10/22/25 West Bloomfield Beacon by C & G Newspapers

Site plan updated for Fire Station No. 1

BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Greg Flynn, the chief of the West Bloomfield Fire Department, briefed the township’s Planning Commission Oct.14 on updated plans for Fire Station No. 1.

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to approve the amendments. Lance Stokes, a member of the commission, was not present due to an excused absence.

The plan includes demolishing parts of the building, as well as renovations and additions. The current station was built in the 1970s.

Personnel at Fire Station No.1 will be assigned to other stations in the township during the construction process, which is slated to begin Nov. 1.

The apparatus bays at Fire Station No. 1 are currently too short and narrow to comfortably accommodate the larger trucks, so they will be demolished and rebuilt, with the new bays being taller and wider.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Conspirators sentenced in auto theft crackdown

BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com

TROY — Members of a crime syndicate involved in the theft of hundreds of vehicles in the tri-county area were recently sentenced after their arrests by local law enforcement agencies.

Previously, in May 2024, the state’s Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement team — also known as FORCE — arrested and charged six members of the alleged crime ring for the theft of more than 400 vehicles in southeast Michigan, a value of approximately $8 million.

The suspects targeted new vehicle storage lots at manufacturing facilities, car dealerships, parking lots and individual residences. The stolen vehicles were then sold exponentially below market value on the black market to buyers seeking unregistered vehicles.

The group operated in more than 40 jurisdictions, primarily in Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Washtenaw counties, with other instances in Eaton and Kent counties.

The Troy Police had been investigating the crime ring since August 2023 and partnered with FORCE in early 2024. They were also aided by more than a dozen other police departments, as well as the Oakland County Auto Theft Group and the Macomb County Auto Theft Unit.

The May 2024 arrests included Kevin Lamont Stevenson Jr., 22, of Detroit; Joseph David Doyle, 26, of Onsted; Braylen Jeese Green, 21, of Wixom; Dejhon Trevon Bush, 21, of Detroit; Zamarr Terrell Johnson, 20, of Troy; and Desmond Maurice Wilson, 22, of Detroit.

Each pleaded guilty to conducting a criminal enterprise. Steven was sentenced to 5-20 years in June; Doyle was sentenced to 30 months in December 2024; Johnson was sentenced to 3-20 years in March; Green was sentenced to 3-20 years in August; Bush was sentenced to one year in September 2024; and Wilson was sentenced to 18 months to 20 years in November 2024. Wilson also pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle.

Also in May 2024, 20-year-old Jerry Burton was arrested by Detroit Police, and 22-year-old Omari Roetherford was arrested by the U.S. Marshals. Both are from Detroit, and both were booked/processed by the Troy Police Department.

Burton was sentenced to 91 days in February after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to conduct a criminal enterprise and two counts of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle. Roetherford was sentenced to one year in August 2024 after pleading guilty to one count of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle.

In January, more suspects were arrested, including Davonta Jones, 31; Davion Tucker, 22; Donovan Tucker, 23; and Timothy Bell, 22. All four are from Detroit, and all four have pleaded guilty to conducting a criminal enterprise. Jones was sentenced to 15 months to 20 years; Davion Tucker was sentenced to 30 months to 20 years; Donovan Tucker was sentenced to eight months in jail and three years of probation; and Bell was sentenced to 34 months to 20 years.

“The success of this investigation is a direct result of the FORCE team’s collaboration with the Troy Police Depart-

CRIME WATCH

Debit card fraud

WEST BLOOMFIELD — A 70-year-old West Bloomfield man reported a case of fraud at the West Bloomfield Township Police Department around 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13. The man told officers that five fraudulent charges totaling nearly $1,800 had been found on his One Detroit debit card.

Larceny from store

WEST BLOOMFIELD — A 29-year-old Waterford woman who owns a business in the 4700 block of Haggerty Road told police around 9:45 p.m. Oct. 13 that her employee, 26, allegedly stole products from her business totaling $1,000.

Alleged assault

WEST BLOOMFIELD — A 41-year-old West Bloomfield woman told police that her 38-year-old boyfriend assaulted her around 8:10 p.m. Oct. 13. The couple lives together at a residence in the 3800 block of Lone Pine Road. When police arrived, the man was arrested and transported to the police station, where he was booked and stayed the night. The man was arraigned the next day by video. The magistrate set the bond at $5,000 and the suspect was released from custody.

If you know more about these cases or others, call the West Bloomfield Police Department at (248) 975-9200.

— Gena Johnson

West Bloomfield School District awarded $300,000 energy grant

BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com

WEST BLOOMFIELD — The West Bloomfield School District was recently awarded a state grant to purchase an electric bus.

The amount is $304,741, part of the Michigan Department of Education’s Clean Bus Energy Grant. The program totals $125 million, benefitting 23 schools and districts in Michigan. Of that, $35.9 million is being distributed this year

See ENERGY on page 6A

next edition will come to homes Oct. 29. Stay current by visiting candgnews.com. Meet the inspiration for World War II memorial’s Rosie the Riveter statue

FRANCES MAURO MASTERS IS 103

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — The image of Frances Mauro Masters, 103, of Chesterfield Township, will be immortalized as the symbol of the Greatest Generation’s homefront workers when a bronze statue made in her likeness as a Rosie the Riveter will be added Nov. 11 to the Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial in Royal Oak.

Mauro Masters, better known as “Rosie Fran,” grew up in Detroit during the Great Depression. As one of five children

See ROSIE on page 4A

Photo provided by EGLE

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

“We can do it!” Rosie Fran, 103, does the traditional Rosie the Riveter pose in her Chesterfield Township home Oct. 10.

born to Italian immigrants, she was taught the value of hard work to support not just herself, but her family. When she graduated from high school in 1940, her first priority was to find a job to help support her family.

While working at a local grocery store and taking night courses to learn to use a comptometer, Mauro Masters learned of a job at the Ford Willow Run Bomber Plant.

“I had two brothers in the service, and my future husband, he joined the Marines at 17, and I thought, ‘I want to work to help win the war,’” she said of her reason to apply.

Mauro Masters and her two sisters, Angeline and Josephine, were all hired on the spot for the plant. She said they all worked

in different departments, as they were not allowed to work together.

“Out of the three of us, I was the only riveter. They worked in small parts, but I was the only riveter,” Mauro Masters said. “I worked in small parts for the wing (of B-24 Liberators), on a press, riveting.”

Mauro Masters worked at the plant for the duration of the war. She said her greatest challenge with the position was actually getting to the plant.

She recalled having to take a streetcar from her family’s Detroit home near the city airport to downtown Detroit, and then caught a bus similar to a Greyhound bus that was privately owned by Ford Motor Co. and was sent for the Rosies. She said it took well over an hour for her to get there.

“It took us an hour to get there and an hour to get back, and a lot of us slept on the bus. Thank God for my mother having

• Spacious, pet friendly apartments

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supper ready for us,” she said. “We would just go to work and come home. We didn’t go out because we had to get up early in the morning to go to work. We worked six days, sometimes seven days.”

Mauro Masters said that she worked eight hours a day. She would have to be there at 6 a.m. and said she got up very early to catch the bus, but said she liked it because she was able to go part of the way to work with her father, who worked at Eastern Market.

She said she had very little training when she started working at the plant. The employees had approximately one hour of training and then were on their own.

“No training. No. Just you do it this way and do it that way. When I was on the press, some of the rivets got crooked and you had to drill the rivets out and start over and put new rivets in,” she said. “I never com-

plained, never made a mistake; I just did what they told me to do.”

The position at the plant paid $1 an hour. She said they were given a check each week, which she gave to her mom to help pay for their family house and expenses. She recalled that the house provided shelter for many family members who were in need, as money was hard to come by and they were the only ones that had a house.

“We didn’t keep any allowance,” she said. Her son, John O’Brien, said he only found out about 20 years ago that his mom was a Rosie the Riveter.

“We knew my mom worked at Willow Run, but who cared? You know, as teenagers, who cared? I mean, she worked at Willow Run, ‘Oh, thank you, Ma.’ Because she worked her whole life when we were kids,” O’Brien said.

See ROSIE on page 6A

NEWS & NOTES

New wellness center opens

FARMINGTON HILLS — The Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 6. The new facility is located at 31440 Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills.

Described as the first of its kind in Michigan, the center offers a range of activities and educational programs for those impacted by Parkinson’s Disease. The services are free of charge.

Following its mission statement, “Movement Matters,” the center has programs focused on yoga, tai chi, Pilates and dance, as well as a track for walking or jogging, a boxing therapy zone, a gym for strength training and cardio workouts, and more.

Kroger Marketplace comes to area

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP — The Commerce Township Planning Commission has unanimously approved a Kroger store with a fuel center in the Midtown on Haggerty planned unit development. It will sit on 19 acres on the west side of Haggerty Road, just north of 14 Mile Road.

This Kroger is branded as a “Marketplace” store, featuring more than 100,000 square feet, with amenities such as a children’s clothing and toy departments, small appliances, international foods and more.

Steven Schafer, president and CEO of Schafer Development, described the property as sitting on four corners: Commerce Township, Farmington Hills, Novi and West Bloomfield.

network, I will ensure that your home gets the attention it deserves, attracting the right buyers and acheiving exceptional results. Trust me to guide you through every step of the process, turning your real estate goals into reality. I’d be happy to let you know what your property’s value is. Call me today.

“We are very excited about the project,” Schafer said.

Compiled by Gena Johnson

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Rosie

from page 4A

He said he found out when he and his brother took their mother to Willow Run after seeing an ad in the newspaper that they were opening up the plant to show the planes.

“We were totally shocked when we saw all the crowds, and I said, ‘Ma, are these the planes that you worked on?’ And she said yeah, and some young woman heard that and then she told her friends and they all took my mom and swept her away. I said to my brother, ‘What the heck is going on? What is this big deal?’ Well, as time went on we learned. We recognized that mom built these planes that were used in the war,” O’ Brien said.

Mauro Masters said she doesn’t know why she never told her kids, but she was proud of it. However, she didn’t think it was as important as some things her family members had done during the war, such as her two brothers, one of whom, Salvatore Mauro, was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. However, now she realizes her work during the war was very important.

“Now I always tell my friends when they ask what she did in the war, I say, ‘She killed Hitler,’” O’Brien said.

The job not only enabled her to help with the war effort, but also provided her with a skill that would grow into a career for her. Her first husband died young, at 40, leaving her with three young children. But unlike many other single mothers, Mauro Masters

Energy

from page 3A

to add 87 electric buses and 10 propane buses to vehicle fleets across the state.

“Children and others in their communities benefit from cleaner air,” said Sue Carnell, interim state superintendent, in a written statement.

The Michigan Department of Education has partnered with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy on the eco-friendly initiative.

The effort is part of the MDE’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan and advances toward Goal No. 3, which aims “to improve the health, safety and wellness of all learners,” Carnell said.

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of this program, Michigan now has nearly 900 “clean buses” that will soon be in operation.

“The commitment by state and federal governments to provide schools with more environmentally friendly buses is good for our children, good for our schools, and good

tributes

was able to get a job at the Chrysler plant as a riveter in an era when the factory jobs were a male-dominated profession, thanks to her experience as a Rosie the Riveter.

See ROSIE on page 9A

for our communities,” said Phillip Roos, director of EGLE.

The new buses offer many benefits, chief among them less pollution. This is especially important for school buses, officials say, since the lungs of young children are still developing and may be more susceptible to fumes from diesel exhaust.

“I want all kids to have a safe ride to and from school, so cleaner air for the kids, drivers and the greater community is a victory,” said Katrina Morris, executive director of the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation. “We are grateful for MDE and EGLE for supporting this transition to cleaner school buses.”

Other nearby districts awarded grants include the Ferndale Public Schools, which received $1.078 million for three electric buses, as well as the Southfield Public Schools, which received $3.72 million to purchase 10 electric buses, and the Troy School District, which was awarded $961,330 for two electric buses.

Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Mementos and

are displayed on the wall.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

7A/WEST BLOOMFIELD BEACON • OCTOBER 22, 2025

OCT. 24

Night Hikes on the Farm: Guided stroll with “Folklore Nights” theme, also light snacks and beverages, 6-7:30 p.m., Michigan State University Extension Tollgate Farm and Education Center, 28115 Meadowbrook Road in Novi, programs continue Nov. 21 (“Owl Prowl”), register at canr.msu.edu/tollgate

OCT. 24-26

‘Fiddler on the Roof’: Nicely Theatre Group performs musical about Jewish family battling antisemitism, changing norms and traditions in early 1900s Russia, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26,The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in The J, 6600 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield, nicelytheatregroup.org, (248) 406-6677

OCT. 25

Keego HarBOO: Includes pumpkin giveaway and decorating, haunted tunnel, trick or treat trail, live music by Ultra Violet, activity with West Bloomfield Township Public Library and more, noon-2 p.m., Rose Sortor Park, 2998 Knowlson St. in Keego Harbor, facebook.com/khparks

OCT. 26

Sensory Friendly Trick-or-Treat: Also face painting, sensory tent, crafts and activities, and trackless train rides, costumes optional, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Twelve

Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, 44175 W. 12 Mile Road in Novi, twelvemilecrossing.com

Trick or Treat at Fountain Walk: Includes free treat bag and special gift (while supplies last) and trackless train rides, 1-4 p.m., check in near Emagine Novi at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, 44425 W. 12 Mile Road, twelvemilecrossing.com

NOV. 4

Optimist Club of West Bloomfield meetings: Hear from Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Director of External Affairs Dr. Sheryl Mitchell Theriot about SEMCOG’s impact on West Bloomfield, also discussions about program planning and club updates, 7:15 a.m., All Seasons of West Bloomfield, 5600 Drake Road, schedule continues Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16, facebook.com/westbloomfieldoptimist

NOV. 11

‘Handwriting: Landscape of the Mind’ presentation: Get insights from professional handwriting and document examiner Ruth Holmes, 1-2 p.m., Orchard Lake Museum (home of Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society), 3951 Orchard Lake Road, (248) 757-2451, gwbhs.org

NOV. 16

Holiday Happiness 2025 benefit: Join Optimist Club

To view more Community Calendar and to submit your own event, use the QR code or visit candgnews.com/calendar. To advertise an event, call (586) 498-8000.

of West Bloomfield in supporting West Bloomfield School District families, event includes strolling food and dessert stations, wine, beer and mimosas, magic show, live music, trivia game room, and silent auction, 12:30-3 p.m., All Seasons of West Bloomfield, 5600 Drake Road, facebook.com/westbloomfieldoptimist

ONGOING

‘Worlds Beyond: An Exploration of Imagination’: Works by artists with special needs on display until Nov. 13, Dresener Soul Studio inside Friendship Circle Farber Center, 5586 Drake Road in West Bloomfield, facebook.com/fcmichigan

Witching Hour: Milelong immersive and illuminated forest walks take approximately one hour to complete, start around dusk with final entries around 10 p.m., held Thursdays-Sundays until Nov. 2 with special programming on select nights, also food trucks and seasonal treats, Glenlore Trails, 3860 Newtown Road in Commerce Township, glenloretrails.com, read story at candgnews.com

Hay Ride Central: Held every half hour from 5:30-7 p.m. Fridays in October, then cider and s’mores around campfire afterward, leaves from Farmington Hills Nature Center parking lot in Heritage Park, 24915 Farmington Road, register at mifarmingtonhillsweb.myvscloud.com, call (248) 473-1870 for private group outings

Grand Raven Victorian Book Walk: Listen to recitation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” while traversing streets in victorian/macabre attire, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays in October, starts at Farmington Community Library, 23500 Liberty St. in Farmington, farmlib.org

Game nights: For Sylan Lake residents only, 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Sylvan Lake Community Center, 2456 Pontiac Drive, (248) 682-1440, sylvanlake.org/ community_center

• 5-6:30 p.m. every first and third Wednesdays of month, Commerce Township Community Library, 180 E. Commerce Road, (248) 669-8108, commercetwp. com/library

Farmers markets: Celebrating 20 years of local farmers and artisans, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays until Oct. 29, Casey J. Ambrose Public Safety Campus, 1499 E. West Maple Road in Walled Lake, walledlake.us

• 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May-December and Saturdays from JanuaryApril, also trick-or-treating from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 25, porch pot class from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, and holiday market from 3-7 p.m. Dec. 3, 2350 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township, (248) 858-5495, ocmarket@oakgov.com, oakgov.com/ community/oakland-county-parks/parks-trails/ farmers-market

Meet Beth Danto Borson: West Bloomfield’s luxury home and relocation expert

Meet Beth Danto Borson: West Bloomﬁeld’s luxury home and relocation expert

Experience and expertise are what you want from an expert in any endeavor, and those attributes are critically important in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world of real estate.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a property in the West Bloomfi eld area, the expert you’re looking for is Beth Danto Borson of National Realty Centers. She is available in the National Realty offi ces located in Birmingham, Northville, Clarkston & Ann Arbor.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a property in the West Bloomﬁeld area, the expert you’re looking for is Beth Danto Borson of National Realty Centers. She is available in the National Realty ofﬁces located in Birmingham, Northville, Clarkston & Ann Arbor.

Beth has spent nearly 30 years in business, helping countless clients locate and close on their dream homes. Beth’s marketing expertise helps her clients sell properties at top dollar, typically within 95% of list price. She spent 16 years on the

West Bloomﬁeld Board of education and knows how important customer service is on top of the community market trends and employs all of the technological tools needed to quickly sell a home, or ﬁnd the property her clients are looking for.

West Bloomfi eld Board of education and knows how important customer service is on top of the community market trends and employs all of the technological tools needed to quickly sell a home, or fi nd the property her clients are looking for.

Everything she’s learned and all of her skills are fi ltered through the prism of her experience to list, stage, organize and market a property. Her wealth of experience mitigate the stress of the the inspection and walkthrough to the fi nal closing for each and every one of her clients.

Everything she’s learned and all of her skills are ﬁltered through the prism of her experience to list, stage, organize and market a property. Her wealth of experience helps mitigate the stress of the process from the inspection and walkthrough to the ﬁnal closing for each and every one of her clients.

“I know the area,” said Beth. “I live and work here. I give every client the knowledge to make a good decision when they’re buying or selling a home,

and to make them comfortable with that decision. My experience gives them a competitive edge.”

Her relationships with other agents and trusted contractors make any related project painless and hassle-free.

Beth said the market is still hot in West Bloomﬁeld and its neighboring communities. Demand for available properties remains high and the inventory is low, so having someone on your team with that edge is crucial to not only ﬁnding the right property or buyer, but to closing the best deal on the best available property.

Beth said the market is still hot in West Bloomfi eld and its neighboring communities. Demand for available properties remains high and the inventory is low, so having someone on your team with that edge is crucial to not only finding the right property or buyer, but to closing the best deal on the best available property.

my clients with the most positive real estate experience possible.”

“In this market, you need a Realtor you can trust and one who gives you honest advice,” she said. “I work hard to provide

If you are eying a property or are ready to sell in the West Bloomfield area, Beth Danto Borson is the luxury home and relocation expert you’re looking for. To inquire about listing a property or finding your perfect home in West Bloomfield or the surrounding area, call Beth directly at (248) 535-7888.

If you are eying a property or are ready to sell in the West Bloomfi eld area, Beth Danto Borson is the luxury home and relocation expert you’re looking for. To inquire about listing a property or fi nding your perfect home in West Bloomfi eld or the surrounding area, call Beth directly at (248) 535-7888.

248-535-7888

Fire station

from page 1A

“The past few fire purchases for fire apparatus in that station had to be customized … to accommodate a standard fire truck build,” Flynn said. “We believe it’s our fiscal responsibility (to) keep to the standard build that controls costs.”

The new station will also reflect the changing workforce at the Fire Department.

“We are very proud (that) historically in West Bloomfield, (diversity) has been a mission,” Flynn said. “The station needs to be welcoming to that workforce.”

This includes facilities for women that are comparable in size and function, including the restrooms and locker rooms, as well as individual sleeping quarters.

In addition, there will be public restrooms in the front of the fire station, separated in a secure and locked vestibule. The restrooms will be made available to visitors, many of whom frequent the station during their walks or runs.

The firm working on the project is Partners in Architecture. According to its representative Courteney Gazdik, the new vestibule will be open to the public 24 hours. The rest of the building will remain locked, and the public will not have access. This will allow the firefighters to go on a call, while the building remains secure.

The fitness area will be expanded, along with the IT space. The amendments to the plan also include the removal of one curb cut. The current building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; however, the new building will be. As part

of the renovations the security system will be updated.

Flynn noted that there is a parcel of land on the west side of the property owned by the Oakland County Road Commission, which will be used for landscaping and as part of a plaza commemorating the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Flynn said he and his team have already reached an agreement with the Oakland County Road Commission on how to best develop around the plaza.

The commission was shown renderings of the new station, which were warmly received.

“This is a very handsome building,” said Karmen Santourian, the commission chair.

“I commend you on this project,” said Amy Mindell, the commission secretary. “It is really beautiful.”

Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.

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Reporters: Gena Johnson | (586) 498-1069 | gjohnson@candgnews.com

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Jeannine

| (586) 246-8114 | jbender@candgnews.com Real Estate Advertising: Paula Kaspor | (586) 498-1055 | pkaspor@candgnews.com

For ad rates (586) 498-8100

and Obits: (586) 498-1099

NOTICE OF STATE GENERAL ELECTION

NOVEMBER 4, 2025

CITY OF KEEGO HARBOR

CITY OF ORCHARD LAKE VILLAGE

CITY OF SYLVAN LAKE

TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a State General Election will be held in:

City of Keego Harbor

City of Orchard Lake Village

City of Sylvan Lake

County of Oakland, State of Michigan

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2025

THE POLLS will be open 7 o’clock a.m. until 8 o’clock p.m.

THE POLLING PLACE IS HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

BRAILLE AND AUDIO VERSIONS OF VOTING INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE POLLING PLACE LISTED BELOW:

PCT 1 - Keego Harbor City Hall, 2025 Beechmont, Keego Harbor, MI 48320

PCT 1 - Orchard Lake City Hall, 3955 Orchard Lake Road, Orchard Lake, MI 48323

PCT 1 - Sylvan Lake Community Center, 2456 Pontiac Dr., Sylvan Lake, MI 48320

FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING CANDIDATES FOR THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

LOCAL

Keego Harbor City Council Member

Orchard Lake City Council Members

AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF VOTING ON THE FOLLOWING PROPOSALS:

PROPOSALS (SCHOOL)

West Bloomfield School District Sinking Fund Millage Proposal for residents in Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake

Bloomfield Hills School Building and Site Sinking Fund Millage

School District of the City of Pontiac Building and Site Sinking Fund Millage

Renewal Proposal for residents in the School District of the City of Pontiac

PROPOSALS (LOCAL) Replacement Proposal for residents in Orchard Lake

City of Orchard Lake- May the City vacate and sell a portion

LEFT: West Bloomfield Fire Chief Greg Flynn explains the plan for Fire Station No. 1 during a meeting of the Planning Commission Oct. 14.

ABOVE: The new station will be built with more durable materials and feature renovated apparatus bays, living spaces and more.

Photos provided by the West Bloomfield Fire Department

COMMUNITY BRIEF

Halloween

stroll

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Kids ages 1-10 can dress in costume and go trick-or-treating with their families along the Storybook Trail on Friday, Oct. 24. Participants will meet up at the main branch of the West Bloomfield Public Library, 4600 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield.

The walk starts at the Storytime Terrace and will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Participants must finish collecting their treats by 6 p.m. Those with a residential or student library card for the West Bloomfield Public Library will be given priority when registering. Others may be put on a waitlist. Registration is required and children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, call (248) 232-2290 or email events@wblib.org.

— Gena Johnson

Auto theft

from page 2A

ment and police agencies across Southeast Michigan,” said Dana Nessel, the state attorney general, in a statement. “Together, they devoted countless hours to dismantling a large-scale auto theft ring that harmed communities throughout our state. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and retail partners to hold those who engaged in organized crime accountable, and to protect the safety and security of Michigan’s residents and businesses.”

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Rosie

from page 6A

“It opened up the workforce for women,” O’Brien said.

“It was interesting, very interesting,” she said of her experience.

During the war, the plant produced more than 8,000 planes. Mauro Masters said they made one plane per hour.

She said she got to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he toured the plant. She also noted that Marilyn Monroe and Betty White were also Rosies.

“Marilyn Monroe was a riveter in California. A lot of people didn’t know about that,” Mauro Masters said. “But one of the presidents discovered her, and I said, ‘Well, why didn’t they come and get me?’ That was my joke.”

Bette Kenward, the Michigan director for the American Rosie the Riveter Association, said that Monroe was a Rosie, the collective term for the women who worked on the home front in the factories, but was actually a spray painter.

When the war ended, Mauro Masters said it was announced over the loudspeaker that it would be their last day of work, but they were allowed to finish their shift.

The memorial in Royal Oak at Memorial Park, 31100 Woodward Ave. at 13 Mile Road, is being commissioned in segments as the statues are funded. It will have a statue to represent all the different groups that helped to win the war. Mauro Masters’ likeness will be the second statue. The first is of Joe, a soldier. The memorial is be-

ing placed in the park where a group of trees were grown from acorns that were given to the U.S. by the British as a thank-you for American efforts in winning the war.

“They say the Royal Oaks in England saved the monarchy, so it was kind of a tribute to that,” said Judith Maten, a member of the memorial’s board of directors.

The acorns were nurtured by the Detroit Zoo until they could be planted in the park in an oval shape, and the memorial is designed to fit into the oval.

Maten said that Mauro Masters has been involved in the memorial from the beginning and was a natural choice to be the likeness for the statue.

“She has just been kind of the face of the homefront for us. It’s not that we haven’t had other Rosies involved, but Rosie Fran has always been there,” Maten said.

“The thing that strikes us whenever we talk to the World War II veterans or the homefront workers is their humility — the idea that they would do it all over again if they had to,” She said.

Mauro Masters said that she just likes to work and would gladly take a job even now if it were offered to her.

“I would do it again. I would. I want to work. It’s in my blood, I think,” Mauro Masters said.

The board is still working to raise funds to complete the memorial, which is estimated to cost $2.5 million to $3 million. Each statue costs about $100,000 and the black granite wall costs about $300,000. The memorial board is still raising money for one piece of the plane panel for the Rosie Fran statue. The piece that they still need to commission is expected to cost $30,000. To donate to the memorial, visit michiganww2memorial.org or email John Maten at john.maten@michigan ww2memorial.org.

West Bloomfield Beacon

October 22, 2025

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