10/22/25 C & G Special Edition — Macomb/Grosse Pointes by C & G Newspapers

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

October 22, 2025

candgnews.com

Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers

State house bill would support foster animals

BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com

LANSING — A bipartisan bill proposed by state Rep. Mike McFall aims to provide financial relief for those who foster animals.

If approved by the state Legislature, House Bill 5063 will provide a $50 credit per animal fostered for a minimum of seven days, with another $50 for every 30 additional days of fostering, for up to five animals per year.

The program would begin with the 2026 tax year and adjust the credit annually for inflation. Verification would be required from qualifying nonprofits or municipal shelters.

“I’m a big animal lover, and I follow on social media a lot of rescues and local shelters, and I see constant calls for fosters because they’re overflowing with animals,” said McFall, D-Hazel Park.

House Bill 5063 is co-sponsored by state Rep. Joe Aragona, RClinton Township. It was developed in collaboration with Michigan Humane and aims to shore up support for foster homes.

Proponents say with the cost of living rising, more people are being forced to choose between paying their bills and keeping their pets, increasing the need for foster families.

In addition, there are situations where people are temporarily unable to care for their pets due to medical emergencies, domestic violence or other circumstances.

In such cases, many have sought relief through Michigan Humane’s Safety Net program, which finds foster homes for pets until their owners are ready to home them again.

The demand for the program has been high. In the first half of 2025, Michigan Humane’s program received 441 inquiries about the service. But due to the limited availability of homes able to accept animals on short notice, only 42 pets from 21 families were fostered.

“There are two angles here,” McFall said. “We’re trying to help relieve some of the foster needs for shelters and rescues, but also there’s a huge need for temporary fosters for people who still want their animal, but they need someone to take care of it briefly for them.

“I’m sure families would much rather keep the pet while using

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 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

See MAURO on page 6A

TOP: Fran Mauro Masters, 103, aka “Rosie Fran,” pictured here at her Chesterfield Township home Oct. 10, worked as a riveter in the Ford Willow Run Bomber Plant in Ypsilanti during World War II. BOTTOM: Mementos and tributes are displayed on the wall.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

‘It’s been a year today that I

BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com

WARREN — On the one-year anniversary of their deaths, family members of Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis gathered at the corner of Schoenherr Road and Prospect Avenue in Warren, holding red and

have not seen my son’

FAMILIES HOLD VIGIL FOR VICTIMS ON ANNIVERSARY OF FATAL CRASH

blue balloons and praying.

“We’re Detroit fans, we always loved the blue. My son loved the color red. We

Shirley Glass Terrace opens, showcases culinary arts students

‘SHE HAD A HEART OF GOLD’

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Macomb Community College accounting professor Shirley Glass was an instructor at the school for 55 years, encouraging her students to strive for their personal best and also mentoring her colleagues when needed.

Outside the classroom, the avid art collector could often be found at local art fairs, visiting the Detroit Institute of Arts, or taking in a performance at the Detroit Opera House.

Glass died in 2021. She was 78 and her legacy lives on. Glass, who taught more than 600 classes from 1966 to 2021, gifted MCC her estate by making

See GLASS on page 9A

did a mixture of that together,” said Cedric Hayden Sr., Cedric Hayden Jr.’s father.

Former Warren police officer James

Burke was driving a police SUV, allegedly without emergency lights and sirens at speeds of more than 110 mph, on Schoenherr in Warren at around 5 a.m. Sept. 30, 2024, when he hit a white Dodge Durango that was attempting to turn left onto Prospect. The Durango’s driver, Hayden Jr., 34,

LEFT: Friends and family members of Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis release balloons during a vigil held in Warren on the one-year anniversary of the crash that killed them.

RIGHT: Cedric Hayden Sr. bows his head in prayer during a vigil for his son, Cedric Hayden Jr., and his friend DeJuan Pettis on Sept. 30, the one-year anniversary of their deaths.

Photos by Brian Wells

See VIGIL on page 5A

Photos provided by Macomb Community College Pictured from left to right, Macomb Community College President James O. Sawyer IV; Libby Argiri, the college’s executive vice president of administration; Brian Newman, an accounting professor; Mike Balsamo, dean of business, information technology and culinary; and Monique Beauchamp, a marketing professor drink a toast in honor of longtime MCC accounting professor Shirley Glass, pictured left, after whom the school’s new outdoor terrace is named.

a temporary shelter until they get back on their feet,” he said. “To them, their animals are part of the family.”

Supporters of the bill say that by providing a tax credit to make fostering more affordable, more homes will be able to open their doors to those in need.

“Michigan Humane often refers to our foster caregivers as ‘in-home heroes,’ because that is truly what they are. The difference they make in each individual animal’s life is immeasurable,” said Laura Kniffen, foster program manager for Michigan Humane, via email. “They provide much needed relief to staff when our shelters are overrun with animals, especially during kitten season.”

She said that keeping animals in a home environment lowers their stress, improves their health and helps socialize them. It also reveals their true personalities — valuable information that helps Michigan Humane find them the right home.

In cases where a pet already has a home and is waiting to be reunited with their owner, foster families ensure the pet is not lost forever.

“They do this by taking the owned pet into their homes, caring for them and loving them as their own until the owner is ready to reunite with them,” Kniffen said. “The need for this program is vast, especially with the current housing crisis.”

While Michigan Humane tries to provide its foster families with supplies, there are still costs involved, such as traveling to and from veterinary appointments. That’s where the tax credit from House Bill 5063 makes a difference.

“The proposed bill would be a way to make (foster families) feel appreciated by recognizing that the work they do is valued,” Kniffen said.

Mike Webb — the mayor of Hazel Park who worked alongside McFall on the Hazel Park City Council when McFall was a member — said that he’s heartened to see his former colleague continuing to help the community.

“(McFall) has a big heart,” Webb said. “He goes the extra mile to make sure people are taken care of, and that’s what good leaders do. He’s creating opportunities for people to take care of their loved ones, and that includes their pets.”

Photo provided by Brooke Hartsuff

Aragona

from page 3A

and its passenger, Pettis, 33, were both killed. Burke and the officer he was with sustained serious injuries.

Cedric Hayden Sr. said the last time he saw his son, he was sitting on the front porch talking to Pettis about an upcoming Lions game. Standing at the corner where the crash occurred, he said he can still see it in his mind.

“I visualize the whole thing, from the time I got the phone call until the time I (saw) them laying out there,” he said. “I see it every day, all day long. It hurts. It hurts very bad.”

Charisse Brown, Pettis’ mother, was comforted by friends and family as she was overcome with grief, saying she needs justice for her son.

“I need my son,” she said. “I love my son. I miss my son. It’s been a year today that I have not seen my son. It hurts to lose your loved one this way.”

James Harrington, an attorney with Fieger Law who is representing the families in a lawsuit they filed against the city, said the turnout shows how much the men were loved.

“They were children. They were fathers. They were brothers,” Harrington said. “They were friends, they were cousins, and they are missed so incredibly much, and it’s brought this family even closer together.”

Burke is facing two counts of manslaughter with a motor vehicle, a 15-year felony; one count of committing a moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function, a 93-day misdemeanor; and willful neglect of duty by a public officer, a one-year misdemeanor. He was bound over for trial at the conclusion of his preliminary exam hearing Aug. 15 and is scheduled to appear in Macomb County Circuit Court for a pretrial conference later this month.

Cedric Hayden Sr. said the amount of people at the vigil reminded him that his son was well-loved.

“My son was well-loved,” he said. “He was well-loved by a lot of friends, family everywhere.”

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 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

complained, 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.

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 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.

“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.

See

Mauro

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 being 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.

Event is a sweet treat for the tots

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores, invites families to bring their young children to its annual Little Goblins event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 25. The non-scary event on the estate grounds is ideal for toddlers and preschoolers and will include hayrides, candy, lawn games, a straw maze and more. Youngsters are invited to dress up in their Halloween costumes. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit fordhouse.org/events/little-goblins.

WSO brings ‘Halloween Harmonies’

WARREN — Under the direction of Music Director Andrew Neer, the Warren Symphony Orchestra will launch its 52nd concert season with its “Halloween Harmonies” from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 26. The performance will be held at the Warren Woods Middle School Auditorium, 13400 12 Mile Road. Under Music Director Andrew Neer, the talented musicians will perform “Mars from The Planets” by Gustav Holst, “Isle of the Dead” by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” by John Williams. Joyce Russell is the orchestra’s executive director. For ticket prices, go to warrensymphonyorchestra.org or call the orchestra’s offices at (586) 754-2950. Admission for students K-12 with a parent, first responders and veterans are always free.

Samaritan House food pantry in need of donations

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The food pantry at Samaritan House is starting to collect items for Thanksgiving. The food pantry is looking for donations to help the 200 families it anticipates requiring assistance. Donations of cereal, pancake mix, canned tuna, SpaghettiOs, tomato soup, tampons, Italian dressing, ranch dressing, diced tomatoes, Tuna Helper, vegetable soup, paper towels and toilet paper are needed through October.

Every Thanksgiving box contains all the food needed to provide a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, along with a $25 gift card to purchase meat of their choice. Organizers are collecting $25 Meijer or Kroger gift cards to support efforts, and they can be dropped off during normal business hours now through Nov. 2. Donations of stuffing mix, canned pumpkin, turkey gravy in packets or cans, canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, brownie mix and pie crust mix are needed for October and November.

All donations can be dropped off at Samaritan House, 62324 Van Dyke Ave. in Washington Township, during business hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. There are also donation bins at the rear of the building that can be used anytime.

SCHOOL’

MACOMB COUNTY — For the 10th straight year, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency recognized Macomb Community College as a certified VeteranFriendly School, awarding the college gold-level recognition for the 2025-26 school year.

The VFS program was created by MVAA to recognize colleges and universities across Michigan that demonstrate a commitment to supporting veterans, active-duty service members and their families in utilizing their GI Bill and navigating other educational resources. Colleges can earn gold, silver and bronze level status.

To earn gold-level status, an institution must meet six of MVAA’s seven judging criteria. They are: an established process for identification of current student veterans; veteran-specific website; active student veteran organization or club; veteran-specific career services, resources, advising, and/or outcome monitoring; on-campus veterans’ coordinator and/or designated staff point of contact; system to evaluate and award academic credit based on prior military training and experience; and monitoring and evaluation of student veteran academic retention, progress and graduation rates.

MVAA is a state government agency operating under the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. It serves as the central coordinating point for Michigan veterans, connecting those who have served in the U.S. armed forces and their families to services and benefits throughout the state.

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a $3.2 million donation. A portion of the donation was used toward the Shirley Glass Terrace. According to a college press release, that marked the largest individual contribution in the school’s history. The donation was put toward constructing a new outdoor dining area at Center Campus called the Shirley Glass Terrace. The new space honors the longtime educator.

“While up-to-date resources, technology and facilities are vital to supporting the work of Macomb Community College, it’s the people of the college that truly make a difference in the lives of our students, residents and community,” MCC President James O. Sawyer IV said in a prepared statement. “Shirley Glass is a shining example. She was wholeheartedly committed to her students, to her colleagues and to the critical role Macomb plays now and in the future of Macomb County.”

The Shirley Glass Terrace is part of a major renovation located adjacent to the Macomb Culinary Institute’s teaching restaurant, the Monarque. The Shirley Glass

Terrace and the Monarque are in the final stages of preparation and inspections, and will open soon.

As part of the reimagining of the teaching restaurant, culinary arts, pastry arts and hospitality management students could submit suggestions for a new name to replace Center Stage. The winning entry, Monarque, was submitted by Christina Thompson, a pastry arts student who graduates in December. The Mount Clemens resident won a $250 Macomb scholarship.

The Monarque teaching restaurant includes an expanded and modernized dining area, a new open-concept kitchen, a fully functional beverage service and training bar, and a formal entrance. The goal of the renovation is to better simulate real-world industry conditions and provide Macomb’s students with hands-on professional learning experiences and the community with firstclass dining experiences.

According to the press release, Glass was instrumental in developing and expanding the accounting program at MCC. Accounting professor Brian Newman was the executor of Glass’s estate. He first met Glass in 2014 when he was hired at the college.

“She welcomed me on the first day like

a family member. Shirley was a very kind and generous individual. She had a heart of gold. If you had any questions, people looked to her to see what we were supposed to do,” Newman said. “She loved to go out to eat with good food and frequented the Culinary Arts Department. It just shows the love she had for the college, the institution and the students. This is a final tribute to her legacy.

“It’s an extension of the culinary program. These are students that are doing all the work,” Newman said. “I got a sneak peek. It’s gorgeous. Everything is beautiful. It’s really like a hidden gem of the college. The culinary faculty does a phenomenal job.”

Mike Balsamo, dean of business, information technology and culinary at MCC, said the terrace brings together Glass’s three greatest passions: education, food and community. The culinary arts students take a number of courses that include culinary techniques, sanitation, table service, baking, wine appreciation, artisan and special breads, and much more.

“A lot of students are ready for employment at local places. A lot of them work in country clubs,” Balsamo said. “A lot of them want to go into catering. With younger stu-

dents, they want to be entrepreneurs. They want to own food trucks or open up a bake shop on their own.”

One class Balsamo has observed firsthand is plated desserts.

“You can really see the creativity of the students. There is a little bit of an artistic component,” he said. “The challenge is not just to bake but the presentation is very important.”

Balsamo worked with Glass for about five years.

“She had a big, booming teacher’s voice and was always very approachable,” he said. “She liked to have the students work together. She was big on tutoring so she could spend time with students who needed help. She was always a great colleague.”

Ukrainian National Women’s League of America turns 100

CELEBRATION WILL BE OCT. 26

WARREN — In 1925, a group of women formed the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America.

Early on, its goal was to inform others about events in Ukraine, spiritually and materially support the homeland, and promote the preservation of Ukrainian national identity in the U.S. According to member Natalie Marz, UNWLA is located in 16 states with 67 branches with 1,700 members.

The group will celebrate its 100-year anniversary with a luncheon, fashion show and music at 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, located at 26601 Ryan Road. The centennial will mark their achievements and ongoing endeavors. The Detroit Region, which came together in 1935, also is celebrating its 90-year anniversary. Oksanna Grudz is the regional president.

Since 2022, the members have raised $100,000 for various causes, including therapy for children traumatized by the war in Ukraine, generators, supplies and support for female Ukrainian soldiers, and the Babusi Fund to assist the elderly women of Ukraine.

UNWLA not only assists with Ukrainian causes but has financially supported relief efforts after natural disasters in the U.S. including the floods and fires in California and Arkansas.

For ticket information to the Oct. 26 celebration, contact Natalie Marz at (248) 8216100.

— Maria Allard