candgnews.com NOVEMBER 23, 2023 Vol. 42, No. 25
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SANTA TO DEBUT SNAZZY NEW RIDE IN THIS YEAR’S PARADE BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
CITY/FARMS — Here comes Santa Claus — on a brand-new sleigh that will usher him into the Grosse Pointes at the start of the holiday season. The sleigh was still under construction at press time, but Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Boettcher said the sleigh will make its debut in the 47th annual Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade, which will take place in the Hill and The Village the morning of Nov. 24.
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
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See PARADE on page 26A
ABOVE: From left, Prop Art Studio owner Michael Stapleton, Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Boettcher and GPCC Membership & Event Coordinator Abigail Turnbull check out Santa’s new sleigh as it’s being built. RIGHT: Santa’s new sleigh — seen here in the process of being created at Prop Art Studio in Detroit — will make its debut in the Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade this year. Photos provided by the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce
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PARK — In another hotly contested local election cycle, Grosse Pointe Park voters chose to retain Mayor Michele Hodges and named two newcomers to the City Council. They also just said no to marijuana — marijuana businesses, that is. Hodges — who was first elected to the City Council in 2019 and was elected mayor in 2021 — will serve another two years as the city’s top elected official. City Councilwoman Christine Gallagher, who was elected to the council in 2021, was unsuccessful in her bid to oust Hodges, who received 58.23% of the vote to Gallagher’s 41.77%. Gallagher, whose council term runs until 2025, will continue to serve in that capacity. “To know that the community believes in me and I’m now empowered to continue the positive momentum we have underway was a positive feeling,” Hodges said. Hodges said she wants to focus on making sure the Park Public Safety Department has the resources it needs, addressing the Trombly School building issue, continuing the process of professionalizing the city, rebuilding trust with residents and holding people accountable. “It’s imperative that we commit to the truth and work togeth-
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