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AUGUST 10 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 RiverviewRegister.com
Lazy, hazy days
The long hot, lazy days of summer are here and there are few better places Downriver to spend idle hours than around the reflection pond at Young Patriots Park. The placid water, the cheerful sound of the fountain and the occasional splash of turtles and frogs makes the park a natural oasis amid a maze of concrete streets and buildings. Enjoy it now and capture a snapshot in your mind’s eye because before too long will come the hustle and bustle of back-to-school and eventually those long, bitter, cold days and nights of Michigan’s winter.
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Page 2 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 3
Glens residents make their park shine
Recently the residents of the Riverview Glens held their “Annual Glens Park Cleanup Day.” Each spring the residents of the subdivision come together to cleanup and spruce up their park. The Glens Park, located directly in the middle of the subdivision, is a popular place for the residents to come and socialize and enjoy each other’s company. The cleanup has taken place every year since 2011. Over the years residents have donated over $7,000 to purchase trees, shrubs, and flowers to improve the park. This year’s project was the planting of several trees and the building of a butterfly garden. The park is also home to a “Free Little Library” and a new pavilion.
Slow Flow Yoga
Welcome the change of the season with us with our new slow flow yoga practice. Take synchronized poses together. A slower paced practice that still brings movement to your practice with guided breathing technique. Beginners welcome. Blocks provided. Please bring your own mat and water. Instructor: Kayla Rohde
Sept. 18 - Nov. 6, 2019
Community Center Building Located next to the Riverview Public Library off Sibley Rd. just West of Fort St.
#5900 Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. $64.00 for 8 weeks Or $10.00 drop in fee
Riverview Recreation Department
734-281-4219
Page 4 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
Road work ahead
Summer sectional road repair is ongoing in the city of Riverview. Sections of various roadways within the community are being removed and replaced. It is a bit of shortterm inconvenience that will result in a safer, smoother ride for everyone going into the future. This work was being done on Grange Road, west of the Riverview Highlands’ Blue Nine golf course.
How can I build my child’s immune What’s Happening Riverview ... system for the new school year?
THE CITY OF RIVERVIEW IS HIRING The city of Riverview Department of Public Works is seeking a full-time utility service worker. \This is a 40 hours a week union job. Starting wage is $17.23 an hour and it comes with medical, dental, vision, prescription, life insurance and 401a benefits. The position is open to job seekers 18 years and older and requires a high school education or equivalent. The employee must acquire a CDL “B” within first 90days of employment. For a complete job description and application, please visit the city website: www.cityofriverview.com
Dr. Nicole Cousineau Special to Riverview Register
Unfortunately, it’s time to think about sending the kids back to school. Every fall when I send my kids back to school they are surrounded by sick kids. They usually get a cold or a stomach bug. The last couple of years, I started giving my kids probiotics in August before school starts. What are probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that are helpful bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. Having the correct bacteria in your gut has numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, enhanced immune function and even healthier skin. Probiotics are supplements that are in some food like yogurt for example. You can purchase several types of probiotics. The most common types are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Different types of probiotics can address different health conditions. Most probiotics contain a broad spectrum of bacteria which is like a
multi-probiotic. Probiotics are not a new invention. In fact, they have been quite popular in the past years. So popular in fact, that probiotics can be found almost anywhere. The problem with wide availability, is the compromising of quality. Not all probiotics are created equal. Also, with the addition of any new supplement, please consult with your physician.
BENEFIT DINNER Right to Life of Michigan Downriver Affiliates annual benefit dinner is Thursday, Oct. 17, at Arnaldo’s Banquet Center, 15001 Sibley Rd., Riverview. Keynote speaker is the Rev. Paul M. Clark speaking on “Euthanasia: Slippery Slope or Free Fall?” For details, visit FocusOnLifeDinner.weebly.com or call 313-318-9795. JOIN KIWANIS Kiwanis of Riverview meet Thursdays at Atria Kinghaven, 14800 King Road, 6:15pm. Join us for a free dinner on your first visit. Call Andy Swift at 734-2845034 or email aswift1@comcast.net. RIVERVIEW BOOK CLUB Join us the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Book Club is led by Deb Helton If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask or call us at 734-283-1250.
RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 5
Riverview High School FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE
SWIMMING • GIRLS VARSITY Tuesday 08/27/19 Milan High School Away 6:00 PM Tuesday 09/03/19 Dearborn High School Away 6:30 PM Thursday 09/05/19 Allen Park High School Away 6:00 PM Tuesday 09/10/19 Woodhaven High School Home 6:00 PM Saturday 09/28/19 Allen Park High School (Downriver Classic @ Allen Park) Away 6:00 PM Tuesday 10/01/19 St. Mary Catholic Central Home 6:00 PM Thursday 10/10/19 Dundee High School (MISCA MEET @ EMU) Away TBA Tuesday 10/15/19 Huron High School (Huron/Taylor/Flat Rock) Home 6:00 PM Tuesday 10/22/19 Grosse Ile High School Home 6:00 PM Thursday 10/24/19 Dundee High School Home 6:00 PM Saturday 11/02/19 Milan High School (HURON LEAGUE MEET @ MILAN) Away TBA Saturday 11/09/19 Dundee High School (SMISL Championships @Dundee) Away TBA GOLF • GIRLS VARSITY Friday 08/16/19 Roosevelt High School (Wyandotte scramble) Away 8:00 PM Tuesday 08/20/19 Carlson High School (Marauder Invite) Away TBA Monday 08/26/19\ St. Mary Catholic Central (Huron League Jamboree #1 @ SMCC) Away TBA Wednesday 08/28/19 Airport Athletics Away 3:00 PM Wednesday 09/04/19 Jefferson MS/HS Home 3:00 PM Monday 09/09/19 Huron High School Home 3:00 PM Wednesday 09/11/19 Milan High School Away 3:00 PM Monday 09/16/19 St. Mary Catholic Central Home 3:00 PM Wednesday 09/18/19 Grosse Ile High School Away 3:00 PM Wednesday 09/25/19 OPEN DATE Home TBA Thursday 10/03/19 Airport Athletics (HURON LEAGUE MEET @ Airport) Away TBA CROSS COUNTRY • BOYS/GIRLS VARSITY Thursday 08/29/19 Huron High School (Downriver Watermelon Run) Away 4:00 PM Saturday 09/07/19 Carlson High School (Ramblin Rock Invite) Away 9:30 AM Saturday 09/14/19 Holly Jr/Sr High School (Holly/Duane Raffin Festival) Away 11:40 AM Tuesday 09/17/19 Milan High School (HURON LEAGUE JAMBOREE #1 @ MILAN) Away 4:00 PM Saturday 09/28/19 Carlson High School (Marauder Invite) Away 9:30 AM Tuesday 10/01/19 Airport Athletics (Huron League Jamboree #2 @ Sterling State Park) Away 4:40 PM Saturday 10/05/19 Huron High School (Wayne Co. Championships @ Willow) Away 10:00 AM Saturday 10/12/19 Gabriel Richard-Riverview ( Gabriel Richard Invite) Away 9:00 AM Thursday 10/17/19 Huron High School (Huron League Meet @ Willow Metro Park) Away 4:00 PM Saturday 10/26/19 Airport Athletics (Regionals @ Lake Erie) Away TBA Tuesday 10/29/19 Roosevelt High School (Wyandotte Fall Festival) Away TBA Saturday 11/02/19 Airport Athletics (State Meet) Away TBA TENNIS • BOYS VARSITY Thursday 08/15/19 Southgate Anderson HS Home TBA Tuesday 08/27/19 Southgate Anderson HS (Southgate tournament) Away TBA Wednesday 08/28/19 Roosevelt High School Home 4:00 PM
Thursday 09/05/19 Wednesday 09/11/19 Thursday 09/12/19 Thursday 09/19/19 Thursday 09/26/19 Thursday 10/03/19
St. Mary Catholic Central Away 4:00 PM Bedford High School Home 4:00 PM Airport Athletics Away 4:00 PM Grosse Ile High School Home 4:00 PM Milan High School Home 4:00 PM Airport Athletics (HURON LEAGUE MEET @ Riverview) Home TBA
SOCCER • BOYS VARSITY Saturday 08/17/19 Dearborn High School (Dearborn Tournament) Away TBA Friday 08/23/19 Grosse Ile High School Home 6:00 PM Saturday 08/24/19 Carlson High School (Carlson Invitational) Away TBA Monday 08/26/19 Jefferson MS/HS Away 4:30 PM Wednesday 08/28/19 Huron High School Home 6:00 PM Tuesday 09/03/19 Airport Athletics Home 6:00 PM Thursday 09/05/19 Flat Rock Comm Schools Away 4:30 PM Monday 09/09/19 St. Mary Catholic Central Home 6:00 PM Wednesday 09/11/19 Milan High School Away 4:30 PM Friday 09/13/19 Trenton High School Away 5:30 PM Monday 09/16/19 Grosse Ile High School Away 4:30 PM Wednesday 09/18/19 Jefferson MS/HS Home 6:00 PM Friday 09/20/19 Woodhaven High School Away 4:00 PM Monday 09/23/19 Huron High School Away 4:30 PM Wednesday 09/25/19 Airport Athletics Away 4:30 PM Monday 09/30/19 Flat Rock Comm Schools Home 6:00 PM Wednesday 10/02/19 St. Mary Catholic Central Away 4:30 PM Monday 10/07/19 Milan High School Home 6:00 PM FOOTBALL • BOYS VARSITY Thursday 08/29/19 Romulus High School Home 7:00 PM Friday 09/06/19 Huron High School Away 7:00 PM Friday 09/13/19 Flat Rock Comm Schools Home 7:00 PM Friday 09/20/19 St. Mary Catholic Central Away 7:00 PM Friday 09/27/19 Milan High School (Homecoming) Home 7:00 PM Friday 10/04/1 Airport Athletics Away 7:00 PM Friday 10/11/19 Jefferson MS/HS Away 7:00 PM Friday 10/18/19 Grosse Ile High School Home 7:00 PM Friday 10/25/19 Thurston High School Away 7:00 PM VOLLEYBALL • GIRLS VARSITY Saturday 08/24/19 Taylor Intermediate (Taylor Invite) Away TBA Saturday 09/07/19 Hartland High School (Hartland Invite) Away TBA Wednesday 09/11/19 Huron High School Away 7:00 PM Monday 09/16/19 Airport Athletics Home 7:00 PM Wednesday 09/18/19 Milan High School Away 7:00 PM Saturday 09/21/19 Lincoln Consolidated Schools (Lincoln Invite) Away TBA Monday 09/23/19 Grosse Ile High School Home 7:00 PM Wednesday 09/25/19 Jefferson MS/HS Away 7:00 PM Wednesday 10/02/19 St. Mary Catholic Central ( DH) Away 5:30 PM Saturday 10/05/19 Summit Academy (Summit Tournament) Away TBA Wednesday 10/09/19 Huron High School Home 7:00 PM Monday 10/14/19 Airport Athletics Away 7:00 PM Wednesday 10/16/19 Milan High School Home 7:00 PM Saturday 10/19/19 Lincoln Park High School (News Herald @ LP) Away 9:00 AM Monday 10/21/19 Grosse Ile High School Away 7:00 PM Wednesday 10/23/19 Jefferson MS/HS Home 7:00 PM Saturday 10/26/19 Fowlerville High School (Fowlerville Tournament) Away TBA Wednesday 10/30/19 Flat Rock Comm Schools ( DH) Home 5:30 PM
Page 6 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
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New bakery has delicious offerings The cakes and cookies and other sweet teats at the new A Serendipity Cakery & Ice Cream Shoppe in Riverview are as tempting and delicious as the bakery’s name is whimsical. A Serendipity Cakery is owned by Tammie & Alan Bachran, who started the business in her kitchen in 2012. They opened a storefront in Wyandotte in 2015 and recently expanded to a larger facility in Riverview, the new address is 18100 Fort St. The new store offered a chance to expand her business and it also has a separate party room that can accommodate up to 50 people. So now, not only can A Serendipity Cakery bake the cake and treats for your birthday parties, they can host them, too! Some of the treats that Serendipity offers are cakes, cake drops, cupcakes and chocolate-dipped items. Among the things the bakery has dipped in yummy chocolate are chips, pretzels and rice crispy treats. While A Serendipity Cakery specializes in fanciful food, this bakery does serious work, too. If you are getting married, don’t choose your cake until you stop in and see what A Serendipity Cakery has to offer. Tammie can also create cakes for anniversaries, graduations, showers, retirement parties and fundraising events. She can even add edible pictures to her creations. The bakery even has a dedicated gluten-free kitchen open. So if you have baking needs, take a run over to A Serendipity Cakery and see what they can do for you. The bakery can be reached at 734-925-6238. You can find out more at www.cakedropsgalore.com or at A Serendipity Cakery on Facebook.
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 7
Round House BBQ : Options y g n i r e t Ca Deliver • p u k Pic vice Full Ser
Catering for all events ULTIMATE FEAST $210
Feeds 23-25 people 40 pieces of BBQ Chicken 26 St. Louis Rib Bones 4 pounds of Slow Smoked Pulled Pork 2 pounds of Slow Smoked Beef Brisket 2 quarts of Creamy Coleslaw 2 quarts of Slow Smoked Baked Beans 2 dozen Slider Buns 1 bottle of House-Made BBQ Sauce
PARTY PACK $399
Feeds 50 people 80 pieces of BBQ Chicken 50 BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders 50 Jumbo Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings 4 quarts Creamy Coleslaw 4 quarts Smoked Baked Beans 4 quarts of Red Skin Potato Salad 1 bottle of House-Made BBQ Sauce
THE BEAST FEAST $589 Feeds 50 people BBQ Chicken
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Slow Smoked Pulled Pork Slow Smoked Beef Brisket Grilled Smoked Sausage Links Mac & Cheese Smoked Baked Beans Creamy Coleslaw (upgrade to Garden Salad for $20)
Slider Buns Jalapeno Corn Bread BBQ Sauce & Fresh Brewed Tea or Lemonade
ROUND HOUSE BBQ CATERING 2760 W. Jefferson Ave. Trenton • 734-671-6100 RoundHouseBBQ.com
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Page 8 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
Highlights of RCSD Summer Enrichment Program 2019 As the 2018-2019 school year came to a close in June, over 360 students became even more excited for their summer because of our Riverview Community School District Summer Enrichment Program. This program is offered by the RCSD to give our students an amazing month-long opportunity to enjoy engaging classes in a variety of topics. Starting this summer, the program’s administrator was Seitz Middle School American history teacher Derrick DiBrano, along with nine returning Riverview staff and 14 new staff members teaching a variety of 28 classes! Here are some highlights of the students’ experiences during this year’s Summer Enrichment Program: In the art classes, students were able to demonstrate their creativity through a variety of activities. Ms. Alexander helped students learn about animal habitats by creating art projects that coincided with the topics being learned. In Ms. O’Brien’s class,
THE SCIENCE CLASSES ALLOWED STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT AND LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM “Instructions Not Included,” students engaged in hands-on activities such as creating their own robots and tie-dying, while in “Kool Krafts for Kids,” Ms. Peterson taught students about different animals and they created crafts to represent them. Finally, Ms. McQuiston incorporated math and science concepts in different crafts such as alien addition and water bottle aquariums that students made in both “Math for Little Minds” and “Super Scientists.” The science classes allowed students to experiment and
learn about the world around them. In “Field Biology” with Mr. Filkins, students explored the outside world studying plant and animal life. In Ms. Lafehr’s “Under the Sea” class students studied marine biology within the world’s oceans and seas. Students in “Full STEAM Ahead” with Ms. Gajewski engaged in design challenges to create machines, games, and robots and students in “CSI Super Sleuths” with Ms. Hartley were able to become CSI agents and investigate clues and mysteries. The ELA classes allowed students to read, write, compare, contrast, and even act out their stories. For example, Ms. Rosecrans allowed students to share their favorite books with peers in “Dive into Reading,” while students in “AUTHORITY!” created their own story to be published. In “Acting Up” students became actors as they performed a variety of stories with Ms. DeRosia and Ms. Olsen helped students work collaboratively with hands-on STEAM activities tailored to the books that were read in class. The program also offered a variety of math classes. In “Math Enrichment with” Ms. Avery and “Math Puzzles, Games & Explorations” with Mr. Skidmore, students
reinforced skills and connected math concepts through a variety of activities, games, and problems. In “Math FUNdamentals” with Ms. Cloud, students enhanced their math skills with various centers and games. The other engaging classes offered within our program were “Lego Mindstorm EV3 Robotics” with Mr. Laginess, where students created robots and then had to program the robots to move through different mazes. In “Roadtrip USA” with
Mr. Zachary, students were able to research and create an exciting trip through the United States, while in “Stock Market Simulation” students learned the basics about the stock market while “investing” their money. Mr. Lothian helped students become better public speakers by creating and editing YouTube videos and Ms. Tomasek stretched students’ brains with an assortment of brain teasers and games. Students also had an opportunity to learn skills such as sewing and crocheting. Ms. Millner had students create blankets for Project Linus and Ms. Nichols taught students how to crochet their own scarf. Students learned how to become mindful, how to effectively cope with anxiety and stress, and how to maintain a healthy mind and body with Ms. Zulewski and students also were able to learn French phrases, history and crafts with Ms. Kissel in “French Connection.”
RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 9
FROM THE DESK OF THE MAYOR
City Council election in November will have five seeking three seats
Sat., August 24, 2019 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Young Patriots Park Bring the family and enjoy a bike ride through the neighbohoods of Riverview. The ride will start and end in Young Patriots Park. Stop by the Gazebo between 10:3010:50 a.m. to register. Once you are done riding we will have an ice cream social in the ICE CREAM SOCIAL Community Center Building. Then from noon until 6 p.m. ZZR Party Rentals will have water bounce houses/slides. Performing at the Family Fun Day will be Rick and Dayna’s Playground, from 2:00 -3:00 p.m. They are a high energy musical group who takes music, dancing, games and contests and roll it into an awesome party! Kirk Rocks who plays acoustic rock, will perform from 4:00- 6:00 p.m. Tickets for the bounce houses/ slides will be $15 per person and all other events will be free. Food trucks will be on site for snack purchases. Any community groups, businesses or vendors interested in participating should contact Todd Dickman at 734-281-4219 or tdickman@ cityofriverview.com.
NO Pre-registration required Check us out on Facebook: Riverview Recreation Department
Recreation Department
734-281-4219
One of the many responsibilities I have as your Mayor is to communicate to you important events happening in the city. One of those events is the city election coming up this November. There will be three council member positions open this term. All three councilmembers have petitioned to run for re-election. Andrew Swift We also have two new candidates. With five candidates running, our residents will need to do some homework to see which candidate best reflects what they would like to see happen in our great city. Look for more information in future Riverview Register’s about all the candidates and their ideas on how to improve Riverview. Speaking of improving Riverview, I hope you agree with me that our business climate has improved in the last four years. Former mayor Tim Durand laid some pretty good ground work to get us through some tough lean times. The times are now improving and as stated in my last article we have businesses showing interest in Riverview. With that being said, I too have chosen to run for re-election. Working on improving Riverview is a never ending job. A job I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing and looking forward to continuing for the next four years. Being Mayor is challenging at times but it is always very rewarding. Another important event our administration is working on is getting The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to visit Riverview in 2020. At the request of the American Legion Post 389 and a very generous resident, Riverview is pursuing getting the wall to come here. The wall is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, it stands six feet tall at the center and is almost 300 feet end to end. My wife and I just returned from a trip to our nation’s capital. Two of the many
attractions we visited were Arlington National Cemetery and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial we were able to find the names of the four Riverview soldiers that were killed in action. Those names are Thomas J. Evans, James L. Paul, Dennis J. Breda, and Kenneth E. Treadway. We are eternally grateful for their sacrifice. The traveling wall, if we are successful in securing a visit to Riverview, will allow those unable to travel to Washington DC to see the names of our own soldiers who paid the ultimate price. Some of you may have noticed that our annual street sectioning program has begun. We’ve budgeted around $1.2 million this year. If your street is scheduled for repair, you will be notified by the city or contractor. We understand that this is an inconvenience for some residents, but in the end you’ll have a better street to drive on. Our summer programs are in full swing. The movies and concerts in the park have been very well attended. The recreation programs are very popular with the younger children and the library programs are going well. Please see the ads in this paper for more information. A big end of summer event is planned for Saturday, Aug. 28 at Young Patriot’s Park. “Riverview Family Fun Day” runs from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. There will be a bike ride through the city, an ice cream social, several bounce houses and two bands that the kids will just love. I look forward to seeing everyone there. One final note is that the Kiwanis of Riverview are preparing for its annual Dictionary Program. This program provides dictionaries to all third graders in the Riverview Community School District. If you’d like more information on this program or would like to donate please send your name and address to aswift1@comcast.com with “Dictionary Program” as the subject matter.
Page 10 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
Resident spots turtle, bags gift card
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The winner of the “Spot a Turtle on the new Turtle Island” is Ms. Pam Cusumano. She emailed Mayor Swift her picture on Wednesday, July 10 at 9:10am. For her efforts Pam was awarded a $15 gift card to Starbucks. There were several posts of turtles on Turtle Island after the mayor asked for people to post pictures to Facebook or to email them to him. It became pretty clear that it didn’t take long for the turtles in the Reflection Pond at Young Patriot’s Park to discover their new paradise. Turtles are spotted daily sunning themselves.
BRICK PAVER DRAINAGE SYSTEMS INSTALLATION & REPAIR VINYL FENCING LANDSCAPE DESIGN & RETAINING WALLS RENOVATION GARDEN WALLS ALUMINUM/NATURAL GRADING EDGING SOD
BROWNSTOWN, MI
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Riverview City General Election November 5, 2019 WHAT CHANGES WILL OCCUR WITH THE PASSING OF PROPOSAL 3 IMPLEMENTATION: Qualified electors may vote absentee without stating a reason on their absentee voter application. There will also be a check box on the application placing them on a permanent absentee voter application mailing list for all future elections. (Contact the Clerk’s office at (734) 281-4240 to request to be added to the Permanent Absentee Voter Application list. You will receive an absentee voter application before every election which must be completed and returned to the clerk’s office to receive an absentee ballot.) Qualified electors may register to vote in person at a clerk’s office, SOS branch office, by mail or online until the 15th day before the election. Qualified electors may only register to vote in-person in the local clerk’s office from the 14th day before an election until 8 p.m. on Election Day. The only person who can be issued an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office
on Election Day is a qualified elector who is also registering to vote at the same time. If the qualified elector proved identity and residency without presenting a state driver’s license or state identification card, the ballot issued to the voter will be prepared as a challenge ballot. If a qualified elector registers to vote at a Secretary of State (SOS) branch office in the 14-day window before an election, the SOS must provide information to the person registering to vote that they need to register at the local clerk’s office if they want to vote in the upcoming election. The last day the Clerk can send out an absentee ballot by first class mail is the Friday before the election by 5 p.m. The last day to issue an absentee ballot in person to a registered elector is the day before an election by 4 p.m. The clerk’s office will be open to receive and issue an absentee ballot the Saturday before an election for 8 hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 11
Animal lovers rescue dogs from storm-ravaged areas Riverview family at heart of life saving effort Dave Gorgon
Special to Riverview Register
When Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of our nation’s south in August 2017, it caused an estimated $125 billion in damage, according to the National Hurricane Center. That’s more than any other natural disaster in U.S. history other than Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. Hurricane Harvey affected 13 million people from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. More than 200,000 homes were damaged. Flooding forced about 39,000 people out of their homes and into shelters. A million motor vehicles were destroyed. At least 88 people died. And countless pets were left ownerless and homeless. Many died or were euthanized. “A lot of areas were begging the rest of the country to help them so they could help these animals that were displaced by the flooding,” said Alyssa Stafford, manager of the Downriver Central Animal Control, which oversees stray dogs and cats in Wyandotte, Southgate and Allen Park. Stafford, a Riverview resident, reached out to Jenny Moore, a former Michigan resident who moved to Texas, to ask how the Downriver group could help. A partnership was formed. Downriver Central works in conjunction with the non-profit rescue organization Pound Pals Downriver, which was founded by Kim Skidmore of Riverview. The shelter works in partnership with the City of Wyandotte and the Wyandotte Police Department. Like Skidmore, Stafford and her husband Tom Abraham are also Pound Pals board members and are among 90 volunteers at the Wyandotte Animal Shelter. Downriver Central and Pound Pals soon became part of a network of rescue groups and shelters that began accepting animals that were picked up in Texas by Bottle Babies Rescue, which is based in Allen Park. Bottle Babies volunteers
Photo by Dave Gorgon
Tom Abraham (holding Chihuahua Mix Church - from Texas), son Devin, wife Alyssa Stafford (holding Chihuahua Mix Bruno - from Texas) and daughter Dahlia. At right is Kim Skidmore, the founder of Pound Pals. All three of the adults are board members with Pound Pals and volunteers with the animal shelter. The kids also volunteer at the shelter and Alyssa is shelter manager.
start with about 40 dogs and deliver them to various states, ending their journey in Wyandotte. Stafford said the Downriver volunteers agreed to assist with smallerbreed dogs, such as Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos and WireHaired Terriers families. While larger stray dogs were often plentiful at the Wyandotte shelter at 1170 Grove – and were generally the hardest to get adopted—the Downriver group often had kennel space for pets 20 pounds or less, which are often the most popular among people looking to adopt a dog. “Most of the dogs we get (from the Downriver area) are larger breed dogs,” said Stafford, who lives in Riverview. “We had smaller cages free, so we figured that would be the easiest way for us to help.” The Wyandotte Animal Shelter has eight large kennels and four designed for smaller breeds. Cats are plentiful. The connection between a shelter and a rescue organization is not unique. Skidmore said Pound Pals was founded in 2006 at a time when there was a need for a non-profit agency to provide funding to help sick and injured animals at shelters. “There was no funding for medical care,” she said. “Animals were being
euthanized.” Before Pound Pals’ efforts, about 80 percent of animals at the shelter were euthanized. Now, it’s down to less than 10 percent. At the time Pound Pals was founded, there was a handful of volunteers. The group has blossomed to about 90 volunteers who provide transportation to animal clinics, cleaning, grooming, dog walking, pet adoptions and much more. Medical attention is significant. Fundraising activities keep the operations going. A spay/neuter policy was implemented to reduce the animal population. Abraham said the animal adoption center places at least 600 animals in homes every year. On a regular basis, stray dogs and cats are taken to the intake facility at 14300 Reaume Parkway in Southgate. Once the animals are assessed and receive medical care, they move to Wyandotte for adoption. The Texas-Downriver connection remains strong today as dogs are plentiful. Abraham, who is vice president of Pound Pals, said the transportation from the Houston area and delivery of four to 10 dogs at a time continues monthly. “We keep in contact with them
so that we know when the shuttles are coming and which dogs need rescuing,” Abraham said. “What we learned since Harvey is that that area is always overwhelmed with smallbreed dogs that get euthanized if they didn’t get transported to other areas for adoption. We learned they are always overwhelmed so we do what we can to help out.” Abraham said animals from Texas arrive with necessary vaccinations, spay or neutering and heartworm-tested. The Downriver volunteers verify they have all the necessary paperwork and make them available for adoption. Animal adoption hours in Wyandotte are 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Monday, Tuesday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Adoption fees are $65 per cat and $95 per dog. Photos of available dogs and cats are posted on the Wyandotte Animal Shelter Facebook page. Stafford said those who stop by the shelter looking for a smaller dog also look at larger breeds during the visit, which increases the chances for adoption of larger dogs. To get involved with Pound Pals, visit the shelter and fill out a volunteer form.
Page 12 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
RIVERVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS MONDAY, AUGUST 26 RCHS Freshmen Orientation 12:00 p.m. TUESDAY, AUGUST 27 Professional Development 9:00 a.m.– 3:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 Teacher Work Day Seitz 6th Grade Orientation - 6:00 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 Professional Development 8:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Elementary Open Houses 6 – 7:30 p.m. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 First Day for Students TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 RCHS Open House 5:30 – 7 p.m. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Seitz Open House 6 – 8 p.m. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Homecoming Game v. Milan - 7 p.m. (Dance on Saturday) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 High School Conferences 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Teacher P.D. – NO SCHOOL for Students (Election Day) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Elementary Conferences 6 – 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Elementary Conferences 4:30 – 6 p.m. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Seitz Conferences 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 End 1st Trimester/Teacher P.D. NO SCHOOL for Students THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28 & THANKSGIVING BREAK NO SCHOOL Students & Staff Friday, November 29 MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 Winter Recess Begins MONDAY, JANUARY 6 Classes Resume MONDAY, JANUARY 20 Teacher P.D. – NO SCHOOL for Students (MLK Day) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 High School Conferences 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Presidents’ Day - NO SCHOOL Students & Staff THURSDAY, MARCH 5 Seitz Conferences (Appointment Only) FRIDAY, MARCH 13 End 2nd Trimester/ Teacher P.D NO SCHOOL for Students MONDAY, APRIL 6 NO SCHOOL Students & Staff – Spring Break Begins TUESDAY, APRIL 14 Classes Resume MONDAY, MAY 25 Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL for Students & Staff TUESDAY, JUNE 2 Graduation at Crystal Gardens – 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, JUNE 12 End 3rd Trimester - Students Last Day of School
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Darlene Randazzo (Remember her great Caribbean Coconut Rum Cake recipe?) emailed me the following note: “I just wanted to let you know that I made the Island Coney Carrot Cake for a birthday celebration this past weekend. We all loved it! It was very rich and moist and turned out perfectly delicious. The frosting wasn’t overly sweet, too. I left out the walnuts … but it was still Evelyn Cairns delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe “I have a really tasty recipe for a Key Lime Cake that I found in a magazine years ago. It is so good, and perfect for summer entertaining. I take a shortcut and buy an angel food cake, then just make the filling and frosting. I’m attaching the recipe in case you would like to try it.”
Dear Darlene: When I read in the article you attached to your email that Donna Schwan of Gladwin had won $500 for the cake she entered in a contest held by Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, I had to make it, and as soon as possible! I substituted a Kroger angel food cake just as you did, instead of making an angel food cake from scratch. Because I couldn’t find Key limes anywhere, I used ordinary supermarket limes with excellent results. I used three limes, but bought four, to make sure I had enough juice. Friends and neighbors who came for samples thought it was delectable, as I did. Because not everyone has a double boiler (and some novice cooks may not even know what a double boiler is!), I suggest buying one or entering “double-boiler substitute” in the search bar of a computer to see how to improvise. KEY LIME ANGEL FOOD CAKE 2 eggs 2 egg yolks ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided 6 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons grated lime peel ½ cup cold butter, cubed 1 cup whipping cream ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and yolks over boiling water. Stir in ½ cup of the sugar, lime juice and grated peel. Whisk in butter and cook until thick. Strain and refrigerate until cold. In a medium bowl, beat cream and vanilla until stiff. Beat in remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Fold in lime mixture. Horizontally cut cake into 3 layers with a long serrated knife. Spread some filling between each layer (not too much, or you will run out), then spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and refrigerate until serving time. ZUCCHINI FAVORITE Gardens and markets are beginning to explode with zucchini, so please consider sharing some of your best recipes for the nourishing versatile veggie with Culinary Caper readers. Here’s the recipe for one of my own zucchini favorites, which I’ve been making for years, but have no idea who might have given it to me. It was copied from an index card, and my only clues, which didn’t jog my memory, were the notations on the card “Has made a long time” and “Easy fruity zucchini bread.” If it’s your recipe, please let me know . . . and thanks! EASY FRUITY ZUCCHINI BREAD 3 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 1½ cups sugar 2 cups grated zucchini (3-4 small) 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup dried cranberries Beat eggs until frothy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir into egg mixture, mixing well, then stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into two 8x4x3-inch greased loaf pans and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick tests clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack. Contact me at Evycairns@aol.com.
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Dingell plans to protect EPA, including local station United States Congresswomen Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) introduced legislation to prevent the closure of any US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional or program office and protect thousands of jobs across the country, including the EPA’s Large Lakes Research Station office on Grosse Ile. The Recognizing the Environmental Gains in Overcoming Negligence (REGION) Act comes as this administration continues to propose cutting EPA’s budget and weakening environmental protection laws. The Grosse Ile facility houses Emergency Response Division employees who are tasked with responding and cleaning up environmental hazards or accidents, criminal investigators, and serves as an important post for the Great Lakes National Program Office. “The hard-working EPA employees on Grosse Ile play a critical role in protecting our Michigan communities. They monitor our air and waters
connected to the Great Lakes. Grosse Ile’s close proximity in case of a dangerous spill or water contamination is invaluable and supports an effective cleanup process should a situation arise that threatens the health of our families and environment,” Dingell said. “We cannot afford to lose these jobs or halt the essential work taking place. The REGION Act will ensure that this important work continues in Michigan and at EPA offices across the country, where dedicated scientists, engineers
and public servants are working every day to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink now and for the future.” Talib said, “At a time when our awareness of environmental hazards like PFAS and lead is increasing, we need more oversight and enforcement from the EPA, not less. Sadly for our communities, Trump’s EPA is more concerned with protecting corporate polluters than protecting our communities. The REGION Act will ensure that the important EPA
offices across the country that keep our neighborhoods and environment safe – including the Grosse Ile office – cannot be closed. I’m proud to be working with a tireless fighter for our region in Representative Dingell on this critical legislation.” In June, the House accepted a measures by Dingell and Tlaib to the Interior Appropriations package that would prevent the EPA from closing the Large Lakes Research Station on Grosse Ile. Dingell’s measure prevents the EPA from closing or relocating any office or facility that houses either emergency responders or a criminal investigation unit responsible for carrying out the agency’s mission, such as the station on Grosse Ile. Tlaib’s measure stops the EPA from closing offices in regions that have designated Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Areas. The Grosse Ile station manages the Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area in Wayne County.
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 17
~ Robert La Palme DCFCU president and chief executive officer
Breaking ground for the new location of Downriver Community Federal Credit Union are Paul Colone, project manager, GJ Perelli Co.; Robert La Palme, DCFCU president and chief executive officer; Bonnie Swatski, DCFCU executive vice president; Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa; and Gary Perelli, president, GJ Perelli Co. The ground-breaking occurred June 5.
Local credit union to open large new branch Tom Tigani
Special to Riverview Register
A longtime local financial institution is opening its biggest location yet in the heart of the Downriver area. Downriver Community Federal Credit Union, which began in Ecorse in 1942 as Great Lakes Steelworkers Federal Credit Union, will build its newest location at 15261 Trenton Road, just south of Eureka Road in Southgate. Credit union officials announced plans for the new building earlier this year in conjunction with its 77th anniversary. “Downriver Community Federal Credit Union has a long history of serving our community, and we are excited to show our continuing commitment to the Downriver region through this new initiative,” said Robert La Palme, DCFCU president and chief executive officer. The new building marks a homecoming of sorts for La Palme, who grew up in Southgate, lives in Riverview, and began working in the Downriver banking industry in the mail room at the former Security Bank & Trust, which underwent several mergers and now is owned by PNC Bank. While he’s pleased to be returning to his old home town, La Palme said the mission of the credit union is a lot bigger than his personal journey. “Our mission is grounded in the idea of people helping people,” he said. “The reason we picked Southgate is that it’s very central to that mission. Our members come from an area that extends from Ecorse and Lincoln Park to the north, west to near Romulus, east to the Detroit River and south all the way to the Monroe County line. “Geographically speaking, we wanted to be right
in the middle. So we bought that location and began the process of building a branch. It will help us fulfill our mission to reach people from all walks of life and help them achieve their financial goals.” The credit union took on its current name in 1982, opened an office in Woodhaven in 2003, merged with Detroit Marathon Employees Federal Credit Union in 2004, merged with Wyandotte Community Federal Credit Union in 2008 and now counts $165 million in assets and 15,000 members. There are currently offices in Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Wyadotte and Woodhaven. “As our membership continues to grow, having
a centrally located office will allow us to serve our members more effectively, with greater access to the financial services we provide,” La Palme said. The new two-story building will contain almost 12,000 square feet of office space. In addition to retail and operations areas, the design plans include a large community-use space that credit union officials
believe will allow them to share and further develop their vision for a better Downriver community. That vision includes the workshops that DCFCU has offered for the last 12 years on the third Wednesday of every month to members and nonmembers. The workshops deal with topics like sales, marketing, personal development and social media. “We cover everything that has something to do with growing a business. You could be an owner, a multi-level marketer or any other employee who has a role of growing the business they’re in, La Palme said. “Our groups are not typically what most financial institutions are angling to catch. They may remember us, or they may not, but we want to do what they can to help them grow.” The community room will be a key part of the new building; it will be used to host workshops, which are free to members and just $5 for nonmembers — and they include breakfast. “The workshops enable people to get to know us better and sometimes lead to them opening accounts and taking out loans,” La Palme said. In addition to hosting the workshops and an annual conference, DCFCU officials plan to make the community room available to local groups for business. Groundbreaking was held in the spring, and if all goes as planned, the new building should be completed by mid-December and open by early February. “We believe our new location will really be something all of our members and their communities will be able to enjoy,” La Palme said.
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 19
Bipartisan members of the Michigan congressional delegation recently introduced legislation to reauthorize and expand funding for the Great Lakes. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, U.S. Senator Gary Peters, member of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga, co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, coChair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, and U.S. Representatives and members of the House Great Lakes Task Force Dan Kildee (MI-05), Paul Mitchell (MI-10), Fred Upton (MI-06), Andy Levin (MI-09), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), John Moolenaar (MI-04), Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) introduced the legislation. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019 will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2021, for another five years. The bill increases the current authorization level from $300 million to $375 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and increases funding by $25 million per year until it reaches $475 million in Fiscal Year 2026. “The GLRI is crucial for protecting Michigan’s waters, economy, businesses, and way of life,” said Dingell. “The Michigan Congressional delegation, along with our colleagues in other Great Lakes states, are committed to providing necessary resources to restore wildlife habitats and more funding to combat invasive species and emerging contaminants long-term. We’re united on this one.” “This Initiative has proven results which is why both Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate are behind this bill,” said Stabenow. “With these positive results and given continued threats to our water, it’s a no-brainer to continue investing in the health of our Great Lakes and waterways.” “From restoring habitats to combating invasive species, I’ve seen firsthand the impact the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has on our waters, our land, and our communities,” said Peters. “I am
proud to support this legislation to protect the Great Lakes, which are an economic driver for the nation and source of drinking water for millions of people.” “The Great Lakes are a national treasure and represent 90 percent of America’s freshwater. The Great Lakes are big job creators - generating billions of dollars in economic activity and supporting over a million jobs in the tourism, boating and fishing industries,” said Congressman Kildee. “This is why Republicans and Democrats have always come together to protect the health and vitality of the lakes. I’m proud to join this bipartisan group of members in introducing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act to grow our economy and protect the
lakes for future generations.” “Preserving our Great Lakes is both a moral and a practical obligation. Our Lakes are national treasures critical to our environment, fresh water supply, jobs, commerce, agriculture, transportation, recreation, and so many other essential components of our lives,” said Congressman Levin. “GLRI has received the bipartisan support of Michigan’s congressional delegation because it has proven effective at protecting and restoring the largest fresh surface water system in the world. We need to extend and expand its funding for the sake of Michiganders and all Americans.” “Those of us who call Michigan home know how central the Great Lakes are to our state’s economic
prosperity and way of life,” said Congressman Walberg.“Over the years, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been an invaluable success story, and our bipartisan bill will bolster the program’s reach and cleanup efforts. I am proud to join my colleagues to advocate for the strategic investments necessary to protect the Great Lakes for all to enjoy.” The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is critical to cleaning up the Great Lakes, beaches, and waterways and fighting invasive species like Asian carp. Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $762 million for 880 projects across Michigan. U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Tina Smith (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Todd Young (R-IN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and 32 members of the House of Representatives are also co-sponsors of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019.
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 21
FROM THE LIBRARY
What a summer we have been having here at the Riverview Veterans Memorial Library! Our “Universe of Stories” themed summer programming offered readers of all ages: the opportunity to earn prizes by reading, participate in a nerf war, learn to play hand drums, make edible slime, hold a python and much, much more! This month, we are wrapping up our spacethemed fun to get ourselves ready to host engaging, fun and free fun for community members of all ages during the fall and winter months. Starting September 1, 2019, we will have a full calendar of events available on our Facebook page and website. We will also continue to print our calendar of events in the Riverview Register and have print calendar available at the circulation desk. We wish all readers lots of fun in the sun and hope to see you at the Library soon & often! Monday, August 12 – August 16 Summer Reading Prize Pick-Up! All ages Starting Monday, August 12, readers who read at least 10 hours this summer can turn in their reading logs for a galactic prize bag! Staff will tally the hours on all of the logs received and the top three readers from the summer will win one of our three youth prize baskets. All basket winners, including those who participated in the teen and adult reading programs, will be contacted on August 19, 2019. Thank you to everyone who participated and read with us all summer long! September 4 – December 19 * Storytimes with Ms. Z! Wednesdays, Toddlers (2-3 years old) @ 11 a.m. Thursdays, Preschoolers (3-5 years old) @ 11 a.m. Toddlers and Preschoolers (and their adults) will enjoy stories, songs, games, crafts and a yummy snack each
Come and play
week. Registration is not required but is greatly appreciated. First Mondays, September – May | 7:00 p.m. Monthly Book Club Book titles will be available in September Each month, book club members meet to discuss the book-of-the-month. Plenty of copies of each title are available each month at the circulation desk. This dynamic group is always looking for new members. Saturday, September 7 | 11:00 a.m. Back-to-School Storytime All ages We are celebrating the new school year with a few newly published back-to-school stories, a fun craft and a scavenger hunt for fun school supplies! Please register by September 4, 2019 to reserve your space and craft materials. Friday, September 13 – Open Mic Night @ 6:30 p.m. Come & share your one-of-a-kind writing, art, song, or dance with a welcoming audience. Participants & attendees will also enjoy a complimentary nacho bar. Registration is required. Tuesday, October 1 @ 6:30 p.m. Author Presentation: Wicked Women of Detroit with Tobin T. Buhk Spend an evening with author Tobin T. Buhk and his book about Detroit’s most violent, clever and misunderstood female criminals. Registration required. If you are interested in attending our storytimes or events, please register by stopping in at 14300 Sibley Road or by calling us at 734-283-1250. Information about our programming and links to our online resources are available on our website riverviewpubliclibrary.com & on our Facebook page. Happy reading!
For Continuous Updates of Community News & Events!
The playgrounds at each of Riverview’s elementary schools will be getting new equipment, thanks to the recently passed school bond. Above are renderings of the installations, which will include rubber chip material on the ground and a challenge course to keep students engaged.
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Celebrating reading every day at the Riverview Library
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Page 22 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
Residents can check their water service lines for lead
Service lines can be made of galvanized steel, lead, copper or plastic. Local construction practices and ordinances impacted the type of pipe material used in communities at specific times. Local ordinances in the Detroit area began prohibiting the use of lead pipe in plumbing codes as early as 1947. Some communities used a small connector pipe made of lead, commonly called a gooseneck, to connect a galvanized steel service line to the water main. The presence of a lead gooseneck cannot be determined by examining plumbing in your home, If you are unsure about the type of service line at your home, contact the city of Riverview. Two simple tests can be performed using a screwdriver and a magnet to help determine the service Iine material entering your home. Locate where the service line comes through the floor or wall into your home. This should be near your main water shutoff valve and water meter. If you have a metal pipe below the first shutoff valve, use the flat edge of a screwdriver to carefully scratch through any corrosion that may have built up on the outside of the pipe. Place a magnet on the scratched area. If the magnet sticks to the pipe, it is galvanized steel. If the magnet does not stick and the scraped and area is: • shiny, silver in color and Iooks like a nickel, the pipe is made of lead. • copper in color and looks like a penny, the pipe is made of copper. • If the pipe feels like plastic, is white or gray in color and joined with a clamp, glued or screwed together it is plastic and no further tests are required. LEAD WATER PIPES? CITY WANTS TO HELP Do you have a lead water service coming into your home? If so the City of Riverview Water Department would like to test your water. During the months of July, August and September the City of Riverview will be testing 30 plus homes with known lead service lines. If you have a lead line coming to your meter please contact the city for a test kit. If you would like help to determine if you have a lead service line, please contact the city and workers will be happy to help. There is no need for the city to enter your home for the test. If you have a lead line and contact them and they will drop off a kit on your front porch. Inside the kit are all the directions and bottles for the water samples. Once you have taken the water samples you simply return the kit to your porch and call us for pick up. Test results will be provided to each participant. Please contact Director of Public Works Jeff Webb (734-281-4269) with any questions or if you need help in determining if you have lead lines
All concerts are in Young Patriots Park under the Gazebo 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 14
Daniel Harrison & The $2 Highwaymen - Classic rock & country
Saturday, August 10 Shazam! (PG-13) 8:45 p.m. Carr Park
693 Biddle • Wyandotte 734-283-3300 Mon-Sat 9-7 • Sun 10-3
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SUMMER DOCKAGE, RACK & LAUNCH AVAILABLE! At the Marina There is a Picnic Area for Your Enjoyment with Bathrooms and Showers Too!
Boat Accessories ON SALE! OVER 10,000 ITEMS IN OUR STORE
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RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 23
We were recently honored by a visit from Donnaleen Lanktree, president of the American Rosie the Riveter Association (ARRA). The group’s purpose is to honor those women who worked in the factories during World War II while the men were sent overseas. We had a ceremony at the NASGI Memorial Garden, located behind the Grosse David Dyer Ile Township building on Groh Road. Several rosebushes were planted and dedicated to the Rosies who were relatives of Grosse Ile residents. So who were the Rosies and what did they do to be so honored and why must they never be forgotten? In June of 2013 our VFW Post received a letter from Donnaleen stating that the annual national convention of the ARRA would be held at the Dearborn Inn during the weekend of 14-16 June. I called Donnaleen and expressed my interest. I read my Vietnam story to her and she invited me to so the same at a dinner. A little research prior to the dinner revealed the following: Rosies were mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and grandmothers. They worked as riveters, buckers, sanders, welders, crane operators, bus drivers, uniform makers, bullet makers, Red Cross workers and much more. Rosies came from all over the
country, from small towns to big cities. They came together with one purpose - to help win the war. They built 80,000 landing craft, 100,000 tanks, 300,000 aircraft and millions of firearms and ammunition. The Rosies were much more than women working together. They all shared the same worries, that of their loved ones overseas. Will they be remembered? That is the purpose of the ARRA. While their numbers continue to
dwindle, their descendants continue to keep their memories alive just as we do of those men who failed to return from overseas. On the day of the dinner our party of a dozen people arrived at the Dearborn Inn at 6 p.m. to a beautiful setting. There were about 150 people in attendance, 15 of which were original Rosies. After reading my story to them, I visited several of the tables and a few of the Rosies. Ruth Webb, a 90-year-old Rosie
from Indiana told me, “I was a riveter and moved to Michigan because the pay was better.” The fifty dollars she was paid monthly was considerably less than what the men were paid for the same type of work. She went on to say, “We moved from Sullivan, Indiana to Willow Run Airport in Michigan in a flat-bed wide open truck that carried a goat, which we milked to feed the children.” Then I spotted two women that appeared to be Rosies. They looked like twins to me. Sure enough, they were 90-year-old identical twins from Nebraska. Wilma told me that she and Amelia went to work right after high school in 1943. They went to Seattle and she said, “We worked as riveters and drillers on B17 bombers and soon became mechanics.” Rosie Jean from Kentucky said, “We had to produce an airplane every 57 minutes.” This was right after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941 that women were sought nationwide to replace the working men. Over six million females joined the workforce and built planes, bombs and tanks. They worked in factories and shipyards all over America. The American workforce completely changed. The American Rosie the Riveter Association was founded in 1998 in honor of those women of World War II with the motto of “We can do it” and by God, “they did it.”
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Broker/Owner
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We must never forget the Rosies
Page 24 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
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EPA to DCC: Win-Win
Dingell announces $400,000 brownfield funding On June 21, 2019, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) announced a $400,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Downriver Community Conference (DCC) to help clean up and redevelop Brownfield sites in southeastern Michigan. The DCC has long been a leader in Brownfield remediation and has received more than $12.6 million towards that end since 2008. Bill Stevenson According to the EPA, the Brownfield Program “provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and nonprofit organizations to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.” A Brownfield is an abandoned industrial or commercial property complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States. As part of its industrial past, Downriver residents are keenly aware of sites in our area that need remediation and reclamation. This $400,000 supplemental funding was part of 305 assessment proposals submitted to the EPA nationally, with only 104 of them funded. Congresswoman Dingell said, “The need to clean up left-behind, contaminated brownfield sites continues to be the goal for Downriver leaders to improve livability. The Downriver Community Conference has an excellent track record of using Brownfield dollars in such a manner and the supplemental funding from EPA enables this good work to continue.” Dingell added, “The Downriver area has many valuable natural resources that make it a safe place to live, raise families, and enjoy the outdoors.” Executive Director of the Downriver Community Conference, Jim Perry was pleased to receive the supplemental funding, and said, “We have a long history of taking blight sites and turning them into bright sites. The DCC has worked together on behalf of all our
communities, and have been very successful, and are proud to receive these funds.” Paula Boase, Director of Economic Development for DCC explained the logistics of the $400,000 supplemental funds which will become available in October, 2019, as part of the new fiscal year for the EPA budget disbursement approvals, appropriated by Congress. The EPA Brownfield grants may be assessment grants providing for brownsfield inventories, planning, environmental impact, and community outreach. DCC was part of the initial assessment of the McLouth Steel clean-up. Other grants may be a directly funded cleanup grant for cleanup activities at specific sites. Job training grants provide environmental clean-up training for residents who live in Brownfield affected communities. Earlier grants to the DCC provided job training at Wayne County Community College for students or adults interested in a career and/or immediate employment in restoration projects. More likely, the $400,000 grant is part of a revolving loan fund that provides loans and subgrants to municipalities or private-public partnerships. According to Boase, “Under EPA guidelines, the revolving fund monies will have to be loaned out three separate
times on rotational basis to provide no-interest or low interest loans for Brownfield cleanups. A good portion of this recent EPA grant will be used to hire people to help clean-up the LaZ-Boy headquarters, working with the company and the City of Monroe. It’s a win-win for all concerned.” U.S. EPA Region 5 Project Manager Brad Simple highlighted efforts to improve local economies in Brownfields: Properties with a New Purpose. citing the recent Environmental Protection projects facilitated by DCC which include the Wade McCree Estates Brownfield grant in Ecorse, Michigan. “Constructed in the late 1950’s, the apartment buildings in the McCree Estates had become obsolete when the Ecorse Housing Commission undertook cleanup and redevelopment of the 21acre property. Disposal of contaminated soils, removal of underground storage tanks, and abatement of asbestos was completed with a $1.3 million EPA grant awarded in 2017, and an additional $1 million provided by the State of Michigan. Once remediated, the housing commission built 200 new homes. Besides bringing new life to the site, the project provided employment to 230 construction workers and will increase the city’s property tax base for years to come.” It’s a win-win.
Additional DCC Brownfield projects which have been recently completed include the Dearborn Artspace, which reclaimed and refurbished the old City Hall in East Dearborn providing artists and their families affordable housing, studio space, and business incubators. Ventower Industries in Monroe, Michigan, was established in 2008, working with public and private entities to construct a state of the art wind turbine tower manufacturing facility. DCC was instrumental in the process, with more than 100 people hired, adding to the environmental and economic development of southeastern Michigan. “Since its beginning in 1995, the DCC Brownfield Consortium has leveraged EPA’s nine million dollars in grants into over $100 million in combined investment and taxes.” DCC Executive Director Jim Perry smiles when he says, “We’ve been busy. We continue to do the good work in revitalizing our communities and turning vacant and abandoned sites into community assets” It’s a win-win-win. For more information about the Downriver Community Conference, visit their website @www.dccwf.org to learn about their programs, services, partners, and community members.
RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 25
The retail sector of the stock market is being buffeted lately by some pretty serious hits. Big players are reporting numbers that cause the stock market to go all aflutter, with investors bailing while the bailing is good. From the 1980s onward, the supply lines for apparel in particular were exploded far beyond the capacity of America to absorb, and the result Peter Rose is what we are now calling the retail apocalypse. It’s funny. In virtually all cases, the “brilliant” plan behind most every IPO in apparel retail is to achieve economies of scale by reducing costs, predominantly through the reduction of cost redundancies (read: personnel). So that in an era where differentiation between options to buy is marked by how rewarding the experience is, big operations reduce staff to minimal, regarding these people as disposable, nearly worthless and highly replaceable peons. Remember that the failures mean the over-supply is coming into line. The tsunami of sameness is mercifully being reduced. It may sound harsh, and all about the sour grapes aspect of how this applies to my businesses, but I really am detached and analytical about this. Do we bemoan the loss of places that are so generic and poorly run? The point is that independent is the real deal, the authentic version in a sea of ripoff artists. With very few exceptions, nationals take cool, local ideas and try to mass produce them,
destroying the authenticity and that hard to define “cool” factor. J.L. Hudson used to be renowned for impeccable service. That flagship store in Detroit was a symbol of Detroit itself. Customers were fawned over, pampered - loved. Now, you have Macy’s, where people go to get mass-produced products produced to be sold at a discount at one fictitious sale after another. There is nothing about Macy’s that adds value to the American retail landscape and that “nothing” is far from cool. Hudson’s was a competitor of my stores. But we admired them and valued their enhancement of the
apparel industry that was all about “special.” I miss that company. The company that replaced them and “special” stores like them, big and small, all over America, has foisted upon us all an astounding level of obnoxious sameness with zero service, selling cookie cutter, so-called licensed name branded products. I’ve told the story before, so I won’t repeat it verbatim. But I miss what has been lost, and I believe that my mission is to do my best to replicate that experiential retail. The retailers like us that survived the “indie retail apocalypse” of the 80s and 90s are not going anywhere soon. Independent bookstores
are on the rise again, after the proliferation of the raging craze of the mega-book store, and then worse: Amazon. Look, too, at the surge of solid and singularly unique and independent - restaurants Downriver. The Applebee’s and TGIFs and Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters of the world are being pushed back - hard. Smarter people are seeking out authenticity. The retail pundits are all lecturing the national chains, all telling these parasitic invaders to up their game if they want to compete against the new realities of Amazon in particular. The truth is that national chains have thin margins that would be eliminated
altogether with more employees that could raise the experience bar. No chance of it happening. My industry used to be populated by thousands more independent businesses, providing decent careers to millions of employees nationwide that provided a level of service that we all miss, selling a more unique range of higher quality merchandise. The owners that comprised that industry were better off than they may be today, but few were multi-millionaires. There were no Terry Lundgrens of the world, who achieved a net worth of $86 million because he eliminated thousands of jobs, so that Macy’s stockholders could get a better return, all to leave America with a pathetic substitute for what once was. Lower quality, worse selection, underpaid associates, no service. It’s stupid, and stupid to enable it, don’t you think? We’re still here. We were not put out of business by the assault on independent. So many were. It is not me I defend here. This is not a defense at all, as a matter of fact. I’m here to advocate for the elimination of parasites on local communities, which, by nature, by definition, have to siphon as much capital out of every region they infest, while lowering the standard of service and product sold. We deserve better. We all deserve local and independent. Seek it out, wherever you go. You don’t go to Sedona to eat at Outback, and the same rules apply to other niches that provide unique products with more engagement, passion and authority. Each local decision you make pushes back the encroaching bilge, everywhere.
Suggestions or Comments? We are listening at 734-282-3939
Indie Retail: Authentic, experiential, rewarding
Page 26 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER
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Did you know? A little Riverview history lesson Under the category of “Did you know?” In the late 1950s-1960s, the population of Riverview was exploding, with housing developments and kids. The baby boomers were returning from war, which included, World War II, and the Korean War, and they needed housing and school buildings and classrooms. At the time, the school district had a lot of students in portable classrooms, including rooms that Gerald Perry were located in houses leased from a developer. These houses were located on Marsha Street and Matthews Street. Riverview had some problems to solve and not much time to do it. An idea was hatched that if the City owned the property, we could control the housing development explosion. So, the City set out by first having a bond issue a $2 million dollar Recreation Bond Issue. If passed, would pay to buy up all the empty acreage in the city. To no one’s surprise, the issue passed! The Riverview School board being one of the richest in the state of Michigan, built a new high school, junior high, and a number of elementary schools. Problem Solved? Not quite.
Which brings us to today. Every business I mentioned above, with the exception of Jones Chemicals and the Stone Quarry, are all gone. Now came the issue of how could the city pay back the bond money. Since the city, unlike the school district, was not flush with cash, and asking the taxpayers to pay more to pay the tab was not a palatable idea, so another idea was hatched. A private citizen suggested to a councilman, good friends at the time, “Why not open a profit-making landfill on part of the empty property the city now owns?? Viola, the city’s Mount Trashmore was born. Problems solved. But wait, not so fast. The lobbyists for the competing landfills in the area managed to stall the needed permit and without the money from the dumping revenue forthcoming, the city was in a bind and had to sell off some of the excess acreage - this is property where Riverview Green Apartments is now located - to keep the wolf away from the door.
This worked temporarily until pressure was brought to bear by some friendly state politicians, who I’m sure talked to the lobbyists for the surrounding area landfill owners. The permit was finally issued and the problem was solved. But now, what to do with the rest of the excess empty acreage? How about a golf course? The city could use the landfill equipment and manpower to cover part of the construction expense. I mentioned above that “Riverview was once one of the richest school districts in Michigan. Oh yes. We once had part of Penn Salt Chemicals, Sharples Chemicals, Jones Chemicals, Firestone Steel Products, the Stone Quarry, McLouth Steel Products, (It should be noted here that the school district reached all the way to King Road and took in all of McLouth Property) General Electric, Yankee department store, A&P grocery store, Farmer Jacks grocery store, not to mention a lot of small businesses, and all these entities paid big taxes. Which brings us to today. Every business I mentioned above, with the exception of Jones Chemicals and the Stone Quarry, are all gone. Most paid city of Riverview taxes, with the exception of a small part of McLouth property, and the Stone Quarry. We now are looking to solve new problems. Any Ideas out there?
“WEDGES & WINE”
This is a ladies only, age 21+ clinic. This is a short game clinic with a wine tasting and snacks included.
$45 each. 10 spots available. August 19th at 7pm
“PUTTING & PINTS” Men and Woman clinic, age 21+. The focus will be a putting lesson with a beer tasting and snacks.
$45 each. 10 spots available.
Both Lesson Clinics will require signing up and paying in the Golf Shop ahead of time to secure their spot.
Riverview Highlands Golf Course • 734-281-4255
RIVERVIEW REGISTER • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • Page 27
Here are Riverview’s medal winners in 2019 Downriver Senior Olympics: BALLROOM DANCE Cha cha Class A Silver — Tammy Chandler and Roy Schulz, Riverview Tango Class A Silver — Tammy Chandler and Roy Schulz, Riverview BEAN BAG TOSS Female, Class D Gold — Kaye Davies, Riverview Female, Class E Silver — Sina Zammit, Riverview Male, Class D Gold — Elmer Trombley, Riverview BILLIARDS Male, Class E Silver — Robert McFarlane, Riverview BOCCE BALL Female, Class E Silver — Rose Zimmerman, Riverview Tom Tigani
Special to Riverview Register
Some 520 participants braved the July heat last week to participate in the 30 events that comprised the 2019 Downriver Senior Olympics. Olympians ranged in age from 50 to a 99-year-old who celebrated birthday No. 100 just a few days later. They came from Allen Park, Brownstown, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte. “The City of Southgate, my staff and I were honored to serve as this year’s hosts,” said Southgate Parks and Recreation Director Julie Goddard. “The most important thing in the games is not to win, but to just take part.” A total of 563 medals were awarded, including 240 gold, 180 silver and 143 bronze. Events included: baking contest, ballroom dancing, basketball shooting, bean bag toss, billiards, bocce ball, bowling, bridge, car show, chili cookoff, darts, euchre, football throw, Frisbee toss, hockey shootout,
horseshoes, one-mile run, paddle and pedal, pickle ball, ping pong, pinochle, shuffleboard, soccer kick, softball throw, spelling bee, swimming and tennis. “The Olympics brings everyone from all 18 communities together and creates friendships that will last for years,” Goddard said. “The camaraderie between the Olympians is amazing to watch, and by far the highlight of the week. “In most events, the same participants compete year after year, and it is the one time of year they get to be together again and share in friendly competition.” Helping set the stage for the Olympians was Linda Kochanek, Southgate’s senior center director. She kept things running behind the scenes, handling things like getting the center open for participants every day and being there for the bus drivers who were transporting them from the surrounding communities. Because her duties kept her mostly inside, she missed some of the heat and rain that marked the week. She’s hoping to make it some of the outdoor events in future Olympics, but was more than happy to be part of the
BOWLING Female, Class E Gold — Rose Zimmerman, Riverview EUCHRE Female, Class D Silver — Kaye Davies, Riverview Female, Class E Gold —Rose Zimmerman, Riverview Male, Class B Bronze — Karl Underwood, Riverview Male, Class E Gold —Thomas Warrow, Riverview FOOTBALL THROW Male, Class D
card games and to help making torch bearers. Senior directors from around Downriver also pitched in to help with events, and some who were officiating the pinochle, double pinochle and euchre games were asked to join in when some participants became unable to attend. Kochanek herself got in on the action. “I don’t know that much about pinochle and euchre, but I agreed to sit in,” she said. “I always find that a lot
Gold —Elmer Trombley, Riverview FRISBEE TOSS Female, Class B Bronze — Denise Bowen, Riverview Male, Class C Bronze — Elmer Trombley, Riverview HOCKEY SHOOTOUT Male, Class D Gold —Raymond Wlodkowski, Riverview Silver — Elmer Trombley, Riverview HORSESHOES Male, Class D Bronze — Elmer Trombley, Riverview PICKLE BALL Male, Class D Bronze — Elmer Trombley, Riverview PING PONG Male, Class C Silver — Frank Christensen, Riverview SHUFFLEBOARD Bronze — Rose Zimmerman, Riverview Bronze — Elmer Trombley, Riverview SOCCER KICK Male, Class D Gold —Elmer Trombley, Riverview SOFTBALL THROW Male, Class D Bronze — Elmer Trombley, Riverview SWIMMING Female Bronze— Class B Bronze — Denise Bowen, Rivervie Female Breaststroke Class B Gold —Sandy Schiller, Riverview Female backstroke Class B Silver — Sandy Schiller, Riverview
of fun. Everybody helps everybody.” The Downriver Senior Olympics was begun by officials from Lincoln Park, Southgate, Wyandotte and Trenton. Officials and participants from all 18 Downriver communities gathered July 26 at the Unity Awards Banquet at Crystal Gardens in Southgate to mark the end of this year’s 34th annual event and pass the torch to Brownstown Township, the 2020 host community.
Suggestions or Comments? We are listening at 734-282-3939
Riverview residents among the 520 Senior Olympians this year
Have an Event or Fundraiser? Let us know at 734-282-3939
Page 28 • August 10 - September 11, 2019 • RIVERVIEW REGISTER PRST STD
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