Grosse Ile Grand, June 15 – July 14, 2023

DAVE GORGON

The Grosse Ile Citizen of the Year award is presented annually by the Rotary Club of Grosse Ile to the person who has given outstanding continuous service to the community.

This year’s honoree, Nancy Crysler, “epitomizes the Rotary motto Service Above Self,” the selection committee reported.

Crysler “has lived a life of service to God, family, friends and the community,” said daughter Elizabeth Primeau, who submitted one of the seven nominations of her mother received for the recognition.

“The impact she has made on people is substantial and immeasurable,” Primeau wrote. “Nancy goes above and beyond and is often first to act when one is in need. Her career was defined by service to others as a counselor at Flat Rock Schools. Now retired, she has helped many families and students, led the Builders Club, led Christmas

giving trees and many other programs.”

Crysler received the award on May 18 during a Rotary event at the Grosse Ile Yacht Club. She has already served as grand marshal of the Island Fest Parade on June 3.

“It’s so humbling,” Crysler said. “It

feels surreal. It was so unexpected. I was just utterly shocked. I feel so grateful that some of my friends and my daughter Beth, who nominated me, feel that I live up to that standard.”

Rotarians Joyce Reedy, Chuck Moyer and Krishelle Kohler of the Citizen of the Year Committee agreed the standard has been met – and then some. They said the said the person chosen for the award must provide “service with no expectation of personal reward or attention… service that makes our Island a better place to live.”

Crysler is a “retired educator” with three college degrees – bachelor’s degrees in psychology and education, plus a master’s in counseling. But her life is filled with plenty of educational opportunities for others.

“The most important thing I do is teach kids about God,” she said. “My biggest privilege is to be able to teach

CRYSLER

Continued from page 1

children, including my grandchildren, about God through church and through family. That’s how important I believe God is. He is the foundation of my life.”

Sticking with her nomination by her daughter, the list of service to others is lengthy:

CHURCH SERVICE: As a long-time member of St. James Episcopal Church, Crysler has been very active in service and leadership there for decades. She led the Christian Education program for many years, including a well-attended vacation Bible school every summer and first communion classes and she served as teacher of a high school class. She makes lunches for workers at every Rummage Sale and Greens Market at the church in between shifts sorting and crafting at the annual and bi-annual events. She even received the Episcopal Church Women group’s Woman of the Year award in 2018.

“In her service as eucharistic minister and the pastoral care team, she visited those homebound and prayed with them and offered communion and support,” Primeau wrote.

From the 1980s until the time it closed in 2020, Crysler volunteered at the Spirit of Hope Soup Kitchen. She has sent birthday cards to every parishioner on behalf of the church and has been active in maintaining flowers on the grounds.

Crysler, who has lived on Grosse Ile for 40 years, credits her father for getting her started in church

PHILANTHROPY: For many years, Crysler has been a member of PEO, an international philanthropic educational organization. She has supported the group’s scholarship program for young women and has led many effective fundraisers. She recently concluded a term as her chapter’s president.

“Even in times of COVID, her versatility and agility presented a successful silent auction – entirely virtual,” Primeau said.

Every Wednesday, Crysler spends volunteer time counseling young women at Heartbeat of Monroe, a nonprofit pregnancy and new mom support center, impacting and supporting young mothers and pregnant women “with grace.”

GUARDIANSHIP AND CARE: Crysler is legal guardian to a young lady from Grosse Ile, providing service to her daily. The girl was introduced as a “troubled teen” to Crysler by her grandfather, who said her grandmother and mother had passed away. Since then, Crysler has provided regular counseling

and friendship, assists with daily issues such as budgeting, meal planning and housekeeping. Crysler has helped her live independently and includes her in family gatherings.

In the past few years, Crysler has supported an Island resident who is both blind and crippled. She visits him, takes him to appointments and makes him meals.

“When Crysler’s brother-in-law became incapacitated, she silently did his laundry weekly for seven years,” Primeau said. “She has taken people in need into her home over the years.”

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT: “It has been proven that one of the Grosse Ile Boar’s Head Festival’s greatest values is the community involvement it provides,” Primeau said. “If one polled all who participated in Boar’s Head over the years, probably more than half would say they were

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Nancy and Curt Crysler have been married for 53 years and still spend plenty of time together, playing pinochle or scrabble or going to dinner at the Grosse Ile Yacht Club or attending the Detroit Sympathy Orchestra. They have two adult children: Beth and her brother Adam, “who are amazing human beings,” she said, plus six grandchildren, ranging in age from 1 to 20.

“No matter how much Nancy does for others, her family comes first,” Primeau said. “Time with their children and grandchildren is special.”

Besides cooking for them and serving as a friend and counselor, Crysler visits three young grandchildren in Northville every Thursday to teach them, read to them, play and make dinner.

“Nancy is the first to step up when her siblings or nieces and nephews need help and she travels one or two hours with a car filled with baked goods, clothing, furniture and whatever else is needed,” Primeau said.

there because of Nancy Crysler.”

The festival is a Christmas celebration with music and pageantry that is sponsored by Interfaith Council of Churches. Many members of Island churches make up the 600 people who sing, perform or contribute their skills in the production to the festival. There is a brass ensemble, handbells, bagpipes, singers, dancers, tumblers, jesters, townspeople, a Christmas story and more. Musicians include a choir of more than 100 voices and a 25-piece orchestra.

Since the 1980s. Crysler has been on the production staff covering major jobs such as casting, group leaders, sign-ups and recruitment, kickoffs and anything else related to production logistics. She has worked behind the scenes tirelessly for decades, connecting thousands of people and bringing them into a community event that has had personal impact on many.

“Many of the people in Nancy’s life would consider her their rock. She is quick to love and finds the positive in every person and every situation.”

CHARACTER: Primeau called her mother “an illustration of humility. She neither complains nor boasts. She does not post on social media what she does for others… She puts others’ needs above her own – daily and happily. She honors commitments and is someone who can be counted on. Her sympathy and love for God have driven her to lead a full life of service and she continues to do so every day.”

Primeau joked that there are “18 million reasons” her mother deserves the award.

“She’s really humble,” Primeau said. “She’s probably said a hundred times about how she doesn’t deserve it. She really does… The whole definition of the award is ‘service above self.’ That basically is the definition of her whole life.”

Service Above Self.

Grosse Ile DDA crowdfunding campaign

$29,500 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

Grosse Ile Community and Economic/Downtown Development Authority Director Ross Querro.

“With their help, we’re bringing an overall identity to our business district, by utilizing murals to reflect the character of our island community.”

The Public Spaces Community Places program is a collaborative effort from MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, which provides residents with the opportunity to use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities. All residents, businesses and organizations in Grosse Ile are encouraged to contribute to the campaign, which will help improve the overall experience of visiting our downtown.

QUERRO

As the Grosse Ile Downtown Development Authority (DDA) kicks off its second year of Art on the Ile, Macomb Street’s public art initiative, Grosse Ile and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) have partnered up to launch a crowdfunding campaign. MEDC, The Grosse Ile DDA and the Township announced the project on May 25 th through the Michigan-based crowdfunding website Patronicity. Anyone can view the website and contribute to the campaign at patronicity.com/gi or by scanning the QR code at the end of the article.

If the campaign raises its goal of $29,500 by July 24 th , the project will receive a dollar-for-dollar match made by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. This would double our goal for this year, bringing in a total of $58,000 to our downtown.

“This project will create a sense of art and culture in downtown Grosse Ile, bringing vibrancy and creativity for residents and visitors to enjoy,” said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project to complete the space through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

WHAT YOUR DONATION WILL SUPPORT

Our second edition of Art on the Ile is part of a larger vision for Macomb Street, which is to bring 33 art installations that include rotating sculptures, historical markers, student art and

crosswalk paintings. In 2022, we completed two murals, six rotating sculptures and one permanent “G.I.”sculpture. With your help, we hope to complete our mural program and festivities for the 2023 year of Art on the Ile.

FUNDING FOR THIS CAMPAIGN WILL SUPPORT:

~ Camilo Pardo’s mural on the Grosse Ile Hardware Store in June of 2023. Pictured below, the mural coming to Macomb will reflect Grosse Ile’s automotive history, which was once home to automotive pioneers Henry Ford, Ransom E. Olds, John Kelsey and Charles and William Fisher.

~ Jesse Kassel’s mural will be coming soon to the Lloyds building in July of 2023. The mural will highlight notable locations of the Island, from the beauty of Grosse Ile’s open spaces and farms to its churches, clubs and businesses.

~ Beau Stanton’s mural on Zubke’s Plumbing in August of 2023. It will be a nautical themed mural to reflect Grosse Ile’s history as a destination for boaters.

~ Art, Planning and Event Services

Residents are encouraged to come experience the art at our Island Nights events this summer.

Each event will be held the third Thursday of each month, from June-September, from 6-9 p.m. At each event, Macomb Street will host a variety of food trucks, vendors and live music.

“The Grosse Ile Downtown Development Authority is excited to collaborate with MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program to bring public art and placemaking to Macomb Street,” said

“The Michigan Municipal League is a strong supporter of placemaking projects and events happening throughout our state,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the League. “This public art initiative will have a positive, lasting impact on the Grosse Ile community as well as all who attend it. This is what placemaking is all about.”

As of April 30, 2023, MEDC has provided more than $11.4 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 343 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $13 million raised from 65,483 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds. To contribute, please visit patronicity.com/gi or scan the QR code!

ROSS

Bring on the summer!

Islandfest is behind us and that means the long, languid summer is stretching out in front of us. Islandfest is Grosse Ile’s unofficial start to summer and township officials, the Grosse Ile Recreation Department, festival volunteers and the people of Grosse Ile know how to throw a “welcome to summer party.” In addition to the traditional Islandfest parade, this year’s event featured vendors, exhibits, crafters, a carnival, beverage tent, a petting zoo, live music and, of course, fireworks. Fair goers came out in droves. They ate and drank and played and partied. A good time was had by all.

Pet Food and Supplies

We sell professional-quality foods at competitive prices and are committed to understanding your pet’s needs to help you make the best possible choice for your pet. With over 20 brands to choose from, and special orders are always accepted – each offers:

• Premium quality ingredients

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Garden Center

• Nutritional Integrity

• Loyalty programs

Featuring locally grown and award winning Proven Winner plants

• Annuals • Hanging Baskets & Containers

• Perennials • Houseplants

• Veggies/Herbs • Pottery/Trellises/Planters

• Garden Accents • Planting Services

• Birding Supplies & Seed

Garden Decor

Peruse our selection of wind spinners, wind chimes, garden stakes, bird baths,houses and feeders to enhance your outdoor living space!

• T-shirts • Hats • Koozies • Hoodies

• Tie Dye T’s • Crew Sweatshirts

• Sweatpants • Visors • Lanyards & much more!

• Sizes from Toddler to 3XL Adult

Steppin’ out!

Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Black Tie Gala and Expo

DAVE GORGON

The president and CEO of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber said the organization’s annual Black Tie Gala and Expo continues to connect small businesses and nonprofit professionals with reliable vendors and potential customers.

In fact, with registration at nearly 400, Ronald Hinrichs announced that this year’s gala was the largest in his seven-year tenure at the chamber of commerce.

“We strive to stick to our vision, which is everything we do at the chamber is about having a positive and lasting impact on our regional

community,” said Hinrichs, who lives in Riverview. “This is a regional celebration of our business community and nonprofits, but it’s so much more than that.”

The May 4 gala was held at Crystal Gardens in Southgate. Hinrichs said the growth in the number of vendors was significant, along with participating businesses and nonprofits. He said with restrictions eased from the days of the COVID-19 pandemic there are more opportunities for participants to connect with potential customers.

Krishelle Kohler, who owns Eldercare Home Care and Island House Senior Living on Grosse Ile has been a believer in the power of the chamber of commerce for about 30 years.

See GALA, Page 15

Photos by Jim Jacek

GALA

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She has gone from member to committee member to board member to executive committee member to being elected two years ago as chairwoman of the board. The connections she has made during the three decades have made a huge impact on her business and her personal life.

“My first question any time I need something as business cards to a new $3,000 sign out front of Island House is, ‘who in the chamber does this?’ I always try to use a chamber person first. I really do.”

At her wedding, Kohler estimated that one third of her guests were fellow chamber members who are now friends. At an After Business Ours social gathering five years ago, she looked around and saw that she had connected and worked with every business that was represented at the location.

“At every single table there was someone I personally did business with,” she said. “They used my business or referred me to somebody that I ended up doing business with.”

Chamber membership and social events, she said, have paid off.

Dennis Morier is coowner of Floral Designs in Southgate, a local flower shop that provides everything from sympathy arrangements to wedding flowers. Son Jedidia Daddow is the head designer whose work was recently featured on the cover of Florist Magazine. Proud father Morier had the magazine on display for all to see at his booth at the chamber business gala.

“The chamber does more for me than I’ve ever done for the chamber,” said Morier, who is a chamber board member. “I have an opportunity to meet with a lot of business owners from all over Downriver.

There’s a lot of synergy to this. You find out what people are doing and where their interests lie. You learn there are things that your business can provide to them and things you can use from their business. This event magnifies it. Being in the chamber is an opportunity to source things locally and meet local businesses. It does make a difference… “People say here’s a problem, how can we solve it? This is not only fun but a way to get together with local business owners in our own area. It’s a way to keep up with the community.”

Linda Francetich of Grosse Ile founded her Trenton-based business, DiscoverDownriver.

com, in 2012. Since then, she said, “we have grown to be Downriver’s main source of event information and local promotion for businesses. Our annual website visitors are over 350,000 and growing and we have nearly a million annual page views on our 800-plus page website. We are number one or on Page 1 in Google searches for nearly any event or happening Downriver, from festivals to kayak launches to individual Downriver cities.”

Membership in the chamber of commerce and participation in the agency’s events have had a positive impact on her business, Francetich said.

“Building a professional support system is a beautiful thing,” she said. “When you connect with your community peers, clients and local leaders, that engagement has the potential to lead to sales, friendships, collaborations and much more. The Downriver community is quite connected and networking events such as the SWCRC black tie event reinforces those relationships and friendships.”

Adding to the fun connectivity at the chamber gala, participants get to vote for best in several categories among the vendors on hand. This year’s winners were Rev’d Up Fun, best booth;

First Merchants Bank, best double booth; The Information Center, which won the Al Bates Interactive Booth Award; Prestige Banquet Hall, best entrée; A Serendipity Cakery, best dessert; and Services to Enhance Potential (STEP), best appetizer and the people’s choice award.

Jeffrey Chicoine, the current chairman of the chamber, is regional government relations manager at Corewell Health whose office is in Corewell’s hospital in Trenton.

While Corewell is anything but small, chamber membership and special events give Chicoine opportunities to position the health organization “as an effective and reliable community partner” and to “promote health and wellness of the community.”

He also serves on the board of the nonprofit Information Center, which is also a member of the chamber.

Another attendee at the chamber gala was Jim Perry, executive director of the Southgate-based Downriver Community Conference and the namesake of the James S. Perry Community Leadership Award that recognized outstanding community leaders who demonstrate and inspire others to always put service above self.

The DCC’s goals include enhancing the quality of life for area residents, workers and businesses; shaping public policy at the federal, state, regional, county and local levels; and identifying, obtaining and responsibly managing the necessary financial resources to successfully implement the vision.

“The DCC and the chamber have always enjoyed a great partnership,” Perry said. “We work hand in hand. When business works, people work… Things are happening Downriver. I always tell people it’s the place to be.”

Many people - most, perhaps - go to an optometrist, get an eye exam and then follow the lady in the white coat over to the wall of frames and pick out a new set of glasses.

The story ends with the customer paying way more than he or she ever expected.

If that pretty much describes you, Bob Schmittou says there is something you should know: He can save you money, maybe lots of money.

Schmittou, a proud military veteran, owns New Eyes Optical, located on 1616 Ford Avenue, right at 16th Street in Wyandotte.

There are no doctors at New Eyes, just lots of frames and Schmittou, who can get you into fashionable new glasses for a lot less than all of the other chains and franchises out there.

Just bring your eyeglass prescription to him and see what kind of magic he can work for you.

“I am kind of like what the pharmacy is to your doctor,” Schmittou said. “Your doctor writes you a prescription. He doesn’t try to sell you the drugs. You go to the pharmacy. The same is true with us. You bring us a prescription and we will fill it.”

New Eyes Optical does not accept insurance, but their low prices mean that is often not an issue.

Schmittou has been in the eyeglass game for a long time. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from Lincoln Park High School and Uncle Sam sent him to school to learn how to make eyeglasses.

He did that in the Army for nearly four years and then worked for Lenscrafters and for private doctors after that.

In 2012 he opened New Eyes Optical and has been there ever since.

Schmittou said he has over 1,300 frames in his building and can make arrangements to get others if customers come in with a specific brand or style in mind.

For sunglass lovers, Schmittou said he has the largest selection of Ray Ban and Oakley sunglasses in the area.

If you come in, you will deal with Schmittou himself. He and his wife Pam are the only employees. Schmittou does the fitting of the eyewear, and Pam orders frames and keeps the shop looking fresh by arranging the frame displays and decorating.

So, if you are in the market for new glasses, would like a little personal attention and a really low price, give Schmittou a call at 313-587-4204, drop an email at neweyesoptical2012@gmail. com or contact them through their Facebook page, Facebook.com/neweyesoptical.

New trail of open up Gibraltar Bay to visitors

JOHN HARTIG

What do a former naval air station, a Nike missile site, and a wildlife refuge have in common?

You can soon find out thanks to a new Grosse Ile Township greenway trail designed to improve public access to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge’s Gibraltar Bay Unit.

Naval Air Station Grosse Ile was established at the Grosse Ile Airport in 1927 and operated until 1969. During World War II, it was one of the largest primary flight training stations for naval aviators and Royal Air Force pilots. In 1956, the U.S. Army established a Nike missile site at Station Grosse Ile, armed with three Nike Ajax missiles housed in underground silos, which were operational till 1963.

In the 1960s, some of the land and buildings became laboratories of the Public Health Service until they were turned over in 1972 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to become the Large Lakes Research Station, which conducted Great Lakes research until it closed in 2019.

The EPA property on the southern end of Grosse Ile includes a 41-acre parcel containing some marshland that is part of Gibraltar Bay and upland habitats. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performed an environmental cleanup. Naval debris was also removed from the bay through a partnership among the Navy Seabees, the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy, and the Great Detroit American Heritage River Initiative, and shoreline habitat was rehabilitated.

By 2008, Army Corps risk assessment studies finally showed the property was safe for transfer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and it became part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Today, this 41-acre parcel is called the Gibraltar Bay Unit and is part of the “conservation crescent” – a bow-shaped chain of islands, shoreline areas, and wetlands along the southern end of the Detroit River.

Gibraltar Bay Unit is located on the eastern side of Grosse Ile Airport and stands as an ecological gem that provides an “up north” nature experience right

in our backyard. This unit is part of the 158-acre Gibraltar Bay – one of Detroit River’s most significant coastal wetlands.

In total, 97 percent of Detroit River’s coastal wetlands have been lost to development, making Gibraltar Bay a vitally important nursery of life that supports thousands of terrestrial and aquatic species.

These unique coastal wetlands are important spawning and nursery grounds for fishes and a staging area for waterfowl. They are part of an Important Bird Area designated by the National Audubon Society and, as a result, are an outstanding site for birding, including an internationally recognized raptor migration.

This coastal embayment is also the top location for ice fishing on the Detroit River and an excellent place to view

means an automobile is the only way to safely access it.

However, that will soon change.

Grosse Ile Township has received funding to improve regional access to the Gibraltar Bay Unit from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Design and Access Fund (made possible by The Ralph C. Wilson Foundation), the Byars Family in memory of their daughter Adrienne Byars, and Grosse Ile Township.

These funds will be used to install a new fence along the eastern edge of Grosse Ile Airport, allowing a 0.6-mile gravel perimeter airport road to be repurposed as a pedestrian and cyclist trail for safe access to the wonder and beauty of the unit’s unique coastal wetlands.

The cost of the project is approximately

part of Downriver Linked Greenways, Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail, and The Great Lakes Way, which is an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from Port Huron to Toledo. Grosse Ile already has several multi-community group rides from surrounding communities as far away as Dearborn and Northville.

“Grosse Ile Township is proud of its natural areas and trails, and this new trail will connect people with Detroit River’s Gibraltar Bay and all species that call it home,” says Grosse Ile Township trustee Kyle de Beausset. “Not only do I hope it inspires a sense of wonder for the outdoors, but I also believe it to be the sort of trail that’s essential for our health and future prosperity.”

We learned during the COVID-19 pandemic about the importance of

Michigan’s symbol of clean water – the American Lotus. Not to be overlooked at the Gibraltar Bay Unit is its unique prairie habitat.

STEWARDSHIP AND IMPROVED PUBLIC ACCESS

The unit is stewarded by the refuge, the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy, and the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance, the refuge’s friends’ organization. Amenities include 1.5 miles of hiking trails, a photo blind to conceal wildlife photographers, two wildlife observation overlooks, a council ring used to teach about First Nations, environmental education, and conservation, and a spotting scope to view wildlife on the bay.

Currently, visitors have no way to walk or cycle to the Gibraltar Bay Unit other than on the shoulder of East River Road which is dangerous and in disrepair. This

$90,000 and Grosse Ile Township manager Derek Thiel says trail improvements should be completed by the end of June.

“The Grosse Ile Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission is so excited to see the fruits of our labor after nearly a decade of advocacy and coordination,” says chairperson Brian Pawlik. “We are very grateful to the Byars Family, the Community Foundation, and our other partners for helping uncover one of Grosse Ile’s hidden gems for residents and visitors alike.”

CONNECTING TO EXISTING GREENWAY TRAILS

Grosse Ile residents will be able to access the Gibraltar Bay Unit as part of the township’s eight miles of greenway trails through either the Grosse Ile free or toll bridge (no toll for bicycles).

This new Grosse Ile trail will be

outdoor spaces and nature experiences. Research has shown that nearly half of adults from across the United States now participate in outdoor recreation at least once a month, resulting in health benefits. In addition, people who recreate in nature have a more favorable view of environmental protection and conservation.

That is why it is so exciting to see how this new trail will help create a regional natural resource destination of choice in southeast Michigan. If you are looking for an adventure in outdoor recreation or to be inspired by a sense of wonder for continentally significant natural resources, then this experience is for you.

The Gibraltar Bay Unit is open from dawn to dusk year-round at no cost. For more information, visit: https://www.fws. gov/refuge/detroit-river/visit-us.

This story is reprinted with permission for “Great Lakes Now.”

GIHS welcomes Principal Dr. Alan Carter

BILL STEVENSON

Grosse Ile High School has a new educational leader!

At its May 9, 2023 meeting, the Grosse Ile Township School Board unanimously approved the hiring of Alan L. Carter, Ph.D. as the new principal of Grosse Ile High School, effective July 1, 2023.

Superintendent Valerie Orr said, “We are thrilled to welcome Alan Carter to Grosse Ile\ Township Schools as our new High School Principal. Mr. Carter’s ability to connect with\ students and his academic expertise will make him a wonderful addition to the high school. Our District Leadership Team is looking forward to collaborating with Mr. Carter, especially regarding his experience in Montessori education to further our strategic plan efforts in the area of personalized learning.”

Dr. Carter will replace Mark Kleinhans, former superintendent of Bedford Schools, who served as an interim administrator for the past two years.

Carter comes to the school district from Eastern Michigan University, where he served as Associate Director for the Charter Schools office—serving in

the Authorizer office for eleven charter schools in the state of Michigan. Prior to his position at EMU, he served for almost a decade as the Headmaster or Assistant Headmaster at Creative Montessori Academy in Southgate.

A native of Wyoming, (which Dr. Carter reminds us is the “Equality State,”), he began his educational career teaching middle school science in the gifted and talented program in Garland, Texas public schools. An opportunity arose that allowed him to broaden his professional experience by teaching at the Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, Columbia. And, afterwards returned to the Grand Rapids area at Lighthouse Academy, teaching biology, and moved through the administrative ranks as Assistant Principal/Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, eventually becoming the principal.

Carter holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University, a Master of Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama, and his Doctorate from Western Michigan University.

In a recent interview, Dr. Carter explained his passion for education and what he brings to the Grosse Ile school community, “I have been in education since 1999. I never planned to be a teacher but felt the call and the fulfillment of this profession after taking a job teaching 7th grade science to gifted and talented students.

“I am learner-centered. That includes students, teachers, parents, anyone willing to build upon what they already know to explore new information. I believe that education should be built around the child and the learning environment should be prepared in such a way that allows the student to explore what they are interested in learning. We know that there are certain requirements that every high school graduate must meet. A truly gifted educator is one who builds those requirements around and through what the student is interested in learning. That is how engagement, enthusiasm, grit and perseverance take root in a life-long learner. I could talk a lot about this as it gets me excited when students have ‘A Ha’ moments and build core memories that are foundational to who they are and who they become.

“My vision for my work at the high school is to come alongside the already academically strong program and teachers and continue to build a differentiated educational experience that is student centered doing all we can to assist them in becoming kind, wise adults. By the end on my first year, I really want those student who have a ‘meh’ attitude towards their education to grow in their love for learning and to be excited about growing in the possible careers through exploration and project-based learning that captures their attention and gets them excited.”

DR. CARTER

Grosse Ile’s best and brightest Class of 2023 top scholars announced

BILL STEVENSON

The faculty and administration of Grosse Ile High School have announced the final rankings for this year’s seniors. Based upon their cumulative high school grade point averages on a 4.0 scale, the following students are the valedictorians and salutatorians of the Class of 2023.

VALEDICTORIANS

Kelly Antosiewicz, Lily Bargamian, Sydney Botten, Serafin Dionyssopoulos, Luke Hargrove, Abigail Lauth, Cecilia Lind, Patrick Marsh, Cecily Noonan, Mia Pascuzzi, Reagan Quinn, James Souilliere and Kathryn White

SALUTATORIANS

Manasvi Patel, Julia Shamus and Anna Wroblewski

Congratulations to all the graduates of the Class of 2023!

Abigail Lauth

Anna Wroblewski Cecilia Lind Cecily Noonan

James Souilliere

Julia Shamus

Kathryn White Kelly Antosiewicz

Lily Bargamian

Luke Hargrove

Manasvi Patel Mia Pascuzzi

Patrick Marsh Reagan Quinn

Serafin Dionyssopoulos Sydney Botten

GROSSE ILE RECREATION

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Happy Holiday’s at Water’s Edge Pool! Come enjoy our after-hours pool party with Christmas carols, water balloon snowball fight, visit with Santa and much more!

Day Date Time

Wed. July 19 7-9:00 pm Everyone Welcome!

Location: Water’s Edge Pool/Pavilion

Fee: $6 per person (ages 10 and under must be accompanied by a paying adult)

MOVIE NIGHTS

Join us at Water’s Edge Pool! Come enjoy our after-hours pool party with a movie.

Days Dates Time Ages

W June 28 9-11 PM Everyone

W July 12 9-11 PM Welcome!

W August 9 9-11 PM

Location: Water’s Edge Pool/Pavilion

Fee: Free Event for Members

*Regular pool admission for non-members

*Concessions and pizza available for purchase

*Floats are permitted

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

6/22 – 8/31, 2023

@ Water’s Edge/ Smokies on the Water Concert Time: 7-9 PM RAIN OR SHINE FREE!

Jun 22 Martinez / Motown, Rock

Jun 29 Wisteria / Classic Rock, Pop, Motown

Jul 6 Tequila Mockingbirds / Funk, Jazz, Rock

Jul 13 Howlin Mercy / Cool Blues, Classic Rock

Jul 20 Packin’ Heat / Motown, Dance

Jul 27 High Calibre / Southern Rock, Blues, Country

Aug 3 Cody Boggs Band / Country, Guitar

Aug 10 Jesse James Band / Pop, Rock & Country

Aug 17 Category 5 / Classic Rock, Dance, Cover

Aug 24

Detroit Light Band / Classic Rock, Dance

Aug 31 Wisteria / Classic Rock, Pop, Motown

Bring your chair and enjoy free concerts at Water’s Edge. Sponsored by Grosse Ile Recreation / Smokies on the Water

Sponsorships are welcome and guarantee front row seating!

7:00-9:00 pm

August concerts

6:30-9:30 pm.

Consider a sponsorship for your community group/organizations, business, or just a fun night out with friends!

Contact Kim O’Farrell at 734-675-2364 / Kofarrell@grosseile.com

Area Soroptimists host Fourth ‘Mommy and Me Tea Party’

To celebrate Mother’s Day and introduce women and girls to Soroptimist, the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists hosted their fourth “Mommy and Me Tea Party” on May 13, 2023.

One hundred fifteen moms, grandmas, aunties and little ladies joined Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists for a sold-out, fun-filled afternoon.

Several attendees brought in new infant or children’s swimwear, beach towels, life jackets, goggles or summer toys that will be donated to the Downriver Foster Closet.

The little ladies arrived attired in an array of fancy dresses. The venue was held at the Apollo Ballroom at the Grecian Center, 16300 Dix-Toledo, in Southgate, where the spacious room was decorated in a unicorn theme in the most feminine fashion in splashes of pastel colors. Eye 4 Events LLC provided a magnificent balloon arch and table centerpieces. Each table was adorned in the height of proper teatime, complete with centerpieces, fancy teapots, and real ceramic teacups and saucers.

A pizza bar lunch, which included salad, garlic bread, chocolate brownies, tea, and lemonade was provided. A cash bar featuring mimosas and bloody Mary’s were available for the moms and grandmas. There were two gaming stations: A unicorn ring toss and a unicorn bean bag toss, but the biggest hit of the tea was the glitter bar by KJ Art. The line for bedazzled “jeweled” and glitter face decals took up an entire wall of the ballroom.

Charity Bronson, of the Grecian Center, is also a cofounder of Downriver Foster Closet. Charity described her own experience with fostering children.

Downriver Foster Closet is located at 1753 Ford Avenue in Wyandotte. Learn more about DFC on their website.

They do so much for children in foster care. Their organization provides clothing, underclothing, toys,

shoes, baby equipment and gear and even furniture to children placed in the foster care system for any area. Items always in need are formula, bottles, diapers and wipes Visit their website and their Facebook Page at downriverfostercloset.com/ and facebook.com/Downriverfostercloset

The Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimist organization meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Woodhaven Community Center, and the fourth Tuesday at various local restaurants.

All women are welcome to attend. You may contribute to the foundations that the Soroptimists support on krogercommunityrewards.com. If you are interested in learning more about the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists and our other activities, check out our page on Facebook@SoroptimistInternationalOfTrentonAndDownriverArea or contact us at sioftrentonanddownriverarea@gmail.com

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NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS Go to... GoBigMultimedia.com to read more news on our digital publications.

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Tonight, We Dance Under the Stars Memorial Elementary event showcases girls and VIP guests

Memorial Elementary School recently held its ‘Tonight, We Dance Under the Stars’ event, which was open to girls and their VIP guests. The event was held on Friday, April 14 at Orlando Familia Banquet Center.

gobigmultimedia.com/southgate-star

Play ball!

The Anderson baseball team has been off the local radar for the past few years, but veteran coach Andy Green, in his first year at the helm of the Titans, has the team playing some fine baseball this spring. At last count the Titans were 7-4 (4-2 in Downriver League play) and among their victories were blowouts of Lincoln Park, Garden City and Grosse Ile, as well as a thrilling 6-5 win over Trenton in extra innings. The Titans are also playing in some

cool locations this year. On May 1 they played Melvindale at The Corner Ball Park on the site of the old Tiger Stadium and on May 16 the Titans will play Lincoln Park at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, home of the Mud Hens. The Titans are currently on an extended stretch of road games, but they finish the regular season with three straight home dates on May 18, 23 and 24. MHSAA districts are June 3 and the Titans will be at Woodhaven, along with the host school, Carlson, Taylor and Wyandotte.

On page 1

STA’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was a big hit ...Little Shop of Horrors is a delectable sci-fi horror musical with an electrifying 1960s pop/rock score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

Seymour Krelborn (played by Morgan Morris in

production) is a meek and dejected assistant at a floral shop who happens upon a strange plant, which he affectionately names “Audrey II” (Fatima Samples) after his crush Audrey (Allison Hilliard) at the shop. Little does he know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice, a potty mouth, and an unquenchable thirst for human blood.

On page 5

Gellin’ with Geometry – Family Math Night

Forest Elementary hosted its first Family Math Night on April 13 from 6-7 p.m. Forest staff members were on hand to help students and their families navigate through numerous Math stations which included: 3-D shapes, area, fraction action, geometry bingo, origami, structures, tangrams and symmetry.

Students were all smiles as they made their way through each station.

They could also snack on geometry salad, which consisted of a variety of snacks in all different geometric shapes and sizes.

The evening was a tremendous success for all.

As Audrey II grows bigger and meaner, the carnivorous plant promises limitless fame and fortune to Seymour, as long as he continues

The time and energy spent by members of the Memorial Parent Club to make this event a success was appreciated by all guests. There were basket raffles, prizes, and a 50/50 raffle, which the winner graciously donated back to Memorial’s Parent Club.!

On page 7

STA’S

providing a fresh supply of blood. Just when it’s too late, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s extra-terrestrial origins and his true drive for world-domination.

The STA production almost sold out each night, filling the auditorium that can hold 300 people with up to 250-290 each night. Those numbers make it one of the most successful musicals Southgate Anderson High School has put on ever...

On page 6

The organization’s main job was to restore homes in Wyandotte, provide affordable housing for those interested in purchasing a home in the city, adding the property back to the city’s tax rolls and, ultimately, upgrading neighborhoods.

According to alliance facilitator Corki Benson, due to retirements, relocations and deaths, the original group ceased operations in the late 1990s after completing 14 projects.

In 2005, with the help of then-Mayor James DeSana, a new team was formed to take up the mission, Benson reported. In October 2006, the new group restored its first property in the 1200 block of Lincoln.

On page 1

gobigmultimedia.com/trenton-times

Arthurs Middle School takes on Washington D.C.

The group of 8th graders accompanied by several staff members and parent chaperons, embarked on a four-day journey that included visits to some of the city’s most famous landmarks and museums.

gobigmultimedia.com/wyandotte-warrior

Wyandotte Community Alliance Rehab group finishes work, donates remaining proceeds

...The nonprofit group had served the city since 1984. The organization’s main job was to restore homes in Wyandotte, provide affordable housing for those interested in purchasing a home in the city, adding the property back to the city’s tax rolls and, ultimately, upgrading neighborhoods.

Ohio as well as the LaSalle Rowing Club based out of Windsor, Ontario.

Roosevelt finished with 249 points to claim the overall title....

On page 18

Striking out breast cancer

‘Pink Out’ softball game raises $2,600 to aid recovery victims

A high school varsity softball game between Southgate Anderson and Wyandotte Roosevelt may not have had quite the same competitive spirit as usual, but the end result left both teams feeling like winners.

The students had the opportunity to visit Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, Memorials (Pentagon, Iwo Jima, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean and World War II), Arlington Cemetery, Ford Theatre, White House, U.S Capitol, Naval Academy and a Spirit Cruise in Baltimore...

On page 1

Something to buzz about Anderson students get up close and personal with some busy bees

The nonprofit group had served the city since 1984.

According to alliance facilitator Corki Benson, due to retirements, relocations and deaths, the original group ceased operations in the late 1990s after completing 14 projects.

In 2005, with the help of then-Mayor James DeSana, a new team was formed to take up the mission, Benson reported. In October 2006, the new group restored its first property in the 1200 block of Lincoln...

On page 1

Roosevelt shines at local rowing events

The Wyandotte rowing team won the men’s and overall championships at the nine-team 50th annual Wy-Hi Rowing Regatta, hosted by the Wyandotte Boat Club in the first weekend in May.

Joining Roosevelt at the regatta were fellow WBC member schools Gibraltar Carlson, Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Grosse Ile, Riverview, Southgate Anderson and Trenton. Also in the field were Perrysburg High School making the trek up from

The Pink Out Softball Game on May 15 at Anderson’s home field raised $2,600 to purchase supplies to make breast cancer patients feel more comfortable after undergoing surgery.

The hosting Titans and the visiting Bears went all out to make sure the game was a success.

Both teams wore special T-shirts. Anderson girls and coaches were dressed in pink; Roosevelt girls and coaches wore white shirts outlined in pink. They had student-designed logos on the front and the name of cancer patients they were dedicating the game to on the back.

Admission was free and the stands on both sides –decorated with pink balloons and posters of cancer patients – were pretty much standing-room only.

On page 20

Around here the ‘focus on local’ is booming

Maybe I had no need to address you over these past five years or so as if you didn’t understand, but maybe I did.

So many of the clients and visitors to Willow Tree and Chelsea are obviously interested enough in the independent option to come check us out. And more and more people are making a point of telling me that they read my articles and that they appreciate them, agree with what I write. I’m sure you can imagine how important that is to any writer. Is anyone reading? Do they keep reading?

Evidently so, but there is no way I can know unless people tell me. I can’t track it like I could if it was a facebook ad or any digital platform, so all I can do is keep writing until your fearless editor Hank Minckiewicz tells me that he’s getting threats.

I don’t know if you thought of this, but the articles I write have the capacity to be seen and read by every resident of Grosse Ile, Trenton, Riverview, Southgate and Wyandotte. It’s a pretty big potential reach, that’s a pretty big audience of people that generally don’t think of the matters I put before them, hoping that any percentage at all might put their automatic spending habits on at least temporary hold as they mull over these ideas.

Because that is what such habits are. Every one of us is on some sort of auto-pilot setting. My job, as I see it, is to encourage a timeout to think about this topic of my readership. It may surprise you, but something less than all of the readers I cited shop at Chelsea and/or Willow Tree, and if any decide to visit my stores, I will consider that to be time well spent.

But as I keep telling you, I get an outsized amount of gratification from hearing that any independent business benefits from my calls (and anyone else’s calls) to be a localist.

The chart here on this page illustrates the general idea, just as I have said so many times. As you drive around and think about it either in your head or in reality, I’ll bet each of my readers could compile a huge

list of businesses that are owned, operated, and directed by neighbors in our Downriver community.

Many are friends, relatives, and next-door neighbors; people you know and that are part of your world beyond their business efforts. And, many of them are important to you personally. If they closed up shop for any reason, it would have a negative impact on you and your needs.

So, what seems to be happening more and more is what I advocate for so loudly, and that gives me the most satisfaction: More and more people know the difference between local and national, and more and more people are not just making decisions in favor of local options – they are becoming cheerleaders like me.

It feels really, really good to give ardent, earnest referrals to people for local places, and it feels even better when those people report back to me, echoing my enthusiasm. I love the feeling. But as good as it makes me feel on the direct level, it means so much more to me knowing that business was retained locally. It takes more than just me, of course, and that’s why it’s exciting

to consider that people are seeing this side job as a pretty good gig, championing a region that just plain hops, with countless raving fans and a populace that gets my sort of satisfaction from being a part of.

I know that I am directly responsible for retaining business in the region in which I live and work. I am directly responsible for having an UPward affect on the business community of Downriver.

No, I don’t take credit for it. I just know with every positive word for Local, I make a difference. I do not do this for my fortunes; I do this for the fortunes all around me, creating ripples that get bigger and bigger as more and more money is spent in the trading area.

I am so happy to see businesses that I consider to be cool and unique succeed and thrive. I am so satisfied to consider that as a result, more money is being spent there, and some of that money pays the rent or mortgage for the owner’s home.

I make a difference by shopping there, sure, but not always – even if I don’t shop there, I sing their praises and tell people how wonderful it is to

have such places to go, right here in our area.

More and more, I am feeling these sentiments around me.

More people get it. More people put their money where their mouth is, and…more businesses are doing more business, creating more people that spread the world of all things local and independent.

Remember, you don’t have to hate national businesses to participate more fully in the push for local success. I have big reasons for my own attitude, but I’m not asking anyone else to join me on that war front. I’m asking you to love local businesses more, and to really understand how much every dollar spent matters so much more at places that may as well be family, even if they are not YOUR immediate family. I’m suggesting that if all of us thought local first and encouraged everyone else to think and act local first, this region would be even more vibrant.

The energy would be explosive. That’s no exaggeration, and who in their right mind would argue against that?

PETER ROSE

Vesperman, Molnar defend track state titles

For the second straight year the Grosse Ile track team returned from the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state meet bearing a pair of individual state champions.

Sophomore Sam Vesperman defended his pole vault title, going 15-feet, 1-inch to win the title. His jump was the second best among all the division with only the Division 1 winner’s jump of 16-feet topping Vesperman.

On the girls side of the track, Kaitlyn Molnar defended her D2 girls long jump title with a leap of 18feet, 5 ¾-inches. Her winning jump was nearly a foot longer than the runner up’s best effort.

In addition to the two state champs, Grosse Ile also got a third place finish when junior Riley Kerr soared 5-feet, 4-inches to claim the bronze medal.

Prior to the state meet, the Grosse Ile girls were seventh at regionals and the boys were 10th.

The team also each finished in the middle of the pack at the Metro Classic and at the Huron League meet.

For the boys at the Metro Classic, Vesperman won the pole vault; Tyler Swick was third in the low hurdles, tied for third in the high jump and seventh in the high hurdles; and Jon Allison was fourth in the low hurdles.

For the girls, Molnar won the long jump by a mile, was second in the low hurdles and was fifth in the 100 meters; Kerr was second in the high jump and fifth in the 200; Jadie Weatherly was third in the pole vault; Kerr, Kayley Chandler, Peyton Harp and Lakely Luton were fourth in

the 4x200 relay; Harp, Yaelle Bile, Taylor Karasinski and Zoya Troeger were sixth in the 4x400 relay; Troeger was seventh in the 400; June Benson, Marrissa Trombley, Harp and Luton were seventh in the 4x100 relay; Michelle Roque, Sophia Mihalko, Karasinski and Troeger were eight in the 4x400 relay; and Samantha Justusson was eighth on the shot put and eighth in the discus.

At the Huron League meet, hosted by Milan High School, the Grosse Ile girls were fifth and the boys finished sixth.

For the boys, Jack Calcut ws third in the high hurdles and fifth in the low hurdles; Swick was second in the low and fourth in the high hurdles and fifth in the high jump; Matthew Carbajo was fourth in the pole vault; Allison was fifth in the high hurdles and sixth in the low

hurdles; Allison, Ethan Nykiel, Joseph Christnagel and Swick were third in the 4x400 relay; Tyson Harp, Serafim Dionyssopoulos, Christnagel and Calcut were fourth in the 4x200 relay; Brendan Wroblewski, Dionyssopoulos, Christnagel and Calcut were fifth in the 4x100 relay; Jack Fox was eighth in the 800 meters and in the mile; and Daniel Baydoun, Avi Patel, James Malonson and Arnav Verma were eight in the 4x400 relay.

For the girls, Molnar was first in the long jump and the 300 hurdles and was fourth in the 100; Weatherly won the pole vault; Mihalko was second in the high jump; Kerr was third in the high jump and eighth in the 200; Troeger was fourth in the 400; Chandler was fifth in the long jump; Justusson was fourth in the discus; Karasinski was eighth in the 800; and Roque, Mihalko, Karasinski, Troeger, Harp, Bile, Luton, Kerr, Chandler, Molnar and Trombley all scored relay points for the Red Devils.

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Movin’ on

It is a rare thing for the Grosse Ile girls soccer team not to win the Huron League championship, but this year, the Devils lost to Milan in a league game and suffered three league ties, opening the door for Milan to win the league championship. But the Red Devils got their revenge. Not only did Grosse Ile beat Milan in their second league meeting, they also beat them in the district championship game on Milan’s home field, topping the Red 2-1 in a shootout. The win boosted the Devils into the MHSAA Division 3 regionals where they were slated to face Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. That game was played after the Grand’s press deadline. The 2023 Grosse Ile Red Devils are: Monica Arndt, Cailey O’Farrell, Mallory Botten, Abby Heim, Alicia Shelton, Lindsey Rice, Delaney Arndt, Alyssa Korte, Gwen Mehall, Addison Nemeth, Allie Steffen, Cassidy Eblin, Chelsea Houghton, Alaina Korody, Sofia Pinkowski, Olivia Zucarro, Madelynn McNeil, Ella Gatti, Natalee Kirk, Aubree Korody, Mia Pascuzzi, Lila Pascuzzi, Kate Gilroy, Sammy Bohl and Morgan Kwiatkowski.

Grosse Ile High School names Spring MVPs

The Grosse Ile High School recently announced the most valuable players for the 2023 spring season. The MVP is awarded to a player on a team chosen by the coaches who has had the largest positive impact on the team on and off the playing field. Winning this award encompasses dedication to the team, putting teammates and coaches first, maximum effort at the player’s position and contribution to the team being victorious. This year’s spring MVPs are: From left, Natalee Kirk - girls soccer, Sam Vesperman - boys track, Hayden Kobiljak - girls tennis, Kaitlyn Molnar - girls track, Amanda Hancock - clay target, Caleb Jones - baseball; back row, left Adeline Gurney - softball, Andrew Matzo - lacrosse, Aiden Cooksen - boys golf, Tyler Swick - boys track, Abigail Lauth - girls rowing, Drew Percha - boys rowing.

Grosse Ile netters reach state finals again

The Grosse Ile tennis team hosted a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state regional on May 15 and the host Red Devils finished second in the event to punch their ticket to another state finals.

Chelsea ran away with the event, scoring 32 points, Grosse Ile was second with 22 and Pinckney was third with 15. Only the top two teams qualify for the state meet.

Chelsea won all eight flights, beating Grosse Ile in the finals of six of them. Grosse Ile reached the regionals finals at No. 1 singles, No. 3 singles, No. 4 singles, No. 2 doubles, No. 3 doubles and No. 4 doubles.

No. 1 singles player Hayden Kobiljak won two matches and was the runners up; Makenna Pouket won two matches and was second at three singles; and Sydney Botten won two matches and was runner up at No. 4 singles.

In doubles, the team of Annie Dame and Abbey

Moore won a pair of matches and finished second at No 2; Hannah Hargrove and Emily Riopelle won two and finished second at No. 3; and Ava Dame and Addison Boggs won twice before falling in the finals.

At the D3 state finals, held in Ann Arbor, the Red Devils scored five points and finished tied for 11th place. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood won the state title with 33 points. Detroit Country Day was second with 31 and Grand Rapids Christian was third with 27.

Scoring for the Devils at the state finals were Kobiljak, Pouket, Hargrove and Riopelle and Ava Dame and Boggs.

GROSSE ILE GOLFERS JUST MISS STATE MEET

The Grosse Ile boys golf team, playing in an MHSAA Division 3 regional at the Hills of Lenawee Golf Club in Adrian on May 30 suffered the

unkindest cut of all.

The top three teams at regionals qualify for the state finals. Not only did Grosse Ile finish fourth, but the Red Devils finished one stroke behind the final qualifier, Ann Arbor Greenhills.

Jackson Lumen Christi won the regional championship, shooting a fine round of 316. All five Lumen Christi golfers broke 90 and three of them broke 80.

Hanover-Horton was second with 331 and Greenhills was third with 341.

Grosse Ile shot 342.

Senior Aiden Cooksen was the low man for Grosse Ile, finishing 11th with an 82. He was followed by freshman Nicholas Joly-Naso, who was 15th with an 84. Cannon Kawadri and Ashton Sobiechowski had matching 88s and Ben Rhodehouse finished the Grosse Ilke scoring with a 91

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Finding funding for contaminated sediment remediation

JOHN HARTIG

For over a century, vast amounts of toxic contaminants were discharged by industries into the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. Many of these contaminants now reside in river-bottom sediments and are often referred to as “legacy pollution.”

Although you cannot see or smell these contaminants, they contribute to health advisories for fish consumption, are toxic to invertebrates and other aquatic life, can result in restrictions on dredging for navigational purposes and can limit future shoreline development.

Michigan has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remediate these contaminated sediments, but this will not occur unless non-federal partners can meet match funding requirements.

CURRENT STATE OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION

The recent State of the Strait Report found that Michigan faces enormous challenges with the need to remediate up to 5.1 million m3 of contaminated sediment on the U.S. side of the Detroit River and an estimated 350,000 m3 of contaminated sediment in the lower Rouge River mainstem. No additional contaminated sediment remediation is needed on the Canadian side of the Detroit River.

ESTIMATED COST OF SEDIMENT REMEDIATION

For the U.S. side of the Detroit River and the lower Rouge River, the good news is that the federal Great Lakes Legacy Act can fund up to 65 percent of the cost. The bad news is that there is no magic pot of money to make the non federal match requirement.

For example, if there are no known potentially responsible industries and the contaminated sediment area is considered an orphan site, then the Great Lakes Legacy Act will provide 65 percent of the cost and the remaining must come from non-federal sponsors like the state, a county, a city or other non-federal entity.

In general, if there is a willing industrial partner, then the cost share is often 50 percent federal and 50 percent from industry or industries with some known potential liability for the site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Great Lakes National

Program Office typically determines the appropriate cost share for industrial partners.

For the Detroit River, U.S. EPA and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) staff have estimated a total sediment remediation project cost of over $900 million. Of that total project cost, they are hopeful that over $580 million will be covered by the U.S. EPA through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and $245 million will be covered by industrial partners. That leaves approximately $75 million needed to cover all the likely orphan sites in the Detroit River.

For the Rouge River, U.S. EPA and Michigan EGLE staff have estimated a total project cost of over $470 million. Of that total, they are hopeful that over $254 million will be covered through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and $200 million will be covered by industrial partners.

A consortium of industrial partners is already meeting to complete mapping out the severity and extent of sediment contamination in the lower Rouge River mainstem and explore collaborative funding to make the non-federal match requirements. That leaves approximately $25 million

needed to cover all the likely orphan sites in the Rouge River.

Therefore, the State of Michigan would need approximately $100 million to be able to provide the 35 percent cost share for the known orphan sites in the Detroit and Rouge Rivers.

These cost estimates may increase or decrease significantly as more information is gathered.

COLLABORATIVE FUNDING

Minnesota provides a good example of using state funds to match Great Lakes Legacy Act funds for sediment remediation.

In 2008, Minnesota’s voters passed the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution to protect drinking water, protect and restore habitats, preserve arts and culture, support parks and trails and protect and restore surface and groundwater.

During 2010-2018, over $19 million in Minnesota Water, Land, and Legacy funding was used to help make a match on contaminated sediment remediation in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Duluth.

In 1998, Michigan voters authorized the state to borrow $675 million for the Clean Michigan Initiative. This initiative helped clean up and redevelop contaminated sites, clean up contaminated sediments in rivers and lakes, protect and improve water quality, prevent pollution, abate lead contamination, reclaim and revitalize community waterfronts, and enhance recreational opportunities.

A good example of the benefits of the Clean Michigan Initiative was the cleanup of the former Black Lagoon on the Detroit River’s Trenton Channel.

In 2004 and 2005, the U.S. EPA and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality removed 88,000 cubic meters of severely contaminated sediment from Black Lagoon at a cost of $9.3 million. Sixtyfive percent of the funds came from the Great Lakes Legacy Act and 35 percent from the Clean Michigan Initiative. It was the first fully funded project of the Great Lakes Legacy Act in the Great Lakes and was considered a major success in removing environmental blight from the Downriver area.

Upon completion of this project, SEE FUNDING, Page 37

FUNDING

Continued from page 36

the Black Lagoon was renamed Ellias Cove in honor of the family who donated the adjacent land to Trenton which became Meyer-Ellias Park. However, as funds in the Clean Michigan Initiative were depleted and no new funding was obtained, it lost its effectiveness.

In 2019, the Renew Michigan fund was created within the Michigan Department of Treasury to promote the cleanup of contaminated sites, waste management, and recycling. Initially, it received $69 million.

A good example of how the Renew Michigan fund has helped make the match requirements on contaminated sediment remediation projects in the Detroit River is the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park under construction on the Detroit Riverwalk.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has received a $1 million grant from Renew Michigan fund to help make a match on a nearly $30 million project to remediate contaminated sediment, restore habitats, and create a water

garden that will be the centerpiece of the park.

The U.S. EPA is providing about $19 million through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The balance of the funds is being provided by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, with $1 million being provided by the Renew Michigan fund. This Renew Michigan funding was essential in realizing the vision of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.

However, the Renew Michigan fund is not adequately funded to meet the estimated $100 million non-federal match requirements for the remaining sediment remediation in both the Detroit and Rouge Rivers.

One way of doing this in Michigan would be to secure a “special appropriation” for Michigan EGLE to help make the necessary match on this much-needed contaminated sediment remediation. As of January, Michigan was estimated to have a $9 billion surplus.

State environmental officials are ready and willing to work with all partners who are willing to step up with match money to clean up the rivers.

“The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy has a long history of working with the U.S. EPA on contaminated sediment cleanups and is currently working with this agency on the search for all possible partners, including industrial, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations to take advantage of these funds,” said Michael Alexander, Environmental Manager at Michigan EGLE.

“If lawmakers decide to prioritize our tax dollars for this purpose, we are ready to continue this partnership to ensure these funds are invested to bring about the most cost efficient and environmentally appropriate cleanups for the Detroit and Rouge Rivers Great Lakes Areas of Concern.”

Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang, District 3 is advocating for this funding and said: “Cleaning up the Detroit and Rouge Rivers must be a priority. Water is life, and our communities are deeply connected to our rivers. We have a great opportunity in this moment to provide matching state funds to remediate the sediment in our precious rivers and utilize Great Lakes Legacy Act federal funding. I’m

hopeful that the state can step up to help make this happen for the good of our environment and public health.”

Clearly, there must be a sense of urgency to raise the non-federal match dollars because there are only about four to five years left of federal Great Lakes Legacy Act funding. If this window of opportunity is missed, there is no guarantee that comparable federal money will be available in the future. This is a long-standing problem in our region, and we have a once-ina-century opportunity to address it for both present and future generations.

John Hartig is a board member at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. He serves as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Windsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and has written numerous books and publications on the environment and the Great Lakes. Hartig also helped create the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, where he worked for 14 years as the refuge manager.

Reprinted with permission from Great Lakes Now.

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Soroptimists honor women at awards banquet

Five women were recognized with monetary awards from the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists for their ambition and contribution to their communities.

The awards banquet was held on March 14 at the Grecian Center in Southgate. Several essay judges were in attendance to celebrate with the winners. The applicants were evaluated on a set criteria and essays that assessed their contributions to women and society.

Soroptimist is an international organization of almost 1,500 clubs in nineteen countries for and by dedicated women who use their collective power to help other women and girls transform their physical, mental and emotional lives and the lives of their families.

The Live Your Dream Education and Training Award is about helping women who have faced economic and personal hardships to live their dreams by attaining an education leading to their empowerment, financial stability and independence.

Teiera Baker, of Pontiac, a single mother of two-year-old, was selected to be the recipient of the Live Your Dream award.

Ms. Baker is currently attending Oakland Community College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work while working fulltime. Her educational and career goals include running her own Case Management LLC at home, along with opening a chain of transitional shelters for families in crisis, while individualizing services to meet their needs.

Teiera will work towards a master’s degree in social work, with a minor in business management to help her to attain her goals.

Ms. Baker has overcome many heart-wrenching obstacles, physically, emotionally, as well as dealing with a numerous amount of family hardships.

The Virginia Wagner Educational Award is given to a woman aspiring to complete a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree to enable her to reach her career goals. Judging is based on a weighted criteria for judging that includes scholarship, extra-curricular activities, need and effort toward education.

Wafa Askar, of Dearborn, is attending University of Michigan-Dearborn and majoring in health psychology. She decided on a psychology major to help others deal with stress and emotional issues. She is currently working toward her master’s degree while working as an emergency social worker.

Ms. Askar is a refugee from Yemen where girls were and are discouraged from attending school. Growing up in the Yemen countryside with her mother and six siblings while her father worked in the United States,

her four sisters stopped schooling in middle school. Before finishing high school in 2011, the civil war broke out. Despite the risks, she began English classes as the family awaited immigration to the United States.

volunteer efforts. Because we have expanded our community involvement, this year we have three winners.

Ava Carson, a senior and member of the National Honor Society at Trenton High School.

One service project in which she participated was the “Clean Love Project,” collecting items for care packages of essential toiletry items for women and girls in need. Ava also volunteers her time as a Sunday school leader, tutors students at Trenton High and helped a friend with his Eagle Scout project.

The other Trenton High School winner is senior Nina Lomas. Nina’s special passion is as leader for “Fleece and Thank You,” which involves making blankets to provide comfort for children in hospitals. Each donated blanket has an attached video message to create a connection between the maker of the blanket and to the family which receives it.

Nina also partners in the “Clean Love Project.”

Wyandotte’s first Soroptimist Prime winner is Eliana Pettigrew, a Roosevelt High School senior. Eliana began her work with Amnesty International as a sophomore. Currently its chapter’s president, she is most concerned with protecting the rights of women and to empower them to shape their own futures.

Even after arriving in 2014, obstacles to education continued. Wafa had to wait months for transcripts to be sent from Yemen and converted to U.S. equivalent classes, her English wasn’t very good, and transportation to school was a problem. A top student in Yemen, she failed her first college class and was ready to give up on her dreams.

As a first-generation college student and most proficient in English, Wafa has been responsible to help her family members set up appointments, complete paperwork for immigration and citizenship cases, school admissions and housing issues, and assist two siblings with epilepsy with medical and work issues.

The Soroptimist Prime award is exclusive to SI of Trenton and Downriver Area. High school girls residing in Allen Park, Brownstown, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Lincoln Park, Riverview, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven, or Wyandotte are eligible to apply.

The Soroptimist of Trenton and Downriver Area high school girls’ award honors young women who make the community and world a better place through

Campaigning for support of reproductive rights, fundraising for Ukrainian refugees and volunteering at the Wyandotte Soup Kitchen are a few of the projects of her Amnesty International chapter.

Eliana is also the president of the Roosevelt High National Honor Society, a member of United Sound and Tri-M Music Honor Society.

A copy of the book, Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time (by author Tanya Lee Stone) was given to each awardee.

The Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimist organization meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Woodhaven Community Center, and the fourth Tuesday at various local restaurants.

All women are welcome to attend. You may contribute to the foundations that the Soroptimists support on krogercommunityrewards.com. If you are interested in learning more about the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists and our other activities, check out our page on Facebook@ SoroptimistInternationalOfTrentonAndDownriverArea or sioftrentonanddownriverarea@gmail.com.

Receiving awards from the Soroptimists were Downriver high schoolers Ava Carson, Nina Lomas and Eliana Pettigrew.

What’s happening Grosse Ile ...

MOTOR CITY RADIO CLUB FIELD DAY

Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 26 at Centennial Farm, 25797 3rd St., Grosse Ile. The public is welcome to ask questions, watch the operating of equipment from 2 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday, get on the air and operate ham radio during or take a ham radio license exam at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Motor City Radio Club meets the second Friday of every month (except for August) at 7 p.m. at the Copeland Center, 2306 4th Street in Wyandotte. For more information, visit the club’s website: www.w8mrm.net.

CRAFTERS WELCOME

Crafters meet every Thursday from 10-11:45 a.m. in the social hall of St. Cyprian Catholic Church on Pennsylvania Rd, Riverview. We knit, crochet and sew a variety of items such as hats and scarves for all ages, baby items, lap blankets, quilts, stuffed toys, dishcloths, and adult bibs just to

name a few to donate to local groups who support those in need such at our veterans, soup kitchen clients, a local hospice and the homeless.

AMERICAN FLAG DISPOSAL

Heart to Heart Hospice of Southgate is a local site for American Flag disposal. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Heart to Heart will allow the general public to bring their tired and worn American flags to our Southgate office. The office is located at 1 Heritage Place, Suite 107, Southgate,in the Real Estate One building. For more information, call 734-282-0209.

HURON RIVER FISHING ASSOCIATION

General meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Flat Rock Community Center, 1 McGuire St. in Flat Rock. The general meetings include seminars and speakers related to river fishing, fly fishing, ecological concerns and environmental

concerns. A fly tying meeting is held every third Monday of the month where you will learn how to tie a specific fly. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/pages/category/local/Huron-RiverFishing-Association-276482898885/

TRUE CRIME BOOK CLUB

At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, June 24, July 22 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call 734-246-8357 or visit baconlibrary.org

Juneteenth Celebration Craft: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. June 14, from 3-4 p.m. Come to the library to make a craft to celebrate Juneteenth. This event is for ages 5 and up. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

MODERN WOMEN’S SELFDEFENSE CLASS

Taylor Community Library, Taylor. June 14, from 6-7:30 p.m. Registration Required. This interactive class, taught

by Metro Michigan Shotokan Karate, will teach women how to use effective techniques to protect themselves from danger. Please come in work-out style clothing with your hair pulled back. Water will be provided. Open to women ages 13 and up. To register, visit our website at https://taylor.lib.mi.us/ event/2023-06-14/, or call the library at 734-287-4840.

PLANTING PARTY – MICHIGAN NATIVE PLANTS

Taylor Community Library, Taylor. June 15, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Crosswinds Marsh Nature Reserve will deliver a brief presentation about native flowers in Michigan that help the bees around us thrive. We will then take part in planting these flowers in our two garden beds on the south side of the library. All ages are welcome. Though it isn’t necessary, if you have your own gardening gloves, it’d be great to bring them. For more information, call 734287-4840.

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U-Michigan Club of Downriver hosts scholarship event

The University of Michigan Club of Downriver met on May 8 at Arnaldo’s Banquet Center in Riverview. The purpose of the meeting was threefold: To elect board members, to explain the admissions process for University of Michigan to promising juniors from Downriver high schools, and award three Leaders and Best scholarships to high school seniors who will attend U of M in the fall.

The board members who were re-elected are Steve Van Every and Ray Yee. Newly elected to the board is Rhonda Ellston.

The juniors were asked to bring their chairs in front of the podium after the buffet dinner. A representative of the office of admissions on the Ann Arbor campus Daniela Guzman explained in detail the admissions process and encouraged students to apply early in their senior year.

The UM-Dearborn director of admissions Urana Pridemore related the advantages of a degree from her university. The invited students were an attentive audience.

The assembled group heard from Mr. Henry Baier who is the U of M Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations. He is responsible for the 37,000 square feet of facilities at the University. He let the students and others in attendance know something about the behind the scenes at the Ann Arbor campus. The university continues to grow and adapt to a changing world with over a billion dollars in construction projects in the works.

The recipient of the club’s 2011 Lloyd Carr Leader and Best scholarship Kalli Bates spoke about her life since she graduated from U of M in 2015. Her enthusiasm for the university experience was palpable. She explained that though it is a huge campus, you find your niche there and make it your own. She truly inspired the juniors there to apply, and the high school seniors in the audience to look forward to the fall.

Finally scholarship chairperson Katie Hartwell announced the recipients of the three $1,500 merit based scholarships.

The awards were determined by a point system that includes rank in class, SAT score, strength of academic curriculum, scope of their extra curricular activities including work experience if any, leadership in organizations, community service, participation in sports, science activities and the arts.

Once all those points were tallied, the board of the Downriver Club read and scored each essay. Finally Ms. Hartwell and her assistant Ms. Rebecca Markus interviewed the top six finalists on Zoom.

This year there were 17 amazing applicants. They were from a true cross section of Downriver high schools. Of these applicants nine were valedictions of their school. The six finalists all scored in the upper 90th percentile on the SAT test.

There were three students who just missed winning the scholarships and they are: Sydney Botten from Grosse Ile High School, Siya Patel from Carlson High School and Carl Pate from

Trenton High School.

The recipient of the George and Sue Ghindia Leaders and Best scholarship is Eliana Pettigrew. Eliana is first in her class at Wyandotte Roosevelt High School. She will be attending Penny Stamps School of Art and the College of Literature Science and the Arts (LSA) doing a double major.

Eliana has had an amazing high school career. To mention just a few of her activities: multiple community service projects, marching band with her flute, playing in the Detroit Youth Symphony, and an actor in her high school plays.

Eliana’s very serious essay dealt with the importance in her life of social activism based on the work of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She believes that more people will want to join a cause if they see someone standing for their beliefs in a respectful way. She hopes to help “create a more just, kind and inclusive world.”

The Lloyd Carr Leaders and Best award went to Serafim Dionyssopalos. Serafim is No.1 in his class at Grosse Ile High School. He will attend LSA in Ann Arbor this fall planning to go eventually into medicine.

In addition to his outstanding academic work, he clearly demonstrated his leadership ability by being president of his class freshman and sophomore year and then president of student council his senior year. He was the build-leader on the Robotics team, team

captain of varsity track and president of his church youth group.

Serafim’s essay dealt with, in a mature way, the importance of the Golden Rule.

The Kenneth Hartwell Leaders and Best Award went to Lidia Cappelletti of Allen Park High School. She was also top of her class. Lidia will soon be up in Ann Arbor in the Ross School of Business. If she participated in an organization she became a leader. She was captain and attorney for the mock trial events of Michigan Center for Civic education, president of student council, president of National Honor Society, captain of varsity soccer and a taekwondo instructor.

In her essay we learned that Taekwondo has been a huge part of her life and contributed to the fine young lady she is today. She is a third degree black belt.

In summary, President Steve Van Every pointed out the University of Michigan Club of Downriver has many events each year including supporting U of M sports and musical theater. There are family events such as trips to our local zoos, trips to Tigers baseball, tailgates at the Michigan football games, and service projects among other activities.

To learn more about the club and get notification about their events please go to our website at alumni.umich.edu/communities-clubs/downriver/.

The three Leaders and Best Scholarship recipients: Eliana Pettigrew, Lidia Cappelletti and Serafim Dionyssopoulos

How to Choose the Right Credit Card

By Robert P. La Palme President/CEO

Downriver Community Federal Credit Union

Credit cards are a convenient way to make purchases and build credit, but with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one.

When choosing a card, it is a good idea to understand your spending habits. Do you frequently travel? Do you spend a lot on groceries or dining out? Knowing your spending habits will help you choose a credit card that offers benefits that align with your lifestyle and your budget.

One important factor is the APR. The interest rate, also known as the Annual Percentage Rate, is the amount of interest you’ll be charged on any outstanding balance. With recently rising interest rates, many people are looking for a fixed-rate credit card to

ensure that they know exactly what they’ll have to pay for credit, regardless of uncertain economic factors. If you’re looking to protect yourself against the costs of rising rates, look for a card with a low, fixed rate of interest, especially if you plan to carry a balance each month.

Although many people choose credit cards that offer rewards on purchases, those cards may come with higher rates, annual fees, or strict late charges--even If you are only one day late! Additionally, many people do not use all of the rewards they earn, leaving the card issuer in some cases to expire those rewards. If you are concerned about paying too much, look for a card that does not charge an annual fee, has a forgiving late payment option, or offers rewards you’ll actually use and don’t expire.

Knowing which lender to apply with is a good strategy, so be sure to check your credit score. Your credit score may impact your ability to qualify for certain credit cards and may even

determine the interest rate you’ll be charged. Understanding which lender to choose may help you obtain a card even if you’ve been denied a credit card in the past.

Before applying for or using a credit card to make purchases, make sure to read the terms and conditions carefully. Look for any hidden fees, restrictions, or penalties that could impact your ability to use the card. Understand what your minimum payment will be each month, when it is due, and always do your best to make your payments on time. Doing so will help you save money and build good credit.

In conclusion, choosing a good credit card requires careful consideration of your spending habits, interest rates, rewards and benefits, annual fees, and the fine print. By taking the time to research and compare credit cards, you can find a card that you’re likely to qualify for, meets all of your needs, and helps you build and maintain a good credit rating.