Ville
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING?
If you have any information about the fatal hit and run accident that took place at approximately 11:37 p.m. on Sept. 3 on Sheldon Road just south of Six Mile, police want to hear from you. The vehicle, which is believed to have heavy windshield damage, was last seen traveling south on Sheldon. Please call (248) 349-9400. service. The details of how the scholarship will be awarded have yet to be determined (i.e. who’s eligible and from what schools, what are the criteria for applying, how will applicants be judged), but the applicant’s character will be a part of the considerations. “We heard from a boy he met back when he was working at Cantoro (Market),” Duhn said. “He was driving home and saw him walking along the street. Dominic picked him up and drove him home. That was the kind of person he was, he would go out of his way for people. It shows in how people have come forward to help us put the scholarship together and fund it.” According to a press release from the Northville Township Police Department, witnesses in the area describe a white or silver sedan heading south on Sheldon towards Five Mile Road following the accident. Police say there was evidence of damage at the scene and they suspect that the vehicle will have extensive windshield damage. Police are looking for any information that could lead to the driver involved in the
incident. Community Services Officer Andrew Domazlski said even a small lead will help. “We’re leaning heavily on the community,” he said. “We’re reaching out to other agencies, we’ve been to every dealership, body shop and glass shop in the area. We’re looking at party store video we hope will help.” He said they’re also hoping the driver of the car in question comes forward on his or her own accord. He said the incident happened late at night and the driver might not know that they hit a person at all. “They do know they hit something,” Domzalski said. “We just want them to come forward and help the family get closure.” Anyone with relevant information should call the department at (248) 349-9400. Services for Dominic Duhn were held Sept. 8 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Plymouth. He is survived by his parents Drew and Gabriella Duhn, and brother Enzo. Donations can be made to “The Dominic Duhn Memorial Scholarship Fund” (www. gofundme.com/f/dominicduhn-memorial-scholarshipfund).
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Northville’s Michael Jaroh excels on one of his top events, the pommel horse. Photo courtesy of Cindy Jaroh
Las Vegas. In the Elite Team Cup, his team placed fourth. “I did only four events,” said Jaroh, who was still dealing with a wrist problem. “It was smarter for me to not do the other two events. I was so focused on staying healthy this year.”
TAKING A BREAK Jaroh’s goal in 2020 was to qualify for the Senior Nationals in June, but COVID-19 shut that down and delayed the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games until 2021. “I was alright, kind of enjoyed the break a little bit more than some people did for the sport,” Jaroh said. “My body honestly needed a break and just the time to be outside, not have to worry High level gymnast, TikTok star Jaroh takes talents to Penn State about training was honestly nice. But once I got back in the By Brad Emons gym it was awesome. It enabled me to heal my body and kind of ichael Jaroh can’t wait to prove everyone wrong and show The 5-foot-7 Jaroh returned my mind, too. I was burning out enter a new phase in what them that we are a good school.” to competition in January at the a little bit towards the end of already can be described Jaroh should give the Nittany Winter Cup Challenge, a junior my senior year. It was a needed as an impressive Lions’ program plenty of cache. and senior national event, in break for me just away from the gymnastics career. At the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics sport a little The 18-year-old from Championships in Boston, bit.” Northville, who has had his fair Jaroh took third on both the Unable share of bumps and bruises pommel horse and still rings, to train at along the way, took advantage as well as tying for seventh on Michigan of his time off during the vault in the senior level event. Elite COVID-19 pandemic to heal up That occurred on the heels Gymnastics as he headlines the nation’s top of a strong showing earlier that Academy recruiting class at Penn State same year at the Men’s Junior during the University. Olympic Nationals in Oklahoma spring due to The 5-star recruit ranks third City, where as a 16-year-old, he the pandemic, nationally among gymnasts placed first on the still rings, Jaroh was entering their freshman season. second on the pommel horse pretty “Happy Valley, that’s what and tied for third in the allmuch on his they call it,” said Jaroh, who around for Level 10. own from embarked on his new journey to The 2019 season, however, February State College, Pa. on Aug. 16. “I was basically lost to injury for until June. really just want to get ready and Jaroh, who trains under coach “I did finally be a part of a team. Penn Juha Tanskanen at Michigan push-ups in State is not seen as one of the Elite Gymnastics Academy. my room. best gymnastics schools, but we “I had a concussion, back I have this have so much potential. And the injuries, some wrist stuff as set of (still) Northville’s Michael Jaroh has 2 million followers on the group of guys I’ll be able to work well,” Jaroh said. “Really rough rings that I social media site TikTok. with is insane. I’m just ready to year.” hang up in my
Headed To Happy Valley
M
18 The ‘Ville
basement that I would do a lot of exercise on. I was just outside all the time trying to keep myself in good shape,” he said. After attending Northville High as a freshman and sophomore, Jaroh finished up his high school requirements at Lighthouse Connections Academy where he was given more flexibility to train while doing virtual online learning. Jaroh admits, however, he went a little stir crazy during the COVID-19 hiatus from the gym and picked up some new hobbies to pass the time. “I got really into skateboarding, wakeboarding, wake surfing,” he said. “I’ve been doing a little bit with music as well that I like to progress and keep doing in the future. Me and my (twin) sister (Jessica) spent a lot of time together pretty much at the beginning of the quarantine. But it kind of got boring and we got all pent up.”
Senior national level competitor Michael Jaroh swings through a routine on the parallel bars. Photo courtesy of Cindy Jaroh
TOP RECRUIT Jaroh comes from class a competitive athletic cruiting the top re urtesy of s e n li d a o background. His father c he . Photo l Jaroh Michae on at Penn State nications Ron was a gymnast at u ti a m n m e o th C in tic te Athle Cuyahoga Community Penn Sta College (Ohio), while his (scholarship),” he said. uncle Jack was a gymnast “They wanted me to come last at Eastern Michigan University. January and train with the Another uncle, Steve Burke, team. But I really didn’t want played football for the Dallas to do that. I wanted to finish off Cowboys. my high school years and just Jaroh inked his NCAA Letterkeep competing.” of-Intent in November of 2019 On his initial visit, Jaroh was with Penn State. He had plenty sold on several aspects about of offers prior to making his being in Happy Valley for the decision. next four years. “Michigan recruited me a lot. “When I went on the trip They actually offered me a full it was just better than any
other school,” he said. “You can’t beat that campus. My favorite by far. And also, a little bit of the academics . . . I was really interested in the entrepreneurship major at Penn State, which they don’t offer at a lot of other schools. Iowa was my second pick, which was pretty close because I really liked their gym and their team. But I knew I wanted to go to Penn State. It was my first visit, too. And even from that visit, it was like, ‘Wow, I can definitely see myself living here.’ All the other places it wasn’t as clear to me.” Prior to the 2020 NCAA
season being shut down, Penn State had climbed to eighth in the national rankings. But with Jaroh and a heralded recruiting class coming in for 2020-21, much more is expected. “I want to put Penn State gymnastics on the map,” Jaroh said, “and another huge goal of mine is have gymnastics be seen more to people that don’t know a whole lot about it and try and get more people in it. It’s kind of a dying sport right now. Gymnastics teams in college are being cut just because they don’t have a lot of funding because there are not a lot of kids doing it. There’s not a ton of fans.” Jaroh, highly active on social media, does have fans with 2 million followers on TikTok. He is already a known commodity in the gymnastics world. “Michael is a great kid, kind, hardworking, and intelligent,” said one of his biggest supporters in mother Cindy. “He regularly has agents, managers, and brands reaching out to him with opportunities. Due to NCAA rules, he hasn’t taken advantage of these opportunities.” That will change, however, when the NCAA’s new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policy goes into effect in 2021. The model for amateur intercollegiate athletics that restricted NCAA athletes from benefiting from any commercial value built from their reputation from their efforts on and off the playing field has changed. It now provides new opportunities for high profile athletes like Jaroh and others to cash in. And for Jaroh, this new phase in his gymnastics career couldn’t have come at a better time.
The ‘Ville 19
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Doody, Hannah of New daughter member rd a o b e p o H led y, was kil Ed Dood ent id c c a V in an AT ago. 14 years
E P HO
t o o R s e k a T urbulent t e h t d e t has calm Non-profi f for two decades grie Mitchell waves of by Bryan s to o h P | uskirk dy Von B By Wens
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t’s been 14 years since Ed Doody lost his eldest daughter, Hannah, in an ATV accident on a farm in Ohio. “She was seven years old. She died in my arms. It was very traumatic. I had post-traumatic stress, a lot of anxiety. It was horrific,” Doody said. The longtime Northville resident found a path through his darkness at New Hope Center for Grief Support, and has since dedicated his life to helping others. As the faith-based organization celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Doody has been elected chairman of the board. He is helping New Hope find a larger space in Northville, as well as launch its fall seminars, support groups and 8-week grief workshops. He is also leading the non-profit through the unique challenges posed by the COVID crisis,
22 The ‘Ville
which has impacted operations and left many people grieving alone. One of the most unique aspects of New Hope Center, Doody said, is that it unites people who have experienced a similar loss. After he lost his daughter, Doody was paired with a facilitator who also lost
one of three girls in an accident, with the added blow that his grown daughter was pregnant at the time. “I called him my guardian angel,” Doody said. “The first couple sessions I couldn’t even talk, I was so emotional. They brought me along.” Doody’s wife, Christine, also
Trinity Barr, 5, left, and Max Lalonde, 6, participate in a "cross the line" activity during the New Hope annual children’s grief camp.
has been involved with New Hope, and his daughters, Grace, now 18, and Caroline, 16, have attended its summer camps at Maybury Farm, which use farm animals, music and art therapy to reach kids suffering from the loss of a loved one. More than a decade has passed, but Doody says grief never really goes away. “It comes and goes like waves on an ocean, the waves just farther apart,” he said. “By helping others you help yourself.” ‘GRIEF IS UNIVERSAL’ New Hope Center for Grief Support was launched in 2000 by Cathy Clough, who found herself a widow with three young children and nowhere to turn. Calling upon her experience as director of Arbor Hospice, she started a support group in her family room, and
was joined by Betty and John Baird, a couple with ties to Ward Church and their own raw experience with loss. Since then, through fundraising and persistence, New Hope has helped more than 5,000 people deal with heartache. “Grief is a universal life experience that we all are going to go through,” said the group’s Executive Director Jennifer Frush. “How we grieve is based on the unique relationship we had with the person we lost.” Frush discovered New Hope after her father died 10 years ago. It helped her, but more so her mom. The death of a spouse is one of the most overwhelming and stressful losses, but through New Hope her mom made friends, and began going out and traveling again. Now, she volunteers. “It was such a relief. I knew she was going to be okay,” Frush said. Almost everyone involved with New Hope has experienced their own loss, making them uniquely positioned to relate to others, Frush said. MAKING CONNECTIONS New Hope is completely free, staffed by volunteers and supported by donations, corporate sponsors and grants. The Christian group offers three main services: one-day “From Grief to New Hope” workshops; 8-week “Beginning the Grief Journey” seminars; and “Starting Again” peer support groups designed for the loss of a parent, child, spouse, sibling, a loss to suicide or overdose, as well as groups for children and teens. “It takes a lot of courage to walk through those doors, but it gives people a safe space to connect and learn more about
way to grieve. People gravitate toward substance abuse or eat their anger, dive into work, compartmentalize and put it away. But some way it’s going to come out,” Doody said.
Jennifer Frush and Val Brda having fun with a fire hose before the Northville Township Fire Department hoses down the campers at the end of the day at the grief camp. Courtesy of New Hope Center for Grief.
their grief journey,” Frush said. Volunteers undergo extensive training, and New Hope also connects people with a network of counselors, financial planners and other professionals in the community. “Grief can stick with you for a lifetime. It’s how you deal with it and respond to it. It won’t always be as awful as it was the day after the loss, but it might manifest on anniversaries, birthdays or special moments. Or another loss can retrigger that initial loss,” Frush said. NEW HOPE TURNS 20 As New Hope prepared to mark its 20th anniversary this year, COVID struck. The pandemic not only forced the group to take many of its services online, but presented other challenges. Due to social distancing, many people were unable to visit loved ones in the hospital, hold funerals for closure, or get in-person support from their social circles at school, church or the workplace. “We experienced individuals who were years out from their loss who had made a lot of strides. However extended
isolation and fear of COVID retriggered grief,” Frush said. Doody agreed COVID has been challenging. “We’re a touchy feely organization and of course you can’t do that in this environment,” Doody said. “We’ve had to figure it out. We’re learning on the go.” The pandemic also affected plans for its “New Hope Turned 20 in 2020” gala. In the past, New Hope has rented the Northville Senior Center for its annual fundraiser, hosting more than 300 people to music, strolling appetizers, and a beer and wine auction. With the current uncertainty, New Hope is planning three formats for this year’s milestone event — one in person, one virtual and a hybrid of both. In any case, Doody encourages people to donate. His daughter’s memory is celebrated in Hannah’s Garden, established by her friends and teachers at Moraine Elementary School. She lives on in the hearts of those who loved her. In part through New Hope, Doody has learned to honor that. “We want to provide a healthy
New Hope Center for Grief Support is located in the old Victorian Church at Stampeddler Plaza, 145 N. Center Street, Suite A. For more information, visit newhopecenter.net or call (248) 348) 0115.
From Grief to New Hope
WHAT: An 8-week workshop designed to help those suffering from the loss of a loved one. Groups include loss of spouse, child, parent, sibling; loss from suicide or overdose; and groups for children and teens. WHEN: Sept. 21-Nov. 9 HOW: Offered in two formats, in small groups at Ward Church in Northville or virtual. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Free groups forming now. Visit newhopecenter.net or call (248) 348-0115.
New Hope Turns 20 in 2020
WHAT: This year’s holiday event celebrates two decades of New Hope’s mission to bring hope, healing and new beginnings to children, families and adults grieving the loss of a loved one. WHEN: Dec. 5 WHERE: TBD — either in person, virtual or hybrid WHY: To raise much needed funds so the Northville nonprofit can continue to offer its programs FREE for anyone who needs help. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit newhopecenter.net or call (248) 348-0115 The ‘Ville 23
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The Clerk’s Office will have extended election hours on the following dates: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 8:00 am - 12:00 pm THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 4:30 - 6:30 pm WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 4:30 - 6:30 pm TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 4:30 - 6:30 pm FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 open until 5:00 pm SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF NORTHVILLE Marjorie F. Banner, Clerk 44405 Six Mile Rd., Northville, MI 48168
248-348-5825 mbanner@twp.northville.mi.us
The Many Colors of Supriya Kelkar Northville author’s latest book very pertinent for the times By Alex Lundberg
A
local author who has already left her mark on the movie industries across two continents is releasing a new book about life growing up in small town America when you don’t look like the other kids. Northville resident Supriya Kelkar, author of the books Ahimsa and The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, has released American as Paneer Pie, her newest novel about identity and the battle for and against conformity. Kelkar, who is a 1998 Northville High graduate, writes picture books and middle grade books, novels between 40,000 and 60,000 words for readers between the ages of 8 and 12 (3rd-7th grades). In her case, she writes contemporary pieces. She has been recognized for her efforts, winning the New Vision Award for Ahimsa, another middle grade book. Kelkar is also a screenwriter, having worked on several Hindi films, including India’s entry into the 2007 Academy Awards, and she was an associate producer on the Hollywood film, Broken Horses. Her newest book, American as Paneer Pie, centers around the life of Lekha, the only Indian-American girl in her
26 The ‘Ville
town. The book starts with her being two on the receiving end of prejudice from my people -- one person at home (who likes peers and classmates, sometimes even my Bollywood movies and Indian food) and teachers.” a different person at school (who hides a Kelkar, who attended the University of bindi birthmark and avoids Michigan where she majored in psychology confrontation, especially over and film, works both in Los Angeles and racial teasing). here in Michigan. She’s currently working This dual life is thrown on a novel, this time historical fiction, due to into conflict when another be released next year. She said writing can Indian-American girl moves take a while to pay off. into her neighborhood. Where “My debut novel was written in 2003 as Lekha thought she would find a a screenplay,” Kelkar said. “It didn’t work kindred spirit, she finds out her as one, so I turned it into a novel and put new neighbor is not interested it aside. I came back to it each year, wrote in fitting in or avoiding a new draft and 13 years later, I got a book confrontation. The town suffers deal. Revision is the key.” a racist incident and Lekha Persistence, too. She said she has several has to decide whether she will hundred rejection letters. remain silent or take a stand. For more information about Kelkar, While the plot is extremely including how to purchase her books, visit timely for today, it wasn’t meant her website at supriyakelkar.com. to be as close to the current climate as it is. She said she wrote the first draft in 2017 and after it sold, it went through almost two years of edits. The book wasn’t ready for publication until 2019. She also said the plot itself isn’t autobiographical, although the Northville she grew up in is very different from the one today and elements of that world are represented in the book. “It (Northville) was a lot less diverse,” Kelkar said. “We got a Supriya Kelkar at her 1998 Northville High graduation ceremony. rock through our window. I was
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Sierra Club UAW Region 1A AFSCME Council 25 Laurie Pohutsky, State Representative, District 19 Brian Turnbull, Mayor City of Northville Barbara Moroski Browne, Northville City Council Diane Webb, Supervisor Redford Township Gwen Markham, Oakland Co. Commissioner, District 9 Citizens for Northville
Size Matters City Council decision limits supersized ‘Bigfoot’ homes By Maria Taylor
M
arlene Curlew, a Cabbagetown resident, has lived in her home 40 years and has seen the neighborhood change. In recent years, Cabbagetown has been looking more like the star of Super Size Me. “The builders are out of control,” she said. “If you look at some of the homes in Cabbagetown, people ask, ‘How many people live in there?’ They’re three stories; they’re huge.” Her street floods — over the sidewalk — when it rains, and that’s new in the past five years. She blames runoff from the big new houses. “Instead of looking at front porches, we look at garage doors,” she said. “Instead of grass and trees, we look at a wall, because the homes are so tall and they fill the entire backyard.”
28 The ‘Ville
No longer. At their August 3 meeting, City Council passed an amendment to the zoning ordinance that adds a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) factor of 0.36. It’s aimed at reigning in the rash of bigfoot housing that’s cropped up in Northville — the kind you get when a developer buys a 900-square-foot postwar ranch, tears it down, and crams
what some people call a McMansion on the lot. Under this FAR ordinance, new homes and remodels in Northville can take up no more than about a third of the lot – or 36 percent. “It’s thoughtful development for the future of what we want Northville to be,” said Mayor Brian Turnbull. “It is looking at right-sizing homes for the right size lots. I’m very pleased.” NOT FITTING IN FARs are nothing new to historic downtowns. Three years ago, Plymouth passed a FAR of 0.4 amidst a “Stop
the Demolitions” campaign aimed at preserving the city’s neighborhood character. So far, it appears to be working. “In Plymouth, the fear was property values would go down and home starts would diminish,” Turnbull said. “I spoke with officials in Plymouth; neither of those things have happened.” Supersized housing has been a clear concern for Northville residents. In a 2018 survey, 56% of respondents citywide felt new housing in their neighborhood was too big. That jumped to 70% when referring to Cabbagetown and 76% when referring to the historic district. And 65% of respondents thought new additions and new home construction were chipping away at Northville’s character. “That is, the new homes didn’t fit into the existing fabric,” said Sally Elmiger, Northville city planner. One concern, in particular, was a lack of consistency in size, with larger new homes next to smaller ones that gave a
hodgepodge effect. Bigfooting, they said, was turning older homes into teardowns. Other concerns included lack of green space, crowding between homes, and affordability for young families and seniors. Tom Spillane moved to Northville from Northville Township four years ago. “What drew us to Northville was the charm of the downtown and having something that fit into the character of the community,” he said at a public hearing on July 20. “I think it’s important that we keep that perspective and not try to replicate suburban homes in the downtown.” The majority of residents who spoke that night agreed, despite pushback from a couple developers who wanted to build bigger houses — and a request from Ed Funke (of Guidobono Building Company) to put the ordinance on the ballot. Fired back 39-year resident Lucy Klinkhamer: “If they want to build a subdivision home, go out to the suburbs and build it.” Jennifer Luikart, a former Northville Historic District Commissioner, called the passing of .36 FAR “a positive step towards the preservation
of what people love about Northville. “While new homes may still be built, they will no longer be so disproportionate to the historic homes in our neighborhoods,” she continued. “I’m hoping that instead of tearing them down, [builders] will come up with creative solutions to make existing homes work for a modern family.”
Downtown residents showed their support for the new ordinance with yard signs.
TRENDS HAVE CHANGED Prior to .36 FAR ordinance, Northville building size was governed by lot coverage, which applies to the ground floor only. FAR applies to all stories of a building; it’s defined as the floor area of all floors of the buildings on a lot, divided by the area of the lot. Hence, FAR helps with building mass. Lot coverage worked fine in the 1970s when Northville’s zoning was established and the average new home was 1,600 square feet, explained Elmiger. But trends have changed. Now it’s all about building to the maximum allowable, which was not the approach decades ago. “That’s why we are ending up with larger homes,” she said. The average new home is now
over 2,500 square feet. The ordinance includes a Northville’s FAR applies to provision for small lots — house rebuilds and new construction. size up to 2,500 square feet When calculating FAR, is automatically permitted, some features are exempt: regardless of FAR calculation. dormers, unfinished attics and And if a building is destroyed, basements, a property unenclosed owner can WHAT DO YOU THINK? porches replace it at Do you agree with the City Council’s (covered or the same FAR. efforts to limit “Bigfoot” housing, or uncovered) The do you think the new ordinance goes that extend ordinance too far? Please send your opinions to Editor Kurt Kuban at kurtkuban@ past the front went into thevillemagazine.com. building effect in line, and mid-August; unenclosed, uncovered decks. completed applications that had “These are intended to been submitted by that time encourage architectural and paid the applicable fees creativity,” Elmiger said. are exempt. Turnbull plans to Attached garages count keep an eye on the results, with toward FAR. Detached garages yearly reviews on home starts count unless they’re behind the and housing values once .36 rear building line. FAR is in place.
FRONT PORCH, REAR GARAGE INCENTIVE Council also created an incentive that allows an unenclosed front porch in the front-yard setback (where you normally can’t build), plus exempts it from FAR calculations, if the garage is at the rear of the house or property (unlike the one pictured). This applies to new and existing homes, and the garage can be attached or detached. “The main purpose of this ordinance is to support a walkable neighborhood, and rear garages do support walkability,” Elmiger said. “It’s allowing space for trees and vegetation, windows and doors on the house instead of a garage door, and creates a space where people can interact with neighbors.” Since detached garages mean a longer driveway and more cement, Mayor Turnbull also wants to see an incentive for pervious cement to aid drainage. The ‘Ville 29
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On The Road With Rocky Mountain high
Kirsen and Loretta Quan took along their copy of The ‘Ville with them this summer on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado with their children, Levi, Brennan and Aaron. They had a wonderful time exploring the park, including Emerald
Lake and other sites. Here is Loretta and Levi pictured at the entrance of the park. “Thanks for creating such a great magazine for everyone to read,” Loretta said.
Cruising the Danube
Northville’s Marti Satwicz took a special trip last December on a Viking cruise ship on the Danube River in Europe. It was a “girls trip” with 16 friends and family members along for the
ride, including “some new acquaintances that my sister invited.” It was a special birthday trip for Marti, who took along a copy of The ‘Ville and posed with a photo with the group. “This is from an evening in Budapest. We attracted a lot of people when we wore our matching sweaters and took this picture. They thought we were a singing group -- not (although we did sing Jingle Bells just to prove that we were not),” she said.
The next time you head out of town, take along a copy of The ‘Ville, snap a photo, and let us know where your travels take you. Our readers would love to know! Please email the photos to kurtkuban@gmail.com. We’ll feature the photos in an upcoming issue.
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Class Picture Day! Images capture Northville schools’ storied history By Michele Fecht
W
ith the 2020-21 school year under way in a time of unprecedented reinvention for the district, its staff, students and parents, we are sharing some early images of Northville classes dating back nearly a century — and more. While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered this school year’s learning model, these images offer a glimpse of how schools have changed over the last century — most notably the one-room Students in the 1926 fourth grade class of Miss Dorothy Dubuar stand behind the elementary schoolhouse with multiple ages /grades taught school. A distinctive arched window of Old Village School can be seen in the upper left hand together. corner of the photo. Dorothy Richardson stands in the front row, ninth from the left. Our gratitude to Hugh and Susan Bray for sharing images of the 1925 third grade class and 1926 fourth grade class of Northville’s elementary school. Yes, there was just one grade school at that time. The class pictures belonged to Hugh’s mother, Dorothy Richardson. She can be seen in the front row of both images — easily identifiable by her long curls. Dorothy deserves our everlasting gratitude for identifying students on the back of the 1926 image. Wendy Mutch, head of Adult Services at the Northville District Library, shared the photo of Northville District School No. 5 dated April 2, 1915. A woman in New Mexico mailed the image to the library after discovering it in a box of family photos. Three cheers for her foresight in sending it to its place of origin. The 1925 Northville grade school third grade class is pictured in front of the imposing front doors of what was originally Northville’s second high school. It was converted to an elementary school after Old Village School was completed in 1917. The elementary school was built on the south side of school district property fronting West Street, which at that time continued to Cady (it is now the Old Village School parking lot). Dorothy Richardson stands in the front row, fourth from left.
“Family Owned for Four Generations”
Northville District School No. 5 was among the many one-room schoolhouses that dotted the farmlands of Northville and the surrounding area from the mid-1800s through the first half of the 20th century. While we are not sure where this schoolhouse was located, a fine example of an iconic schoolhouse is the Wash Oak Schoolhouse at Mill Race Village. Originally located on Currie Road between Seven and Eight Mile roads, it was one of the longest operating one-room schoolhouses in the state. It was open from 1873 to 1966 and moved to Mill Race Village in 1975.
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A Northville History Maker Chamber honors Sarah Ann Cochrane By Michele Fecht
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n a month when Northville usually pulls out all the stops to celebrate its history, COVID-19 restrictions have meant the cancellation of one of our most iconic events, the Heritage Festival. While the absence of the traditional parade, games, nonprofit booths, Mill Race Village activities and beer tent will mean a less public celebration, the Northville Chamber of Commerce is continuing its History Makers’ program celebrating individuals who helped shape our community. Initiated in 2018, this year’s celebrant Sarah Ann Cochrane joins previous History Makers Francis R. Beal, Dr. Mary E. Lapham and David Clarkson. Images of the honorees can be seen on downtown banners; their stories are highlighted on flyers available in downtown businesses. “There is so much history to celebrate in Northville,” notes Chamber Executive Director Jody Humphries. “Though we cannot have the festival, we can celebrate those whose stories inspire us.” This year’s honoree Sarah Ann Cochrane exemplifies the fortitude and character of those who helped shape our community. The following is her story.
36 The ‘Ville
Sarah Ann Cochrane 1832 – 1917 Sarah Ann Cochrane was born July 28, 1832 in East Poultney, Vermont, to Sylvester and Hannah Cochrane. Sylvester was a circuit-riding minister with an itch to travel west. The Cochranes left Vermont for the Michigan territory in 1837 (the same year Michigan would become the 26th state) heading through Canada and entering the U.S. in Detroit. In her written reminiscences, Cochrane relayed the arduous trek of the early pioneers: “It goes almost without saying that the roads on the route were simply appalling . . . For days we walked more miles than we rode, my mother carrying me on her hip with one arm while with a long pole in the other hand she tested the depth of the mud before each step. My father was obliged to lead his team over corduroy roads where the logs floated and rolled in liquid mud.” From Detroit, the family spent five weeks traveling to a small community near Lansing that would become the “Vermontville Colony” named by the new minister, Sylvester Cochrane. In 1842, the family left Vermontville for a brief stint in Howell before the
Photo courtesy of the Sarah Ann Cochrane Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Reverend Cochrane was called to minister a new Presbyterian church of the “new school” variety in Northville. It remains today as the New School Church in Mill Race Historical Village. In her writings, Cochrane noted that Northville in 1842 “was past the pioneer stage and quite attractive, and the community of excellent repute . . . my mother was contented to live in Northville from the day of her arrival to the last days of her life.” The New School Church lasted only a few years, at which point her father established the Northville Academy, where young men studied before entering university. Cochrane and her brother, Lyman, helped with the teaching until 1857 when the school closed. In 1858, Cochrane graduated from the Young Ladies Seminary in Monroe, and returned to Northville to reopen the Northville Academy as a school “for young ladies.” It closed in 1860. She worked for the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Civil War, and was later
a devoted advocate for the temperance cause. In 1883, following the death of her parents and brother, Cochrane joined the Detroit Public Library. She made an in-depth study of the Dewey Decimal System and it was under her supervision that the library was cataloged. When she resigned from the staff in 1906, she was the second assistant librarian. Before her death in 1917 (she is buried in Rural Hill Cemetery), Cochrane wrote several papers of her family’s history. Among those papers — now housed in the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library – are her invaluable reminiscences of the arduous trek to Michigan, and Northville’s early history. When it organized in 1926, the local National Society Daughters of the American Revolution named its chapter after Sarah Ann Cochrane, a descendant of five Revolutionary soldiers. The local organization continues to meet today.
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(Left) Northville’s Sophia Tuinman was runner-up in the 200-yard backstroke in the Winter Nationals last December in Atlanta. (Middle) The recent Northville grad was signed, sealed and delivered early on for the Michigan women’s swim team. (Right) Tuinman is all smiles after a workout in her wet suit in cold Whitmore Lake.
Doing Whatever It Takes Olympic hopeful Tuinman braves chilly waters for U-M By Brad Emons | Photos by Kim Tuinman
I
n the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, swimmer Sophia Tuinman became really creative with her training regimen and was willing to go to great lengths in order attain her lofty goals. The 2020 Northville High grad and 2021 Olympic Trials qualifier wanted to remain ready for her upcoming freshman season at the University of Michigan, so she improvised. Once things began to thaw in the early spring, Tuinman no longer felt like a fish out of water as she decided to venture out into frigid waters of Whitmore Lake to train due to all indoor pools being closed by government order. “It was still actually pretty cold out, so the lake was kind of frozen,” Tuinman said.
38 The ‘Ville
“We tried to check it out a few chilly waters. times, so I actually picked up “The lowest we had gotten running and I did my dry land was 50 degrees, it was so cold,” training. Once Tuinman everything said. “When started I first started to melt, I training, I decided it tried to stay would be in until I was better for me either out to get in the of breath or water because I was out of running is the water for only fun for so so long, or it long. We got was too cold our wet suit. to handle. At And I’d say first, I was Representing Club Wolverine, Northaround early in there for ville’s Sophia Tuinman has earned an April, it was 45 minutes U.S. Olympic Trials cut in the 200-meter backstroke. so very cold and actually in the water, worked my but it was all liquid. It wasn’t way up to an hour-and-a-half. solid ice.” Each time I added 10 minutes to With her dad Roeland’s boat stay longer.” in tow, Tuinman braved the When outdoor pools began
to open back up in June, Tuinman was glad to return to any type of normalcy. But the Whitmore Lake experience was a challenge. Wearing a wet suit was an adjustment to say the least. “It’s a lot heavier than a normal one-piece suit when you’re in the pool,” she said. “There’s a lot more drag. You’re not swimming as fast as you’re used to.” Tuinman was very fast as a high school swimmer at Northville during her first three seasons before opting out of her senior year to train with Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor. The goal was to earn a qualifying cut for the U.S. Olympic Trials, which was postponed until 2021 because of the worldwide pandemic with the scheduled 2020 Tokyo
Olympics postponed for a year. As a junior at Northville, Tuinman was runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke and a fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:50.50) at the 2018 Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division 1 championships at Eastern Michigan. All told, she earned AllState (top eight) honors six times individually for the Mustangs and was a member of Northville’s first-place 200 medley relay (1:43.10) in 2016. She was also All-State five times in relay events and was a threetime USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. The decision to move to Club Wolverine wasn’t an easy one for Tuinman, who was expecting a stellar senior year with the Mustangs. Her younger sister Julia was also a freshman on that 2019 team. “It was a hard decision to make because I was named captain as well,” Tuinman said. “And we had goals as a team. My team supported me and I decided to go train with my club. “I just missed the team
bonding and the team atmosphere of high school. The swimming portion is very fun and stuff, but being with the girls just makes it more fun. We have our senior night, going to ‘states,’ on the relays and all that stuff . . . those are fun.” But Tuinman believed the benefits far outweighed any of her doubts even though a normal day consisted of a 5:30 a.m. practice in Ann Arbor, return to Northville High for classes and following by another 4-7 p.m. workout. Through it all she was able to maintain a 4.0 grade-point average despite missing weeks of school to travel to national and regional meets. “Moving to Club Wolverine, I was able to find training partners,” she said. “And people on a highly competitive (club) team are extremely driven. And it creates a really great atmosphere to work out in. Club Wolverine specifically has team goals every season, which is really cool because swimming can be such an individualized sport sometimes.” At the 2019 Speedo Junior Winter Nationals East meet
Sophia Tuinman, surrounded by her Club Wolverine teammates, signed an NCAA Letter of Intent with Michigan last November.
In the spring, Sophia Tuinman resorted to training in the chilly waters of Whitmore Lake.
held Dec. 11-14 in Atlanta, Tuinman was runner-up in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:55.19, posting an Olympic Trials cut, along with a 10th in the 100 backstroke in a personal best 53.97 (where she is just half-second away from another Trials cut). In 2019, Tuinman ranked in the top 100 in the world for 18-and-under swimmers. Tuinman committed to Michigan in February of 2019. In November of that same year she signed an NCAA letter-ofintent with plans to major in computer science. “To be honest it was Michigan all along,” Tuinman said. “I did look at other schools when I was being recruited, but I think my heart really lied with Michigan throughout the whole process.” In August she returned for workouts at U-M where she is part of another heralded recruiting class. “Obviously indoor pools are not open yet in Michigan, so we are practicing at outdoor pools at several different country club locations so we can spread out as a team and maximize the distance between ourselves,” Tuinman said. “We have about two swimmers per lane, so we keep that social distancing protocol. We wear our masks, two to a lane and stuff like that.” She checked into her dorm
on Aug. 23 and started virtual learning online Aug. 31 for her inaugural semester. “We all get tested before we can enter the dorms,” Tuinman said. “The student-athletes have a temperature check every day in order to enter the facilities.” Ironically, her last competitive meet before the COVID-19 shutdown came Feb. 7-9 at the Michigan Open at Oakland University where she placed first in the 200-meter backstroke (2:18.74), second in the 100 backstroke (1:03.07), third in the 400 individual medley (5:05.44) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:23.52). But once the pandemic shutdown occurred and she had more time off, Tuinman had to reinvent herself in-and-out of the pool where she developed a few new hobbies. “I actually picked up piano again,” Tuinman said. “My mom (Kim) was very thrilled. She loved hearing music throughout the house. I’ve also have been baking a lot. I make a lot of cookies, do deserts, also like muffins, banana bread, stuff like that.” But now it’s back to the business of swimming, and as Tuinman says, “We’re back into the swing of things.” No more wet suits in chilly Whitmore Lake.
The ‘Ville 39
HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL
Finding Positives in a Pandemic Students learning to make most out of difficult situation
A
s the Coronavirus pandemic swept the globe earlier this year, Northville students experienced a drastic change to their day-to-day schedules from their pre-COVID norms. The remainder of the 2019-2020 school year took place online, with teachers and students having new technology forced upon them without warning. However, this new structure also allowed many positive changes to be made in students’ lives. Junior Sameer Torke found the flexibility of the online environment to have hidden benefits. “I had troubles with my sleeping schedule in the normal year, so I mainly focused on fixing that,” Sameer said, noting these changes positively impacted his mood and health. The quarantine has also brought opportunities for students to help their communities. Junior Sanjana Vadrevu actively volunteered with the American Red Cross as well as the Michigan
Indian Community Service Organization. Her club, Anybody Can Dance, hosted a series of virtual dance workshops through Zoom, which taught a wide variety of dance styles and raised awareness for the Know Your Rights Camp COVID 19 Relief Fund. Students also explored new opportunities and hobbies that they would not have otherwise tried. Whether it was learning a new language, improving musical skills, or researching an interesting topic, these hobbies were outlets for students to relieve pent-up frustrations from being isolated. Over the summer, senior Gina Karkoski launched a websitebased company that designs and sells handmade hair scrunchies. She noticed how popular they were becoming and decided to begin using her creative skills to start a business. The young entrepreneur intends to continue managing her business beyond quarantine, as well as expand the scope of her
Junior Isabelle Brissette took up painting during quarantine.
Junior Rebekah Weiskopf learned how to embroider over quarantine, including putting an Avatar character on this shirt.
merchandise. “Obviously more patterns and colors for scrunchies, but hopefully in the near future, I’ll be selling other different products that I create as well,” Karkoski said. Though the summer provided a brief respite from online learning, the beginning of the school year is upon us. To keep students and staff safe, Northville High School is having classes fully online for the first month before switching to a hybrid model. Many students, including
junior Maggie Chen are approaching the situation with a wait and see attitude. “The school is trying to make the best out of the situation, but...there’s a lot of risks for both students doing online and in-person. None of these are pleasurable situations,” she said. As we move into the school year, we need to remember the lessons that quarantine has taught us. “People need to change and learn to think more about each other than just themselves. We need to challenge ourselves to change for the better,” said junior Isabelle Brissette.
EDITOR'S NOTE: High School Confidential is a collaborative effort by the Stringers Journalism Club made up of Northville High School students Maria Cowden, Maggie Kuban, Chethan Magnan, Navya Meka, Lauren Sprow, and Audrey Zhang.
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Changing of the Guard
Turning Northville Teal
Matt “Wheels” Wells (right), one of Northville’s favorite bartenders (at Poole’s), was sworn in this summer as the new president of the Northville Eagles Club (Post #2504). Here he’s pictured taking over for longtime Eagles President Jim O’Brien (aka “Rooster”). Wells said one of his main goals is to increase membership at the club, which is located in downtown Northville at 113 Center Street, south of Main Street. He said the club does plenty of charitable work in the community, and he hopes club members will be even more involved in the future. For more information about the club, call (248) 349-2479, email northville.eagles@outlook.com, or find them on Facebook.
If you were wondering about the blue ribbons on the light posts in downtown Northville this month, they were put up to recognize Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Molly Goodman (left), an ovarian cancer survivor since 1996, and Terrie Karebian, a survivor since 2003, tied the ribbons up, with the help of friends and family members. It’s the same group that has put up the ribbons the last couple years. According to Karebian, the goal is to get women to think about ovarian cancer, and to know the symptoms, which include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating and urinary issues. She said the earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis for survival. For more information, visit MIOCA.org.
Northville Stands With Detroit Once again a group of Northville residents will partner with Detroit’s Life Remodeled for their 2020 Six-Day Project, which takes place Oct. 5-10. The group is seeking volunteers to help out for one day on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to work on beautification/blight removal projects in Detroit. Life Remodeled (https:// liferemodeled.com) is a non-profit organization that has worked to bridge people across divides to help transform each other’s lives since 2011. The focus this year will be on removing blight from the front yards of vacant properties which includes removing debris and cutting down overgrown grass, weeds and brush around Detroit Central High School. Each group of volunteers will be preassigned their work location of one block and volunteers will drive directly to that location. Each group will work from 1-5 p.m. and maintain social distancing of 10 feet. Community residents will work alongside volunteers. All tools will be provided and sanitized. To volunteer or for more information, contact Marianne Barry at mgbarry1020@gmail.com.
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Legacy Park Is Born Last month, the Northville Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the park on 7 Mile (the former psychiatric hospital property) Legacy Park, as part of the Name the Park Contest. The Legacy Park suggestion was submitted by two Northville Township residents, Sharon Hayden and Pam Norcutt, who will share the $200 prize for the winning entry. More than 100 entries were received, according to Clerk Margie Banner. “Many came in with explanations about why the name was suggested,” Banner said. “Some tugged at our heartstrings, while others connected history to the park. It was a difficult decision.” The Legacy Park name stood out because voters in Northville Township approved a 2009 millage to buy the property to preserve and protect the area, Banner said. “It is a legacy for future township residents, a legacy for our children.” Pictured at the ribbon cutting for the park’s trail system earlier this summer are Fred Shadko (from left), members of the Motor City Mountain Biking Association, Bill Sivy and Banner.
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Sprucing Up the Bennett Arboretum Pathway The Northville Township Beautification Commission is asking for volunteers to help clean up the Bennett Arboretum Pathway ‘living’ retaining walls (adjacent to Sheldon Road between Six Mile and Seven Mile) from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26. This popular nonmotorized pathway is well traveled by walkers, joggers and bikers. Volunteers will be pulling weeds, cutting back overgrowth and adding crushed stone to the retaining wall bricks. Beautification members will be available to help volunteers identify weeds and will also be working to beautify this portion of the pathway. For the safety of everyone, they will be following social distancing guidelines and requiring that all volunteers wear a mask. Volunteers are asked to bring their own garden tools and work gloves, but refuse bags will be provided. Long sleeved shirts, long pants and closed toed shoes are strongly suggested. Middle school aged children and older are welcome to attend. To volunteer or for more information, contact Beautification Commission Co-Chair Lynne Mosteller at northvilletwpbeautification@ gmail.com.
Woman’s Club Kicks Off 128th Year
Thank You Northville! Y E A RS 567 Seven Mile Rd., at Northville Road
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248.349.1477
The Northville Woman’s Club kicks off its 128th year on Oct. 2. The club, founded in 1892 and one of the oldest organizations in Northville, will offer this year’s programs virtually online due to COVID-19. The club will meet at 1:30 p.m. on the first and third Fridays October through March. Highlights of this year’s programming include “Behind the Scenes from Camelot to Kent State: Pop Art 1960-75” with Connie Corrigan of the DIA; The Vagabonds: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone; The Faygo Story presented by author Joe Grimm; and a program on Michigan Women in the Lighthouse Service by author Patricia Majher. Of local interest will be an update on Northville news by government leaders presented at the Oct. 2 kick-off meeting. The club supports higher education through scholarships awarded to Northville High School seniors, and contributes to local causes. You do not have to be a resident of Northville to be a member. Anyone interested in attending a meeting or learning more about the club may contact Carol Zinser at (248) 348-7017 or czinser@ameritch.net.
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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.
Making A Little History
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here is no doubt that 2020 is one for the history books, and won’t soon be forgotten. When you think back to the different Mark Isaac in 2001 (with historic firefighter Larry Kozmolski) and events of today. our lifetime, most of us remember 9/11 in Birthday, 2001. I was on my treadmill Mark. I hope watching the Today Show and you study history – you have live coverage of the attacks on personally lived it. Although, the twin towers. I think you’ve got an in at the Northville’s Tom Isaac has firehouse. quite a memory of that day -the birth of his son, Mark. He remembers it was a foggy day, as they awaited delivery. “Nurse #1 enters and states a plane has hit. I thought there must be a tragedy like 1987 at Metro Airport. Then nurse #2 enters and says another plane has hit. Kyle Banter and Jim Roth at Good Time The obstetrician demanded no Party Store. more discussion and to re-focus on the task at hand, and Mark Milestone events do not was born.” take a break in a pandemic. Mark just graduated from Jim Roth is celebrating 50 years Northville High School. He as the proud owner of Good was looking forward to a trip Time Party Store. He bought to the 9/11 Memorial in NYC the business from the Altman before his graduation, but family, who had received one another historic event changed of the first liquor licenses in that plan. The sweetest part of Michigan after Prohibition. this story is that for 19 years How have things changed in a (minus one), the Isaac family half century? has celebrated Mark’s birthday “Back then for every one by visiting the Northville bottle of vodka, we sold 15 Township fire station, as a way bottles of gin. Today we sell one to honor our first responders. bottle of gin to every 15 bottles Mark will attend Schoolcraft of vodka,” says Jim. College in the fall. Happy Honestly, I don’t think it
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matters what’s in the bottle. “We’re not a family business -- we’re one big family,” Jim said. A perfect example is Kyle Banter. He’s worked at Good Time for 19 years, since he was a teenager. He’s been the manager for the last six. Kyle told me they’ve always prided themselves on customer service. Roth has made some changes over the years. In my humble opinion the biggest change came in 1976 when he added on to the building, and brought us Custard Time. Thank goodness! (FYI: The Custard Time season ends on October 4th). Maybury Farm is open for the Corn Maze and U-Pick Pumpkin Patch. Tickets are by reservation only, social distancing is enforced and folks will need to mask up when appropriate. “The Corn Maze was designed this year by the Ford Motor Volunteer Group,” said Diana Wallace, executive director. “They did a terrific job. We want the community to come out, enjoy and feel safe.” Full details, including times, are available at www. mayburyfarm.org. Just the mention of the corn maze and pumpkin patch brings the familiar scent of cider and donuts. Parmenter’s is open, drive thru only this season. You will need a mask when you drive up to place your order. The Donut Squad runners will be delivering donuts. Please be patient and cautious. There is an option for online ordering. Phone orders
will be for five-dozen or more. Complete details can be found at www.northvillecider.com.
The Villages at Northville development at 5 Mile and Beck is quite a community. The centerpiece of the development is a one-acre park for the residents. However, it will be open to the public for music, picnics, a farmers market and other activities. Local artists, Nancy and Russell Thayer, were commissioned to create two very unique sculptures. The ribbon cutting for the park was in July and they hope to have a community event before the end of the year. Stay tuned. Edward’s Café and Caterer in downtown Northville is for sale. Longtime owner Christine is hoping someone will come along and live out their dreams as she did years ago. If that’s you, contact Dave Owens at (734) 432-2600. There’s a new restaurant coming to Six Mile in the former Brann’s location. It’s called Art and Jakes Sports Bar & Grill. They have several locations on the east side. This is their first in our neck of the woods. At a quick glance, the menu seems to have a little something for everyone. For more information, visit artjakes. com.
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