Wyandotte Warrior January 2025 by GO BIG MULTI-MEDIA

MDA certification recognizes Wyandotte DDA leadership

Joe Gruber, Director of the Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority (DDA), has earned his 2024 MDA Professional Development Certificate. As part of the program, Gruber presented a Capstone Project detailing his leadership in the Downtown Wyandotte Infrastructure Project.

This major initiative, launched in 2019, focuses on the reconstruction of downtown alleyways, utilities, and parking lots, creating a modern, interconnected network. Gruber’s project highlights his role in the planning, design, outreach, financing, and marketing efforts that have driven the project’s success.

Gruber’s achievement in the MDA Professional Development Certificate Program reflects his dedication to professional growth and his significant contributions to the revitalization of Wyandotte’s downtown area.

Success Is Closer Than You Think!

A determining factor in whether or not you achieve personal and professional success is having a partner or mentor that can help you achieve your goals. When Downriver Community Federal Credit Union says that their mission is to help you “accomplish great things”, they don’t just mean financial-related aspirations.

In March 2022, Downriver CU started the area’s only chapter of Toastmasters International right here in the Community Room of the credit union’s Southgate office. The purpose of this club is to help people gain the skills they need to succeed in every aspect of their lives. There are a variety of misconceptions about what a Toastmasters club is all about. The most common is that it’s only about giving speeches. Yes, there are plenty of opportunities to give speeches, but Toastmasters also focuses on listening, giving constructive feedback, leadership development, and conducting effective meetings. The club is dues-based and is open to all adults in all

professions at any any level of speaking ability (or inability). Access to the Pathways program allows members to learn at their own pace and comfort level the skills that are important to them. Members and guests always find the environment to be supportive, encouraging, and motivating—a safe place to practice and improve the skills needed to enjoy unlimited personal growth.

Downriver Toastmasters is a hybrid club (attend either inperson or virtual) hosted by Downriver Community Federal Credit Union on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 p.m. The club is part of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization with a worldwide network of approximately 270,000 members in more than 14,000 clubs in 150 countries.

If you’d like to learn more about how Downriver Toastmasters can help “build a better you”, visit www. DownriverCU.com/Toastmasters or call Mark Tremper at 313-4600438.

WWII veteran turns 100

WWII Veteran, Mr. Fred Ankney, turned 100 years old on December 12th, 2024. Mr. Ankney served as an Army Tec 4 and was stationed at the 87th field hospital in Okinawa, Japan from 1943 – 1946.

Proud daughter Theresa is a member of the Monguagon Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Along with the chapter’s help, Theresa got the word out asking that her dad receive 100 birthday cards. And by his birthday, Mr. Ankney had received 237 birthday cards from all over the world.

On December 7th, courtesy of the Trenton Police Department, Mr. Ankney arrived at Mom’s Restaurant in Trenton as a passenger in one of a four police car escort, where family and friends gathered to celebrate his special day.

The celebration at Mom’s included receiving lots of love and gifts from family and friends, a Proclamation from Governor Whitmer, a Proclamation from Veterans Affairs Lansing presented by Mrs. Steffany Muirhead-Morris, and being honored by the VFW Post 1888 of Trenton, where he is a member. Members of the Monguagon Chapter, NSDAR, some dressed in colonial attire, presented a goodie basket of his favorite treats and posted a Happy 100th Birthday sign in his yard in honor of his special day.

Happy Birthday and thank you, Mr. Fred Ankney, for your service!

ead ce t gs your neighbors had to say about us in their 5-Star Google reviews!

SKY HIGH DRUG BILL?

Didn’t the Inflation Reduction Act lower the cost of our drugs? While the IRA provides relief for some, most carriers adjusted formularies, copays, coinsurance and deductibles. This may lead to a huge pharmacy bill!

If you missed your chance to review your plan with us during the annual enrollment period, we may still be able to help.

See us Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm LICENSED AND APPOINTED

Elizabeth M. Abshire Licensed Insurance Agent

Shaun Z. Abshire Licensed Insurance Agent

Estate Planning 101 Which plan do you need?

Time to clear up the confusion about Estate Planning ... The following deﬁnitions lack legal precision, but makes it easier to get a clear picture of what may be needed in your case.

■ Will – letter of intent of where you want your personal property to go – or not go.

■ Living Will – Documents your wishes during your ﬁnal days including ﬁnal healthcare choices and possibly your burial wishes.

■ Trust – This is a “company” that you start, and you become the CEO, “Trustee” and “Settlor.” The company outlives you, but continues to manage your assets as if you were alive by the successor CEO – whom you designate.

■ Power of Attorney – Financial and Healthcare – you need both – the ﬁrst so someone can pay your bills, the second, sometimes called a Patient Advocate, designates someone to make “hallway at the hospital” decisions to take the stress oﬀ the family.

■ Ladybird Deed – probably the best thing that has happened to owning a home. I love these deeds – you grant yourself a life estate – in your own property - but retain the power to sell or borrow against the property. If you do not sell before you pass, this “springs” the house out of your estate, and your heirs have instant ownership, subject to any mortgage or taxes owed or similar.

Again, this is just a general description of the more popular terms – no one choice is a “silver bullet” but depending on how your estate gets planned out you can expedite a clean and clear process for the assets you worked a lifetime to save. Why wouldn’t you want to do that? Stop by or call and make an appointment and I’ll tell you what you’re going to need to do this right.

To my numerous former clients – thank you for allowing me to draft your estate plan!

Student writing rewarded in the 78th VFW essay contest

For the past 78 years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars has sponsored an essay contest for middle school and high school students.

Southgate VFW Post 9283 hosted the local awards ceremony for Michigan VFW District 4 and Auxiliary on Saturday, January 4, 2025. The event was held at their Cpl. Lambert A. Pfeiffer, Jr. Post located at 16200 DixToledo Road. District 4 is made up of 21 VFW Posts located throughout Wayne County.

The essay contest consists of two categories: both with a unique patriotic theme. For middle school students, there was the Patriot’s Pen competition with this year’s theme of “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” For high school aged students, there was the Voice of Democracy award with a theme of “Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?”

Over 150 students from southeast Michigan participated in the contest. Only 38 advanced to the District level: 17 middle school students and 21 high school students. Each essay was judged individually without identifying

the student and the winners were not known until the night of the awards presentation. This year’s volunteer judge’s panel was attorneys Jeffery L. Fanto and David F. Greco, along with 23rd District Court Judge Joseph Slaven and Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa.

The award ceremony acknowledged all the students for their hard work and patriotic essays. Post 9283 Auxiliary Senior Vice President, Sharon Lewinski, addressed the crowd indicating that all the students “were winners tonight.” However, only three

from each category would receive special recognition and a monetary award. In each age group, the top three essay writers received $300 for 1st Place, $200 for 2nd, and $100 for 3rd.

The winner of the Patriot’s Pen contest was Donald H. DeYoung. He is an eighth grade student and was sponsored by VFW Post 4434 in Belleville. The second place award went to Bella M. Mach who was sponsored by Southgate Post 9283. Third place went to Alexander J. Kearney. He was sponsored by Post 7310 located in Grosse Ile.

The Voice of Democracy competition placed Elizabeth G. Pheiffer in first place. Elizabeth is a senior at Inter-City Baptist and was sponsored by Post 9283. She also received an additional $1,000 scholarship presented by the Raymond Nowosatko family. Coming in at a close second and third were Henry Nguyen and Brooke Anderson. They were sponsored by Post 9283 and Livonia Post 3941, respectively.

Both first place winners will advance to the State competition which will take place in Kalamazoo on February 1st. If they succeed at the state level, they will go on to the VFW National competition in March. State winners earn an opportunity for a paid trip to Washington DC. They will compete with students from across the nation for the VFW National Championship awards.

This year’s District 4 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Chairman and coordinator was John Fleming. He was assisted by District 4 Auxiliary Chairman Sharon Lewinski and several other VFW and Auxiliary members.

RHS DECA students win big at District 9 competition

On January 10th, three buses filled with Wyandotte Roosevelt High School DECA students made their way to Eastern Michigan University for the highly anticipated District 9 DECA Conference. A group of 100 dedicated members participated in the event, showcasing their skills and competing across various business-related categories.

The conference proved to be a tremendous success, with numerous RHS students earning recognition for their efforts. While many students brought home awards, the experience itself was seen as the true victory. For the Wyandotte Roosevelt DECA team, representing their school and

community with pride was the highlight of the event.

This opportunity allowed students to gain valuable experience, sharpen their professional skills, and connect with peers from other schools. The event was not just about the accolades but about fostering growth, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of the business world.

Overall, the RHS DECA members made a strong impression at the District 9 Conference, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and the continued development of future leaders. The experience

hard work and dedication of both the students and their advisors.

Bear skaters finding 2025 to their liking

By HANK MINCKIEWICZ

The Roosevelt hockey team went into the Christmas break with a 5-7 record, riding a two-game losing streak. Since the calendar has flipped to 2025 however, the Bears has been flying high, winning three of their first four games of the new year, The only blemish a 7-1 loss to Petoskey during a recent road trip north.

Other than that game, Wyandotte has beaten Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 8-5, Downriver Unified 6-2, and Cheboygan 10-5.

The only home game of the bunch was a January 3rd win over Richard. That game was kind of a shooting gallery as each goalie faced more than 40 shots. Wyandotte fired 45 shots at Irish netminder Grayson Pavicich. Eight of them found the twine behind the goalie. Wyandotte’s Evan Kelly

was even busier as he faced 47 shots, but he was a bit quicker than Pavicich as he stopped 42 of them.

Eli Harrell led the offense with four goals. He also had an assist giving him five points in the game.

Less than a week later, the Roosevelt team found itself in Southgate for a game against neighboring Downriver Unified. Southgate is the lead team in that co-op affair, but there are also players from Monroe, Deabrorn, and Edsel Ford on the team.

The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead that night and cruised to a 6-2 victory.

Harrell’s three-goal hat trick led the way again that night. Cam Roe had a pair of goals and Ethan Ivity added the other. Roe also had an assist giving him a three-point night.

The Bears outshot Downriver Unified 26-21 and Connor Ball started and finished in goal for the Bears, earning the victory.

On the trip up north on January

10th-11th, the Bears experienced both sides of the same coin as they were soundly beaten 7-1 by Petoskey, and

then they soundly beat Cheboygan 105.

The Cheboyan game was a strange one as Wyandotte grabbed a 3-1 lead after the first period, and then gave it away by being outscored 3-1 in the second.

At 4-4 in the third period, Roosevelt exploded offensively and scored six times to win going away.

It was a different story against Petoskey as the Bears managed just 19 shots on goal and just one goal in a losing effort.

The regular season is growing short of Michigan high school teams, and there are only three more chances to see the Bears on home ice before the state tournament begins.

The Bears are home January 22nd to play Allen Park; they are home on February 8th to play Troy Unified at 5:00 p.m.; and they finished the home regular season against Riverview at 7:40 p.m. on February 12th.

At season’s end, Roosevelt will head to Trenton to play in Division 2 regional to begin the 2024-25 Michigan High School Athletic Association state tournament.

Joining the Bears there will be the host Trojans, Woodhaven, Bedford and Adrian.

Top teams come Downriver

The Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Prep Hockey Showcase is returning for another exciting weekend of elite high school hockey action! From January 30th - February 1st, top prep teams from across the region will compete at the Kennedy Recreation Center in Trenton.

The MIHL Showcase is a high school hockey fans’ dream. There will be 50 games played over three days and the teams playing are some of the best in Michigan and beyond. Among the teams playing are unbeaten Novi Detroit Catholic Central, the No. 1 team in the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association Super 10 poll.

Also in attendance will be Birmingham Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook, Orchard Lake St. Marys, Flint Powers, Hartland, Trenton, Gabriel Richard, and many other top teams.

This Showcase is the biggest and most well-attended High School Hockey event of the season attracting thousands of fans from around North America.

Scouts representing junior, college, and professional hockey will attend to observe the largest accumulation of high school hockey talent in the state of Michigan.

Photo by Dave Chapman

Host Roosevelt splits Downriver league quad

The Roosevelt wrestling team welcomed Dearborn Edsel Ford, Southgate Anderson, and Trenton to its gym on January 15th for a Downriver League quad meet. When it was over, Southgate won twice, Edsel Ford and Wyandotte scored a win each, and Trenton went 0-2.

The Bears scored a team win over Edsel 51-25, but took it on the chin against neighboring Anderson as the Titans scored a decisive 53-18 win.

Roosevelt lost its first match of the night against Edsel Ford and trailed 5-0, but the Bears roared back and did not lose too much more the rest of the night. When it was all over and totaled up, Roosevelt finished with eight pinfalls and a majority decision.

Donavan Stone started the run for Wyandotte with a pin at 165 pounds; John Kazmierski pinned at 175; Steven Andreone, who recently scored his 100th career victory, pinned at 215; Eli Czarnik pinned at 285; Zach Greene pinned at 120; Blake Schroeder pinned at 126; Gabe Gibbons pinned at 144; and Nolan Allman pinned at 150. Gage Ball

scored a 12-2, four-point majority decision at 113 pounds.

Things were a little rockier against Anderson as Roosevelt won just four times and only one of the final nine in the match against the Titans.

Stone scored a 10-5 win for the Bears at 165 pounds. Ben Demmer pinned Southgate’s Cam Muszynski in 20 seconds to win at 215. Anderone beat a tough Johnny Pardo at 285 and Gibbons pinned Nate King in the 144-pound match.

The week before at a DRL Quad at Allen Park, Roosevelt again divided their matches, crushing host Allen Park 46-27, but being edged by Carlson 38-34.

Carslon scored two straight pinfalls to start the match and they never trailed. Although, Wyandotte did pull to within one point – 28-27 – with three matches left, but the Marauders outscored the Bears 9-6 over those matches to close out the victory.

Wyandotte winners against Carlson were Ball, Schroeder, Gibbons, Allman, Stone and Anderone. Against Allen Park, Wyandotte won nine of the

14 matches, five of them by pin.

Pinning for the Bears were Caleb Andzelik, Allman, Stone, Andreone, and Demmer.

Schroeder scored a 7-5 decision at 126 pounds, Zach Tomoczyk took a 12-3 majority decision at 190, and Greeve accepted a void at 120.

Roosevelt now has a couple of non-league tournaments to attend before getting ready for the Downriver League meet and the upcoming state tournaments.

The Downriver League meet will be February 1st at Carson High School beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Wyandotte will host a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 team district on February 5th beginning at 5:00 p.m.

The Bears will go to Westland John Glenn for individual district on February 8th. John Glenn district winners will head to Saline on February 15th for regionals.

The Bears will host a team regional on February 12th.

Photo by Dave Chapman

NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

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Grosse Ile girls looking for offensive consistency

The girls basketball teams from Grosse Ile and Carlson opened the 2025 portion of their season on Jan. 6 when they met on the court at Grosse Ile High School.

The teams had been away from live action since before Christmas and it showed. Each team showed considerable rust on the offensive end of the court, but Carlson was able to shake off enough of the rust to earn a 44-33 victory,

Grosse Ile came out and grabbed a 6-3 lead early in the game, but Carlson’s pressure defense stopped the Red Devils cold and they did not score another point in the quarter. It was 8-6 at the end of the first.

Grosse Ile’s offensive woes continued for much of the second quarter as Carlson – sputtering offense and all – managed a few buckets and moved out to a 15-6 advantage.

But Grosse Ile suddenly sprang to life and scored on its final three possessions of the half and went into the locker room trailing just 17-12.

Grosse Ile started the second half playing its best basketball of the night.

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Passion for art: Young artist displays multiple talents

She sees the beauty in all things, and expresses it through her art. She draws on her love of nature in its finest details and magnificent glory. She displayed an artistic talent early on, and balances it with multiple passions.

These are just some of the accolades given to Grosse Ile resident, Hayden Kobiljak as she recently unveiled a multiple panel mural at Grosse Ile High School, created to honor of “the love that my family and I have for nature conservancy and national parks throughout the United States.”

The eight paneled polyptych depicts colorful, vivid images of scenes from Isle Royale, the Redwood National Forest, Sequoia National Park, Weeping Rock at Zion National Park, Yosemite

Valley Vista, Crater Lake at Yellowstone, Sunset in the Shenandoah Valley, and Katmai National Park and Preserve.

What’s even more remarkable is that the exquisite works are acrylics painted on wooden surfaces, a technique begun in the First Century, A.D. through the 16th Century Renaissance, and obviously still used today.

Kobiljak explains the process behind the panels, “The technique I used started from a computer. I have always liked color-blocking and vectorization. While doing that on my computer, I had the idea to do it with pictures of places that mean a lot to me. I

chose the image, vectorized it, picked the number of colors I wanted to use (all have six except Redwood which has three), and went in and changed or added colors where I thought were needed to enhance the image. I then painted the image freehand on the corresponding board. I enjoyed using that technique and still do because it mirrors the organic style of everything in nature.”

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Riverview students effort propels Goodfellows canned food drive

The 2024 Riverview Goodfellows annual canned food drive was a resounding success, thanks to the remarkable efforts of the students in the Riverview

Community School District. Their dedication and generosity led to thousands of canned goods being collected to support a local food pantry and help those in need during the holiday season.

The drive, coordinated by Kellie Mullins of the Goodfellows, took place across all five schools in the district. Each class worked tirelessly to collect the most cans in their respective schools, with the winning classes earning a well-deserved pizza party as a token of appreciation for their hard work.

The Goodfellows, with support from Riverview Pizza Place, provided the pizza, drinks, paper plates, and napkins for the celebrations. Goodfellow Mayor Swift and First Lady Darlene personally scheduled and delivered the parties to the winning classes, serving pizza and drinks to approximately

130 students. “It’s a joy to visit the classrooms and personally thank the students for their incredible effort to help feed the community during the holiday season,” said Mayor Swift.

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Students explore the wonders of science at the Michigan Science Center

Third-grade students from Memorial Elementary took an exciting trip to the Michigan Science Center in Detroit. This hands-on adventure brought their classroom lessons to life, making science fun and interactive.

At the “Imagination Station,” students engaged in activities like building structures, experimenting with simple machines, and testing their engineering skills. The excitement was evident as they worked together in small groups, sharing ideas and trying out new concepts.

A standout exhibit was “Tyrannosaurs-Meet the Family,” where students explored T. rex fossils, including a life-sized skeleton that moved and roared. The IMAX® Dome Theatre also wowed students with an immersive journey into the world of Humpback Whales.

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Ringing in the “Noon” Year!

Shortly before noon on December 31st, hundreds of residents gathered in Southgate’s municipal banquet hall to ring in the New Year. This was a free family event that provided an opportunity for children to celebrate the New Year at noon rather than waiting until midnight.

This is the ninth year that the Southgate Parks & Recreation Director Julie Goddard and her staff presented Noon Year’s Eve. The Southgate DDA

was also a sponsor of the event.

The festivities included an official countdown, balloon drop and juice boxes available for a fun family toast. Several costumed characters mingled and danced with the children throughout the event. Each was portrayed by a Southgate Anderson High School student volunteer and included: Elsa from “Frozen” (Bridget Godbout), Princess Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” (Adelynn Hales), Elphaba from “Wicked“ (Madelyn Reiss), and the mischievous Grinch (Jackson Cruz).

This year’s event also caught the attention of Channel 7 News. They were on scene to report on the gathering and interviewed several of the children about the event.

At the end of the Noon Year party, each child also received a special goodie bag to take home to continue the fun in the New Year.

COVER

Trenton Rotary announces new events for February and March

Trenton Rotary club president Noel Jackson, stepping up for a second term for the club, has just as much enthusiasm as the last time he led the group in 2012-13. There are three fantastic Rotary events coming up for the community in February and March 2025, and everyone’s invited.

“I’m excited to announce that the Rotary Club of Trenton along with the City of Trenton is revamping the annual State of the City and annual Awards Banquet to create a ‘Boujee Banquet’ which will be held at the Westfield Center on February 13th at 6pm.” Said Jackson. “Tickets are only $35 for a lavish buffet provided by One-Nine catering and beer and wine is also included.” The term Boujee is- A

hip-hop slang for something “luxurious in lifestyle yet humble in character.” -- That’s TRENTON! The city will recognize an outstanding Trenton Citizen, Police and Fire will announce their best heroes of the year, Trenton Business Association will name it’s choice for Business of the Year 2025 and Mayor Rzeppa will provide a short recap of all the great things going on in the City of Trenton, MI. The event is looking for sponsors to keep the price affordable and net proceeds will be donated to benefit Rotary charities. Tickets can be purchased at trentonrotary. net. Call Kathy for sponsorships at 734-676-9561. Deadline is February 1st.

“In the past, our club has hosted “Turn off the Violence” kids’ day to bring children and parents out to play and enjoy lunch with our community.” Jackson said. “This year’s chair, Ronnie Ruelle announced ‘Super Kids Day’ will be held on Saturday, February 8th from 10am-2pm at the Westfield Center.”

Super Kids can dress up as their favorite superhero or princess and be able to play games and create crafts at various fun stations manned by community groups. There will also be a live production reading nook. Lunch will be served to parents and children at no charge.

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