NEWSPAPERS Special Edition
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S HOCKEY WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BY SCOTT BENTLEY sbentley@candgnews.com
ORCHARD LAKE — Orchard Lake St. Mary’s won the Division III hockey state championship March 8 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
St. Mary’s is consistently competing in the state final tournament weekend and is highly ranked year in and year out, but this season the program was finally able to get over the hump and win the school’s first hockey title since 2008.
“This team is very skilled and very talented,” Orchard Lake St. Mary’s longtime head coach Brian Klanow said. “But the most important component they had was their brotherhood.”
That talent and camaraderie took this program to incredible heights this season. In the run to the crown, St. Mary’s won 5-1 and 9-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before a dominant 3-0 showing in the state title game against Cranbrook Kingswood.
“(Cranbrook) beat us twice this year,” St. Mary’s sophomore forward Thad Raynish said. “We really wanted to beat them… 3-0 looks really good up on the scoreboard.”
Raynish is right, and shutouts in state title games are very rare. The goaltending and defense that St. Mary’s got in the postseason was stellar, as the team only allowed two goals in the final three rounds of the tournament combined.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s hockey team celebrates after winning the Division III state title at USA Ice Arena in Plymouth March 8.
State to increase local water protections
BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com
OAKLAND COUNTY — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has agreed to strengthen Oakland County’s discharge permit following months of pressure from lawmakers.
Lawmakers, specifically state Rep. Tom Kuhn, who has been a leader in this effort, has expressed concerns about the impact of untreated and partially treated sewage on Macomb County waterways and Lake St. Clair’s water quality. The lawmakers last met with EGLE about this issue in September, with the department recently agreeing to schedule another meeting after multiple follow-up requests from Kuhn and other legislators.
According to a press release, in response to a letter dated from 10 “House lawmakers” Jan. 16, EGLE acknowledged the need for changes and outlined several proposed updates to Oakland County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which governs compliance under the Clean Water Act. The department also agreed to an in-person meeting with GOP lawmakers on Feb. 13 to discuss their concerns.
In a letter dated Feb. 5, Phil Roos, the director of EGLE, acknowledged Kuhn’s concerns.
“The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy shares your overall
Photo provided by Brian Klanow
LOCAL TEACHER RECOGNIZED FORINSTRUCTION IN ‘POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY’
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WEST BLOOMFIELD — West Bloomfield High School teacher Jennifer Sepetys has been acknowledged by the Michigan Education Association for her efforts in addressing student mental health as part of her 20-week course, “Positive Psychology.”
The class utilizes tools such as mindfulness, breathing, goals, gratitude, journaling and meditation to achieve results.
Sepetys and two of her former students recently shared details about the class and the impact it has had.
According to Sepetys, after the pandemic she noticed that her students were struggling with mental health concerns.
She said that she would ask if they were OK “and some would break down.”
“They would be crying,” Sepetys said.
As a teacher, she wanted to support them in her
classroom, but also wanted to help them learn strategies they could use to help themselves in their own mental health journey.
“With the rising mental health conditions among the adolescent population, how can we manage their mental health if there’s maybe six counselors at a school, one mental health coordinator, two social workers and a psychologist, with schools over 1,000plus? There’s a lot of responsibility put on the schools to help out with managing all the mental health conditions,” Sepetys said.
She wanted to implement something that students could readily access.
“What I’m trying to do through this class is help with (some) of those barriers and really try to help them learn strategies that they can potentially use,” Sepetys said.
Some of the barriers students can face include a lack of transportation to get extra support if they need a therapist, financial issues, and stigmas as-
Southfield siblings recognized as Children’s Miracle Network 2025 national champions
BY KATHRYN PENTIUK kpentiuk@candgnews.com
SOUTHFIELD — Brother-sister duo Braylen and Rylee Watson, 12 and 11, respectively, were recognized as Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) 2025 national champions by Corewell Health Children’s, a member of CMN.
Each year, local member hospitals select a “Champion” from the community to represent the children treated at their local children’s hospital. The role of a champion is to spend the year advocating for the needs of children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada.
Last year, the siblings were honored locally as the 2024 Children’s Miracle Network child ambassadors.
When Braylen was born, he was premature and weighed just 2 pounds. Around age 2, his mother, Fran
Watson, noticed that her son had difficulty communicating with other children on the playground and that he would make muffled noises in an attempt to be understood. Soon after, she observed similar issues with her daughter, who also had trouble speaking clearly and would make unclear gestures.
Watson said that she was a mom on a mission when a speech pathologist referred her to CMN and a scholarship that helped her send both of her children to the RE/MAX Communication preschool to help with their language delays.
“When you’re in that unknown and you’re searching, you are afraid. You don’t know which way to go,” she said. She expressed the pain she felt watching her children struggle to communicate and be understood by other kids.
Photo provided by Chris Behnan
Jennifer Sepetys teaches mindfulness as part of her “Positive Psychology” class at West Bloomfield High School. Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment.
See PSYCHOLOGY on page 6A
Braylen, pictured left, and Rylee Watson, are this year’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) national champions. As CMN champions, they are using their voices to advocate for other children with speech and language delays.
Photo provided by Fran Watson
See MIRACLE on page 10A
concerns about improving water quality because of this discharge and other discharges to the Red Run Drain,” Roos stated.
Kuhn has advocated for clean water since the 1990s, when he served as a Royal Oak city commissioner.
“Lawmakers in Oakland and Macomb Counties, whose districts are in the watershed, believe we shouldn’t be dumping in the watershed,” Kuhn said in a press release. “This is significant progress for our area’s environment.”
Key changes to Oakland County’s discharge permit include stronger water treatment measures, expanded infrastructure requirements, a hydrogeology study and flood control measures, future permit modifications, and regional water control plan compliance.
Stronger water treatment measures
Oakland County must dechlorinate treated water before discharging it from the retention basin. This will become an enforceable permit condition after an 18-month feasibility study to determine compliance strategies.
Expanded infrastructure requirements
The county must evaluate additional gray infrastructure projects, such as sewer separation efforts and expanded in-system water storage.
Hydrogeology study and flood control measures
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct a hydrogeology study to analyze
downstream flow, flooding risks, and soil erosion. The study may lead to additional stormwater reduction and control efforts, particularly to prevent sewage backups in basements.
Future permit modifications
EGLE will have the authority to update the permit based on findings from the Army Corps of Engineers study.
Regional water control plan compliance
Oakland County must comply with a regional water control plan developed by the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and approved by EGLE.
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash noted that with these changes, his department has been asked to look into controlling the amount of chlorine that gets out of water resource facilities during the process.
“We are going to do a study to see if there’s any problem,” Nash said. “It’s called residual chlorine.That means there’s more chlorine in the water when it leaves the facility than there should be.”
Nash added that, “We’ve not seen anything that shows it.”
“If there is a problem, we will use the data to change our operations,” Nash said. “If not, we’ll just continue operating the way we are. So, basically when there’s a concern around chlorine, that means there’s a potential we might be treating the water too much rather than not enough. So, it conflicts with the idea that we’re not treating this stuff enough if we’re using too much chlorine because chlorine is what disinfects it.”
Nash said they would also be open to
Pictured is a portion of the Clinton River in Sterling Heights. The Clinton River Water Resource Recovery Facility is one of multiple facilities associated with the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner that treats stormwater and sanitary sewage each day in the metro Detroit area.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
doing a study on potential infrastructure projects, although in 2024 more space was added for a storage tank under I-75.
“The Department of Transportation built a storage tank under I-75 … and that’ll hold 25 million gallons of stormwater that normally would’ve gone into the George W Kuhn,” Nash said. “So, that new storage brings our total storage at that facility up to 149 million gallons. It’s the biggest in the
state.”
On top of that, the county is also starting its second year of a green infrastructure program.
“What green infrastructure does is it puts plants and other things like rain barrels off of a gutter from a house, so the gutter water that would normally go into the nearest storm drain would instead go into rain barrels or a rain garden,” Nash said. “We’re building storage on the surface in that area so it doesn’t go immediately into the George W Kuhn. So, that’s another part of what the permit is asking us to improve.”
Psychology
from page 3A
sociated with mental health, according to Sepetys.
Septettes is currently working on a Ph.D. in education leadership with a focus on student mental health. Through her research, she dove into the topic and took an online course with Martin Seligman, a psychologist and educator.
At that time, a lot of the work had been done with college students, according to Sepetys. However, she tailored what she learned to high school students.
“The purpose of the class is … to bring evidence-based strategies to the students in order to increase their wellbeing,” Sepetys said.
Sepetys’ class incorporates multiple strategies, including mindfulness, breathing techniques, gratitude, goal setting, journaling, and meditation.
Mindfulness
Sepetys describes mindfulness as being aware of the present moment.
“Mindfulness is another evidence-based strategy that has been shown over time, if you practice it, it starts to bring some calmness to yourself,” Sepetys said.
Kennedi Aulgur, a 2023 graduate of West Bloomfield High School, took the class in 2022, the first year it was offered, and still practices many of the strategies and tools that she learned during the course.
Aulgur has learned to be mindful about taking care of herself, eating, sleeping, drinking water, going outside and taking a walk, saving her money, and on occasion, indulging in a treat.
Breathing
Sepetys teaches more than 20 breathing techniques, although she does not expect her students to remember and use all of them. Instead, her aspiration is for them to have a couple of “go-to” ones they can use before a game, an interview, speaking before a group, or anytime they need to calm themselves.
“That is something that has really helped me,” Aulgur said. “Overall, a simple deep breath can improve you so much.”
She inhales for four seconds, holds for four seconds, and then exhales for four seconds.
Ella Thomakos, a 2024 graduate of West Bloomfield High, took the class her senior year and still uses the breathing exercises to help manage her anxiety.
“I have severe anxiety when I am getting really, really anxious or worked up. I will use these techniques at any random point of time, if I feel I need to calm down,” Thomakos said.
According to Thomakos, reciting anything, including numbers, as she is doing the breathing exercises, calms her.
Among her favorite exercises is drawing an imaginary box while inhaling and exhaling — breathing out while drawing the horizontal line and breathing in while drawing the vertical line. She repeats until a box is drawn.
“I do take medication for anxiety. Personally, I’m trying to work on not relying on medication for anxiety, so it (the breathing exercises) has helped me wean off of the medication because I can replace the medication with these techniques I learned in class,” Thomakos said.
Goal Setting
Goal setting is also a key component to the class. Sepetys has students set a goal to
accomplish in four weeks. Doing so provides them an opportunity to focus on something they have been thinking about.
Thomakos set the goal of not biting her nails.
“With anxiety comes a lot of fidgeting with your hair or your nails,” Thomakos said.
Sepetys has provided “fidgets” in the classroom that students can use to occupy their hands to prevent them from fidgeting. The fidgets included Play-Doh, slime, fidget spinners, things that can be put together, fidget blocks to click, and more.
During those four weeks, Thomakos was able to stop biting her nails. Now, she uses a stress ball to squeeze when she feels anxious.
Although Thomakos has made headway, if she doesn’t have the stress ball with her she still occasionally resorts to biting her nails.
Thomakos is currently studying forensic science at a university in Chicago. In addition to the breathing exercises, she also incorporates yoga to ease her anxiety.
Gratitude
According to Sepetys, writing a letter to thank someone and reading it to that person makes both the receiver and the writer feel good.
Journaling
Journaling helped Aulgur when the school she was enrolled in her freshman year of college faced a closure.
For her, that meant relocating and leaving the friends she made her freshman year of college. Although she described this as a “bad” time, journaling helped.
“I made sure my journaling was on top
of everything,” Aulgur said. “Mrs. Sepetys would make us do these daily journals and think of three things for that day that (were) positive or that we enjoyed, just to make us aware that the whole day may have been bad… but there were still good things from the day that made it better. You just don’t realize them (the good things) and you don’t appreciate it as much until you write it down.”
Aulgur ended up moving across the country and is currently a sophomore at a university in Oregon, where she studies biology and lives in a dorm with her medicallydeclared support cat, Lily.
Aulgur plans to become a physician’s assistant or a medical doctor.
Meditation
Aulgur credits the course for making her more optimistic and open to new ideas. The meditation portion of the class is a practice she continues today.
“I love sitting on my bed or on my floor with no bright lights on… and (going) to a happy place,” Aulgur said.
She credits the class for making her more independent and receptive to new ideas, as well as helping her rely on herself and others.
“I’ve bettered (myself) so much after taking that course,” Aulgur said. “I remember always leaving that course with a smile on my face.”
The students have been receptive to the class.
“People may think, ‘Why am I not happy? I don’t understand,’” Sepetys said. “But … happiness takes work and there’s things people can do in order to improve that.”
Although Sepetys gives her students tools that can ease stress and promote happiness, she tells them, “You’re going to get out of it what you put in.”
Hockey
from page 1A
“My philosophy certainly has to start with defense. If you can’t play in the defensive end then it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing offensively,” Klanow explained. “We changed our strategy a little bit about three quarters of the way through (the season)... It really helped us out.”
You can almost pinpoint exactly where the adjustments were made. After a 3-2 loss to Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 14, the team then went 6-0 and outscored its opponents by a whopping 38-4 to close out the year.
Jacob Fedor, Jack Squire and Diezel Cariera led the team’s defense this season and were pillars to the success of the program. In net, St. Mary’s had two goalies with a save percentage over .900 in Mason Shea and Will Keane, with Keane getting the shutout in the state title game.
“We knew that if everyone did their jobs the goals would come,” Raynish said. “We always find ways to score so we knew if we could just shut down the other team, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to score.”
The offense was led by Raynish and ju-
nior Charlie Roberts, who both led the team in scoring this season with 36 and 32 points, respectively. Both of them recorded a point in the state title game as well.
“One of the things that was nice was
we never had to rely on one or two people to score,” Roberts said. “That’s what we saw in the playoffs, different people stepping up at different times.”
The hockey program at St. Mary’s has
a winning culture. However, after nearly 20 years of competitive seasons and postseason appearances, the team still wasn’t able to bring home a trophy.
That makes this season’s title mean even more to the team and the community.
“We haven’t won (a title) in a long time and I think everyone rallied around that,” Raynish said. “It’s great being a part of this team. (For) all of the people that come to the games… it’s just good that we finally got it done.”
The standard at the program was already to win state titles, and now with a win in everyone’s back pocket, that message only grows stronger.
“For us, every year going into our season, the state championship… is the goal,” Klanow said. “Every year we feel that we have a solid opportunity to win that.”
The 2024-2025 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team will forever be remembered within the program for the hard work, dedication and brotherhood of everyone involved.
“(The players) always used the slogan, ‘Keep your eye on the prize,’” Klanow said. “That started from day one when we started training in the summer and carried through until the final day when we won a state championship.”
LOCAL RELIABLE
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s storms the ice after the clock hits 0.00 in the state title game at USA Ice Arena March 8.
Photo provided by Brian Klanow
Local quilt guild celebrating 30th year with big show
BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com
OAKLAND COUNTY — The CAMEO Quilters Guild will be hosting a quilt show next month in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The guild’s 30th anniversary show, called “Bloom Together,” will be held April 4-5 at the First United Methodist Church of Troy, located at 6363 Livernois Road.
The event will feature more than 150 handmade quilts, from smaller 15-by-15-inch quilts to the massive 108-by108-inch pieces that can take years to make.
“We’re showing them. We’ll have quilts throughout the space and people can come in and see the quilts. We do have vendors who will be there, selling fabric and quilting related items and things like that,” said Pleasant Ridge resident Rosemary Spatafora, of CAMEO. “CAMEO” stands for “Come And Meet Each Other.”
In addition to the quilt showings, there also will be a themed-basket auction and sales of quilt-shop-quality fabric.
While the focus of the show isn’t to sell quilts on-site, attendees who find quilts of interest can meet with quilt makers to strike up potential business deals.
“Some of the quilts, the makers may be selling them, but if that’s the case, they will put a little card on them saying ‘this quilt is for sale’ and put their name and contact info,”
See QUILT SHOW on page 9A
Photos provided by Rosemary Spatafora
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the CAMEO Quilters Guild will be hosting a quilt show April 4-5. The quilt show will display more than 150 handmade quilts of various sizes, including some that took years to make.
Sparkle Network to offer free prom dresses in Rochester, other metro Detroit locations
BY KARA SZYMANSKI AND MARY BETH ALMOND kszymanski@candgnews.com malmond@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — Finding the perfect dress for prom is a rite of passage that many girls dream about. But the hefty price tag that often comes with a dream dress is also the reason some have to miss out on their prom.
Sparkle Network, a local nonprofit organization, is giving high school teens used prom dresses for free, to make sure every teen can attend their prom.
“A piece of clothing should not stop you from being able to go to something,” said Moe Lietz, founder of Sparkle Network.
The charity is hosting its 10th Prom Closet Tour this spring, with locations around metro Detroit — including Rochester.
The first stop on the 2025 Prom Closet Tour is in Rochester, from 3-8 p.m. March 28 at Meadowbrook Center for Learning Differences.
Yolanda Udell, at Meadowbrook Center for Learning Differences in Rochester, said she has held prior prom dress events and is happy to be hosting another one this year.
“I’m happy to provide a location for the Prom Closet, especially since we are just
Quilt show
from page 8A
Spatafora said. “So it won’t be like, ‘Oh, you can come in and buy a quilt there.’ It’s mostly for people to come in and see the quilts.”
Theresa Nielsen, of Royal Oak, has been making quilts for over 35 years and has been to almost all of CAMEO’s quilt shows for the past 15.
Nielsen, who is in the middle of making 25 quilts at the moment, loves the process of making quilts, whether it’s shopping for the fabric or getting to share her quilts with other people.
“Some people think you can go to Walmart and get the same thing, and you can’t,” she said. “A real quilt is made not only with love, but a lot of hours and hand work. We have a passion like nothing else. It comes out in our work. I can work on a quilt for hours and let the day pass by.”
Nielsen said doing the quilt show is a lot of work, but the quilters end up with a nice display and the opportunity to talk to
down the road from Rochester High School and are easily accessible due to our location near downtown Rochester. It’s wonderful to see the girls so happy when they find a dress they love and know that it’s totally free,” she said.
The Prom Closet Tour program is for seniors in the Class of 2025 — and juniors in the Class of 2026 on a case-by-case basis, like those who attend schools that host a junior and senior prom. An appointment, which can be made by emailing sparkle.network3@ gmail.com, is needed to visit the Prom Closet.
An email confirmation is required for a 45-minute appointment to be considered booked.
The day before their fitting, students will receive a text message to remind them of their appointment location and time.
“When they come in, during their time frame, the first thing they will do is start looking at dresses,” Lietz said. “Prior to the appointment, they have already given us a size range, so that’s the size range that’s out to avoid the tears associated with someone falling in love with a dress that’s not their size.”
“A dress has transformative powers,” she added. “It can really help your confidence.”
Additional Prom Closet Tour stops will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 and 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Sunday, March 30 at T-Tech Solutions in Troy; 11
people about their work.
“I love talking to people about quilts, quilt making, and hoping to encourage … other people to take up quilting because it can be a lot of fun,” she said. “Sometimes people are scared that, ‘Oh, I gotta sew all those little pieces,’ or ‘I have to cut this out.
What if I make a mistake?’ Every quilter makes a mistake. You live and learn from your mistakes and next quilt you make, you’ll do better. Everybody has that first quilt that they may not be proud of, don’t want to show it, but it’s out there. So, I love being a part of the quilt guild and being able to give back to other people.”
The show will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 4 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5. Admission for attendees to enter is $8, which will help support the group’s programs and charity work. Organizations supported by the event this year include HAVEN of Oakland County, Michigan Honor Flight, Orchard Children’s Services, Clawson United Methodist Church’s Layette Program and Royal Oak House Assisted Living. For more information, visit cameoquilters.org.
a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 at Front Door Housekeeping in Utica; and April 11-13 at Macomb Mall in Roseville.
Darlene Paquette, the owner of Front Door Housekeeping, said Front Door is honored to host its third Prom Closet.
“The Prom Closet Project, an annual event, ensures that all students have the opportunity to attend prom without financial barriers. Front Door has opened its doors as a collection and distribution site, allowing teens to browse a variety of dresses donated by generous community members,” she said.
Paquette said they’ve been fortunate to serve the community for 10 years, and she wanted to give back in a meaningful way.
“Prom is a special milestone, and ev-
ery student deserves to feel confident and beautiful on their big night. The company encourages residents to donate gently-used prom dresses, shoes and accessories to help expand the selection. Local volunteers will also be on hand to assist students in finding the perfect gown,” she said.
Sparkle Network collects dress donations — which must be from within the last five years — in January for its spring Prom Closet, and again in June for its Dress into a Dream program, a fall fundraiser offering gently-used homecoming dresses to teens for $10. Formal shoes, sizes 8.5 and larger, are collected year-round.
For more information or to donate, email sparkle.network3@gmail.com.
“Then it’s like, ‘Ok, here’s my support system, here’s their support system.’ And it’s a safe space for you and your family to come together and help you grow. And you get to watch them excel and turn into these little people that you never get tired of hearing their voice,” Watson said.
She joked, “You never know what’s gonna come out of their mouth, but you can understand it.”
“It means a lot to us that they gave us a voice and now we can talk. We can talk clear and we’re thankful that they gave us a voice,” Rylee Watson said. “It’s been awesome to be a national champion.”
Braylen Watson shared what having a voice allows him to do.
“Now that they’ve helped me with my voice, I get to do a lot of stuff now and even talk to my mom,” he said.
Rachel Englert has worked as a speech pathologist and supervisor in children’s rehabilitation at Corewell Health for over 10 years. She shared that she worked with Braylen when she first started years ago.
Englert shared that early intervention, when children are under the age of 5, can help alleviate speech delays and language difficulties and get them to communicate more effectively. She added that in that preschool age group, speech therapy is play-based and engages the child to build language.
Englert shared some things for parents to be on the lookout for that might indicate their child has a speech delay.
“If a child isn’t babbling by 7 months of age, that would be an indicator to parents to talk with their pediatrician and maybe seek out an evaluation,” Englert said.
According to Englert, if by 12 months of age a child is not using gestures, such as
waving “hi” and “bye” or pointing to show interest, it could be another indication.
“This is kind of a broader range, but if the child’s not understanding what others are saying to them between 1 and 2 years of age, that would be a red flag. So something like, ‘Where are your shoes?’ or ‘go get your juice’ — if they can’t pick those items out, that would be a concern,” she said.
By 12 to 18 months of age, if a child can only say a few words and doesn’t seem to be progressing, that would also be a concern, according to Englert.
“If they’re not putting two words together around their second birthday — so things like, ‘Daddy’s car’ or ‘Where’s Mommy?’ — that would be concerning,” Englert said. “And then 2 to 3 years of age, if you’re starting to notice that the child is having trouble playing with and interacting with their peers, that’s another concern.”
She explained that some children may have an underlying cause for their trouble communicating, such as seizures, difficulty hearing, or an autism diagnosis. However, that is not always the case, such as the Watson siblings, who had no underlying cause for their speech and language delays.
Englert shared some advice for parents.
“Take it one step at a time. You can’t change things overnight, but you can get started by maybe talking with your doctor to get a prescription for speech therapy and seeing what the outcome of the evaluation is,” Englert said. “And then, if there are things for your child to work on, just focus on one thing at a time and those improvements will come with that consistency.”
For more information on Children’s Miracle Network, visit www.childrensmira clenetworkhospitals.org.
To learn more about RE/MAX Communication preschool, visit www.beaumont. org/treatments/remax-communication-pre school-program.
