Kellogg Park Comes Alive During Summer Concerts
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Chris Soutar
Scott Daugherty
Chris has lived in the Plymouth / Canton community since 1994. Some his local favorites are: Campari’s on the Park, Basement Burger, Mexican Fiesta II, Pizza Vino, Spoons Place, Central City Dance Center.
Chris has lived in the Plymouth / Canton community since 1994. Some of his local favorites are: Campari’s on the Park, Basement Burger, Mexican Fiesta II, Pizza Vino, Spoons Place, Central City Dance Center.
csoutrar@billbrownford.com Office:(734) 524-2715
Mobile: (734) 765-8980
Scott has lived in the Plymouth / Canton Community since 2002. Some his local favorites are: Crow’s Nest (Canton), Golf at Pheasant Run Golf Course (Canton), Spoons Place, Palermo Pizza, DCFC Soccer.
Scott has lived in the Plymouth / Canton Community since 2002. Some of his local favorites are: Crow’s Nest (Canton), Golf at Pheasant Run Golf Course (Canton), Spoons Place, Palermo Pizza, DCFC Soccer.
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KURT KUBAN – Publisher
Kurt is an award-winning journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers and magazines, including the Plymouth Observer He has been a journalist for over two decades. He founded Journeyman Publishing, which also publishes The ‘Ville, in 2017.
SCOTT SPIELMAN – Editor
Scott graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism. He covered western Wayne County for more than 12 years at several publications before transitioning into corporate communications and media relations. A Canton resident, he has also finished his first novel and is hard at work on his next.
SCOTT BUIE – Advertising Director/Vice President of Sales
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JENNY PEARSALL – Creative Director
Jenny has been in the design and print industry for over twenty years, holding various positions in graphic design, print buying, production and print management. She also owns Bovia Design Group, a company specializing in publications and corporate branding.
BRAD KADRICH – Writer
Brad is an award-winning journalist who spent more than 20 years covering the Plymouth community for the Plymouth Observer. He also spent 15 years serving his country in the U.S. Air Force.
BRAD EMONS – Writer
Over the course of his four decades with the Observer & Eccentric, 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.
SUE VOYLES – Writer
Growing up, Sue always knew she wanted to be a writer. She has written for many publications over her long career in public relations and journalism, and taught English and journalism at Schoolcraft College. In 2022, she received the national Headliner Award from the Association for Women in Communications.
TIM SMITH – Writer
Tim brings a penchant for telling personal stories that run the gamut from news to sports. During more than 35 years in journalism, mostly with the Observer & Eccentric, he has earned numerous state and national awards. The Wayne State grad is a published author and rec ice hockey player.
KEN VOYLES – Writer/Photographer
Ken is an award-winning writer, photographer and designer whose career has spanned nearly five decades in and around metro Detroit. He started his journalism career in Plymouth, working for the Community Crier. He is the author of two books on Detroit history, loves to travel and has finished his first novel.
BRYAN MITCHELL – Photographer
Bryan started working as a photographer more than 30 years ago, and was a staff photographer for the Plymouth Observer in the 90s. He has freelanced for The Detroit News, The Guardian, Reuters, and other publications. His photography has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the globe.
BILL BRESLER – Photographer
Bill arrived in Plymouth in 1977 to work for the Community Crier. He also worked for the Plymouth Observer for many years. Bill, who taught photography at Madonna University, retired from what was left of the newspaper business in 2019 and now freelances. He’s happy to be back in the Plymouth community.
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After contentious election, Plymouth officials seek unity
Five days after the August primary, Township Supervisor Kurt Heise sent out a message to his friends, family, supporters and the community in general.
For those who didn’t see it, it read:
“I want to thank you for your support and concern following last week’s events. I’m taking some time off to recharge and refocus and your kind words have helped me immensely.
“I’m still supervisor until Nov. 20 and there is still important work to do at township hall. I will also be volunteering for several candidates in the months ahead and I hope that you will remain engaged in the political process.
“As an elected official for the past 14 years, I’ve learned that life is an adventure and I’m looking forward to a new avenue of service to my community, whether that’s in the public or private sector. If there’s something out there you’d think I’d be interested in, please let me know.
“Again, thanks for your support—onward and upward!”
The “last week’s events” he referred to were, of course, the election in which he lost to Trustee Chuck Curmi, who earned 2,609 votes to Heise’s 1,995. That’s a pretty wide margin in a local election; I personally thought the outcome would be a lot closer than that.
Otherwise it was a nice message coming from a guy who, in my opinion, deserved a better fate. The story of how he overcame the local shenanigans to first win the supervisor office—on a write-in campaign—is one of my favorites in local politics. That he went on to accomplish almost everything he set out to do shouldn’t be lost among the acrimony of this past year.
As he said, he will leave the township in a much, much better place than when he found it. That’s not hyperbole, or someone trying to pad his own legacy. It’s a fact. The township was a mess under the Shannon Price era and he and his team cleaned it up: under his watch, the treasurer’s department came in line, township budgets were completed on time, audits, too. The fund balance has grown—all while the township reopened and staffed fire station 2 and kept tax rates among the lowest in western Wayne County.
Perhaps most impressive to me is the work done in the western portion of the township, in collaborating with the state, county and federal governments, to turn what was essentially an industrial wasteland into a viable economic development zone. The idea of the MITC corridor was a good one, and although Covid changed the pattern of future development, the land out there is still attractive and viable and will bring long-lasting benefits to the township for years to come.
You don’t get all that accomplished if you are not a capable administrator, respected throughout the region. I think Heise had his heart in the community and tried to do the right things to protect it and allow it to grow using all the tools he could think of. Perhaps some of those—asking for a written guarantee from the racetrack folks about the ‘breakage revenue’ from the proposed track and other community benefits and creating hurdles for the Salem Springs project had some unintended negative consequences—with the racetrack lawsuit and the state having the final say on Salem Springs, for example—but I think that’s more indicative of the nature of development these days than anything else. Developers frequently use the typical development channels to get things started but ultimately rely on the courts to get what they want. When it comes to agreeing to developers' demands, municipalities are often damned if they do and damned if they don't.
Calling candidates who have just lost their jobs is a tough thing to do. Particularly at the local level, they are usually just neighbors trying to help neighbors. Their hearts are in the right place. Now, after beating each other up for about four months, people on both sides are calling for more unity in the wake of a campaign that was one of the nastiest in memory, from a fake, typo-filled newspaper, to negative social media posts and mailers that showed up every day.
Coming together and moving things forward after a campaign like that will be a difficult thing to do. Can they accomplish it? For the sake of township residents, I hope so.
Scott Spielman is the editor of The Rock. He welcomes your feedback or letters to the editor at scottyspielman@gmail.com.
Curmi Defeats Heise
Plymouth Township voters choose new leader after bitter campaign
By Scott Spielman | Editor
Change is headed to the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees.
Longtime Trustee
Chuck Curmi beat incumbent Supervisor Kurt Heise in the August primary election. Barring a successful write-in campaign, he will become the next township supervisor. Curmi earned 2,609 votes to Heise’s 1,995, and received more votes at the polls and in absentee ballots.
“I’m obviously very disappointed,” said Heise. “When I came here, this place was a mess. We cleaned it up; we worked as a team and I led the charge.”
Curmi said he thought recent development trends
factored into the decision of voters.
“I think people were not really satisfied with the type of development that was being attracted here,” he said.
Incumbent Clerk Jerry Vorva fended off Republican challenger Andrew Miller, 2,411 votes to 1,942 and will face former clerk Nancy
Conzelman in November. Conzelman received 2,652 votes from the Democrat side of the ticket. She had no opponent.
Incumbent Treasurer Bob Doroshewitz, who was appointed to his position after former Treasurer Mark Clinton stepped down due to health reasons, will also retain his seat on the board of trustees—barring a write-in campaign. He defeated challenger Janai Stepp, 2,594 votes to 1,783. Doroshewitz earned more votes at the precincts and in absentee voters.
“I think my ability to maintain my independence helped me a little,” Doroshewitz said.
There will be additional change on the board, too,
with incumbent Audrey Monaghan finishing in sixth place among the eight Republicans vying for the four seats. The top four vote-getters, John Stewart, Clinton, Jen Buckley and Sandy Groth, will face three Democrat challengers in November. Stewart was the top vote-getter with 2,232 votes. Clinton received 2,013, Buckley 2,006 and Groth, 1,920.
Trustee candidate Daniel Callahan finished fifth with 1,823 votes, followed by Monaghan with 1,781, Paul Shulz with 1,672 and Greg Bill with 1,354.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re all winners,” said Groth. “We all put ourselves out there and did the best we could. The best part of
this campaign, for me, was seeing how many people cared about the community.”
The votes in Plymouth Township may reflect the changing demographics, too. All Democratic trustee challengers earned more than Stewart’s 2,232 total. Conzelman received more votes than Vorva. In the county commission race, Democrat Carol Souchock earned nearly as many Plymouth Township votes as incumbent Terry Marecki, with 2,027 compared to Marecki’s 2,462. Districtwide, Souchock finished with 11,014 votes to Marecki’s 9,253.
Miller said he was disappointed in his outcome, but glad to see change at the top of the administration.
“The big focus was on getting Curmi elected,” he said. “With new leadership, I think we’ll be able to move forward.”
Callahan agreed, noting that he was also disappointed in the overall
nature of the 2024 campaign.
“It’s been very unfriendly,” he said. “There was a lot of mud-slinging, a lot of misinformation going around.”
The fact that the campaign was overly negative resonated with voters and candidates alike.
the target of many of those attacks. “I’m really hopeful we can begin some healing process in the community, but there are still some people taking shots at each other. The election is over. We’re neighbors and we need to figure out how to get along.”
“Distrust of government is at an all-time high and we can thank our friends at the national level for that,” Heise said. “And it trickles down to the local level. The level of straight up lies and mistruths in the final weeks of the campaign was just amazing. It came at me from all quarters—a lot of that was dark money. It’s all untraceable.”
“There’s been so much ugliness,” said Doroshewitz, who was
“It tells you how we’ve degraded as a culture. Maybe we can change
things,” said Curmi. “There were a lot of nasty things that were said, but it’s time to turn the page. I’m not a vindictive person.”
Doroshewitz said he’s now focused on the future and working with the new administration and the new board—however that may turn out.
“I’m committed to working with the new board. I’ll work with Curmi. Chuck and I are the two longest-serving members of the board. We’ve got a duty to the community to work together,” Doroshewitz said. “The community expects that out of me when they voted for me. I’ll find a way to move us forward.”
Curmi said he would work to keep taxes low, fund and staff the police
and fire departments and push for controlled growth.
“There will be changes; it’s going to be a simple kind of government,” he said. “We’re going to do the simple things that are required by law.”
Heise said he will continue to lead the township until it’s time to hand over the gavel.
“I’m leaving Plymouth Township in a far, far better place than I found it,” he said, adding that the township has a $9.5 million fund balance, a AAA bond rating and high employee morale.
“I’ve got a job to do. I’m still on the payroll until Nov. 20. We’re working on budget and I’m obligated to deliver a budget on time, as always. I’ll be leaving them in good shape.”
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Annual Fall Festival promises ‘full weekend of fun and entertainment’
By Scott Spielman
As summer winds down, anticipation is building for the largest community fundraiser in the Plymouth community: the annual Fall Festival will soon return to downtown Plymouth.
The festival returns to the downtown area from Sept. 6-8 this year, with a carnival, community events and musicians, arts and crafts and, of course, all the food you can eat.
“It’s really the most important event for many of the service clubs in the community,” said Sam Plymale, director of the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
“These service clubs help with a lot of things that happen in
downtown Plymouth. They support events and beautification projects that happen in Plymouth. It’s the one weekend that really impacts what’s happen in the community in town.”
The Fall Festival originated nearly 70 years ago when the Plymouth Rotary Club hosted a chicken barbecue in 1956 to raise funds for new playground equipment. About 500 people attended that first event, which was so successful it came back for a second year and eventually transformed into the Fall Festival in 1960.
“A few years into it, the decision was made to include some other nonprofits and make it more of a community fair,”
said Rotary President James Gietzen, who is heading up the entertainment and coordinating the festival this year. “That’s when the Kiwanis got involved and the different non-profits. Its mission is to provide a fundraising opportunity for the community groups and nonprofits that service the Plymouth area.”
During festival weekend, Main Street and Penniman will be filled with arts and crafts booths and service clubs offering a variety of food and other items to the community to raise funds for their respective causes. Local acts will take the state in Kellogg Park, too: musicians, magicians, the cheer
WHEN: Sept. 6-8
WHERE: Downtown Plymouth
HIGHLIGHTS:
Annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast; VFW Car Show; Rotary Club’s Annual Chicken BBQ; PlymouthCanton Optimist Club’s Pet Show; Plymouth Canton Little League BINGO; Carnival; Nonprofit booths; and Craft Show
teams from the high schools, dancers and more.
“It’s looking to be a packed full weekend of fun and entertainment,” Gietzen said. “There will be all kinds of fun things going on.”
Noteworthy events include: bingo from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6; The Optimist Pet Show at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7; a classic car show on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7-8; carnival rides all weekend long, and the ‘Big Four’ fundraisers—the Veteran’s rib dinner on Friday
night, the Kiwanis Club pancake breakfast Saturday morning, the A.M. Rotary spaghetti dinner on Saturday night and the Rotary Chicken Barbecue on Sunday.
“You really get your opportunity to eat your way through the weekend,” Gietzen said. “That’s my favorite part.”
The Rotary Chicken Barbecue has evolved throughout its years. The Rotary Club solicits help from high school students and boosters to help cook up about 10,000 chicken dinners every year—complete with locally
grown corn plucked from the stalks about two days before its cooked up for hungry crowds.
“It’s really amazing to watch it all come together,” Gietzen said. “These are the business leaders and community leaders that come together to put the barbecue pits together and put in the hard work of cooking all those chickens and all those ears or corn. It’s pretty amazing.”
For more on the entertainment and Fall Festival itself, visit plymouthfallfestival.com.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH
7 p.m. Geff Philips and Friends
SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 7TH
9 a.m. Optimist Pet Show
2 p.m. Dance Beat/ Forever After Productions
3 p.m. Plymouth Fife and Drum Corp
4:30 p.m. Polish National Alliance Centennial Dancers
7 p.m. 2XL Band
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH
11 a.m. Midwest Tae Kwon Do
12:30 p.m. Plymouth-Canton Pompon Squads
3-5 p.m. Dearborn Big Band
*All shows in Kellogg Park
Longtime community band director honored as citizen of the year
Story and photos by Ken Voyles
Let’s just keep this simple and call him Plymouth’s very own music man. No doubt local conductor Carl Battishill would chuckle a bit and give a sly smile if you actually called him that, but his fellow musicians and many others throughout the community would surely nod their heads in agreement over the moniker.
For 45 years Plymouth’s musical front man has taken the stage to lead the Plymouth Community Band (PCB) through a vast litany of concerts each summer and winter with hundreds of other local musicians and tons of beloved songs.
Now more “bravos” have come his way as Battishill was recently recognized for his efforts to bring music to the community. The longtime resident and conductor clearly devoted to all things musical has been named this
year’s Ruth Huston-Whipple award winner.
The annual honor recognizes men and women who have impacted the quality of life in the City of Plymouth “through exceptional community and philanthropic engagement.” Whipple was Plymouth’s first woman city commissioner and woman mayor in 1940-42.
“The honor was very surprising and very much appreciated,” says the man who loves all kinds of music, sometimes wears a uniform like his hero John Philip Sosua, and shares a passion for music with anyone who will listen. “This is fantastic.”
Much more than just a band leader, Battishill has a fascinating story of his own as a young man whose music dreams were shattered one day only to realize that his calling and musical destiny still lay clearly ahead of him.
FACING THE MUSIC
Growing up, Battishill at first wanted to be a policeman but took to music early on encouraged by his trumpetplaying father, David. His earliest memories are of playing in church but in high school the “pretty good” trumpet player met a mentor in a music teacher named John Rogers who encouraged him to get serious about music.
“I still didn’t really think of music as a career so I applied to engineering schools,” says Battishill, adding that he reapplied to the same three schools that accepted him for engineering when he changed his mind and faced the music, so to speak.
After auditioning using his dad’s old trumpet, Battishill attended the University of Michigan, getting degrees in trumpet as well as music
education. Then in 1971 a moment happened that helped set him on the path to where he is today.
“It was my sophomore year and we had a master class where everyone took turns playing,” he explains. “I listened to the others and said I can keep up with
this. Then the last guy played a piece that was so difficult and complicated and he played it so well I left the room knowing my trumpet player options were done.
“I walked out and put the trumpet away,” he adds. “I said to myself that ‘I guess I’m going to be a music teacher.’”
And that’s what he did, starting at a school in Frankfort, Michigan, before coming to the Plymouth-Canton school district in 1978.
A Plymouth resident since then, Battishill and his wife of 36 years, Mary, raised two children, Nick and Maddie, in
after 38 years in the school system.
At one point Battishill served on the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools board of trustees but music remained his passion. It was a short stint as he realized managing the band was enough for him.
While teaching at Canton as an assistant band director he jumped on a chance to become director of Plymouth’s community band. He remembers his first time on stage like it was yesterday.
“I was just 27 at the time and more than a little intimidated by it,” he says. “I distinctly remember standing in front of
the community, and was soon to become a local fixture, buying a home by 1987. Today his son Nice, a U of M graduate is also a band director.
“The best way to describe Plymouth is as a great place to make a home. There's a real sense of community, especially in my neighborhood," said the 72-yearold. "As a city, it's extremely wellmanaged and I've been happy to make it our home.”
After six years in Plymouth, Battishill took a position with the West Bloomfield school community where he worked at all levels, from elementary to high school, as a music director and leader. He retired two years ago
nights in Kellogg Park for young and old alike.
“When I took over we used to have a common phrase that it never rains in Plymouth on Thursday in the summer,” he says. “We went for years, it seemed, without a rain out.”
As band leader Battishill thrives on coming up with new music for every concert, usually songs that reflect the rich traditions of American music. Practice and concerts fill his schedule, as well as finding new music, helping young musicians who join the group and making sure the community experiences a unique blend of old and newer music at every performance.
Each year brings fresh challenges, and Battishill thrives on committing the band to its mission of offering uplifting music to the community. With decades on the stage behind him, he often remembers the people as much as the music, since, as he says, people are who make the band so special.
school and college.
“It’s just amazing to see that,” he says. “People who reach such levels and to know we were a part of their journey.”
COMMUNITY RECOGNITION
Besides the Whipple honor, Battishill was acknowledged this summer by Wayne County Community College for service to the school, having led the Plymouth band in performing during the school’s graduation for nearly 40 years.
the audience in Kellogg Park with my three by five note cards nervously introducing the songs. Music wasn’t hard but the environment was different. It was pretty scary.”
A BAND FOR ALL
Over the years since then Battishill has maintained the band as a musical fixture in the community, constantly adding new music, expanding the group’s reach to other opportunities like playing at college graduations and local festivals in places like Frankenmuth.
Formed in 1960, the band today is well known in town, often found making memorable summer music on Thursday
“We like to have soloists at all of our concerts,” he says. “It helps keep everyone involved and makes things fun and interesting.”
One of the profound things – his words – Battishill has experienced while leading the band is skill of the people who he performs with.
“Over the years we have had some young people perform with us and to see them develop into extraordinary talents is so rewarding and fun,” Battishill says. “We’ve had lots of people perform with us but two really stand out, Katy Calzone and Alex Wilson.”
Calzone is a top-notch vocalist and Wilson a trumpet player after Battishill’s own heart. He remembers their involvement over many seasons even as they went from middle school to high
“That was a nice surprise, I didn’t even know it was happening when they called my name at the ceremony,” he says.
Other awards have been garnered by Plymouth’s band and Battishill in recent years, such as an award from the national alumni association of the Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma groups, but in the end it’s the music and people that means the most to this music man.
“Every now and then we play a piece of music that reaches deep inside of me and hits something deeper than I have experienced on a day-to-day basis,” he notes. “It’s not every week or every concert but when it happens the music takes my breathe away.”
So next time you think of “76 trombones,” or the any other songs from that famed musical, just remember there was a man behind that music. For Plymouth it is Carl Battishill.
Another developer filed a lawsuit against Plymouth Township, alleging economic harm after their project was denied by the board of trustees.
Naji Kahala and Mohammad Nawwas and their company, MZT Investments, filed suit against the township after their vision to redevelop the corner of Joy and Lilly roads—where the Sparr’s Flowers and Greenhouse operates— was unanimously rejected by the board.
“We’re hoping to be able to use the land how we want,” said Kahala.
MZT purchased the five-acre site at the end of 2022 and first submitted a conditional rezoning request in March 2023. Initially, they sought a conditional rezoning for the property from residential to commercial use in order to place three apartment buildings—or about 68 units—on the northern portion of the property. The plan also included a drive-through restaurant.
That plan met stiff
“We’re not the monster developers people think we are. We listened to what folks had concerns about. We changed our plans. Literally all we’ve done, as a developer, was go in there and listen to what everybody had to say.”
Naji Kahala, of MZT Investments
opposition from the nearby residents, who cited traffic concerns on the already-busy roads, as well as drainage issues from Tonquish Creek, which flows adjacent to the property. Sparr’s would continue to operate, but out of a smaller footprint.
MZT revised their application twice, downsizing it each time.
The three-story apartment buildings dwindled to a two-story structure; the most recent plan saw it reduced even further, to a single-story assisted living facility with three buildings, each with 16 units, around a centralized hub that would include a dining area and exercise room.
A second, two-story building would be located near the corner with office
use on the first floor and apartments above it. The concept, according to architect Scott Wright, was for both uses to feed off each other: the commercial building would house medial offices that would support the assisted living facility and the apartments could be leased to physician residents.
That plan won approval from the planning commission on a 4-2 vote, but the board of trustees rejected it in June.
The lawsuit alleges that the denial came without basis or reason, has deprived MZY of its right to exercise control over the property had a severe economic impact, causing MZY to incur special damages, according to the filing.
like the neighbors, wanted to preserve the residential zoning of the property and ensure that the land wasn’t overbuilt.
“We’ve been trying to work with these guys, because that’s what we do. We don’t play winners and losers,” he said. “We’re certainly willing to work with them. We gave them some options. We’re not trying to be difficult with them.
Kahala said he was disappointed to have to take legal action, but after the delays he said he felt he had no choice. The conditional rezoning requested was just the first step in the development process, he added.
“We were asking permission to ask permission. They had zero liability. They could have let us move forward with this, but they decided to make us jump through all these hurdles that anybody else proposing that same PUD application wouldn’t have had to jump through,” Kahala said. “It’s got me raising my eyebrows as to why.
“We’re not the monster developers people think we are,” he added. “We listened to what folks had concerns about. We changed our plans. Literally all we’ve done, as a developer, was go in there and listen to what everybody had to say.”
Township Supervisor Kurt Heise said he wasn’t entirely surprised by the lawsuit. He said the board rejected the conditional rezoning because they,
“They certainly could have come back with a different proposal, but they went the legal route,” he added. “We’re going to rigorously defend the township’s interest in this.”
Trustee Chuck Curmi, who also voted against the conditional rezoning, said he would like a see a residential development there where people could down-size, perhaps singlefamily ranch or singlestory condominiums that would appeal to older residents or empty-nesters.
“Wherever you have commercial interfacing with residential, there’s always friction,” Curmi said. “It’s a challenging time for development.”
“We’re going to rigorously defend the township’s interest in this.”
Kurt Heise, Plymouth Township Supervisor
“I don’t know a single person that isn’t happy around food. That’s the one thing everyone can agree with. It can bring people together no matter what.”
Charlie Salowich
‘Pulling
Out All the Stops’
Plymouth-Canton students cook up gold at national skills competition
By Scott Spielman
When she was younger, Maddy White made soup with her grandmother, using everything from celery to noodles to candied sprinkles.
“It was absolutely, completely inedible, but she would sit there, pretending to eat it the whole time,” said White, who graduated Canton High School in June.
That quality family time sparked in her a desire to cook that she took with her into her
senior year at Canton, to national competitions and, she hopes, will lead to a successful career in the restaurant industry.
Her skill, passion and flair for performing served her well at the recent National SkillsUSA Competition, where she and fellow classmate Charlie Salowich each earned gold medals.
“Congratulations to Charlie and Madeleine for their fantastic achievement and for shining on a national stage,” said Monica L. Merritt, superintendent
of the Plymouth-Canton Community School District. “We are so glad to see students like Charlie and Madeline and so many others find their passions at P-CCS and excel in doing what they love.”
More than 6,000 students from across the nation competed in about 100 different categories representing the skilled trades at the Skills USA Championship. In it, competitors must demonstrate to judges— who are all industry experts—that they have
real-world skills and are ready to join the workforce.
To win his gold medal, Salowich prepared a five-hour, five-course meal consisting of an appetizer, soup, two entrées and a dessert. He also completed a written assessment and demonstrated knife and butchery skills. His prize included a full knife set and other cooking equipment, and a full tuition scholarship to both the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson and Wales University.
Salowich also received a special award from the Atlanta American Culinary Federation for demonstrating the highest standards of integrity, enthusiasm and attitude. He competed against more than 40 other students in his category.
“I am naturally competitive,” he said. “I went into it not knowing exactly what I’d get into, but I thought was it would be a good experience.”
Salowich, who also graduated from Canton High School in June, works at Karl’s Cabin. He
got interested in cooking during his freshman year—during the Covid pandemic—when students were learning from home and allocated
90 minutes for lunch. He and his brother got pretty creative.
“It was fun—we would just find whatever was in the house,” he said. “It just came to me naturally that I was able to find things and make something good.”
He took the hospitality and culinary arts program — separated into two, twohour blocks—twice, and sometimes spent as much as 10 hours a day at school between his classes and working at The Rock Café. He said he enjoys cooking because of the simple joy food brings people.
“I don’t know a single person that isn’t happy around food. That’s the one thing everyone can agree with. It can bring
people together no matter what,” he said. “It’s a necessity in life, but why make it a necessity when you can make it a luxury? There’s so much it can do for people; it can affect people’s lives.”
White chose the hospitality and management side of the competition. It was broken down into two parts: table setting and service.
During the former, she had to set a precisely aligned table, lining up plates, glasses and silverware by eye and only using knuckle-inches as measurement. The second part includes waiting on customers, including a Caesar salad demo.
“You’re pushed to be the kindest and friendliest person and a lot of people don’t know that—the spectators can’t really hear that well,” she said. “You’re playing pretend, you’re making people
laugh and you’re doing things—almost like a dancer. It feels like you’re doing a performance more than a competition.”
White did not get into the culinary program until her senior year, but that was by design. She took advantage of the district’s dual enrollment program and finished most of her credits early so she could concentrate on it in her final year.
“It was always the plan to go into cooking and restaurant service because I have an innate ability for cooking,” she said. “But I had no clue how far it would take me. It became a lot bigger than I was expecting it to.”
Next year, it will take her and Charlie both to New York to the Culinary Institute and, perhaps, overseas—while vacationing in France this summer, White applied— for her and Charlie
both—at Le Petit Léon, a restaurant in SaintLéon-sur-Vézère, which is outside of Paris. The Culinary Institute requires an externship and both young people agreed it would be their first choice.
Although White said she had planned to get into the culinary program at Canton, she said she was impressed with how much she learned there.
“You have no clue the life skills you learn in this class,” she said. “For a lot of kids it’s a sort of reality check. They think ‘I’m capable of a lot more than I thought I was.’
Both intend to go into the restaurant industry, and now have a big head start in getting there. And those who helped and inspired them along the way are looking forward to seeing where they end up.
“Charlie and Madeleine pulled out all the stops and put on the show of their lives, and we’re so proud of their achievement,” said Diana Woodward, instructor and coach of hospitality and culinary arts. “They work hard every day, they’re creative and passionate about what they do, and we look forward to watching them continue to grow and succeed.”
“A lot of kids come out of the class feeling so accomplished,” she added. “They’re so excited; it feels so real—it doesn’t feel like a home economics class. You feel accomplished after every day because you worked hard. Every day is a new lesson. They’re real-life experiences. You don’t just meet a chef or a teacher— you meet a mentor.”
Rock
Peek Inside Your Health: Full Body MRI Screenings Unveil Silent Issues Before Symptoms Arise
(SOUTHFIELD, MI) Full body MRI clinics have gained national attention lately, as TV personalities publicly share their personal full body scan experiences. One actress credits the scan for saving her life after doctors dismissed her unexplained pain for months. After various tests, including a CT scan, had “unremarkable” results, the pregnant actress became her own advocate, searched out a full body MRI clinic and discovered she had pancreatic cancer. Thanks to early detection the tumor was removed successfully.
As a general rule, when symptoms occur related to cancer, it usually has progressed to stage three or four. Even with annual physicals, there are limitations. Most screenings only cover about 29% of cancers with 71%
occurring outside of where doctors are able to screen. However, full body MRI scans can detect cancer in every organ from the top of the head through the genitals and can detect it very early.
For a long time, full body MRI scans were available only in select areas outside of Michigan, requiring expensive flights like in Vancouver or California. However, this changed when a clinic opened in Southfield, making these scans available to Metro Detroit residents.
“Our advanced MRI screening can detect cancers very early when they are as small as a pencil eraser and are more easily treatable. If cancer goes undetected, however, it can grow into stage three or stage four with difficult treatments. We can
also identify conditions such as brain, abdominal, chest, and groin aneurysms,” stated the founder of the Southfield clinic called Bionicc Body Screening.
The primary focus of Bionicc Body Screening is to deliver peace of mind, offering a comprehensive and detailed imaging of the body’s internal structures. The ultimate hope is for excellent health. However, in the event that something is detected, the advanced screening aims to catch any potential issues at their earliest stages. This approach offers the best opportunity for successful treatment outcomes, should the need arise.
Robert B., age 50, opted for a full body scan from Bionicc Body Screening and a very small tumor
was detected. He said, “It saved my life. Their MRI found a kidney tumor that had been missed by a recent CT scan. I cannot recommend this service more.”
Take the first step to learn more about full body scans by visiting www.BioniccBodyScreening. com and request a free, no obligation Information Kit. Request it today and you’re also guaranteed a copy of their FREE eBook, Catching Cancer Before It’s Too Late! (This is a limited time offer.) Schedule today at 1-833-BIONICC.
2024 PCEP Football Preview
Looking For Improvement
Optimism is riding high with the three P-C football programs
Story and photos by Brad Emons
It’s time to throw down the gauntlet for another high school football season.
And what should we expect heading into 2024 for the three teams from Plymouth-Canton Educational Park?
All three hope to make a marked improvement in the West Division of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
According to preseason poll by the KLAA West coaches, defending champion Northville (10-2, 7-0) is the early odds-on favorite followed by Brighton (5-5, 4-3), Howell (3-6, 3-4), Hartland (3-6, 3-4), Novi (7-3, 6-1), Canton (3-6, 1-6), Plymouth (4-5, 3-4) and Salem (1-8, 1-6).
CANTON
Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect from the newly nicknamed Cobras (Canton), Wildcats (Plymouth) and Rocks (Salem).
Eric Newton, a former assistant at Livonia Stevenson and Plymouth, becomes the Cobras’ third head coach in three years replacing Casey Bess, who lasted only one season while implementing a spread offense after the Chiefs (former nickname) spent years of running their patented Wing-T under Tim Baechler and then Andy Lafata.
Newton, who played his college football at Wayne State, said there won’t be any radical changes on the offensive side of the ball.
“It’s similar to what they were doing last year,” he said. “I think just a little bit more structured
these last three months. He’s with us every morning, which is more relieving than last year and we’ll see how the season will go. We’re still with the spread . . . and our defense has changed a lot of man coverage and not zone.”
Canton traditionally has employed strong offensive lines and the 6-foot, 230-pound Mullins believes the Cobras are on the right track.
“I think our line is very good,” he said. “I think people will have their key things that they’re going to be able to do and I think we’ve just got to keep working on our schemes and working on what we’re going to be doing for this season.”
on our end from the coaching, introducing the terminology and scheme on both sides of the ball. I want to play fast, play physical and be aggressive, so any way that we can do that, and however we have to do that – that’s the plan.”
The Cobras, who open their season Friday, Aug. 30 at Temperance Bedford, will rely on three seniors to set the tone led by running back Alex Guadagni, quarterback Devvin Calhoun and right guard/defensive tackle Kayden Mullins.
Guadagni said he and his teammates have adapted quickly to the new coaching regime.
“He has great communication with us,” the running back said. “We’ve had great connections with him
coaching position, but I like where our guys are at,” he said. “We’ve competed all summer in the weight room and in our 7-on-7s, had a good showing from all three levels. I’m just wanting us to be competitive . . . we have 22 seniors that we’re going to lean on, that our going to lead our program and kind of get Canton back to what they used to be.”
PLYMOUTH
The Wildcats had a chance to make the postseason a year ago, but came up just short.
Other key Canton senior returnees include wide receiver/ linebacker Nick Parrish, running back/linebacker Oluwadamilola Giwa, linebacker Lemuel Pettway and tight end/ safety Theisen Besco. Meanwhile, junior wide receiver/linebacker Drew Eisenbeis also adds depth.
“Coming off of last year we didn’t have a lot of team chemistry,” Mullins said. “I think between our seniors and juniors we were very divided. And I think this year, especially being a captain and being on the offensive line, we’ve got to build that bond, be strong with each other and knowing our capabilities.”
Newton said it’s all about the intangibles, building a solid foundation and creating a team bond more than the X’s and O’s.
“I’m learning that aspect in the head
“Last year was kind of a heartbreaker for us because you lose a tight game against Howell (28-21) where we had the ball late in the game,” fifth-year coach Greg Souldourian said. “We lost that game and lose on the last play of the game to Novi (48-45), so you’re actually one win away from being a playoff team.”
The Wildcats haven’t had a winning record since going 9-2 in 2019, but they’re positioned nicely to reverse that losing trend.
“Our mantra is: ‘Five seconds’ -- five seconds from being in the playoffs,” Souldourian said. “It’s what we have to do for five seconds. It takes what it takes at the end of the day to be a championship team and a playoff team. It’s where we’ve been focusing our efforts all last season.”
Plymouth, which averaged 32 points per game in 2023, features a strong offensive line led by 6-7, 290-pound Miami of Ohio commit Lucas Barnes, who also
had offers from Central, Western and Eastern Michigan universities, along with interest from UMass, Louisville and Dartmouth.
“The goal is to get back to the playoffs and keep building off what we did last year,” Barnes said. “We have a couple of guys that we can build off of, but we also have young guys that can influence in the future, which is good.”
Barnes is following in the footsteps of former Division I standout Wildcat offensive linemen including Michael Jordan (Ohio State/ NFL) and Idrys Cotton (Northwestern).
Souldourian says comparisons to the recent graduate Cotton might be unfair.
“Lucas has really come on since last season,”
we’ve had numerous Division I offensive lineman come through our school, so it’s kind of a fun adventure.”
Barnes potentially could be one of the top linemen this season in the KLAA.
“We’ve all been lifting and running, being in the weight room and stuff. I gained 20 pounds,” Barnes said. “Kind of put on weight since last year, which is good. I’ve been working out on weekends with the guys and training in the offseason has been good.”
The Wildcats will also lean on 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior Cam Short, who will help key the offensive attack at halfback, while also playing linebacker on defense.
back Nick Dekiere, wide receiver Jimmy Cleveland, two-way lineman Sage Hixson and linebacker/ offensive lineman Joe Portman.
The Wildcats also boast one of the top specialists in the area in senior kicker/punter Daniel Vigo, who converted a perfect 41 for 41 on extra points last season, while also going 3 for 3 on field goals. Vigo is being tutored by former Plymouth All-Stater Kyle Brindza (Notre Dame), who had two different stints in the NFL.
That’s why optimism is running high for the Wildcats, who open their season Thursday, Aug. 29 at home versus Traverse City Central.
but has displayed a better skill set than a year ago.
“We’re confident going into the season and that will be a big factor,” Moore said.
Souldourian said. “He put in a lot of work during the offseason to get better. They’re different players, that’s for sure. They bring different things to the table. But he’s our next offensive lineman who is a Division I guy. It’s kind of funny, we were joking in the off season –O-Lineman High – since we had Michael Jordan,
“Cam is a three-year starter and kind of a Swiss Army knife for us on offense,” Souldourian said of Short, a three-sport athlete who also plays basketball and runs track.
“He can play multiple positions, whether being a receiver, a blocking tight end or a fullback type, or even giving it to him.”
Other key senior returnees for Plymouth include quarterback Logan Pheiffer, running
“We’ve had a great offseason,” Souldourian said. “That’s the biggest thing going forward. And they’ve been grinding away and have been doing everything I’ve asked of them.”
SALEM
The Rocks, who open their season Friday, Aug. 30 at Utica Ford, hope to parlay a strong offseason into victories under second-year head coach Landon Garrett.
Garrett got a late start taking over the Salem head coaching position just days prior to 2023 preseason. And the early turnout has been encouraging.
“The offseason has been great,” he said. “The numbers have been amazing. We’re averaging between 80 to 90 kids for workouts, especially in the summertime. It’s been exciting to see the kids actually buying in, doing the work, showing up and putting in the time.
“My first year in as the DC (defensive coordinator) we had 36 kids in the program from 10th grade to 12th grade, but right now we’re sitting at 128. At all levels we’re 50 on freshman and 48 on varsity and roughly 26 on JV.
And for Garrett, it’s about doing the “little things.”
“We talk about that all the time,” he said. “For us, it’s showing up to practice with the correct effort and attitude walking in, simple things just like having our helmets with us and our football I.Q. has got to get higher, getting tougher, stronger in all aspects of the game.”
The Rocks will be led by their two senior captains -- Aiden Moore, a running back, and Rocco Spica, a wide receiver/ defensive back.
“I’ve seen great things in the offseason,” Moore said. “We’ve put together a great team with the juniors and seniors coming back. The returning seniors are putting in the work this season to focus on the first game.”
Moore says it starts with the offensive line, which may not be bigger and stronger than a year ago,
Meanwhile, Spica is optimistic the Rocks could surprise in 2024. And he has been on a personal mission.
“I think my main development was getting faster, not so much the size but getting faster, running the hills, doing anything I can do to get faster,” he said. “And I think it’s just confidence. Last year we were going into games and not being as confident. This year we’re pretty confident in our skills. Our line – I think they have the technique, maybe not bigger, but I think we’re going to be good this year.”
Salem, which returns six starters on both sides of the ball, will also rely on senior middle linebacker/tight end Zach Passmore, junior quarterback Luke Creighton, senior slot-back/safety Jordan Perko, senior two-way lineman Tyler Pelke and junior wide receiver/ outside linebacker Drew Eisenbeis.
Hidden gem provides training, opportunity for local musicians
Amusical oasis in downtown Plymouth almost is hidden in plain sight.
But The Harris Conservancy of Music—a small business near the corner of Ann Arbor Trail and S. Harvey Street, one where the entrance itself is tucked inside an adjacent breezeway—is turning into a place both seen and heard.
“I still have people that come in almost every day and say ‘Oh, I live in Plymouth and walk by here all the time and I didn’t know you were here,’” said owner Brian Harris. Harris is a gigging drummer with the band Southern Son when not teaching students about the intricacies of tom toms, hi-hats and getting kick drums to sound on point in the recording studio. “It’s easy to miss. But once people are in they always remember where we’re at.”
For young musicians wanting to augment what they are getting
out of being in a school band to hobbyists interested in playing an electric guitar, cello, trumpet or electric keyboards to retired orchestra members wanting to tune up on their craft, The Harris Conservancy of Music very well could strike the perfect chord.
The price is right. For a 30-minute private session with Harris or a roster of 10 other versatile and accomplished professional musicians, the cost is $35. And downtown Plymouth is the perfect location for Harris and his staff to ply their considerable craft.
“Many of our students are local residents, but we have a lot of younger students, too,” said Randy Regal, a Plymouth resident who teaches trumpet and cornet in addition to remaining active as a community musician. “I think we’re providing an unusually good supplement, an available supplement to the community
Music’s roster of instructors, however.
Their website lists the many top-quality music teachers. In addition to Harris and Regal are Jamie Jurado (voice, piano, music theory), Aidan Rickel (piano), Ana Andrade (cello), Marlo Williams (double bass), Larry Rife (clarinet), Nate Glitman (saxophone), Dan Jones (electric guitar), Bill Boley (classical guitar), David Russell (banjo), Justin Zak (French horn), Scott Hawkins (low brass) and Bruce Sole (trombone).
“What we do is provide something that goes above and beyond what students get in middle school or high school,” Regal said. “They can come here and take lessons and learn to become higher level musicians, better performers, because of the faculty here. If they want to. It’s available to them.”
that goes beyond what is taught in the bands in the public schools to bolster and bring up the standards for local music, for local music performance.
The Harris Conservancy of Music also is a reliable spot for instrument repair or for customers to pick up accessories from D’Addario at prices “cheaper than Amazon,” Harris said with a chuckle.
A store countertop is covered with a small display of drumsticks, plus valve grease (for horns), guitar string winders, touch screen metronomes and an assortment of goodies (slide guitar picks anybody?) to satisfy any impulse buyers.
“About 50 percent of our business is lessons, with 25 percent repair work and 25 percent for accessories,” Harris said. Getting musicians to sound their best is the primary mission for The Harris Conservancy of
Harris took over the former Music Plus in 2015, after being that store’s drum instructor for a few years. It was the case of “being in the right place at the right time”
when the Music Plus owner told him the business was for sale.
“I came in as his drum teacher and I was here six weeks,” Harris recalled. “He took me aside and
said ‘You got the most students on staff right now so I figure I better tell you first, I’m closing the store.’
“But right after, we had the landlord come by and he basically made a general announcement to the staff asking if anybody is interested in opening a music store here, so he didn’t have to tear it down, rebuild and make it an office or something.”
Because Harris didn’t have a suitable place to teach the 20 or so drum students he had at the time, and because half of his income was tied up in conducting those lessons, his decision to open his own store was as prudent as the Beatles firing Pete Best and replacing him with Ringo Starr.
around 2019-20, only to have COVID-19 wreak havoc on the business and force Harris to temporarily hit the brakes. It was temporary, he said, because he had an ongoing desire to life all musical boats. “But we started all over again and probably about a year ago we got back to where we were breaking even again.”
Some students and instructors perform at the shop on Saturdays, always free to the public, with the store’s breezeway doubling as its stage.
“They are usually teachers from the store who are performing,” Harris said. “Sometimes they’ll have students come in and play with them, but it’s mostly concerts to highlight the teachers
“I was gigging and teaching privately and all of a sudden the store landed in my lap,” Harris continued. “At first I was the only teacher here. So I lost a lot of money when I opened up. It’s expensive to have space in downtown Plymouth.”
Eventually, he started bringing in other musicians to build a roster of instructors. He hit the break-even point financially
here so people in the community get to really see the talent.”
The lessons and so-called “tiny concerts” offered at The Harris Conservancy of Music are Harris’ mechanism for righting some wrongs.
“As a private teacher and a professional musician, I’ve been watching for the last couple decades a very disturbing trend in the music industry,” Harris
stressed. “The ma and pa stores that traditionally dominated the industry are getting gobbled up and forced out. You’re getting more and more stores that are corporate franchises.
“Those places do business very differently than music stores have ever done. Historically, the (financial) cut that music stores would charge for a lesson, the store would keep about 30 percent and give the teacher 70 percent because the teacher’s the talent.”
Many corporations reversed that percentage, he said, turning musicians with master’s degrees who have performed thousands of times in public into low-paid, frustrated artists.
“When I’ve spoken to some of these places they say ‘Well, in corporate America, that’s what you pay for your labor,’” Harris said. “But in the music market, your private teachers are not your labor. They’re your product and your labor on top. That’s why you need to pay them more.”
Because Harris is a musician himself, he makes sure his teachers get what they deserve and don’t quit out of frustration. The benefit is obvious, not only for them but for their students
and for the music-loving city that Plymouth is.
“My profit margins are (terrible) but I don’t care because I am here to support professional musicians in our community,” Harris summarized. “So that our community has access to those people, and those people have access to making a living – so that they’ll be here and won’t give up on music.”
For more information about The Harris Conservancy of Music, go to the website www.hcommusic.com or call (734) 725-9926.
Under Construction
Plymouth Historical Museum builds Victorian House exhibit…inside
By Michele M. Fecht | Photos by Bill Bresler
Since its temporary closure to the public in July, the Plymouth Historical Museum has been anything but idle.
For the past two months, contractors have been constructing a 1915 Queen Anne-style house inside the museum that will provide visitors with a glimpse of home life in Plymouth during that period. The structure is “housed” in the space long occupied by the Victorian room exhibits.
“The reason we’re doing this is because we have to change,” explained Liz Kerstens, the museum’s executive director. “If you stay stagnant you die. That’s not happening on my watch.”
Noting that most of the museum’s exhibit space is more than 50 years old, Kerstens said the Victorian House project will redefine the visitor experience by
allowing guests to walk “into” the exhibit. Interactive videos with surround-sound also will add to the experience.
The first floor will include rooms typical of the era with a kitchen, parlor and dining room.
Visitors will enter the home through the back door and walk through the hallway to visit the three rooms as well as view the carriage house before exiting to the back patio. The home’s upper level – or second story
– will be used for much needed exhibit storage.
Screens similar to those installed in the recently remodeled Pere Marquette Depot exhibit will be placed as the home’s front windows where it will appear as if you are looking onto Church Street with its park and gazebo.
Visitors can take in the sights and sounds of the band performing in the gazebo, children playing in the park
and horses and carriages passing automobiles.
Kerstens noted that 1915 was a period of transportation transition as the automobile began jockeying for road space with the horse and carriage. This allows the exhibit to feature both transportation modes.
A MODEL HOME
The museum’s Victorian Home project is modeled after the 1898
“The reason we’re doing this is because we have to change. If you stay stagnant you die. That’s not happening on my watch.”
Liz Kerstens, Plymouth Historical Museum executive director
Draper, a Plymouth optometrist, jeweler, and prolific amateur photographer (the museum’s archives has an extensive collection of Draper’s glass plate and film negatives). Fortunately, Draper photographed interiors of his home providing a rare glimpse into the contents and style of the rooms. The house (still standing)
circa 1915.
Kerstens said cost for the project is “a little over $200,000.” A grant of $90,000 from the Margaret Dunning Foundation to the Plymouth Historical Society specifically for construction of the project provided critical seed money. (The Dunning Foundation also
originally had four bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Kerstens said the images of the interior of Draper’s home will be used extensively to recreate the exhibit’s first floor.
She noted the contractors are using as much reclaimed materials as possible in the project. Reclaimed barnwood will be used to cover the museum’s freight elevator that will serve as the doors to the carriage house. Furnishings will largely come from the museum’s collection, some of which will be repurposed from the former Victorian room exhibits.
Lead contractor for the project is Stella Contracting. Jeff Stella’s team rebuilt the Pere Marquette train depot. Mark Salloum of Highway Media is creating the animated videos to convey the sights and sounds of Plymouth,
paid for the majority of the train depot rebuild.) In addition, the museum received more than $80,000 in donations from members and the community as well as several smaller grants toward the cost of the Victorian House project.
A LOOK AHEAD
In her 17-plus years as the museum’s executive director, Kerstens said the Victorian House is the biggest project she has undertaken during her tenure. Okay, so maybe it’s more appropriate to say it is the biggest project she has undertaken inside the museum. Kerstens spent four years wrangling to get a 67,500-pound CSX caboose moved to the museum site. That was heavy lifting.
“We’re just trying to remain relevant,” Kerstens said, noting that museums are challenged by decreased attention spans primarily – but not exclusively – among younger generations. Interactive exhibits that provide greater sensory stimulation may enhance visitor experiences and interest. Financial challenges also are omnipresent. “We’re still totally independent,” she said of the museum. “Ninety percent of my job is fundraising.”
Mindful that most of the museum’s exhibits were created a half-century ago, Kerstens said the Victoria House project along with the reconstructed train depot exhibit may be the impetus for future changes in exhibit
interpretation.
“The Victoria House complements the Main Street exhibit,” she noted, adding that the intention is to give a facelift to that exhibit space in the next few years – as funding allows. The Plymouth Historical Museum’s Main Street was modeled after the Detroit Historical Museum’s Streets of Old Detroit and features a late 19thcentury Victorian recreation of the community’s Main Street.
The target date for the museum’s reopening is October 16. The archives also will reopen at that time.
For more information about the Plymouth Historical Museum, visit plymouthhistory.org or find them on social media.
Volunteer helps people in hospice care –and learns about life in process
By Ken Voyles
Death is not an easy topic to talk about, let alone write about. It’s scary, confusing and not easy to put into words. Yet this is an uplifting story, and though it involves pain and sorrow, it’s also about facing our fears and confronting mortality in a calm and hopeful way.
When someone dies, it is always painful. That much is obvious. But what might be less clear is that even in these worst of times there are people willing to help. Besides doctors, nurses, counselors, pastors and, of course, family and friends, there are men and women who volunteer in the community to willingly come alongside the dying and their families to face the end together, up close and personal.
Many have heard of hospice and likely enough many more have misperceptions as to what it’s really about. One of hospice’s major tenants is the need for, and the value placed on, trained
volunteers who weekly visit patients for direct emotional support, quiet comfort or just to give the family a chance to rest, knowing someone is with their loved one.
In Plymouth, a young man named Nick Sowizral does just that. No, he doesn’t do it for reward. He isn’t a doctor, though he wants to be a pharmacist (more on that later). There are no bright lights or fancy hospital facilities. His patients aren’t family or friends.
As a volunteer for AccentCare Hospice and Palliative Care, Nick visits hospice patients on a weekly basis, sitting with them in their homes or in nursing or assisted living facilities. Just because. That’s it – to be with someone who is dying, to be a part of the circle who gather around someone in the last stages of a disease or illness.
“There are a lot of things in life that are unpleasant but they’re natural. One of them is dying,” says the 24-year-
old Plymouth resident and graduate of Plymouth High School. “Everyone dies. It’s an unpleasant truth we have to come to terms with. It’s definitely not easy to face moments of sadness but I think it’s rewarding to have a chance to be with people, spending time with them and being comfortable with them.
“Being around people who are dying you get to hear their life stories and appreciate their wisdom and knowledge,” Nick adds. “It makes you think about your own life and those around you.”
TRAINED TO HELP
A graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn in biology, Nick is now in his second year studying to be a doctor of pharmacy. His family has been in Plymouth for nearly 15 years, having moved from Detroit. He loves being around people and speaks three languages – his native Tongan as well as Spanish on top of English.
“I started doing this for nearly
three years,” he says. “I wanted to find some volunteer work that was medically focused. It’s cool to hang out with people who need company in their final days. A lot of people are scared of that. I like helping people. I don’t see any good to stop and I’ll do it as long as I can.”
As a volunteer Nick spent hours in training, was required to take a background checks and a physical, including a TB test. The path to being with the dying can be long and arduous, something all hospice organizations require, and many don’t always understand what it takes.
Besides volunteering, Nick is a pharmacist assistant in Livonia as he works towards his degree. He had never experienced hospice before in his family but finds being a “warm body” for somebody who needs a friendly face, to be thought provoking
“It helps you confront things,” he adds. “I know it sounds corny but my patients are people, full of wisdom and share a lot.”
“There are a lot of things in life that are unpleasant but they’re natural. One of them is dying. Everyone dies. It’s an unpleasant truth we have to come to terms with. It’s definitely not easy to face moments of sadness but I think it’s rewarding to have a chance to be with people, spending time with them and being comfortable with them."
Nick Sowizral
He tells a story about one of his patients, an elderly man from Detroit, who made a big impact on him personally.
“He was a retired architect,” he says. “His house was like a museum with art and photographs. It was so cool. We talked a lot, played music, he really loved oranges, not too sweet or juicy. He asked me to get him some special oranges one time.”
Since the man’s passing Nick says he always thinks of him when he eats an orange.
“It sounds small or trivial but I always think of him when I see an orange,” he adds.
One of the main things a volunteer does, says Nick, is to help make sure someone is not alone. Often hospice patients are
“I shudder sometimes thinking about being alone and dying,” he says. “It’s nice to be a friendly face especially when the family can’t always be around.”
In June, one of Nick’s patients passed away. Mark Spence was 77 when he died and Nick had been with him for many months.
The Vietnam veteran, who died in Westland and received full military honors, has three daughters and one son. He was a welder who loved cars and trains as well as music. He had a great sense of humor, and found Nick’s companionship a supportive presence.
DISPELLING MYTHS
This then is really at the heart of hospice volunteer work. AccentCare, a nationwide leader
stuck in a facility or the family has a hard time being around their loved one. He is glad to ease that loneliness as much as he can.
and trusted guide in post-acute health care covers a broad continuum of services from personal, non-medical care to
home health, palliative care, hospice, and care management.
AccentCare is located in Madison Heights and part of a nation-wide company that has over 30,000 highly trained and compassionate professionals in more than 250 locations, across 32 states. The medical team, and volunteers, help more than 200,000 people annually.
For people like Nick is it important to dispel the many myths about hospice care. Here’s some critical information about this misunderstood type of care.
Hospice is covered under Medicare. Once patients receive a "certification of terminal illness" that patient could die within six months, they can begin hospice care. Many patients live longer and can stay In hospice as long as there is a decline in health. Most important, hospice patients do not receive aggressive, lifesaving treatments, but are kept comfortable and can be treated for pain.
Like many other organizations, AccentCare sees patients in their homes, in nursing or other care facilities and includes doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, therapists and chaplains for spiritual care. Only a few hospice groups run a designated facility.
Though not involved in a spiritual mission, for Nick there is clearly a wellbeing of mind as well as body component to what he does as a volunteer.
“It makes you think,” he says, “when you’re sitting with someone dying. It makes you ponder where you stand in a spiritual sense. I have a spiritual
side of me but I don’t have a name to it.”
Nick can’t help medically, and there are plenty of restrictions when it comes to being a volunteer visitor, but it’s not
hard to just be with someone facing those final days, weeks or months.
“We read, play music, talk and sometimes we’re just silent and even hold hands,” he says.
In the end, perhaps “the end” can be made just a little less sorrowful knowing someone like Nick and hospice organizations truly care.
As John Donne once wrote:
“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so…”
THE ROCK IN FOCUS WITH BRYAN MITCHELL
As the summer concert series in Kellogg Park winds down, one thing is clear: the Friday night concerts are as popular as ever.
“We have had great acts and great crowds all summer long,” said Sam Plymale, director of the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority (DDA). “There’s truly been something for everyone each week.”
Geff Philips and Friends took the stage on Aug. 9, which also doubled as Veterans’ Night, and wowed the crowd with their easy-listening combination of hits. The concert series wraps up on Aug. 30 with Magic Bus—it’s also 60s Night.
All concerts are free and begin at 7 p.m. They are also livestreamed to the DDA YouTube channel, which you can access through the DDA website, www.downtownplymouth.org.
Photos by Bryan Mitchell
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