3/27/24 C & G Special Edition — Macomb/Grosse Pointes

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

Investigation underway at site of massive fire

RUBBLE EXCAVATION EXPECTED EARLY APRIL

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The on-site investigation into the March 4 fire at a Clinton Township business has begun, according to township officials.

While the rubble at the site of what was Select Distributors and the Goo Smoke Shop will not be cleared until early April, experts are being brought in to assess the scene on behalf of government agencies, the building’s owners and surrounding businesses, according to Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan.

Investigators still do not have a

Livernois announces his retirement from WCS

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

WARREN/STERLING HEIGHTS — After 36 years in education, Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert Livernois has decided to retire.

Livernois

On March 7, the district issued a press release announcing his retirement, effective Aug. 30, 2024.

Livernois, 57, also sent a letter to district families informing them of his retirement.

“My journey with WCS has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding,” he said. “As I reflect on my time here, I am filled with a deep sense of appreciation for the relationships I have formed. It has been an honor to serve as your superintendent, and I remain proud that my own children attended our schools and have grown up to be very successful adults.

“While I am excited about this new chapter in my life, I will certainly miss the camaraderie and collaboration that has defined our district,” he added. “I have no doubt that the culture of respect that we have built will continue, and I am confident that WCS will remain strong, especially since we have an extraordinary Board of Education.”

See LIVERNOIS on page 8A

File photo by Deb Jacques

“My journey with WCS has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding,” retiring Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert Livernois said.

Debris litters the area near 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway in Clinton Township on March 5, the morning after an explosive fire at Select Distributors.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

See FIRE on page 7A

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Trusted Protection During Unpredictable Weather

Call or go online today for more information

Trusted Protection During Unpredictable Weather

The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless. Think about it, you’ll have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most. It’s time to get serious about preparing your home.

Trusted Protection During Unpredictable Weather

The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless. Think about it, you’ll have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most. It’s time to get serious about preparing your home.

Call or go online today for more information

Call or go online today for more information

The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless. Think about it, you’ll have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most. It’s time to get serious about preparing your home. Make

Call or go online today for more information

EISENHOWER BOWLER REWRITES PAST STRUGGLES TO WIN D1 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — If you would have polled various bowling coaches throughout Macomb, Wayne and Oakland Counties prior to this season and asked them, “Who’s the top bowler in the class of 2025,” it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Utica Eisenhower junior Dylan Harnden was mentioned multiple times.

A state qualifier his sophomore year as the No. 1 seed from the qualifying block, a member of the United States

A ramp along M-59 is closed due to southbound M-53 being under construction between M-59 and 18 Mile Road. Michigan Department of Transportation officials say southbound M-53 between M-59 and 18 Mile is expected to be closed until around Memorial Day, and northbound M-53 between M-59 and 18 Mile is expected to also close for construction later this year.

Bowling Congress Junior Team USA, and titles in both the Midwest Scratch Bowling Series and the Michigan Junior Masters Association, Harnden’s bowling resume can be stacked up with the best around.

The only thing missing was a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state championship.

As a freshman, Harnden was a member of the Utica

MDOT rolls out expectations for M-53 work

BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — Closing parts of M-53 throughout this year’s construction season might mean detours or fewer open lanes, but it will extend the highway’s lifespan for years to come, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

MDOT said it shut down southbound M-53 between M-59/Hall Road to 18 Mile Road March 4 for road repairs and bridge work. As a result, the ramps connecting to southbound M-53 are blocked off as well.

During a March 12 virtual meeting, MDOT construction engineer Adam Wayne said that portion of M-53 — within Sterling Heights and Utica — will get an asphalt overlay. Nine bridge areas in that stretch will also get attention, he said. MDOT assistant construction engineer Kimberly McClain said the department expects the southbound work to last around three months and end around Memorial Day. Later in the summer, perhaps around Labor Day, northbound

See M-53 on page 6A

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Utica Eisenhower junior Dylan Harnden and his father, Mark Harnden, Eisenhower boys bowling head coach, celebrate Dylan’s MHSAA Division 1 individual state title March 2 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park.

Photo provided by Mark Harnden

“It was hard for us to know we worked so hard all season,” South junior goaltender Rosie Smith said. “We worked hard all season to have that outcome. We tried our best, but it still wasn’t good enough. You know Liggett and we’re both from Grosse Pointe, so they flaunted it in our faces.”

LEFT: Grosse Pointe South senior Anne Wayman tries to pass the puck up while defended by Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior Sofie Ancona.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Safety protection key to viewing solar eclipse

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — A near total solar eclipse doesn’t occur often, but when it does happen there are safety precautions people must take to prevent eye damage and behold its true beauty.

Bob Trembley, president of the Warren Astronomical Society, said a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun.

“There can be a partial eclipse. You’ll just see a bite taken out of it and it’ll look like a crescent, a crescent moon almost, but crescent sun,” Trembley said. “But if you’re in the right spot at the right time, the moon can cover the entire face of the sun.”

A solar eclipse will occur in parts of the continental United States on April 8. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s website, a partial eclipse will start in Cleveland, Ohio at around 1:59 p.m. EDT. Totality will begin at around 3:13 p.m. and totality will end at around 3:16 p.m.

What does that mean for Michigan?

Micheal Narlock, head of astronomy at Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, said that people here in the metro area of Michigan will experience a 98% solar eclipse.

“If you stay in the metro area, you’re going to be in for quite a treat,” Narlock said. “Because the sun is going to be covered by the moon, not totally, but about as close to total you can get without it actually being total.”

The last total solar eclipse in Michigan was in 1954 and there won’t be another total eclipse in the area until 2099. The last total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. was in 2017.

Jon Blum, a member of the Warren Astronomical Society, said if a person would like to see a full eclipse, they would have to travel to a place along the eclipse path.

“There’s a line that goes across the country from Texas through a couple of other states and goes through Indiana and Ohio out to Maine,” Blum said. “If you Google eclipse path online, you’ll see what the line is.”

Blum said a total eclipse hits the continental U.S. every 10 or 20 years. Blum said there is no set number of years, however, and that when a solar eclipse occurs varies from time to time.

A NASA frequently asked questions post from 2017 states that solar eclipses of all kinds occur two to three times a year with two total eclipses occurring every three years.

During a total solar eclipse, Trembley said people can experience a temperature drop, the sounds of a few night time animals as well as the Belt of Venus, an atmospheric phenomenon visible shortly before sunrise or sunset.

“You’ll see that 360 degrees around you, not just in the direction of the sun,” Trembley said. “It’s very strange.”

Narlock said if you look at the sun unprotected, permanent eye damage can occur. People should use filtered glasses that cut down the intensity of the sun’s rays.

“You’ll still be able to see the sun, it will look like a yellow white disk through your glasses, but you won’t be able to see much of anything else. That’s how much we have to cut down the light,” Narlock said.

He also said there are special filters for telescopes that can see only one wavelength of light.

During an eclipse people are more likely to

astronomy since he was 6.

stare at the sun, Blum said. It’s also easier to stare at the sun because the moon covers it, making it dimmer.

“On a normal day, on a sunny day, if you try to stare at the sun you’d say, ‘Oh, that’s awful bright,’ and you’d look away,” Blum said. “But on an eclipse the sun is partly covered by the moon so it’s not so bright. So it doesn’t bother you

See ECLIPSE on page 7A

ABOVE: Ken Bertin poses with his telescope he uses to view solar eclipses. He is 77 years old and has loved

LEFT: This image of a solar eclipse was taken by Bertin.

Photos provided by Ken Bertin

M-53

from page 3A

M-53 between 18 Mile and M-59 will close, and officials expect that work to last until around November.

To promote walkability and pedestrian safety, MDOT is also planning to add some new sidewalks and walkable pathways near M-53.

The Clinton River Road bridge that goes over M-53 will have its deck surface replaced, and part of that project will involve making it more traversable for pedestrians.

“Right now, it’s just a two-lane roadway with the bridge barriers,” Wayne explained. “We’re working with the city of Sterling Heights to actually provide a protective pedestrian walkway across that bridge so then pedestrians can be able to safely access the east and west sides over M-53, which leads into the Clinton River Road sidewalk.

“Part of the project, working with our local partners, is providing that sidewalk connection from 19 Mile across M-53 to Henry Ford II High School.”

MDOT said it expects the Clinton River Road work at M-53 to last around three months, from roughly late May to late August. During construction, that part of the road will be closed, McClain said.

In addition, MDOT will address sidewalk issues along M-59 by M-53, Wayne said.

“Right now, the sidewalk stops just west of M-53,” he said. “We’re filling in that gap, providing a crossing at the ramp and then accessing the sidewalk at the bridge.”

Closures and detours expected

Currently, while the southbound strip of M-53 is closed, MDOT established a detour route from westbound M-59 to southbound Mound Road, then to eastbound 18 Mile Road and finally to southbound M-53.

MDOT added that it would close northbound M-53 once construction begins there. In addition, the department said it will maintain but restrict vehicular traffic on other intersecting paths as needed, including 19 Mile Road, Canal Road and Utica Road.

“We can also expect some intermittent lane closures and traffic flagging on local roads on M-53 during this construction,” McClain said.

Detour routes will also be established for northbound M-53 and the nearby sidewalks — to avoid overhead bridge construction — once those projects take place, McClain said.

MDOT eyes M-53 work elsewhere

Wayne said significant M-53 work will happen in two additional spots this year. Crews will apply an asphalt overlay on the interchange ramps connecting M-53 to 23 Mile Road in Shelby Township. The ramps will be closed during off-peak hours, McClain said.

And work is scheduled to take place at a bridge along M-53 over Big Beaver Creek, just south of 14 Mile Road in Warren, sometime between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Wayne said.

“We will expect lane closures during that work,” he said, regarding the Warren project.

Wayne estimated the total cost of completing M-53 within Sterling Heights, Utica, Shelby Township and Warren at around $16.5 million. He explained that repairs should extend the bridges’ lives by around 10-20 years, and the asphalt overlay should extend the road’s life by around five to 10 years.

He said that while the road repairs aren’t a long-term fix, it’s a way to keep M-53 functioning while having limited funding.

“This type of project is intended to maintain and extend the roadway and bridge infrastructure within the limits, where we can plan longer term for when we do have to have a full reconstruction,” Wayne said.

Wayne said the construction work will “generally be during daytime hours” in Sterling Heights, and crews will generally work 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Should factors — like heat negatively affecting wet concrete — require crews to work at night, MDOT will work with municipalities to get a noise ordinance waiver, he said.

McClain said those who want up-todate lane closure details may visit michigan. gov/drive. Learn more about MDOT by visiting michigan.gov/mdot.

CANDGNEWS.COM

Fire

from page 1A

clear understanding of what caused the fire.

At a press conference on March 8, township officials outlined their approach to investigating the blaze.

“There’s a process and a scientific procedure that we follow in fire investigation, and this team that’s being assembled will focus on getting that right,” said Fire Marshal Chuck Champagne of the Clinton Township Fire Department.

Lingering fires and the dangers presented by unexploded nitrous oxide tanks in the rubble delayed the physical investigation for over a week while interviews and other aspects of the investigation began on the night of the inferno. The investigative team will include the Clinton Township fire and police departments, the Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Private investigators are involved as well. Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon said the Major Crimes

Eclipse

from page 5A

to look at the sun if you think, ‘Well, OK, I can just stare at the sun.’”

Holding a colander up to the sun to see the shadow of the eclipse is a way to indirectly view it, Narlock said.

“The little holes in the colander will create essentially a little projection of the eclipse as it happens,” Narlock said. “People have also gone under a big tree and looked at the sunlight that comes through the leaves.”

Eye damage can still occur even when the sun is 98% covered like it will be in the metro area.

“Even if there is 1% of the sun showing, it’s still as bright as the entire sun, so you can blind yourself, so you have to have either solar glasses or telescopes or binoculars, or whatever, with appropriate solar filtering,” Trembley said.

Regular sunglasses will not do when viewing an eclipse and they will damage the eyes significantly, Narlock said.

Trembley said NASA’s “Solar System Ambassadors” have been shipping out solar glasses. Both Trembley and his wife are ambassadors. Libraries are also good places to check as well. Narlock said Cranbrook is selling the glasses and he also saw his optometrist selling them.

Both Trembley and Narlock warned people to be wary of solar glasses sold on-

Unit of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is on standby for this case.

“It’s not time yet, it’s not time, but (Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido) stands ready,” Cannon said. “At the top of his list are three people who are going to help Clinton Township PD.”

Even with the investigation far from finished, it is not hard to see charges and court proceedings looming. The fire that broke out after 9 p.m. on March 4 turned explosive, likely due to the butane and nitrous oxide tanks that were reportedly in a building ill-suited for hazardous storage. Previous inspections of the site showed no presence of hazardous materials.

“The zoning is irrelevant to the storage of items in a building,” said Barry Miller, Clinton Township building department superintendent. “There’s three levels of storage you can have in buildings. It’s S1, S2 and then hazard. … At the time of inspection, they only had things that would have qualified well under the S1 category. Once they started bringing in materials that we’re seeing laying around, they would have clearly

line. These glasses could not have the right lenses or the lenses could already have damage such as scratches.

Narlock said solar eclipses are not something to goof around with.

“If you have children that are going to be looking directly at it, make sure that they’re wearing approved solar eclipse glasses that aren’t scratched. Make sure they don’t take them off their face while they’re looking at the sun,” Narlock said. “Because it just takes a moment and they could really damage their eyes.”

Solar eclipse viewing events are occurring all over at local parks and other venues.

Cranbrook is also holding an eclipse viewing event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trembley said to find an event near you, visit the NASA Night Sky Network at nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov.

“It’s a NASA program where they join up with astronomy clubs across the country and they post information on the clubs and events that the clubs are holding,” Trembley said.

He also said NASA Solar System Ambassadors will be hosting or attending events.

A full directory of ambassadors can be found online by searching NASA Solar System Ambassadors.

You can check your local library’s website as well as city websites for further events.

Call Staff Writer Alyssa Ochss at (586) 498-1103.

went into the (hazard) category. The building would have had to be built completely differently.”

The explosive materials damaged surrounding businesses and emergency vehicles, injured one Clinton Township Firefighter and killed 19-year-old Clinton Township resident Turner Salter, who was witnessing the fire from about half a mile away.

Debris from the fire was sent all over the surrounding area. Teams from the Environmental Protection Agency have been sent in to clean up a target area covering a 2-mile radius around the building. The work of EPA personnel has since tightened to the immediate surroundings of the building, including the railways to the west. Initial concerns of air and water contamination were ruled out by the Macomb County

Emergency Management hazardous materials team.

“There was a determination made early on that there was no concern as far as anything toxic in the air, so that was eliminated as a problem for residents in the surrounding area,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said on March 5. “People were wondering if there was anything leaking into the water systems or anything; that (kind of contamination is) just not feasible, so that was not a concern, either.”

Township officials have stressed that debris and souvenirs around the site should not be picked up. Unexploded canisters could explode if heated and debris can be sharp. Any debris found can be reported to the Macomb County dispatch center at (586) 469-5502.

Hockey

from page 4A

The Blue Devils had Liggett in their sights all season, suffering two one-goal losses and forcing a tie during the regular season.

South wasn’t playing on its heels like it used to against the Knights, so when the two teams met up in the Michigan Girls High School Hockey League Division 1 state championship on March 9 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, South was ready for its moment in the spotlight.

With a goal from South senior forward Maeve Hix three minutes into the third period, South earned its revenge over Liggett in a 1-0 victory in the state finals, snapping Liggett’s streak of three consecutive state titles.

“I just felt very excited, and hearing the crowd cheer really put it all together,” Hix said.

With last season’s loss in mind, the Blue Devils were sure to soak in every ounce of the moment they could.

“They had no problem cheering on and on and making Liggett wait on the blue line forever,” South head coach Alexis Bohlinger said. “It felt like they were standing there for hours, and they had no problem making them wait and watch the whole thing.”

The Grosse Pointe matchup featured an array of all-state talent including South senior Anne Wayman, a first team all-state honoree, and Liggett’s Sofie Ancona, who was named Miss Hockey for the 2023-2024 season.

All of the MGHSHL knows what each of the forwards brings to the table as the leading scorers for their respective squads, and both coaches knew exactly how to game-plan heading into the state finals.

“I think both sets of coaches made sure to cover the best goal scorer on each team,” Bohlinger said. “Our leading goal scorer, Anne Wayman, when she got the puck, she had to dump it right away because someone was right on her. We did the same thing in the other direction to Sofie (Ancona). We stuck someone to her the whole game. You shoot down the leading scorer and everyone else is trying to do the work in the open parts of the ice.”

But a state finals game doesn’t enter the third period tied at zero without stellar goaltender play from both sides as Smith, a first team all-state honoree, went head-to-head with Liggett senior Brooklyn Peshl, a second team all-state honoree.

While each team’s defensive unit was impressive all night, Smith and Peshl made the saves when they needed to, keeping their teams in the game all night.

After two consecutive scoreless periods, a Liggett penalty put South on the power play early in the third period. As a Liggett player went to clear the puck into South territory, Hix intercepted the puck and fired a shot over Peshl’s shoulder for the game-deciding goal.

South last won a state title in 2018 prior to practically running the 2000s era, winning seven titles from 2000 to 2010.

The Blue Devils will lose a senior class loaded with talent and leadership, but they’re departing with their heads held high and a state title to their resume.

“I think we came out and gave it our all realizing that this is it,” Smith said. “Our seniors have been working at this for three years and have lost every single time. This is the year we could finally do it and finally beat them.”

Livernois

from page 1A

Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education President Susan Trombley described Livernois as “an incredibly stable force in our community.”

In the news release, she commended his leadership through several challenges, including the 2008 recession, declines in state funding, facility reconfigurations, curriculum and technology infrastructure upgrades, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is difficult to quantify what he has meant to our district given his steadfast devotion to the students, staff, and the community at large,” Trombley said.

Livernois didn’t plan on becoming an educator. When he graduated from South Lake High School in 1984, he enrolled in college as an economics major and took a side job as a tutor to earn money.

When a family friend noticed how well he related to the students he was tutoring, it was suggested that he consider becoming a teacher. The idea stuck, and soon Livernois switched majors to pursue education.

In 1988, he started out in the classroom as a substitute teacher. His first teaching position was at a school in which he was very familiar: his alma mater, South Lake High School, in St. Clair Shores.

At South Lake, Livernois taught English, speech and drama for 10 years. While he loved the classroom, he also had the desire to work in administration. By 1998, he was impacting students in a different way — as the assistant principal at Warren Woods Tower High School.

Livernois eventually became principal at the high school and then moved on to become the director of curriculum for Warren Woods Public Schools. In 2005, he became the district’s top administrator when he was

appointed superintendent. Three years later, in 2008, the longtime educator was named superintendent of the Warren Consolidated Schools district.

Livernois said in his retirement he will pursue education consulting and continue teaching part time at the university level while spending more time with his wife, Jeanne, and their family.

“Part of the reason I want to retire and move on is I want to have the opportunity to pay it forward (with) a lot of what I’ve learned in the profession,” he said in a follow-up interview.

As a veteran superintendent, Livernois would like to share his knowledge with administrators just starting out.

He said the most challenging part of being the Warren Consolidated Schools superintendent was that “the rules for how we operate are constantly changing by the state or federal government.”

“The policymakers are constantly changing funding, what we’re supposed to be teaching in school,” he said, adding it is sometimes “a political football.”

He’s proud, however, that the district continued the learning process for students despite some of the challenges.

“On the student front, I’m so proud of how many opportunities we have been able to maintain and grow for our kids,” he said. “Despite all the obstacles, whether it’s funding, the (COVID-19) pandemic, we didn’t cut fine arts, every student has a computer.”

He is also grateful for the dedicated staff members.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented people who have carried the load of educating kids,” he said. “It’s been an extraordinary, fulfilling career.”

The Board of Education plans meet to discuss the process for hiring a new superintendent.

www.armitagemi.com

Harnden

from page 3A

Eisenhower team that finished state runnerup, but then there was a struggle to get to the championship match on the individual side after not qualifying as a freshman. Harnden carried the No. 1 seed last year, but he was eliminated in the second round by the No. 8 seed, junior Brendan Riley, of Waterford Mott.

As Harnden outscored Grand Haven junior Ben Prokopec 393-375 in a twoseries matchup in the championship game on March 2 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, everything came to fruition for the young bowler.

“In my head, I never really expected myself to make it far, because in years past, like last year, I don’t know why, but I’ll just end up getting into a match where my opponent will throw it great, but they just can’t miss,” Harnden said. “I was just getting into those matches where there was nothing I could do.”

Along with the rest of the field, Harnden struggled to hit his regular season average of 223 throughout the state finals, scor-

ing above it only once.

Thunderbowl is known to show a different look than the local lanes in Macomb County, so it was all about adjustments for Harnden.

“At our home house, everything wouldn’t hook a whole lot, while at Thunderbowl, everything just wanted to go left and hook a whole lot,” Harnden said. “I really had to change my whole mindset going into it. I had to play further left than normal, which for the whole year I really hadn’t been doing a lot.”

Normally a wrench in the plans could be a setback for Harnden, but a major progression of his game this season had less to do with his bowling ability and more to do with his mental toughness.

Sports like bowling and golf are especially ones in which a mental lapse or loss of confidence can be damaging, but Eisenhower bowling head coach Mark Harnden, Dylan’s father, said that wasn’t the case for Dylan this year.

“Really, it’s been his overall mindset,” Mark Harnden said. “He’s a lot more mentally stronger than in years past. He doesn’t get rattled as quickly. The other part of his game he’s been working on is getting more

flexible with his release. There’s times when he can really get around the ball and curve the ball a lot, and then there’s times like this past weekend at states where he had to be softer with the hand and allow the ball to travel a little bit further down the lane and hook less.”

Harnden’s side of the state finals bracket had an unconventional start early on.

Macomb Dakota sophomore sensation Cole Rogus was eliminated in the first round alongside No. 2 seed Riley, who eliminated Harnden last year.

“To see everybody start to go down around us kind of allowed him to relax, because it was like, OK, the bigger names and the ones we would expect to face (are gone),’” Mark Harnden said. “We knew the second match against Nick Schaberg was going to be really tough, because him and Dylan are really good friends and he’s a lefty. He’s tough. We knew that was going to be a tough one.”

Harnden beat Schaberg 435-407, rolling his highest game of the tournament in the second series with a 249. Harnden punched his ticket for the state championship match with a 382-313 win over Farmington senior Albert Guzman, who made a

run as the No. 15 seed.

There were early struggles for Harnden in the first series of the state title match, as he carried a 1-pin lead heading into the second series, but he was able to regroup and remained focused to get the job done.

“During that match, I just started to dwell on my past shots and worry about what I was going to do in the future frames,” Harnden said. “Pretty much between the first and second game, I had my dad, coach (Craig) Matheson and one of the (Macomb) Dakota coaches come over to me and just reassure me that everything I was doing was fine and that I just needed to stay in the present.”

Along with defending his individual state championship, Harnden will be defending his individual regional title next year as well.

With a state and regional championship already to his name, Harnden said his focus is on helping Eisenhower get back to the state championship match as a team in his final high school season.

13650

E. Eleven Mile Rd. Warren, MI 48089

The Exterior Painters Celebrate 20 Years of Transforming Properties, Neighborhoods

Nothing transforms a property and makes it shine brighter than a fresh coat of paint. It’s simply the best and most cost-effective investment you can make for your home draped in the colors of yesterday.

The Exterior Painters have been revitalizing properties for 20 years.

“We specialize in just exterior painting, and the reason why we do that is we believe that repetition is the mother of all skill,” said owner Brian Scott. “For 20 years, that’s all we’ve been doing is outside work. When it comes to that, we do wood replacement and siding replacement. It makes us the perfect fit for homeowners who don’t want to re-side their whole house.”

The Exterior Painters replace damaged siding and boards as needed, but they’re not looking to push for a full siding replacement.

“It gets people by another 10 years and transforms the look of the house, bringing it to the next color trends of today,” Scott said.

“Another thing we do that makes us unique, we have a full-time color consultant,” Scott added. “For most people, that’s the hardest, most stressful part, choosing what color they want. Our consultant comes out and

meets with the homeowners and gives them an idea of what the new color trends are so they can make a good color choice that complements their landscaping, brickwork and architectural features.”

The Exterior Painters also specialize in brick staining.

“A lot of younger people are buying houses. We’re taking it from grandma’s house of the ’50s, ’60s or ’70s and bringing it to that HGTV look,” Scott said.

Power washing the siding — and for an additional charge, soft washing the roof if needed — can also make a big difference in terms of curb appeal.

you’re getting a bigger bang for your buck.”

It’s a win for everyone, from the crews The Exterior Painters employ and pay well to the homeowners who see their neighborhoods transformed. The company paints 30 houses a week on average in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties, and boasts a five-star Google review average.

Scott said his crews often see their work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are transformed through fresh paint, siding repairs and much-needed washing.

“With us you’re buying certainty. We don’t ask for a large deposit, and you don’t have to worry about anyone running off with your deposit,” Scott said. “We stand by our work. We provide a warranty and proven results by taking care of everybody in the community. We’re Nextdoor’s No. 1 preferred contractor in Rochester two years in a row. It’s that certainty factor. You know what you’re going

make a big difference in terms of curb work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are siding repairs and much-needed to get.”

“It’s the cheapest home improvement you can do without breaking the bank,” Scott said. “Compared to other home improvements,

The Exterior Painters are located at 2365

Avon Industrial Drive in Rochester Hills. To request a quote or for more information, call (248) 844-8888.