Riverview Register, July 14 – August 10, 2023

hen Riverview voters go to the polls for the primary election on Aug. 8, they will be asked to choose the future path for the city in a real way. Not only will voters pick the two candidates that will run for mayor in the general election in November and the six candidates that will run for three vacant city council spots, but they will also decide on the future of retail marijuana sales in the city.

A ballot proposal regarding marijuana is on the Aug. 8, 2023, primary ballot.

The ballot proposal is a petition initiated by citizens seeking to initiate legislation

pursuant to Section 6 of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA).

The ballot proposal seeks to reinstate the city’s prohibition on marijuana and disallow the sale of marihuana in the city.

A yes vote on the ballot proposal means that recreational marihuana would not be allowed to be sold anywhere in the city, and the city’s current cannabis (marijuana) business license ordinance (which allows for two specific types of recreational marihuana facilities to sell marihuana in the city with certain zoning restrictions), would be reversed and declared void.

A no vote on the ballot proposal means

Mayoral candidates answer Riverview’s tough questions

When the voters of Riverview go to the polls on Aug. 8, one of the tasks they will be charged with is whittling the three-man mayoral field down to just two candidates.

Running for mayor are incumbent Andrew Swift, who has been the mayor for eight years, current councilman Chuck Norton and resident Edmond Maas.

The top two vote getters will meet in the general election in November to decide who will be Riverview’s next mayor.

Edmond Maas is an event organizer and business owner. Although he has not lived in Riverview as long as the other candidates, he said he chose to move to the city and that he has the knowledge, expertise, desire and time to lead the city for at least the next four years.

Chuck Norton is a Trenton High School graduate, who moved to Riverview in 1992 and has lived here ever since.

He married his wife Gina in 2005 and has three stepchildren and four grandchildren. Three of his four

grandkids live and attend school in Riverview.

He retired for medical reasons in 2003 and now works as a chaplain for several businesses.

Mayor Andrew Swift, a retired Ford Motor Co. systems analyst has been a Riverview resident for 68 years, he has served the last eight years as mayor and 10 years before that as a council member.

He is married to Darlene and they have two grown sons, Aaron and Paul, and they have four grandchildren, Colin, Logan, Madison and Elizabeth.

Why should the voters of Riverview elect you?

EDMOND MAAS

Though I didn’t always recognize it in myself, I was born a leader. I have owned and led several businesses in my lifetime, including my Organizational Business Group on FaceBook and another group which helps vendors and crafters from being scammed by unscrupulous people who usually are from foreign countries.

In addition, I have the financial skills needed to help our City Manager, Jeff

Dobek, get this city out from under the deficit that we still have and to make sure that we don’t have to go into another deficit elimination plan for the foreseeable future.

As Mayor, I will put the City first and work with the City Council and staff to continue to ensure that Riverview is the safest and best city that it can be. The best way to do this is knowing when to listen and when to speak whether it is with an individual or the public in its entirety.

CHUCK NORTON

The next 10 years are going to be something this city has never experienced in its 100-year history. We are a city that can no longer rely on the Riverview Land Preserve to keep our millage rates among the lowest of the Downriver communities while continuing to provide excellent services.

The community was led to believe from the beginning that plans were in place to ease our transition when the time came to shut down the landfill. We now know that is not true.

We are facing a mountain of debt related to the closing of the landfill

and its maintenance after it stops generating income. As a part of the plan to eliminate that debt, our new City Manager has informed us that we will no longer be transferring funds from the landfill to our general fund starting in the fiscal year of 2025.

For many years the city council members that were on the landfill committee had some awareness of the problem and were even working on some ways to help, like the methane gas plant that is nearing completion, but not everyone on the council was made aware of the severity of the problem. And when the recent expansion failed, the lack of a plan was exposed to the rest of the council and the community. In my opinion that is not how the leader of the team communicates effectively with the other six council members.

Our city is run by a City Manager who implements the policies of the council and the mayor.

And importantly, the mayor is the “Captain” of this team. But during my four years on council, I, and others, have rarely felt we were a part of the

SEE MAYORAL, page 4

SWIFT NORTON MAAS

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team. Our captain worked closely with those who agreed with his positions and discounted the opinions of those he disagreed with. And he is currently seeking to strengthen his position by adding three candidates who agree with him. Brett Chittum has publicly stated that the mayor personally asked him to run for city council.

A leader brings together people with different ideas instead of gathering teammates who agree with him.

From the beginning of the issue regarding Councilman Robbins, the mayor was very vocal about his opinion, which did not lend itself to the unity everyone gave lip service to. I became tired of reading in your paper and the News Herald that Riverview had a divided council. Yet the leader of our team never tried to facilitate making the team more united. In my opinion that is not a strong leader.

ANDREW SWIFT

With a proven track record of community service, I bring extensive experience in various elected and appointed roles, including the Board of Education, City Council and my current position as Mayor. This demonstrates my dedication to public service and deep understanding of the city’s challenges.

Additionally, my educational background in Computer Science and Business Management equips me with the necessary skills to tackle technological and economic issues faced by Riverview. Moreover, my leadership roles in organizations like Kiwanis of Riverview, Riverview Goodfellows, and Riverview Veterans Memorial Committee, as well as my involvement in regional bodies such as the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber, Southeast Michigan Community of Governments, and the Downriver Community Conference showcase my commitment to regional cooperation and economic development, enabling me to advocate effectively for Riverview’s interests.

The closing of the Riverview Sanitary Landfill now seems likely. What plans do you have to fill the $3 million dollar hole left in the Riverview city budget?

EDMOND MAAS

Needless to say this is the most important question that we as a city face right now and one of the most important that we may have ever faced in our history.

The first thing that I would do is to take the property taxes to the Headlee Limit. While this would be temporary as it’s dependent upon certain year to year factors such as inflation, it would be a good starting point for addressing this issue.

According to our City Manager there is almost $1.5 Million that the City is not collecting in the form of property taxes that it could be collecting.

From there, I would look to spread the balance over the duration of the time that the landfill has left until it’s full at a rate of not more than 1-2 mills per year. I would only do this if reductions or the money from selling the cellular tower at the landfill was not enough to cover this.

In addition, I would not solely place the burden on the property tax holders of Riverview.

While weaning ourselves off of the landfill will not be simple or pleasant, it’s important that we don’t rush into anything and that all possible avenues are explored.

Part of what I will look into is where we can reduce expenses. Though it may not occur right away, I believe that staff reductions may also become necessary in order for the City to operate post closure. I would only do this, however, only if it became necessary to do so.

CHUCK NORTON

The budget for fiscal year 2023/24 includes transfers from the Land Preserve of $1,630,000. I plan on working with our small businesses, our residents, our city manager and your elected officials and hold regular meetings where all parties can give their input and we can actually work as a team. I plan on working with Congresswoman Dingell, State Senator Geiss and State Representative Churches to get the most support possible from all branches of government.

They have resources to help us with this transition. During my time on council, I have never been given a progress report on how these talks are going with the mayor and those who represent us.

We also need those that represent us to help us get the Arkema property

cleaned up, so that it can redeveloped to help us generate more revenue and improve our quality of life.

ANDREW SWIFT

We have multiple options to address this budgetary shortfall, considering both short-term measures and long-term solutions.

One possibility is selling our cell tower, which is projected to generate approximately $2 million, equivalent to 20 years of income. Another option involves selling two large city-owned parcels of land, which, although not typically advisable, will return those properties to the tax rolls, providing additional revenue for Riverview. We are actively seeking requests for proposal regarding the use of these properties.

Additionally, I am actively pursuing the potential for Wayne County to waive the tipping fees associated with trash disposal at our landfill, which could result in annual savings of $700,000.

One major accomplishment has been the agreement with DTE to build a gas plant on landfill property. This was a result of years of work with Councilman Trombley, and Mayor Pro Tem Dean Workman and me. This agreement will provide Riverview with at least $400,000 in royalties each year.

Lastly, we may consider implementing a public safety millage for the police department, as a significant portion of our budget is allocated to police protection, which has long benefited our community.

Do you think retail sales of marijuana and marijuana products should be legal in Riverview? Why or why not?

EDMOND MAAS

While I am personally against this, I believe what is much more important to the residents of Riverview is whether their next Mayor is willing to work with the dispensaries and any other related businesses which may emerge after the August election.

I am willing to abide by whatever the Residents decide on regarding this as well as do the work that will be necessary in order to financially stabilize this city.

CHUCK NORTON

Yes. I chaired the committee that did the investigation and made the recommendation to the council

who approved the resolution. The committee included a cross section of our community including the school superintendent and the police chief. We considered the proximity to schools, churches, parks, and residences. We prohibited the clustering of these types of businesses. And we ensured the safety of our community while allowing the sale of a product that is available nearby and can currently be purchased in our city via home delivery.

However, the real benefit is financial, make no mistake. Beyond the normal taxes and fees that any business in Riverview pays this business must pay an annual fee of $5,000 plus an additional $10,000.00 for our community. On top of that, the state distributes to each city an amount for each storefront in the city that is from state-wide taxes collected.

Last year it was just over $51,000.00 per storefront. This could easily amount to over a quarter of a million dollars a year for the city. That’s a lot of coney islands.

It is also important to consider that, right now these stores are legal in Riverview and are being approved. If the ballot initiative that seeks to close these stores passes the legal costs for the lawsuits that are certain to come will be astronomical and further harm our city beyond what we could imagine.

Many of us on the council had conversations with residents that wanted this topic addressed. I was told by at least a dozen residents they were tired of driving to River Rouge to make their purchases.

They shared with us if we did not address this issue, they would start a ballot initiative and get it placed on the ballot. If that were to happen, from my understanding the city’s elected governing bodies would not have input on the issue for two years.

ANDREW SWIFT

I believe that the decision on whether to allow recreational cannabis sales in our charming, small bedroom community should be left to the residents.

Personally, I support restoring the prohibition by voting “Yes” and then collaborating on crafting an ordinance that limits the number of dispensaries to a maximum of two.

However, I am not in favor of the current ordinance as it is written. Dispensaries will play a role in our future, but they will not be our future.

Gearing up for some big summertime fun Riverview-style

My fellow Riverview residents, summer is now in full swing. We have so much to look forward to with the myriad of activities for children and adults happening at our library. These programs have proven to be really popular so I would check the Riverview Veterans Memorial Library web page and Facebook page regularly for updates.

Our summer concert series began on the first Wednesday of this month.

We have concerts planned for every Wednesday in July and August. That’s nine awesome weeks of entertainment at Young Patriot’s Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. And leading the way just happens to be my favorite local band, Shakedown. There will be a food truck at each event for those who want a quick bite to eat during the show.

Returning again this year to the Riverview Highlands Golf Practice Facility is our popular “Concert on the Course.” Gates open for this free event at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 16.

There are “no coolers allowed” as there will be alcohol available for sale. We will have the Poke Ur Way food truck on site to provide an affordable dinner. A Serendipity Cakery and Ice Cream treats for dessert will be available for purchase.

This “Pine Knob” style concert will have an opening act by Acoustic Guitar Live, Mr. Steve Washburn. The performers for the main event are “Bonnie and the Working Girls” who specialize in 50’s and 60’s classic rock. This five member band will be providing the concert goers with two great hours of entertainment.

Please bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

Later this month we will be hosting our annual fishing derby on the Reflection Pond located at Young Patriot’s Park.

This event normally took place during Summerfest, but this year it has become its own event.

We have a very generous sponsor in the Downriver Bass Association. There will be bass boats for the children of all ages to touch and sit in and enjoy. There will be plenty of prizes to be awarded for three different age groups, ranging from seven years to 16.

Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 29. The fishing completion starts at 9 and runs till 10:30 a.m.

Big thanks go out to Will and Sherry Evans and GO-Big Multi-media for sponsoring the Meet the Candidates forum late last month.

The event showcased the mayoral and council candidates running for election this year.

There are 10 candidates for council and three for mayor. Our charter calls for a primary when there is at least one more than double the available seats open.

The event was held at Arnaldo’s and attended by about 175 people. It was a first class run event and our residents learned a lot about all the candidates. The video for both the mayoral and council events are available on YouTube. Just search for Riverview Meet the Candidates

2023.

One recurring topic at the event was dispensaries and cannabis on the upcoming ballot proposal on Aug. 8. I would suggest looking for an article in this paper for an unbiased explanation to determine your yes or no vote.

I know it seems sometimes that good news is far and few between, but we’ve got some great news.

The construction of the DTE gas plant on the landfill property is underway. You’ve probably noticed the installation of the gas lines along Sibley Road. That gas line construction will continue during the summer and will run from Grange down Sibley to Fort Street where a connection will be made to the main gas line.

This is important because once this plant is fully operational sometime next year; Riverview will be receiving at least $400,000 in royalties each year. The plant will be built at no cost to the residents and is a result of years of negotiations with the landfill committee which included Mayor Pro Tem Workman, Councilman James Trombley and me.

Have a great summer and we’ll see you around town.

ANDREW SWIFT

Ten residents will vie for three council seats

When Riverview residents go to the polls for the Aug. 8 primary election, they will find 10 citizens running for three open spots on the city council.

The Aug. 8 primary will narrow the field to six candidates and those six will face off for the three openings in the November general election.

Running for city council are incumbent Suzanne O’Neil, Brett Chittum, Nicole Clark, John Eckman, Don Ginestet, David Pray, Heather Smiley, Bill Towle, Elmer Trombley and Brian Webb.

Suzanne O’Neil has been a Riverview resident for 17 years. An office manager at a medical facility, O’Neil has been married to her husband for 24 years and they have two grown sons, who each attended Riverview schools

Brett Chittum recently moved into Riverview and has lived here for two years. He is a vice president of business operations and has been married for 24 years. He and his wife have a son and a daughter, both in college.

Nicole Clark and her husband Bill

have lived in Riverview for 16 years. She is the human resources director at Rivergate Health Care Center.

John Eckman, a corporate safety director, has been a Downriver resident for 35 years and a Riverview resident for five. He and his wife Jennifer have three daughters and two sons, Brittany, Shelby, Gianina, Jack and Salvatore.

Don Ginestet has deep roots in the city. Not only has he been a resident for 60 years, but he is retired after 33 years on the Riverview Police force, where he retired as Chief of Police and Fire. He has been married to his wife Julie for 50 years and they have a son and a daughter, Nicole and Ryan, and four grandsons, Dylan, Connor, Zachary and Lucas.

David Pray is a 15 year resident of the city. He is a safety engineer with Cleveland Cliffs Dearborn Works and he also teaches safety courses for that company and the UAW.

Heather Smiley is a 24-year resident of the city of Riverview where she lives with her husband David and children Nathan and Anneke. She is retired from the Ford Motor Company

and is involved with literally a dozen non-profit and volunteer organizations, including Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Red Cross and Gleaners Food Bank.

Bill Towle is a former Riverview City Councilman and he has lived in the city for 42 years. A retired labor cost consultant, he had been married to his wife for 57 years and they have three children, three grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Elmer Trombley is a former councilman, who long served the city. Trombley, who lost his wife Nancy after 58 years of marriage, was a Riverview City Councilman for more than 30 years. He won 10 straight elections to the post. A retiree from McLouth Steel and Wayne County, Trombley has five children – James, Robin, Donald, Kim and Dawn — seven grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Brain Webb is an IT manager for Continental Automotive. He is also the founder and director of the “Be Well, My Friends” charity. He is married to his wife Danielle and has one daughter, Brooke, and a stepson,

Why should the voters of Riverview elect you?

O’NEIL:

I have lived in the city for 17 years and I have raised a family here. My husband works for the police department which is one of the many reasons I care about the future of the city.

I have been on council for 3 ½ years and have the experience that the other candidates do not offer as I am the only incumbent running for reelection. I have done my due diligence making the most informed decisions for the residents.

It has been challenging to work with a team that does not always have the same views, but it’s all about respect and coming together for the residents and the future of the city. Nothing is done by one person.

There are difficult financial decisions to be made and we, as a city, did not SEE COUNCIL, page 7

Garrett Watterworth. Webb has resided in Riverview for more than 50 years.

O’NEIL CHITTUM CLARK ECKMAN GINESTET

PRAY SMILEY TOWLE TROMBLEY WEBB

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get to this point in 3 ½ years and I do not think the team can fix them in that time. That being said, I do not feel I am done representing you yet.

CHITTUM:

I truly believe that qualifications matter. I have a degree in Business Management with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior, have been in business for myself (26 years), worked in corporate leadership, traveled the country consulting with businesses to grow revenue and put processes in place to streamline operations, built and implemented multimillion dollar budgets, and have a strong business and financial acumen.|

CLARK:

Because I love our city, made my home here, and plan on staying here.

I have spent the last several years involved with multiple city commissions: Parks and Rec, Local Officers Compensation Board and the Economic Development Corp/ Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

I am also a member of the Riverview Kiwanis.

Even if I am not elected to City Council I will continue to serve the city in any way that I can, but if the residents allow me to represent them, I will do so with honesty, transparency, a willingness to learn and without fear of change.

I am often able to bridge the gap between others that don’t see eye to eye on situations, and am always able to make my own ideas and voice heard without being disrespectful or combative.

Our city needs a cohesive council – we don’t always have to agree on everything, but we have to look at everyone’s viewpoint and try to see things through their eyes.

Good ideas can come from everywhere, especially our residents, and our council needs to reflect our city’s ideas and wishes. Teamwork is key!

ECKMAN:

The voters of Riverview should elect me because I am honest, trustworthy, and accountable for the actions I take.

One of my strongest traits is that I am a listener. I like to listen to

others and take their opinion into consideration when a crucial decision needs to be made. Everyone has a unique look at an issue and its resolution.

I pride myself on being methodical when it comes to resolving issues. The plan is always getting people involved, gathering pertinent information, reviewing the information that has been obtained, and producing a reasonable solution to resolve the issue at hand.

Therefore, our decisions would be based on a team working together to resolve an issue. Those traits are what have made me successful in both my personal life, and business life.

Furthermore, I believe I have the right communication skills, transparency, and integrity needed in making decisions that affect the City of Riverview residents.

Teamwork has always been the key to my success in business. I continuously try to establish relationships with everyone I work with so we can succeed together. That is the same approach I would have as a member of the City Council. Here’s a short story of team success.

Fortunately, I have worked with a number of amazing teams in my past. One of those teams I was part of was a construction company who broke a world’s record back in 1994. As a team, we successfully poured 21,000 cubic yards of concrete, within 24 hours, during construction of a new tunnel underneath taxiways at Detroit Metropolitan airport. That achievement was not only historical, but 100 percent teamwork!

Lastly, I would like to mention that I have talked with a number of residents who are concerned with the direction the city is headed in. The concerns included elected officials making brash decisions that affect our community, without communicating those decisions with the residents.

I believe this is why we now have 10 candidates running for City Council. I do not think there have ever been this number of residents who have stepped up to the challenge. It is clearly obvious that everyone is concerned.

GINESTET:

I have, for the most part, been a lifelong resident of the city. I have invested in the community and have had the privilege of serving in our city for 33 years in the Police Department

starting as a patrol officer working my way through the ranks to detective, undercover narcotics officer, sergeant, lieutenant, deputy chief and chief.

I have served on both sides as a union member and as an administrator in my working career. I have balanced budgets and generated revenue. I have invested countless hours in community activities such as the library commission and coaching little league baseball and football.

People who know and have worked with me know that I am a person of honesty and integrity. I will work diligently for the citizens to keep Riverview a clean, vibrant, affordable and safe place to live and work. I will bring a fresh perspective and experience in moving forward.

PRAY:

While there are a lot of qualified and intelligent candidates, I believe what sets me apart from some of the others is my devotion to the city.

Since arriving in the city, I spent over 10 years as head coach for the youth baseball teams and a volunteer for the youth football.

Coaching and watching the kids of this city has been rewarding and an honor for me and the fact that most of the kids are now grown and in college or starting their careers has been one of my greatest accomplishments.

For the past six years, my son and I have gone to senior’s homes to remove snow from their walkways, sidewalks and driveways at no cost. We do this because we love the city and I would want someone to do this for my parents.

When storms come through and knock down trees and branches in our senior’s yards, we go out and remove the debris because the DPW aren’t allowed to go onto the property. We do this at no cost to any resident because we care about our neighbors and our city.

Most of the residents know that when my son was injured in 2015, the organizations we were involved with, including Riverview Baseball/Softball association (then the RBA) and the Riverview Junior Football Association really reached out to my family.

The schools, the students and especially my neighbors all took time from their lives to pray for us, and helped get us through that time. When my son recovered, I reached out and thanked everyone from my heart on the

Riverview Residents Discussion page to let everyone know how much that meant to us.

Since then, we’ve made it our goal to give back to this city as best we could. Spending years coaching the kids of our city, and now doing community work has shown me that while rewarding, I think the best way to help the residents is by being honest with them and being a councilman the city can be proud of. I decided to run for this position because I refuse to allow former council members to continue lying to our residents and to our seniors.

I have stated from the very beginning that I’m not a politician. I just want our residents to be informed and to make their decisions based on actual facts and not the make-believe conjured up by those who have an agenda. Frankly, it’s time people with new ideals to drive the city forward.

SMILEY

Key areas that likely set me apart from other candidates are that I am a proven creative problem solver with extensive experience working on and leading multi-million dollar projects involving data-driven decision making, delivering phased value/revenue over time and actively partnering with diverse groups of people to implement solutions that all stakeholders can rally around.

Areas where I believe the City needs the most help, and ideas that I have to add more immediate value are as follows:

Financial Health (Near/Mid/Long term) – Examples

Near - Actively partner with Arkema and State/Federal entities to actively pursue brownfield funding re-development of contaminated land. Does the City have staff attending the EPA-sponsored “National Brownfields Training Conference” in Detroit on Aug 8-11?

Near - Formalize and extend outreach beyond word-of-mouth to potential local and regional developers of the 40 acres of city property that was recently approved for sale

Mid - Partner with commercial property owners with vacancies to enable/build a more vibrant community-based business environment, and leverage the Economic Growth Institute (among

SEE SEATS, page 8

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others) for guidance and assistance

Mid - Extend outreach to existing businesses to potentially aid viability and/or growth opportunities, and take a proactive role in enabling funding available through the Downriver Community Conference

Long - Benchmark other cities that have similar challenges to gain lessonslearned to help identify best practices, areas of opportunity to accelerate progress and avoid potential pitfalls

Long - Hold the County and/or State accountable for the services and support that they are responsible to deliver

Community Outreach/Engagement/ Support (Near/Mid/Long term) –Examples

Near - Design and cascade focused surveys to both residents and businesses to proactively get the ‘pulse’ of needs/wants, and get both ideas and actionable insights for the city to leverage and pursue

Near – Beyond general announcements, make better use of ‘Riverview Register’ newspaper and electronic communication to inform and engage residents

Mid - Partner with City department leaders/staff to find ways to save money (work smarter) and provide better/more responsive services to residents

Long – Strengthen Riverview’s ‘brand’ through re-designing and aligning the City and Land Preserve’s web and Facebook sites and enable improved site navigation, City transparency/relevancy/engagement, and consider extending branding to include municipal and commercial signage throughout the City via attrition over time.

TOWLE:

In my prior tenure as a councilman, I focused on reducing cost by making common sense changes to existing contract language that substantially reduced unfunded Liability for OPEB. In fact, throughout my tenure, we reduced the unfunded liability for health care (OPEB) from 47 million to 33 million dollars by increasing the age to 60 before retired employees were entitled to receive health care benefits in addition to establishing a OPEB account requiring yearly contributions.

In addition, I was instrumental in the policy changes for Duty Disability {Disability/ Re-examination -Policies adopted by the Retirement Board and Procedures} May 28,2015.

The pension board now employees a medical director to review all applications for duty disability and make recommendations to the pension board. This stopped pension abuses and saved our community over two million dollars on one lone individual that had been previously approved by the pension board for duty disability but later – after re-examination by the medical director – that determination was reversed.

Also, I brought about changes in monitoring employees collecting workers comp. We had a case where one employee was collecting workers’ comp while performing inspections but failed to turn over thousands of dollars of fees to the city as required by law.

TROMBLEY:

I have devoted much of my life to the city of Riverview, I was a Councilman for 38 years and I am not happy with the direction the city is currently going.

I do not want to see marijuana (sales) in Riverview.

It was wrong of the City Council to ram-rod through the issue. There was a motion to put the issue on the ballot, but the Council refused to let the voters decide.

I don’t think anyone has thought long enough or hard enough about how this will affect our businesses and residents and what it will do to the city’s reputation.

We want the city to remain Riverview and not “Reefer-view.”

WEBB:

It has become increasingly more apparent that some of the most challenging times that the city has ever faced are upon us now and that times are only going to become more challenging when the landfill closes.

Riverview needs a post-landfill vision and leaders dedicated to bringing it to the residents. I will dedicate myself to helping Riverview achieve the resident’s post-landfill vision.

For the first time since the landfill opened in 1968, we started paying for rubbish collection when the council voted in 1.74 mills. Council has also recently begun talking about four mills

for a public safety millage.

I imagine there will also soon be talk of millage increases or bonds for the library, our roads, and other infrastructure improvements.

It has been projected that our taxes will need to be increased by around 11 mills total to cover the revenue that the landfill was transferring to our general fund. Past mayors, council members and city managers decided that our city’s revenue was dependent on the revenue from rubbish collection but did not do enough to plan how the revenue would be replaced when the landfill closes.

It is projected to close in around 10 years, which is not a lot of time to prepare. Especially when new developments take a long time and are delayed even further by how slowly the government makes progress.

Pressure to find new revenue has increased since City Manager Jeff Dobek has plans to stop revenue transfers to the general fund from the landfill revenue in 2025 and decrease the amount of money transferred between now and then.

We must start finding new revenue starting today.

If I have your trust and your vote for council, you can rest assured that I will work on your behalf to achieve our post-landfill vision, find ways to replace the landfill revenue that we have relied on for so many decades and work to limit millage increases.

The closing of the Sanitary Landfill now seems likely. What plans do you have to fill the $3 million dollar hole left in the Riverview city budget?

O’NEIL:

We need to work with all of our existing small businesses (not just a few), to get their input and keep them in the city and work towards new businesses.

We need to work as a team towards getting the Arkema property cleaned up. We have some properties that we could sell to possible developers also.

CHITTUM:

Sad but true and we need to figure out how to mitigate the tax increases coming.

The 44-acre lot that is for sale off Sibley is a good start. We need to steer buyers who will develop that land for either business and/or residential use so that we can build our property tax

base. Since business property taxes are usually higher than residential, it would be nice to attempt to make this a business downtown area.

We can also look at the possibility of a venue type area on the west side of the landfill for mutli-purpose use. I feel this would be welcoming to others in the area and bring new people to our beautiful city.

We should also continue to pressure Arkema to clean up their 90 acres so we can actually have a “River View” for our city which will bring in new businesses.

Any one of these options will increase our tax base revenue and add to our continued growth.

CLARK:

New businesses, evaluating the properties the city owns and assisting in making decisions to see what we can do to earn income from those properties-new housing developments, a “downtown destination,” solar farms, an amphitheater – the possibilities are only limited by negativity or doubt, neither of which I have when it comes to our future.

I also think the city will greatly benefit from the gas plant when it goes online.

ECKMAN:

That is a very good question and one we have all been pondering for some time now.

How do you make up a $3 million dollar hole in the city budget?

I would rely on a couple of resources to help produce some options for resolution.

The first resource is our residents. I would like to believe that their ideas could be suggested through a forum that everyone has access to. Past Council members have produced great ideas like the methane/compressed natural gas station that is currently being built on the landfill and will provide funds to support retiree health care.

Everyone can participate in producing ideas. There is no bad idea out there.

The second resource I can suggest is doing some research on landfills that have closed in the past and how they subsidized the revenue they once brought in when they were up and running.

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Continued from page 8

The last resource I can suggest is a financial professional who has been involved with producing revenues within an establishment like a city, or township. I am confident there is someone, or something, out there that can give the City of Riverview some direction in filling the revenue hole we will face in 8 to 12 years.

GINESTET:

I would like to see the city return to the entrepreneurial sentiments of the past in generating revenue to keep the city services viable. We need to be creative.

PRAY:

The closing of the landfill is going to have serious economic repercussions for our city.

While I am a huge fan of small business and hope that we can create a downtown that is known for small shops and a busy commerce area, I believe it’s time we reach for more.

We have several properties in the city that should be put to use and others that need to be reconditioned by the state to start generating income again.

The Arkema plant must be made a priority by the city.

We’ve heard that the city has reached out to our state representatives but very little if any action has been taken so far. This is a massive resource that the city needs to address to attract more revenue-generating businesses to take interest in our area. This is 90 acres of land that should absolutely be put to use.

I have also suggested we put the land next to city hall to work. How many residents enjoy the Wayne County light fest? How many have heard of locations such as Glenlore Trail or the Michigan Renaissance festival during the winter? What these areas do is generate income that is family-friendly and fun for everyone.

This could actually give Riverview something unique and be wildly popular to not only our residents, but make the city a destination during different holidays. I have proposed we use the land next to city hall to create a “Walk of Lights” for different seasons.

With other cities having big attractions during Halloween and Christmas, my original thinking was

this could start off as something like a “Santa’s Village walk” through lights and ending at “Santa’s home” where kids and families could pose with Santa.

We could expand this to other holidays such as Halloween, Fourth of July, Easter and so on.

I suggested this during a City Hall meeting and asked the council to look at it, and was referred to the Parks and Rec department, who in one conversation told me that it wasn’t possible due to parking. Yet we have Summerfest that has zero issues with parking. Every council person, including Mayor Swift, has endorsed the idea. I strongly urge residents to look at Glenlore trails as an example, and think about what an attraction like these examples could do for us.

This would not only attract families to our city as possible residents, but to our local businesses as well.

Unfortunately, no effort was put into researching this topic and that seems to be indicative of the issues with our city.

SMILEY:

The landfill needs to keep monies it is currently earning to sustain itself (post-closure/escrow). The City’s general fund financial gap is $1.5 million, and the methane gas plant is not yet producing revenue. In the near term and aligned with the City’s accounting and financial advisory firm, Plante Moran, and City Manager regarding needed revenue…

I am in favor of a near-term public safety millage aligned with the current recommendation to supplement public safety funding, and to put it on the upcoming ballot versus having the Council/Mayor solely decide how to proceed. Mid/long term revenue sources need to be vigorously identified and pursued as mentioned above (see my responses to Question #1), so that the City does not repeatedly have to ask to renew and/or ask for new millages year over year.

Although parties are currently interested in buying the landfill, I am not in favor of selling it if the terms were to include expansion into the Red and Gold golf courses.

The adjacent residents living on Coachwood would be within 500 feet of the landfill, and it would impact property values, cleanliness, and potentially the health of all residents in the Forest subdivision.

TOWLE:

First, I would bring to your attention the state has put in place legislation that prevents future landfills from being constructed. That means that only existing landfills will be allowed to expand in the future.

That could open the possibility for Riverview to go back for an expansion by getting approval to increase the height but maintain the same footprint which would provide our community several more years of capacity the same as our previous application that was denied.

The expansion should be placed on the November ballot for voter approval so our council can plan to move forward on this approach sometime in the future.

Rental costs have substantially increased since the crash in 2008 - 2011 because of the number of foreclosures. We should hire an independent assessor to appraise the taxable value of all existing apartments, condones, and co-ops in our community.

The reason I point this out is while serving on the Council I requested the taxable value of similar co-ops and Townhouse rental units from our tax assessor for the year 2021. (Colonial Village Co-Ops and Royal Woods Townhouses located in Riverview and Georgetown Co-Ops in Taylor).

After reviewing the assessments, it was apparent something was not accurate, so I called a meeting with the assessor. Based on the information provided there was a disparity in the taxable value even though they are comparable units.

For example, each unit in Colonial Village Co-Ops generates $465 a year for all state, county and local taxes as compared to Royal Wood Townhouse that generates $848 per unit and Georgetown Co-Ops that generates $715 for all state, county, and local taxes. After reviewing the information, he acknowledged that Colonial Village Co-Ops taxable value was understated and indicated it should be at least equal to the taxable value of Royal Woods Townhouses.

That disparity in taxable value costs this community approximately $127,442.00 a year in revenue. We have a lot of apartments and condos in our community, and we need to get an independent appraisal on all our properties to make sure everyone is paying their fair share of property

taxes.

Also, there are some that believe the solution lies in bringing new business into our community to replace the lost revenue.

Sounds good but, if they locate in an existing building that does not increase revenue for our community unless they make improvements to the property, their tax assessments are increased based on the cost of improvements. Our community receives property tax revenue whether a building is occupied or not. In other words, vacant buildings generate the same revenue as occupied buildings.

The loss of revenue from the landfill cannot solely be placed on the residents but should be shared by our employees and retirees. Thousands of dollars could be saved by making some common sense changes to existing contract language that drives up cost and have been eliminated in private sector contracts many years ago.

TROMBLEY:

I will work my butt off trying to get the landfill expansion passed. Sixteen of the 18 Downriver communities voted for the expansion and the county just ignored that.

My goal will be still trying to get the landfill expansion approved.

WEBB:

My vision is to improve the Fort St. business district starting with Sibley Commons, developing empty lots, and growing the southern end near King Rd.

I will drive bringing new commercial businesses to the empty wooded lots along King Rd. and industrial businesses along West Jefferson, including the Arkema property.

A good portion of the revenue can be filled by developing a Downtown Riverview, which would be a mixeduse development on the wooded forty acres off Sibley Rd. adjacent to the golf course.

Can you picture several architecturally beautiful buildings arranged in a square that consist of two-story townhomes on top and retail shops and restaurants on the first story? Some of the homes, shops and restaurants would overlook the golf course. In the center of the square is a beautiful green park with a water fountain and a stream that ties into

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TEN

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the Huntington Creek, which flows into the Reflection Pond at Young Patriot’s Park across the road. A bike path connecting Trenton’s Frank and Poet trail runs along the golf course, passes through the center of the park in downtown, over to Young Patriot’s Park, then connects to our Fort St. business district, and then on up to Southgate or Wyandotte.

On the east side, along Coachwood Park, is a lively community theater. On the west side towards the parking lot is a quaint boutique hotel.

Lastly, I will work to improve Riverview’s financial outlook by examining expenditures to make certain they are necessary and at the best cost, by going after grants and by working with the residents to identify new revenue sources to reduce the tax burden that is already being shifted on to them by City Council.

Do you think retail sales of marijuana and marijuana products should be legal in Riverview? Why or why not?

O’NEIL:

Yes. It is already in our residents’ homes whether they grow it or have it delivered, but for me it is about the new business in the city. New businesses create more jobs and more revenue in the city to help with the deficit.

It is difficult to turn down new businesses when we are already going to the people for a millage increase.

CHITTUM:

First off, I am going to vote “Yes” on the ballot measure on Aug. 8. I am not opposed to the sale of marijuana or its byproducts in our city, I just believe that the ordinance is flawed, and we need to go back to the drawing board to create some more limitations.

People would have been more receptive if there was only a possibility of one, two or even three dispensaries.

CLARK:

I do believe that marijuana sales should be legal in Riverview.

The city of Riverview voted for the sale of marijuana by over six hundred votes so that alone shows that the majority of our residents support

marijuana sales.

Also, Riverview is not in the position to be turning away potential businesses while trying to disconnect ourselves from the landfill lifeline that we have depended on for decades. While I don’t believe that marijuana will be the savior of our city, it’s a nice start.

ECKMAN:

I do not believe retail sales of marijuana, or marijuana products, should be legal in Riverview.

I also believe that most of the residents do not want dispensaries in our city. I could be completely wrong.

Thankfully, all the residents will now have an opportunity to vote on the matter themselves. I will be voting yes in August to dismiss the marijuana dispensaries in the city of Riverview.

Please be advised that a YES means you do not want dispensaries and a NO means you do want dispensaries. The verbiage is extremely misleading.

PRAY:

I believe the sale of marijuana and marijuana products should be legal in the city because the voters have already made their voices clear on this issue. When the state voted for the sale of marijuana, our residents voted overwhelmingly for its sale.

The city created an ordinance for the sale due to pressure from those who wanted to open shops in the city; instead of not having any control, the city created the ordinance after months of committees and felt that what they did was the best solution. With that being said, I can understand why some feel like the ordinance did not do enough, but the absolute lies that come from people are ridiculous.

You have former members of the council who have spent money and resources to blatantly lie to our residents and who are also specifically targeting our seniors. When confronted about the lies, those former council members have no answer other than they don’t want marijuana in this city.

I have fought for transparency on this issue, and want the voters to decide what is best for them and for their families. The simple fact is that those who are against the sale felt they needed to lie to the residents and that shows a perfect example of their character.

Whether a resident is for or against having dispensaries in the city is not the issue.

The issue is are there really any residents who want a candidate willing to lie to you in order to get what they want. Since those candidates like to hide from the truth, here’s what they won’t tell you.

The application fee for each dispensary is $5,000. Each dispensary the city has would generate up to $51,000 for the city per dispensary and not to mention the fact that each dispensary would also pay $10,000.00 for a community development per year. That’s $66,000.00 per dispensary for a city that is so strapped for cash that they are seeking over $100,000.00 for false alarms at one of our senior living homes.

I said from the beginning of this campaign, I am not a politician and was only running because I am tired of our residents being lied to.

Since the start of this campaign, I’ve only learned more about the issues that must be addressed not only for our seniors but for all our residents.

SMILEY:

The State of Michigan’s voterapproved ballot initiative regarding recreational marijuana sales went into effect in 2018.

The question really is… do the majority of Riverview residents want marijuana sales/dispensaries (with associated tax revenue) within the city, or do they want patrons to shop elsewhere, for which this is already on the upcoming ballot.

An additional question to consider that is being overlooked is, how many dispensaries do the residents think are reasonable (The city currently has 12 proposals: four approved, three accepted and five on hold)?

Because this topic could be considered as a ‘transformational’ change/decision, as a City Council member I would have proactively added a provision to the City’s Charter that codifies a requirement mandating that all significant and/or foundational changes (i.e. marijuana dispensaries, landfill tax mitigation, etc.) always be put forth as voting ballot initiatives to the residents. In that way, residents are empowered to directly represent their needs/wants versus sole reliance upon the City Council/Mayor.

TOWLE:

No, unless approved by a vote of the residents since it is a change in direction for our community. First, it

should have been placed on the ballot for resident approval.

If approved by the residents the number of dispensaries should have been limited to no more than two or three, not 12 to 14 as the current ordinance allows.

TROMBLEY:

No. I don’t think the image of our city is enhanced by selling marijuana. I don’t think that’s what the people of Riverview want.

I have always said that Riverview is the best little city in the entire United States and having marijuana shops would take away from that.

WEBB:

Yes, I think retail sales of cannabis and cannabis products should continue to be legal in Riverview because caregivers are already retailing cannabis from their homes, it is legal in Michigan, Federal legislation for decriminalization is in progress, City Council repealed the moratorium against retail sales and the majority of people are in favor of retail sales as seen from social media polls and the comments during the cannabis ordinance public hearing.

Medical cannabis has been grown by caregivers and retailed legally in small quantities from their homes in Riverview since 2016, as allowed in the City of Riverview Code of Ordinances, Article XIII – Medical Marijuana.

In 2008, Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing medical marijuana for patients suffering from serious health issues; 2016: Michigan’s legislature enacted a law expanding the state’s existing medical marijuana program to include licensing and regulation of medical marijuana businesses; 2018: Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing marijuana for adults, which includes Riverview residents; 2019: Adultuse sales began in Michigan; 2022: Riverview City Council passed the new ARTICLE XIV. – Cannabis Businesses, which made the retail sale of cannabis permissible; 2023: Automatic expungement launched in Michigan.

Some would argue that sales and possession of cannabis is federally prohibited. This is true. However, the path to lifting federal prohibition has

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RESIDENTS

Continued from page 10

been moving forward for the past two years by the introduction of several bills.

H.R. 1996 – SAFE Banking Act of 2021 passed the House on 04/19/2021 and H.R. 2891 – SAFE Banking Act of 2023 was recently referred in May 2023 to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. The SAFE Banking Act has not passed the Senate yet.

The SAFE Banking Act is a bill that decriminalizes a federal banking regulator from penalizing a depository institution for providing banking services to a legitimate cannabisrelated business. If the bill passes the Senate and is approved by the President and enacted as a law, it will be possible for monies from the sale of cannabis to be deposited by cannabis businesses.

Those monies will be insured by Federal banking regulations, thus federally legitimizing the cannabis industry. Until the SAFE Banking Act passes, cannabis businesses are

permitted to use local banks. Furthermore, both parties have introduced bills in the House that will eventually lead to the decriminalization of cannabis. The Democrats sponsored H.R. 3617 –Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which is a bill to decriminalize marijuana. It passed the House on 04/01/2022. In 2021, the Republicans sponsored H.R. 3105 – Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act, which is a bill that removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.

I believe both parties will have enough pressure from Americans and leaders in their parties to make a law decriminalizing cannabis. This will happen when each party’s ideals merge into bi-partisan cannabis reform legislation, which both parties will be

VOTE Elmer Tombley City Council

I am a candidate for city council, and I am a past council member of 38 years. I had planned on retiring from council. But the reason I am running is, I am not happy with the direction the city is going in. I am not in favor of bringing marijuana into the city. I feel this was a decision that should have went to the vote of the residents considering how it would affect business and the image of our community.

I feel it is wrong for the council to ramrod through this marijuana issue with how it is going to affect every resident. Members of the council refused to let it go to a vote, even though a motion was made to put this issue on the ballot. On August 8, 2023, VOTE YES to keep the city safe and still Riverview and not REEFERview

able to come to a majority consensus on.

Once the path to lifting Federal prohibition has completed, then you would expect there will be little opposition from residents to retail centers in Riverview because there will not be Federal or State laws prohibiting them. It is best if we act now to have an ordinance in place that stipulates zoning districts which ensures that Riverview maintains control over the number of businesses without issuing a set number of

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Continued from page 1

that recreational marijuana would continue to be allowed to be sold in the city, and the city’s current cannabis (marijuana) business license ordinance, would remain in place.

You will be asked to Vote: Yes or No on the proposal.

You may ask why is the ballot proposal framed in this manner?

licenses.

A set number of licenses would be challenged by lawsuits from the cannabis industry and so would repealing the new ARTICLE XIV which already allows cannabis businesses in Riverview. We are already spending over one million for legal counsel and general liability insurance. How much more can residents afford to pay to cover expenses and compensatory damages should our attorneys lose the lawsuits?

Because the person or group that drafted the petition framed it this way.

The city did not have any input in the drafting or approval of the ballot language.

The simplest way to say it is this: A yes vote is against marijuana. A no vote is in favor of marijuana.

Residents get answers at Meet the Candidate Forum

All 13 persons running for elected office in Riverview in 2023 were on hand Wednesday, June 28 at Arnaldo’s Banquet Hall in Riverview for the Meet the Candidate Forum,

On hand were the three candidates for mayor – incumbent Andy Swift, current Councilman Chuck Norton and resident Edmond Maas. All 10 city council candidates were there, as well. Those candidates are Brett Chittum, Nicole Clark, John

Eckman, Don Ginestet, Sussie O’Neil, David Pray, Heather Smiley, Bill Towle, Elmer Trombley and Brian Webb.

Close to 200 people attended the forum, which ran from 6-7:15 p.m. for the mayoral candidates and from 7:30-9 p.m. for the council candidates.

The questions asked of the candidates all came from the community. The Riverview Register, a Go Big Multimedia publication, collected residents’

questions, via mail, email and hand delivered. Each candidate was asked an equal number of questions and each was given time for opening and closing statements.

Go Big President and Publisher, Will Evans, was the Master of Ceremonies and the Moderator of the Q&A sessions. He was aided by Ron Hindrichs, President and CEO of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber as official timekeeper.

Swift

Norton Maas

College is not for everyone

BASF Tech Academy shows high school seniors, recent graduates career options

DAVE GORGON

Twenty-one Downriver high school students and recent graduates know some of their career options after completing a weeklong BASF TECH Academy this summer.

The program was designed to inform students about the high demand in good-paying technical jobs for individuals who don’t have a four-year college degree.

From June 19-23, the young men and women participated in discussions, interactive/hands-on activities and tours at BASF in Wyandotte, Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) in Taylor, Gorno Ford in Woodhaven, Fritz Products in River Rouge and the City of Wyandotte Fire Department.

The academy was funded by BASF and was provided free to students.

“College isn’t for everybody,” said Marika Diamond, who designed the program as head of public relations at BASF in Michigan. “This program is so fulfilling. To give these kids various opportunities, BASF is making a difference in the community.”

Days one and five of the academy were held at the BASF Wyandotte site. Students were introduced to innovation and technology that BASF uses to create a sustainable future. They explored promising manufacturing and lab tech careers that the chemical industry has to offer and the high-wage, high-demand jobs available at BASF.

Students learned about the unique opportunity to gain on-the-job training and earn industry-recognized credentials while receiving a fulltime wage through the BASF North American Apprenticeship Development Program. Students participated in manufacturing and lab tours, lab experiments, demonstrations and interactive simulations, including Z Lock, Lockout/Tagout, electric circuits and welding.

Day two provided students with an introduction to robotics and the certifications and programs associated with the field. Fritz Products opened its doors to students for a behind-thescenes tour of its scrap metal processing facility where they saw how metals are processed and experienced robotics in action, discussing functionality,

purpose, safety and troubleshooting mechanisms.

On day three of the academy, students spent the morning at WCCCD’s Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education learning about emergency training and response and the requirements for various careers in fire services.

Then the students headed to the Wyandotte Fire Department where Mayor Robert DeSana welcomed the participants, who participated in handson simulation training in fire equipment management, search and rescue and medical and on-scene evaluation.

BASF TECH Academy day four was hands-on for the students. In the morning at WCCCD’s Automotive Lab, students focused on auto maintenance and repair procedures, working on engines, vehicle alignments, changing brakes, rotors and tires and much more.

In the afternoon, they visited Gorno Ford in Woodhaven. The Gorno team provided an overview of technical careers within automotive dealerships as students toured the showroom, service and body shop.

The 21 students who graduated from the inaugural program were Caden Bacon, Joshua Burks, Bret Meggison and Aiden Rice of Wyandotte; Cruz Garza and Adam Hancock of Southgate; Johnny Medvice of Trenton; Jailyn Saunders of Riverview; Brandon Stachak and Isaac Trombetta of Grosse Ile; Darius Ausberry, Jack Brinker, Kevin Lenard and Javon Toma of Gibraltar; Dean Birchfield of Taylor; Miles Brooks of Allen Park; Whitney

said. “Given that it was a pilot, we were targeting a small scale – 21 being an optimal size.”

Diamond said the pilot was an opportunity to find out what worked and what could be done differently to make the program even better. Based on active student engagement throughout the week and positive stakeholder feedback, “the program was a success,” she added.

Wyandotte Mayor DeSana thanked BASF and the city’s firefighters for “organizing such a wonderful experience for these kids to witness, including what goes on in a firefighters’ life, safety hazards and life-threatening situations, saving lives and property.”

Firefighter Thomas Cunningham agreed the program was “great.”

Among the variety of summertime programs offered, TECH Academy is unique to BASF. The program is part of the company’s workforce development efforts and underlines BASF’s commitment to a sustainable future –to create chemistry in the region that brings people to work together toward a successful future.

The program was a year in the making. Diamond pitched the concept as a pilot program to BASF local leaders who encouraged her to make it a reality. Through numerous discussions with BASF leadership, WCCCD administrators and input from community leaders, this year’s focus was narrowed to include manufacturing, robotics, automotive, lab operations and first responders.

“It takes a village,” Diamond said. “I worked with awesome colleagues at BASF and WCCCD and engaged the Wyandotte Fire Department and Gorno Ford and Fritz Enterprises to help with creating a hands-on, interactive and meaningful experience around these topics and volunteer their time during the week.”

The program was marketed to high schools in the region through the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber, through business networks, on social media and in various publications.

“We were so pleased with the response: 130 applicants,” Diamond

“I wish I could have done something like this when I was in high school,” the three-year firefighting veteran said.

Cunningham, 25, said he followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who were both firefighters, attended the fire program at WCCCD and went to Schoolcraft College for paramedic training. He started Rockwood’s volunteer Fire Department, which hired him out of high school. After completing paramedic training, he was hired in Wyandotte.

“It’s the best job in the world,” Cunningham said. “It’s always what I wanted to do. I lucked out by going with my childhood dream job.”

Jailyn Saunders, who will enter her senior year at Riverview Community High School, said she had “no idea at all” about skilled trade jobs that were available before entering the academy. As head waitress at Arnaldo’s in Riverview, she said she had no plans to attend college.

“I’m in more of a blue-collar family,” she said. “I like trucks – I’m looking at being a diesel mechanic. I definitely want to look into EMT and paramedic courses. I want to help people.”

Planning is already under way for the 2024 session of BASF TECH, scheduled for June 17-24. The application window will open in February. To receive notification, send an email to marika.diamond@basf.com.

Cotter, Kaeli Kopytko and Adrian Radeback of Flat Rock; Fatima Dino of Lincoln Park; and Ronell Huston of Wayne.

RE-ELECT MAYOR SWIFT VOTE FOR FAMILY

MY FELLOW RIVERVIEW RESIDENTS

, I want to take a moment to highlight some of the accomplishments we have achieved together since 2015. ese accomplishments re ect our dedication to building a prosperous and vibrant community.

One of our most notable achievements was the partnership with Councilman Trombley and Councilman Workman to contract with DTE for the construction of a gas plant at no cost to the city. is initiative not only guarantees $400,000 in royalties annually, but also ensures a reliable source of revenue to our city for years and years to come.

To keep our community well-informed, we brought in the Riverview Register, a community good news newspaper. is publication has served as a valuable resource for sharing local news, events, and success stories, strengthening our sense of community and increasing the participation exponentially at our events.

We took great pride in restoring the beloved Summerfest, Concerts in the Park, including the new Concert on the Course, providing our residents with more enjoyable and engaging summer entertainment.

We were able to construct the Ceaser’s Pavilion at minimal cost to the city. is beautiful addition has enhanced our park facilities and provided a space for community gatherings and events. A Big ank You goes to Miko & Mike Ceaser.

Our e orts to engage the community have yielded positive results. e Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony has experienced exponential growth, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere for all to enjoy. We also initiated the Mayor’s Gala, a fundraiser aimed at increasing the use of Patriot’s Park for various events, fostering community spirit and support.

Sports and recreation play an integral role in our town, which is why we invested half a million dollars (at no cost to the residents) in improvements to the Riverview Highlands Golf Course through the Riverview Highlands Invitational. is initiative has enhanced the facilities and experiences for residents and visitors alike.

To ensure the safety of our community, we made the necessary decision to convert the Riverview Fire Department from part-time sta to full-time employees. is step has strengthened our emergency response capabilities and increased our residents’ peace of mind.

ese accomplishments are a testament to the dedication, collaboration, and forward-thinking mindset that de ne our community. One of my goals is to make Riverview as Family Friendly as possible.

With your continued support, we will build upon these achievements, shaping a bright and prosperous future for our town. Let us embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, working together to overcome challenges and create a community we are proud to call home.

On August 8th, Vote for family, Vote for Andy, and let’s keep “RIVERVIEW STRONG!”

Forest Family Fun Run features, water, slime

Forest ended the school year with a bang. The school had its annual Forest Family Fun Run on June 2nd. The run took place in the parking lot and all families were invited to participate. We added a few new things this year, including slime and water fun. Parents, grandparents and siblings signed up to slime the students and once

they were slimed by blasters, the Riverview Fire Department (thanks to Amy Dunn) came and set up the fire hose to spray the kids.

The smiles on the faces of not only the kids and parents, but also the teachers was such a joy to see.

Since the pandemic we haven’t been able to have the parent participation that we were used to

experiencing at these events. Thanks to the fire department for taking the time to come and sharing in the fun.

We are already planning next year’s run as the kids and parents are still talking about it.

JOIN US FOR 'READ MICHIGAN!' SUMMER READING PROGRAM

June 12 - August 10, 2023

FUN SUMMER READING CHALLENGES FOR READERS OF ALL AGES AT THE RIVERVIEW LIBRARY!

Children, teens & adults can earn fun prizes just by exercising their brains all summer long! Our reading challenge runs June 12 -August 10 & is free to all who wish to participate. Registration for the reading challenges ends July 24, 2023.

Rockin' Robins | Ages 0-5

Michiganders ages 0-5 are invited to play reading bingo for a chance to earn up to five postcards to "mail" at the "Summer Reading Gift Shop". Each postcard is worth one prize.

Magnificent Michiganders | 12+

Mitten state enthusiasts ages 12+ are invited to play reading bingo for the chance to earn up to 12 entries into our grand prize drawing. Five participants will win a special gift basket.

JULY

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 all day event: story scavenger hunt

Pick up a scavenger hunt sheet from the circulation desk and then walk around Reflection Pond to read a story and answer the questions.

11 A.M.-6:45 P.M. _ All Ages No Registration Required

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Big Event! Joel Tacey Magic Show

Magician Joel Tacey will delight participants of all ages!

11:30 A.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 3

Registration Required by July 11

Monday, July 17, 2023

Artsy Fun: Edible Bird Houses

Participants will use edible building materials to build a beautiful and delicious bird house.

11 A.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 3

Registration Required by July 14

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Drop-In Tuesday: coloring pages

Spend a few hours coloring and relaxing in the community room.

1-3 P.M. __ All Ages No Registration Required

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

afternoon book club

Readers will be discussing Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin. Copies of Club books are available at the circulation desk.

12 P.M. __ Ages 18+ No Registration Required

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and games!

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration begins July 6

Registration Required by July 17

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Early evening event: puzzle competition

Puzzlers will have almost 3 hours to be the first to complete a 500 piece puzzle. Small prizes awarded to those who finish.

4-6:45 P.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 6

Registration Required by July 17

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Big Event!

riverview scavenger hunt

Stop by the circulation desk to pick up your scavenger hunt sheet. Participants will have until 7 P.M. to find answers to all of the clues.

10 A.M. - 6:45 P.M. __ All Ages No Registration Required

Monday, July 24, 2023

Artsy fun: DIY sail boats

We will use many items from our craft supply to make a sail boat that floats.

11 A.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 12

Registration Required by July 22

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

drop-in tuesday: beads, beads, beads!

The community room will be stocked with beads of all shapes, colors and sizes!

1-3 P.M. _ All Ages No Registration Required

Wonderful wolverines | Ages 6-11

Great Lakes Readers ages 6-11 can pick up a reading bingo card for a chance to earn five postcards to "mail" at the "Summer Reading Gift Shop". Each postcard is worth one prize. For extra fun, readers can also pick up an activity book to begin a Michigan-themed activity adventure. Complete the book to earn three additional postcards to "mail" at our gift shop. Each postcard is worth one prize.

AUGUST

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and games!

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and play!

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration begins July 8

Registration Required by July 24

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Early evening event: Michigan canvas art

Join us to make a mixed media masterpiece.

4-6:45 P.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 8

Registration Required by July 24

Thursday, July 27, 2023 big event!

Community helper celebration

Join us for pizza, popsicles and a chance to check out a fire truck, ambulance, police car and back hoe.

11 A.M. __ All Ages

Registration begins July 15

Registration Required by July 25

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and games!

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration begins July 24

Registration Required by August 1

Wednesday, August 8, 2023

Lego club

Drop-in to make a one-of-a-kind creation using Lego.

1-3 P.M. __ All Ages No registration required

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration begins August 1

Registration Required by August 8

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

afternoon book club

Readers will be discussing Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand. Copies of Club books are available at the circulation desk.

12 P.M. __ Ages 18+

No Registration Required

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and games!

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration starts August 1

Registration Required by August 15

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Puzzle competition

Puzzlers will have almost 3 hours to be the first to complete a 500 piece puzzle. Small prizes awarded to those who finish.

4-6:45 P.M. __ All Ages

Registration starts August 1

Registration Required by August 15

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Drop-in coloring pages

Stop in and enjoy a relaxing time coloring a page or two.

1-3 P.M. __ All Ages

No Registration Required

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Early literacy storytime

Join Ms. Sue for stories, songs and games!

11 A.M. __ Ages 2-5

Registration begins August 1

Registration required by August 22

Thriving local business with local government: Unbeatable

National chain stores want nothing to do with locations that can only draw customers from 180 degrees of a circle, and that’s exactly what these Downriver cities offer, unless fish get counted as customers.

If cities like Wyandotte, Trenton, Grosse Ile, and others are to flourish at higher levels, they will do so through independent, local businesses, 100 percent.

As I have shared repeatedly, a much higher percentage of the money spent at local and independent businesses stays in that local community or region, compared to national chains.

And virtually all of the money leaves the region with online spending decisions. So local and small has the only real shot of greater success in cities with geographies like this sliver along the river, and therefore, cities are inordinately dependent on these micro engines.

Small also has the advantage of no internal red tape or hierarchy to cope with. Good ideas get implemented quickly, and change quickly as needed, because the owners are right here on the spot. Small has the advantage of passion and obsession, coupled with uniqueness and force of personality.

These advantages are not enough, make no mistake. Independent restaurants, clothing stores and other retail formats are held to the same standards as companies with bigger budgets.

National companies have massive budgets behind their buildouts, forcing smaller operators to pony up from much smaller resources in order to compete with them.

Internet competitors continue to take a larger and larger piece of the pie for many types of businesses. Costs like wages, services, shipping, and products offered keep going up.

When you see facebook postings (for instance) from Love Wyandotte and Love Local, you see the voluntary, unpaid effort of two people (my wife Janelle and myself) (especially Janelle, OK) to hype and promote businesses within our purview. I’m talking about pictures or even

slideshows, along with upbeat and supportive commentary, posted on more than one social media platform.

We don’t have to publicly post about a nice meal or a nice experience, but we love to do it, and we know it makes a huge difference in a world in which far too many people love to share anything negative they can.

Taking a few moments to not only be nice, but to publicly say nice things about the businesses we patronize is more than just a kindness, though. It is taking responsibility as a member of our community to help businesses succeed where we live.

We are not the only ones doing this, and the more I see it, the happier I am; the more positive I feel about everything. What this amounts to is marketing for the local and independent businesses we value, admire and care about, by enthusiastic, personal, unpaid marketers that do it to help those businesses, which also helps to keep those businesses around so we get to continue to enjoy, and benefit from their portion of the economic engine that benefits us all, collectively.

All of us that do so have fun doing it. It feels very good.

While every city has a different combination of issues and conditions, the operating systems behind the scenes are universal and undeniable. There is no way around the real heart of the matter, which is irrefutable: Humming bee hives of local and independent businesses have to feature local governments that truly love local.

Government at the small city level is far more important than any other level.

So, how do local governments play their vital part in creating stronger towns? It happens in two ways, in my view.

First, it’s the observable participation in the local and independent commerce of the city by elected officials and employees of the city because they feel it, believe in it, and love it. There has to be a belief that they are highly visible

cheerleaders before the public, and examples for the cause that makes their city more of a compelling place to buy a home in, attract visitors and customers, and to enjoy as hubs of commerce.

Without exception, thriving, humming cities have the benefit of that engagement and support. It’s the active support of patronage, doing any part at all to make personal spending decisions that benefit the city, regardless of publicity or lack thereof.

But it’s the joining of that volunteer army of marketers I referred to above that really catapults independent businesses to new heights. It’s not just directly supporting the businesses, but bragging about it. Telling the world about it, and sharing those good experiences, knowing full well that the more that happens, the more people will come check out those businesses and do business there. It’s a disarmingly simple concept.

That’s true for everyone, of course. All of us should be so much more positive and encouraging and supportive of business endeavors that make a city bustle with activity.

The second way, simply put, is ensuring that policies, rules, and regulations reflect that love, support and insistence on nurturing.

It is telegraphed in many ways, but essentially, it just means having as few obstacles to the success of the business community as possible, calling for fewer and less costly fees and conditions.

Those in leadership need to understand that in nearly all circumstances, national chain stores are to be so severely restricted as to essentially render them illegal. The most successful examples of Love Local cities do as little as possible to hinder the doing of local, independent, and unique business, while still maintaining safety, law and order.

Standards should never be wielded as demands are not beyond appeal.

Enforcement should always be friendly and appreciative.

At the same time, policies should be trumpeted that make clear that

buying from local sources is not just a nice thought, but a mandate. That is, until such time as it can be proven unavailable, or that the price paid would be unacceptably beyond a reasonable alternative, including online options.

Imagine then if the city made it a priority to regularly remind its citizens that the city views those policies as standards that the citizens themselves would do well to emulate. That’s what I mean by love.

Local and independent business is not easy.

It exists and succeeds because owners insist, and refuse to be denied. The more that all of us, citizens, and governments, can do to push those businesses upward, the better for everyone that lives in these communities.

When it all works together, successful cities are electric and eclectic beehives of commerce that tilt playing fields towards local and independent because it is astoundingly better. It is the real thing that cannot be substituted.

When there is real synergy in a city, wherein citizens, businesses and government are all on the same page; when all recognize that without the urgent collaboration of all three, success is far more probable. Where such synergy exists, nobody wants to go elsewhere.

Achieving that goal is tricky and calls for cooperative spirits from all that play a role. The shared end result is where the focus has to be, and there can never be a time when there are no weak links. To that end, forums should be regular and routine, in which cities seek feedback, both good and bad, on the state of doing business in such cities.

My own private Idaho is unabashedly utopian. It is, perhaps, unreasonably Pollyanna-ish. Wishing for anything less seems defeatist, though. The things that could be better have to be named and fixed, one by one. Obsessively, compulsively… perpetually. Vive le Independence!

PETER ROSE

While every city has a different combination of issues and conditions, the operating systems behind the scenes are universal and undeniable.

*Additional 10% Off applies to floor samples merchandise only. Shop early for best selection. Immediate delivery available. No holds. Don’t forget to bring in necessary room dimensions. Sold as is. Cannot be combined with other offers. Certain restrictions apply. Discounts off MSRP. Prior sales excluded. Cannot be combined with other offers. Items subject to prior sales. See store for d

LEGAL NOTICES

CITY OF RIVERVIEW, WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2023

The Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Presiding: Mayor Swift

Present: Councilmembers Blanchette, Gunaga, Norton, ONeil, Robbins, Workman

Also Present: Various Department Heads, Attorney Morgan

Approved May 15, 2023, Regular Meeting Minutes by unanimous vote.

The Mayor and Police Chief Recognized the Lincoln Park Architect University Masonic Lodge for their generous donation of a bullet-proof vest for Riverview’s Canine, “Blue.”

The Mayor offered Public Comments.

Nominated and Appointed Mr. Randy Upton to the Planning Commission for an unexpired term set to expire July 31, 2023 by unanimous vote.

Approved Consent Agenda as follows by unanimous vote.

Approve Budget Amendments as presented.

Adopted resolution Approving the 2023-2028 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan, by unanimous vote.

Adopted resolution Approving the 2023-24 Budget Appropriations and Operating Millage Rates for Operation, Debt, Local Roads, Library and Garbage and Rubbish Services, by unanimous vote.

Confirmed Appointment of Ms. Shane Harrison as Deputy Clerk by unanimous vote.

Confirmed Appointment of Ms. Tracy Duncan as Human Resources Director by unanimous vote.

Authorized Clerk to give the Second Reading, by title only, and Adoption of Proposed Ordinance No. 742– Amending Article VI, Established Grade and Drainage Control of Chapter 86, Buildings and Building Regulations by unanimous vote.

PROPOSED ZONING ORDINANCE NO. 742

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF RIVERVIEW ZONING ORDINANCE, BY ADDING SECTION 20.05, “CONDITIONAL REZONING,” TO ARTICLE 20, “PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS”

Adjourned Meeting into Closed Session for the Purpose of Discussing Collective Bargaining at 7:32 p.m. by unanimous vote.

DETAILED MINUTES/ORDINANCES AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.

CITY OF RIVERVIEW ELECTION NOTICE

PUBLIC ACCURACY TEST

Notice is hereby given that a Public Accuracy Test will be conducted for the purpose of certifying the program and scanning devices used to process voter ballots for the City Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, in the City of Riverview, Wayne County, Michigan. Said Test is open to the public and any concerned parties may witness the test on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 3:00 PM at City of Riverview Municipal Building Council Conference Room, 14100 Civic Park Drive, Riverview, Michigan. 48193.

Cynthia M. Hutchison, City Clerk

Publish: July 2023

CITY OF RIVERVIEW NOTICE OF CLOSE OF REGISTRATION FOR THE AUGUST 8, 2023 CITY PRIMARY ELECTION

To the Qualified Electors of the City of Riverview, Wayne County:

Please take Notice that any qualified elector of Riverview who is not already registered, may register to vote at the office of the City Clerk; the office of the County Clerk; a Secretary of State branch office, or other designated state agency. Registration forms can be obtained at mi.gov/vote and mailed to the City Clerk or online at the following link: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/registervoter. Voters who are already registered may update their registration at www.expressSOS. com. The last day to register in any manner other than in-person with the local clerk is Monday, July 24, 2023. After this date, anyone who qualifies as an elector may register to vote in person with proof of residency (MCL 168.492) at the City Clerk’s office, located at 14100 Civic Park Drive, Riverview, Michigan, 48193, at the following times:

Regular business hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, August 5, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Election Day, Tuesday, August 8, 2023, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Riverview will be voting on the following Contests:

MAYOR (Vote for 1)

CITY COUNCIL (Vote for 3)

CITY PROPOSAL 2023-1

A proposal to initiate legislation pursuant to Section 6 of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, to reinstate the City’s marihuana moratorium and to disallow the sale of marihuana in the City.

CITY OF RIVERVIEW CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES HELD ON JUNE 12, 2023

The meeting was called to order at 8:04 p.m.

Presiding: Mayor Swift

Present: Councilmembers Blanchette, Gunage, Norton, ONeil, Robbins, Workman

Also Present: City Attorney, City Manager, City Clerk

The Mayor offered Public Comments. No one spoke.

The meeting adjourned into Closed Session for the Purpose of discussing the City Manager’s Performance Evalution, at his request, at 8:05 p.m. by unanimous vote.

The City Clerk was excused.

Andrew M. Swift, Mayo Cynthia M. Hutchison City Clerk

The proposed initiative would: Void Riverview’s cannabis business license ordinance. Reinstate Riverview’s marihuana moratorium. Disallow licensure of recreational marihuana facilities. Prohibit the sale of recreational marihuana in Riverview. Should this proposal be adopted?

A sample ballot may be viewed at www.cityofriverview.com under public notices when available. Persons with special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the clerk’s office.

Cynthia M. Hutchison, City Clerk

Andrew M. Swift, Mayor Cynthia M. Hutchison, City Clerk

LEGAL NOTICES (C0NTINUED)

the City of Riverview, Wayne County, Michigan, on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM prevailing Eastern Time to elect the following:

MAYOR (Vote for 1)

CITY COUNCIL (Vote for 3)

CITY PROPOSAL 2023-1

A proposal to initiate legislation pursuant to Section 6 of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, to reinstate the City’s marihuana moratorium and to disallow the sale of marihuana in the City.

The proposed initiative would: Void Riverview’s cannabis business license ordinance. Reinstate Riverview’s marihuana moratorium. Disallow licensure of recreational marihuana facilities. Prohibit the sale of recreational marihuana in Riverview. Should this proposal be adopted?

All persons voting in this election must provide appropriate photo identification or complete an affidavit in order to vote. Any person voting in this election must be: a citizen of the United States of America, over eighteen years of age, and a registered elector of the City of Riverview.

Further, the New Voting Precincts will be held in the following locations:

Precinct l - Riverview High School Gymnasium, 12431 Longsdorf (Quarry Road Entrance)

Precinct 2- Riverview City Hall Gymnasium, 14100 Civic Park Drive (Gym Entrance)

Precinct 3 - Seitz Middle School Cafeteria, l7800 Kennebec (North Entrance –Auditorium)

Precinct 4 - Forest Elementary School Gymnasium, l9400 Hampton

All electors who are registered with the city clerk in which they reside are eligible to vote at this election. Sample ballots (when available) can be found at www.cityofriverview.com under public notices. To comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), voting instructions will be available in audio format and in Braille. Arrangements for obtaining the instructions in these alternative formats can be made by contacting the city clerk in advance of the election. All polling locations are accessible for voters with disabilities.

This public notice is given in accordance with Section 168.653(a) of the Michigan Election Law as amended.

Cynthia M. Hutchison, City Clerk

CITY OF RIVERVIEW, WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2023

The Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Presiding: Mayor Swift

Present: Councilmembers Blanchette, Gunaga, Norton, ONeil, Robbins, Workman

Also Present: Various Department Heads, Attorneys Pentiuk, Morgan

The Mayor Recognized Eagle Scout Reese Prunty, Boy Scout Troop 1795 for his accomplishment.

Approved June 5, 2023, Regular and June 12, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes by unanimous vote.

The Mayor offered Public Comments.

Approved Consent Agenda as follows by unanimous vote.

Authorized Agreement Addendums for Gasoline and Diesel Fuel with RKA Petroleum for three years.

Budget Amendments as presented.

Adopted resolution Approving the 2023-2024 Parks and Recreation Fee Schedule by unanimous vote.

Adopted resolution of Intent to Undertake Special Assessment for Police/Public Safety by unanimous vote.

Approved 2023 Street Sectioning Program with Savone Cement, Inc., for the total amount of $600,600.00 by unanimous vote.

Approved Distribution of Land Use Master Plan by unanimous vote.

Approved 1% discretionary compensation and 2% contractual pay increase for City Manager to take effect July 1, 2023, by unanimous vote.

Recessed into Closed Session for the Purpose of Discussing Pending Litigation by unanimous vote.

The meeting recessed at 8:33 p.m. and reconvened at 9:03 p.m.

Roll Call: Mayor Swift, Councilmembers Blanchette, Gunaga, Norton, ONeil, Robbins, Workman

Concurred with the Recommendation of legal counsel in regards to pending litigation and to proceed as recommended.

AYES: Mayor Swift, Councilmembers Gunaga, Norton, ONeil, Robbins, Workman

NAYS: Councilmember Blanchette Motion carried.

Adjourned Meeting at 9:06 p.m. by unanimous vote.

DETAILED MINUTES/ORDINANCES AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.

Andrew M. Swift, Mayor Cynthia M. Hutchison, City Clerk

CITY OF RIVERVIEW

PUBLIC NOTICE

2023 JULY BOARD OF REVIEW

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Review for the City of Riverview will convene on July 18, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 14100 Civic Park Drive, Riverview, Michigan 48193.

This is a correction Board of Review and will cover all clerical errors and mutual mistakes of fact during the meeting.

All Board of Review meetings are open meetings in compliance with the “Open Meetings Act”.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Assessor’s Office at 737-287-7116.

Trenton High School is a part of the Downriver Career Technical Consortium (DCTC) serving the school districts of Airport, Flat Rock, Gibralter, Grosse Ile, Huron, Riverview, Southgate, Woodhaven, as well as Trenton. The DCTC offers a program where local districts share their technical and academic programs. Students interested may participate at the beginning of their junior year and continue into their senior year.

The Trenton High School Technical Consortium plan of study is a coordinated secondary/post-secondary program that prepares students for the majority of jobs in the technical areas studied. Emphasis is placed on integrating academic and career technical courses so that students are better prepared for the advanced courses required by technical programs following their high school education

This is a Dual Enrollment Program housed instructors. Students participating in the program have the opportunity to earn up to 24 college credits upon completion of the two year program. Students will participate in class activities on site at Trenton High School and attend field trips to WCCCD

**New CTE program- State Approved in 21-22 school year.

Level 2-4 courses require the entry Level 1 course in that specific program. *Criminal Justice is a Wayne County Community College Dual Enrollment Program and requires an application process for admission which can be accessed at: http://www.dctc-cte.org

All career and technical education programs follow the Trenton Public Schools’ policies of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, disability, height, weight, or marital status in all programs, services, activities, and employment. In addition, arrangements can be made to ensure that the lack of English language proficiency is not a barrier to admission or participation

We are listening at 734-282-3939

GET GREAT NEW GLASSES, SAVE SOME MONEY!

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 2,000 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.

Walking tour through the Gibraltar Bay Unit of the Detroit River IWR

By Susan Pinkowski

At the southeastern end of Grosse Ile, you can easily access the small and less frequented Gibraltar Bay Unit by heading south on East River Road, past the Grosse Ile Airport.

On a sunny Saturday morning, a group of fifteen people from St. Philip Lutheran Church in Trenton recently met up with Dr. John Hartig for an informal walking tour of this unique area.

John was, as usual, a fountain of information and told us this area of the refuge encompassed 41 acres and was part of the Grosse Ile Naval Air Station from 1927 to 1969.

Fighter pilots and even the Royal Air Force trained here, as did former President George H. W. Bush. For a while it was even a Nike missile site during the Cold War.

They eventually took the missiles out, but the silos had to be filled in and the underground bunkers secured. It took them 15 years to clean up the land and fill the silos because as they put sand in, it would settle, like a sinkhole, and needed to be filled up again, and again.

You can still see some half-buried remnants on the ground from the area’s military days.

Then they had to perform risk assessments and everything else that goes into remediation to transfer the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for eventual public enjoyment.

The previous habitat of this area was mostly prairie and wetlands, as a lot of southeast Michigan was, but a lot of the prairie was taken over by industry and urban development. They have been restoring this land as a prairie habitat and scrub area, with native grasses, for quite some time now.

Hartig said we’ve lost 97 percent of our coastal wetland habitat on the river to development, so these places that are left are very important to conserve.

Gibraltar Bay is also used as a spawning and nursery area by many fish species, and all kinds of birds and

waterfowl use it as well. Migrating birds will often visit at certain times of the year.

This area will have lots of American Lotus plants later in the season; the lotus is like a lily pad and has beautiful yellow flowers. Many people come here from all over the country just to photograph the American Lotus, which in Michigan, is a symbol of clean water.

Twice a month from now through the fall, the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy (GINLC) opens the gate to a trail on the airport grounds where most of the American Lotus flower plants can be found. You can trek back in there to see them up close, and also view the ongoing efforts they are making to restore this important habitat.

One of the first projects John did with GINLC was 20 years ago, when they saw all the debris from the naval base that was submerged out in the Bay. All kinds of military surplus from World War I and World War II that the sailors couldn’t use any longer was just thrown in the Bay!

Hartig and the late Bruce Jones of GINLC helped arrange for the Navy Seabees to come in and clean up the area. The goal was to restore the shoreline back to its natural habitat again.

They came in with backhoes and lots of heavy-duty equipment and pulled out enough old military stuff to fill a 2.5 car garage to the rafters - all kinds of military debris, gunner’s chairs, ammo boxes, everything the military no longer wanted.

The Seabees had to be very careful to make sure there wasn’t any live ammunition buried among the surplus!

They decided to get rid of all the stuff they dredged out of the water, but a military historian came in, took an interest, and blocked them from disposing of anything until a proper investigation could be performed. He felt there could be something there of

SEE WALKING, Page 33

WALKING

Continued from page 32

historical significance, so experts had to come out to go through the whole mountain of materials, and then once cleared of significance, they could finally be removed. All to no avail. But over time, this area has been restored to an absolutely gorgeous coastal wetland filled with animals and plants, and free of grenades!

Further around this refuge unit along the shoreline of the Bay, we came across a good size tree on its side. Hartig said that this was a standing live tree just two years ago and asked the children if they could guess what knocked it down. We were all stumped, until John showed us the gnawing on the base of the trunk.

Beavers!

There are also turtles of various sizes in this wetland, and birds can be heard everywhere. There are birdhouses up on poles scattered throughout the prairie and each one we came across had a bird sticking its head out watching us, wondering who was invading their neighborhood.

We later came across what’s known as a glacial erratic stone. About 10,00012,000 years ago this gigantic rock was deposited by the glacier that was moving through this area. And for a rock that heavy to tumble and roll along, John said just imagine the energy of the water and the melt that pushed it forward. It’s not going anywhere now, though, unless the Seabees come back with their equipment.

A lot of the work putting in the trails, setting up the birdhouses, etc., was done by volunteers under the direction of a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and since then, this Bay has been open for visitors for the past 15-20 years.

The entire time walking through this prairie and wetland area, you find yourself surrounded by lots of songbirds, the occasional deer, fish, insects and even ticks so check yourself when leaving.

Nature is just happening everywhere here and it’s beautiful.

There are shady areas in which to sit and enjoy all the sights and sounds. There was, however, a warning sign that, while we are proud that our area of the state is mostly green, lush, and surrounded by water, drought can still happen here – what used to be a

small stream is now a depressed dried mud track. We can help by keeping our rivers and creeks free of debris and adopting a more environmentally friendly way to live. Degrowth, anyone? Google that!

Over by a pond that was a former gravel pit, there is a photo blind/hut where photographers can come and be hidden from the waterfowl and egrets to snap pictures without disturbing the animals.

There is a nice wildlife observation deck on the other side of the pond where you can see birds, dragonflies, turtles, and fish right under the surface. It’s easily accessible by the small parking lot.

There is a stone circle not far from the photo blind that was created by the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation (www.wyandotofanderdon.com) and the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy (www.ginlc.org). This was originally a Native American council ring that is currently used as a site to give educational talks about Native Americans, conservation, and stewardship ethics, all good lessons for everyone to learn.

All of this beautiful coastal wetland in the Gibraltar Bay Unit is open free of charge.

Come on out and take a walk through the wild side of history! You never know what you’ll see or hear.

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.”

Silk Flower Paper Lantern Craft Class

Silk Flower Paper Lantern Craft Class

Tuesday, July 25th

7:00 – 8:00 pm

A fun class where we will decorate white paper lanterns with silk flowers, ribbons and baubles. A class for girls of all ages. The circular lantern is 8”. This would be a great class to bring a daughter, niece or granddaughter to. Make some memories!

Tuesday, July 25th

7:00 – 8:00 pm

PAINTED STAINED GLASS AINTED PICTURE FRAME CRAFT CLASS ICTURE

Stained Glass Picture Frame

Craft Class

Tuesday, August 22nd 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Come paint a beautiful stained glass picture frame that will brighten up your room. Can’t paint? No problem? Easy to follow templates mimic a paint by number type project. There will be a few different templates for each age category. Frames will be approximately 8”x12”.

• Please bring a hot glue gun with hot glue sticks, wire cutters and scissors. If you don’t have these, I have extras to borrow.

• Class fee of $15.00 must be paid by Saturday, July 22nd. No refunds after this date. Limit of 20 participants per class. No walk ins.

• Please wear clothes to paint in and bring cookie sheet to carry your wet project home on.

• Class fee of $12.00 must be paid by Friday, August 18th. No refunds after this date. Limit of 20 participants per class. No walk ins.

Location:

-Come paint -Please wear -Register online! -Class Location: A perfect class for friends and family to get together and have some fun! Classes are for residents and nonresidents. Age 12 & up. Children aged 6 -11 are welcome to sign up and must bring an adult helper

Self Defense

For All Ages

Register online!

https://secure.rec1.com/MI/riverview-mi/catalog

Jim and Shawnie Davies are experts in self defense and martial arts.

5-12 Kids Self Defense

Or Wednesday, August 23, 2023

6:00-7:00 P.M. City Hall Gym

$20.00 per person

Students will learn easy to use self defense techniques that require little to no strength. These techniques will help to build confidence and allow them to not be intimidated by bullies.

Including:

Bullying and how to address issues • How to “stand up for yourself” • Who can help when you are at school, church and activities • De-escalation

Techniques:

Wrist grabs • Blocks • Bear hugs from the front and from behind • Strangulation holds

Don’t let your kids miss this class!

Location: Riverview City Hall Gym

14100 Civic Park Drive, Riverview, MI 48193

734-281-4219 • cityofriverview.com

13-18 Teen Self Defense

Or Wednesday, August 16, 2023

6:00-7:30 P.M. City Hall Gym

$20.00 per person

Young women and men are invited to learn easy to use self defense techniques that require little to no strength. These self defense strategies will build self confidence and allow young men and women not to be intimidated by bullies or those trying to hurt them in any way.

Including:

Bullying

• Sexual assault

• Dating violence

16+ Self Defense

Or Wednesday August 9, 2023

7:00-8:30 P.M. City Hall Gym

$20.00 per person

These are easy to learn techniques that require little to no strength and no knowledge of Martial Arts in a fun and safe atmosphere. Basic techniques that will increase your self confidence and feeling of security are the focus. Men and women are both encouraged to attend as well as young adults at least 16 years of age. Including:

Date rape

• Red flags

• Diffusing dangerous situations

• Exiting parties without being teased.

Techniques and how to avoid:

Blocks

• Shoulder grabs

• Bear hugs

• Hair pulls from the front and behind

Strangulations

• Wrist grabs

• Question and answer session.

Don’t let your teens miss class!

• How to avoid dangerous encounters

Situational awareness

• Weapons & Self Defense Tools

• Domestic Violence

• Basic defenses to enable you to ‘get away’:

Palm strikes

• Hammer punches • Elbow strikes Wrist grabs

• Hair grabs

• Strangulation defense We will also discuss how to deal with dating violence, peer pressure, and other forms of abuse.

City of Riverview Recreation Department

Let us know at

NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Go to... GoBigMultimedia.com to read more news on our digital publications.

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

gobigmultimedia.com/grosse-ile-grand

Grosse Ile DDA crowdfunding campaign

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

If the campaign raises its goal of $29,500 by July 24 th , the project will receive a dollar-fordollar 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.

gobigmultimedia.com/southgate-star

Southgate Schools unveil projects to the community

In the first three years following the first issue of the bond, officials have completed Titan Natatorium, weight room, turf football field, elementary school renovations and playground replacements, according to schools Superintendent Dr. Sharon Irvine. Also in place are multiple branding projects, directional signage, a school district sign, a stadium gate and fencing, high school restrooms and the installation of SmartBoot system to improve building security.

“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...

On page 7

Area Soroptimists host Fourth ‘Mommy and Me Tea Party’

To celebrate Mother’s Day and introduce women

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 DixToledo, 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.

On page 21

In the works, Irvine said, are the renovation of the field house and press box at the high school, replacing Anderson’s lockers, installing classroom technology, renovating the high school multipurpose room, stairwell improvements, additional branding, a digital scoreboard, new baseball and softball scoreboards and the renovation of auditoriums at the high school and Davidson Middle School.

On page 1

Girl Scout Gold Award project

Southgate girl makes swings accessible to children with disabilities

Lilly Truel says she enjoys the feeling you get

that you’re “flying” while gliding on a swing. As a Girl Scout, she set a goal to provide the same opportunities for children with handicaps and in wheelchairs. In May, she reached that goal.

The 15-year-old Southgate resident unveiled an ADA-compliant wheelchair platform swing that has been installed at Ray Torres Lions Park in her hometown.

The project has earned rave reviews and could lead to a Gold Award – Girl Scouting’s highest honor.

The Southgate Anderson High School ninth-grader is a member of Girl Scout Troop 76473. In fact, she has been a Girl Scout since she was in the first grade living in Naples, Florida.

She already has earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for her troop collecting pajamas for needy children and the Silver Award for painting picnic tables at Southgate parks...

On page 10

Young Tom suffered a slight concussion that day, but the memory of finding a Kaline baseball card stayed with him. Decades later, while selling baseball cards at a sports memorabilia show in Taylor, Appleby told the story to his childhood hero, who was signing autographs nearby.

“Kaline told me, ‘you can’t blame me for that,’” Appleby recalled as the two laughed.

Eventually, that passionate 10-year-old boy became a sports card collector and dealer who more than 60 years later helps find Al Kaline and other cards to help fill gaps in baseball and football card sets of collectors near and far...

On page 1

Trenton hosts annual Pride celebration

...The City of Trenton became the first community in the Downriver area to raise a Pride flag in June of 2021 and was one of the first municipalities in Michigan to enact city-wide rules against discrimination.

gobigmultimedia.com/trenton-times

Sports card dealer helps collectors fill baseball and football sets

When Tom Appleby was 10 years old, he remembers opening up a pack of baseball cards and finding his Detroit Tigers hero Al Kaline. He was so excited that he ran out the front door of the Wyandotte party store that sold him the pack card and into the street where he was struck by a passing police car.

Mayor Rzeppa referenced this accomplishment in his statement, saying in part, “It’s important that we continue to lead on these things like we did as one of the first cities in the state to pass a comprehensive Non-Discrimination Ordinance to prohibit discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When we take actions like these and proudly show our values as a community, you can never underestimate the impact it can have on even one individual who can feel safe, loved, and accepted for who they are.”...

On page 11

Church in Wyandotte said church members in the ministerial association collect different food items, pack the goods together and deliver the food to Roosevelt High School, Washington Elementary School and the Bacon Library – about 100 brown bags in all...

On page 6

‘Patt Slack Way’ becomes a reality

The Wyandotte City Council recently voted to approve the official naming and dedication of the alleyway and public right-of-way next to Frank’s Pizza as “Patt Slack Way” in recognition of Patricia “Patt” Slack for her contributions over the past 40

gobigmultimedia.com/wyandotte-warrior

Brown Bag Blessings

Program feeds dozens of students during the summer

...Wyandotte students who qualify for free lunches during the school year do not have to go hungry during the summer months thanks to the Wyandotte Ministerial Association.

Brown Bag Blessings is the summer version of Blessing in a Backpack, a national program that provides lunch during the school year but is not available during the summer.

Brown Bag Blessings provides two days of food weekly to hungry kids in Wyandotte.

Pastor Tom Ferguson of St. Stephen Episcopal

years to the City of Wyandotte. A dedication ceremony was held June 15th in the new Patt Slack Way: the alley between the Yack Arena parking lot and Biddle Avenue, adjacent to Frank’s Pizza. There was a sign unveiling, ribbon cutting, small jazz band and refreshments provided to those attending...

On page 3

More Percentage Yield

By Chris O’Shea

What to know about APY

The term “Annual Percentage Yield” (APY) plays an important part in your finances. APY refers to the percentage of interest, you earn on your bank or credit union accounts. Let’s take a look at what you should know about APY.

What is APY?

APY uses compound interest to calculate the return on your interest-earning accounts. Depending on the account, the interest could compound daily, monthly, or annually. Compound interest is the interest added to your principal balance. Let’s say you earn $7 on your $20,000 balance this month. Next month you’ll

earn interest on $20,007.

APY vs APR

The terms APY and APR seem similar, but they are different. You can think of it this way: APY refers to the interest you earn, and APR — annual percentage rate — refers to the interest you pay.

APY Variables

Depending on what type of savings account you have, APY can vary. If you

have a regular savings account, the APY will fluctuate based on the market. If you have a CD, the rate will stay the same as when you purchased it.

Why APY Matters to You

APY matters because the more money you have saved, the more money you can earn. Compound interest might seem small, but it adds up over time. So when shopping for a savings account, be sure to find the best APY available. Check your local credit union as they typically offer better APYs for their accounts than big banks.

*Used by permission from Savvy Money in partnership with Downriver Community Federal Credit Union.