4/17/24 St. Clair Shores Sentinel

Chapaton Retention Basin project ahead of schedule

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

According to Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, the project at the Chapaton Retention Basin is ahead of schedule and construction is going well.

Miller said the project, which started Aug. 1, 2023, is way ahead of schedule. There is a possibility that the project could be done this year instead of the scheduled date in 2025. The company working on the project is Z Contractors Inc.

“These guys are doing really good work very fast,” Miller said. “So it’s all good.”

The project shut down the Nine Mile boat ramp and the dog park near the public works building. The cost is around $27 million. According to a press release, $25 million comes from the American Rescue Plan Act funds from the state and $2 million was allocated by the state in 2022.

The basin was originally built in 1968.

“There’s no impact financially on our ratepayers that are serviced by this pump station either. They’re not paying for this, the state is paying for it,” Miller said.

Miller said they worked hard to get the funds from the state, and it took around three to four years to convince those at the state level to fund this project.

One of the project’s main goals is to reduce combined sewer overflows. Such events occur when combined sewer systems become overwhelmed with rainwater and sewage, and the untreated water flows into nearby lakes and rivers.

See CHAPATON on page 8A

MUSIC FANS TUNE IN TO RECORD STORE DAY

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

DETROIT — The spirit of independent record stores will make music on Record Store Day, set for April 20 this year.

METRO

It’s also a day on which artists release new music or re-release albums and CDs

See RECORD on page 10A

Record Store Day, held internationally, was launched in 2007 to give employees and customers the chance to gather and celebrate the culture of the indie record store, including those that sell used and new titles. The event can trigger feelings of nostalgia for anyone who grew up listening to vinyl on their parents’ turntables or met up with friends at the neighborhood shop in their youth.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

The Sentinel is one of 21 bi-weekly publications produced by C & G Newspapers, a family-owned company serving residents in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties since 1981. We deliver our papers to more than 571,000 homes in 45 communities via direct mail.

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Shores police, fire offices to be temporarily housed at St. Lucy

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

The former St. Lucy School will temporarily house the administrative offices for the St. Clair Shores police and fire departments during planned construction at their respective facilities. In March, the St. Clair Shores City Council voted 6-0 to authorize City Manager Dustin Lent to sign a letter of understanding. The letter will go to the Archdiocese of Detroit for final approval and a contract will be presented before the council at a different meeting.

Shores announces ‘Music on the Lake’ lineup

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

The lineup for the Wednesday night “Music on the Lake” concert series was announced at the St. Clair Shores City Council meeting on April 1, with a couple of new sponsors and the bands people love.

Henry Bowman, St. Clair Shores Parks and Recreation event director, said the events are from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday starting June 5 and ending Aug. 7. All the events are at Veterans Memorial Park and Bowman said he’s seen people set up as early as 5 p.m.

Petitpren Inc. is one of the main sponsors of the event, but this year there are three new sponsors to go along with them: B.A.S. Security Systems, Inc., Genesis Chevrolet and Amaze Transportation.

Music on the Lake events will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday starting June 5 and ending Aug. 7. All the events are at Veterans Memorial Park. For a full list of musical acts, visit the St. Clair Shores Parks and Recreation Facebook page or the St. Clair Shores website at scsmi.net. File

Another new addition this year is the Detroit Institute of Arts Inside|Out program.

“That’s where they make copies of their masterpieces and put them up in the parks,” Bowman said. “So one of the destinations is going to be over at Veterans for one of the artworks. So it’s going to be really nice.”

The Inside|Out program started in 2014 and takes copies of famous artworks featured in the museum and places them in a select few parks each year. Previous locations include Shelby Township, Macomb Community College and others.

The artwork to be featured at the Veterans Memorial Park is called “The Lily Pond,” by Charles Harry Eaton.

The list of bands featured this year starts with the Bluewater Kings on June 5 and ends with Sunset Blvd. on Aug. 14.

Photo by Alyssa Ochss

The administrative offices of the St. Clair Shores Police Department and St. Clair Shores Fire Department will be housed at the former St. Lucy School during construction at the city’s stations.

The future is now for Lake Shore softball

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

One look inside of the St. Clair Shores Lake Shore gymnasium will tell you everything you need to know about the softball program.

The Shorians have long been considered a softball school with a dominant stretch of 14 district championships, four regional titles and a trio of league titles since 2000, and it’s been a point of emphasis for the team to maintain that reputation.

“Softball has always been our school’s biggest sport,’ senior Riley Lane said. “We have the most district numbers up in the gym. I think we’re the favorite in a lot of our games, but I know people look down on us because of our record last year.”

Lake Shore had a 3-7 league record last year in an unforgiving Macomb Area Conference White featuring league champion Marysville (26-9), St. Clair (19-10), and Utica (17-12), and graduating nine seniors didn’t do Lake Shore head coach Carl Agosta any favors heading into the 2024 campaign.

Momentum from another district championship win in 2023 carried over into this year, but when Agosta took a final look at his roster and noticed six incoming freshmen, he emphasized to his veteran leaders who know the expectation of Shorians softball the importance of guiding the newcomers.

“We started that (talk) in November,” Agosta said. “In our offseason

See SOFTBALL on page 5A

10U SAINTS GIRLS HOCKEY CROWNED STATE CHAMPIONS

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

The National Hockey League’s Original Six style of physical play has evolved across much of hockey. In a sport that’s now more about finesse and how fast a skater can shoot, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a team embrace the tough and gritty side of the game.

You probably have a few ideas about what a team embodying this philosophy looks like in

your head, but you probably didn’t envision it as a group of girls aged 8-10.

In the case of the St. Clair Shores (SCS) 10U Saints White, assistant coach and SCS Girls Hockey Director Brian Carrithers said the team’s physical play is effective, yet comical in its own right.

“It’s (the physicality is) not common, and we laugh at it as coaches,” Carrithers said. “It’s easier to reel them in than make

them feel it because it’s their nature to be passive a little bit. These girls, you throw a puck in the corner and they’re going over there like bulldogs trying to win the puck battle. It’s fun to coach and easy to coach rather than having more of the timid girls that are afraid to go into the corner, break a nail, or get hurt. These girls are relentless.”

Carrithers said their lack of fear and hunger for aggressiveness on the ice stems

from their older brothers, who have grown up in the Saints hockey organization as well. With 16 girls on the team and more than half of them having older brothers currently playing hockey according to Carrithers, the young skaters are making their own mark.

“These younger siblings have come together, and I think they’ve taken their years of frustration from being bullied by their

LEFT: St. Clair Shores Lake Shore senior Riley Lane, left, and sophomore Sophia VanDenstorm, right, headline the team captain roles this year for the Shorians. ABOVE: Freshman Sara Augustitus takes a swing during a team practice on April 11 at Lake Shore High School. Augustitus is expected to handle the shortstop responsibilities this year.

Photos by Erin Sanchez

See HOCKEY on page 12A

Softball

from page 4A

conditioning program, we said, ‘We’re starting over, so you guys have to lead by example. You know the routine, you know the process, and you know the expectations, so come out there and just lead it. Back up what we say, and you have to back it up by example and with words.’”

Since Lake Shore doesn’t have a freshman or junior varsity team, first-year players are thrown immediately into the fire, but never this many at one time.

Lake Shore is sporting its youngest roster ever under Agosta, who’s been at the helm for nearly a decade, but fortunately for him, players like Lane, junior Ava Kersanty, and sophomore Sophia VanDenstorm understand how to transition the young ball players from their own experiences.

“They (past seniors) just brought me in and took me under their wing and really helped me,” Lane said. “That’s what I’m trying to do here, but I’m not trying to be so bossy about it. I’m trying to build a relationship and be nice.”

“I was the only freshman on the team, and they welcomed me in,” VanDenstorm said. “Everyone was nice to me.”

Lane, a four-year varsity player, has been a mainstay in the Shorians lineup and behind the plate as the anchor of the defensive unit.

The lone senior on the squad, Lane has a cannon for an arm that keeps opposing teams from testing the basepaths while VanDenstorm, Lake Shore’s clear-cut ace in its rotation, is the battery that keeps going game after game.

Lane, VanDenstorm, and Kersanty, who splits time between outfield and designated hitter, control the middle of the Shorians’ batting order, but the freshmen are already making a name for themselves early on.

In a 6-4 win against Warren Mott in Lake Shore’s season opener on April 4 at Mott High School, freshmen Chloe Scott and Miyana Williams held down a two-player outfield as Lake Shore had only eight players due to injury and illness.

See SOFTBALL on page 17A

Bands for Social District announced

The St. Clair Shores Downtown Social District announced on a Facebook post some of the bands that will be performing this year at the events.

The dates with bands announced are May 11, May 25, June 8, June 22, June 13 and July 27. All social districts are hosted at Nine Mile Road and Little Mack Avenue in the downtown area and will be from 5 p.m. to midnight.

The bands are Paper Covers Rock, American Ages, Jody Raffoul, Miranda and the M80s, Mainstream Drive and Joey Vee. The dates for the social district start on May 11 and go until Oct. 26.

The events are presented by Shores Inn Food and Spirits and the Cool City Committee. Guests cannot bring their own alcohol into the social district and they cannot take alcoholic beverages purchased at one bar into another bar according to the St. Clair Shores website.

For more information, go to scsmi.net.

Mentors needed in Winning Futures

METRO DETROIT — Winning Futures, a program in which professionals from the community mentor high school students, is seeking volunteer mentors for the 2024-25 school year.

The mentors help students with life skills, financial literacy, job readiness training, goal setting and career exploration.

The students attend schools in Detroit, Harper Woods, Warren, Sterling Heights and Pontiac. For more information, call (586) 294-8449 or visit the website at winningfutures.org.

MDOT program plows into town

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Transportation is seeking talented high school students to help with its 2024-2025 “Paint the Plow” program.

This year’s theme is “Go hands-free. Just drive. It’s the law.” Students are invited to submit designs that reflect their schools while also promoting a safety theme.

The program reminds motorists that recent legislation has made it illegal to hold and use an electronic device in Michigan.

MDOT will accept Paint the Plow design applications until May 17. For more information or to apply michigan.gov/PaintThePlow.

MCC job fair set for April 18

WARREN — Macomb Community College will hold its annual job fair from 4-7 p.m. April 18 at the Sports & Expo Center on the college’s South Campus, located at 14500 12 Mile Road.

Co-sponsored by the city of Warren, the job fair offers community members the opportunity to connect with approximately 200 employers looking to hire for both full- and part-time positions. The job fair is free and open to the public with no registration required.

Employers participating in the job fair include American Axle, Henry Ford Health System, United Wholesale Mortgage, Smith Bros., Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center, and Macomb and Oakland County police and fire departments.

Additional resources will also be available onsite, including Macomb’s Office of Veteran and Military Service and Michigan Works! Macomb/St. Clair, with information about the programs they offer.

For more information, visit events.macomb.edu/ event/job_fair_2024.

Chapaton

from page 1A

Miller said for decades, when water fills the basin during heavy rain events, they’ve treated it and sent it back out to the lake. The water produced by the rain events includes sanitary sewage, which, Miller said, they don’t want to go to the lake anymore. The project will add more storage to the basin, around 13 million gallons, and improve aging infrastructure.

“This particular project will help reduce combined sewer overflows, CSOs, you know 35 (or) 40% perhaps,” Miller said. “So it’s a real big project for this pump station.”

Miller also said this will help prevent basements from flooding.

“I don’t know if it’s climate change or something’s happening to the weather,” Miller said. “So everywhere, right, we’re getting a lot more rain and the intensity of the rainfalls are astounding. So we’re doing a number of things here, changing elevations etc., so that we position ourselves much better not to have basements flood, either.”

Construction includes building the new basin, casting concrete walls surrounding the basin and building new gates that use a bladder system to operate. Miller said the new gates help reduce operation costs.

Vince Astorino, operations manager for Macomb County Public Works, said it reduces costs by giving the basin more storage and allows them to take only what they need instead of filling the entire canal with lake water.

“What we did early on as part of this job is we buried a pipe underneath the ground so we can just pull what we need and only what we need,” Astorino said. “That’s our big cost saver. That’s over

Work on the Chapaton Retention Basin could be completed this year, ahead of schedule.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Record

from page 1A

that have been out of print or previously weren’t available. That could include music from current bands and also from groups no longer together. Some titles are limited releases.

From the mainstream to the obscure, Record Store Day will have artists from all genres: classic rock, rap, blues, jazz, punk and country. Each individual record store owner decides what titles to order.

Several metro Detroit stores will participate in Record Store Day. It has become a tradition for record collectors to wait in line before the stores open for the day in hopes of getting that one special title they have been patiently waiting for.

“People make a day of it,” said Todd Fundaro, owner of Flipside Records in Berkley, which will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on April 20. “It’s the busiest day of the year by far.”

Flipside Records will offer discounts on used merchandise. Customers may even get a chance to see their favorite bands live this year as Fundaro will have ticket giveaways to 14 different upcoming concerts, including Santana, Green Day and Incubus.

The alternative rock group Paramore was crowned as the Record Store Day 2024 ambassadors. The musicians will pay tribute to the Talking Heads with their version of “Burning Down the House” on 12-inch vinyl; on the B-side will be Paramore’s song “Hard Times,” performed by David Byrne.

“That’s been getting some buzz,” Fundaro said.

As Record Store Day approaches, pop music’s biggest star right now — Taylor Swift — will drop her new album the day before.

See RECORD on page 13A

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Village Vinyl owner John Lehl, left, and manager Adam Davey will be on hand to welcome customers on Record Store Day April 20. Pictured with them are posters from past Record Store Day events.

Home Care

One Owner Perry Calisi believes in honesty, integrity, and compassion -- and has offered such quality care through his home care business for the past twelve years in Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores, and Macomb Township in southeastern Michigan.

Home Care

One provides assistance for seniors and patients in their homes, and helps with alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, hospital and nursing home sitting, interim care during hospice, physical and mental disability assistance for children and adults, and people recovering from surgery. Services also include full or part-time and 24hour care services, and daily living activities such as meal preparation, running errands, assistance with bathing, house cleaning, doctor visits and more.

Perry wants to increase community awareness about how his company offers these personalized services to keep your loved ones living independently at home. Perry added that he and his staff go further than the next by helping clients stay as independent as possible.

“The public should look at home care as a way of staying independent, and in one’s own home --

as everything becomes more expensive,” he said. “In my experience, more people have done better living in their home rather than facilities; just by familiarity and independence.”

Perry said he entered the business by hearing that someone needed help.

“I just set up my own business model for what I would want for my own mother,” he said. “I would want someone honest and compassionate in the house.”

Perry said he tries to match his roughly 18 employees’ personality types with patients. “It assures that there is going to be an assimilation of getting along,” he said.

Betty, a client, said she is “really lucky” to have caregivers take really good care of her. “I get all that pampering,” she said smiling. “They’ve been with me ever since. I haven’t been let down for anything.”

Betty’s caregiver, Theresa, said Perry cares about his clients and he cares about his employees as well. “He is good about matching an employee with a client, which is nice,” she said. “We all work together. He cares all the way around... that is him in general.”

For more information call 313-409-0120 or go to http://www.homecareone.net/.

2019, is set to be demolished. The shuttered factory was the ooze” that leaked onto Interstate 696 shortly before Christmas in 2019, and had due to other safety hazards inside.

Hockey

from page 4A

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older brothers on the girls they’re playing against,” Carrithers said.

The pee wee version of the 1970s Philadelphia Flyers coasted through the regular season with a 21-3 record before competing in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association tournament from March 8-10 at Patterson Ice Arena in Grand Rapids.

ter of Electro-Plating Services, where the owner, Gary Sayers, had illegally dumped chemicals in a hand-dug pit in the basement, which then leeched into the earth and mixed with groundwater, creating the foul substance.

Going 5-0 there, the Saints bested the Detroit Bulldogs 3-1, bringing home the second consecutive state championship for the Saints, who won the title in the 8U division last year.

Before facing off against the Bulldogs, the Saints had an intense matchup with Grand Rapids’ own Fox Motors, who took the Saints to three overtime periods and two shootouts before Mia Baratta blasted home the game-winning goal.

sured the public that the area’s drinking water had not been compromised since the drinking water is channeled through impervious pipes under high pressure from a sealed municipal source. The contaminants were also rolling downhill, toward the highway the business overlooks, and away from homes and businesses. While some of it would’ve gone into the drains on I-696, those drains were vacuumed, and anything that made it downstream to Lake St. Clair would have been heavily diluted by that point.

Still, there remained the mat-

The Saints retained the majority of their 8U squad heading into this season and hope to keep the core together for another run at a championship.

“With the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another one next year,” Carrithers said.

Case # PSP 22-04

Unified girls high school hockey team competed in their inaugural season this year.

On March 16 at Little Caesars Arena, the Professional Women’s Hockey League showcased Boston and Ottawa going head-to-head with 13,736 in attendance, a national record for women’s pro hockey.

The SCS Saints were there live to see both teams in action, and Carrithers said it was an inspiring moment for his young hockey players.

The business was shut down by regulators in November 2016. The order followed a joint inspection between the Madison Heights Fire Department and the state, where they found an estimated 5,000 containers of hazardous waste, hazardous materials and unknown contents, many of them

“Most of our association that was available went to that game, and they (the PWHL) did a really good job,” Carrithers said. “The quality of hockey was good. For the young girls to see these older girls out there performing at the highest level was really exciting for the girls to see.”

Meet the U10 Saints

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Girls hockey as a whole in the Macomb County area has seen growth over the past few years, especially in St. Clair Shores where the SCS

Notice is hereby given that the City Council for the City of Madison Heights will hold a public hearing on May 23rd, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 300 W. 13 Mile Road, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071 to consider the following special approval request:

The Saints will raise their championship banner at the start of the 2024-2025 fall season at St. Clair Shores Civic Ice Arena.

SCS Saints 10U Roster: Melena Reynolds, Daisy Eickhorst, Ellie Carrithers, Mia Hunter, Harper Abel, Avery Gray, Emma Gersch, Olivia Gersch, Adalyn Gersch, Peyton Gersch, Abby Kosiara, Ava Guswiler, Bianca Colonese, Emerson Juliano, Liv Gryzenia, Mia Baratta, Rhiannon Cassel.

The applicant, Jesse R. Schmidt, requests Special Approval from City Council under Section 10.332A of the Madison Heights Zoning Ordinance to allow for a painting, varnishing and undercoating shop at 31330 Stephenson Highway, PIN 44-25-02-378-023. The property is zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial.

The application and any supporting documents can be viewed during regular business hours at the Community and Economic Development Department. In addition, the agenda item can be viewed after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20th, 2022 online at in the Agenda Center.

B-3, General Business.

The application and any supporting documents can be viewed during regular business hours at the Community and Economic Development Department. In addition, the agenda item can be viewed after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 13th, 2022 online at www.madison-heights.org in the Agenda Center.

Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.

For further information, please contact the Community & Economic Development Department at (248) 583-0831 or MattLonnerstater@madison-heights.org

Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” is set for release April 19, and Fundaro expects “a bunch of Swifties” to go record store shopping to pick up the new release. “Dark Matter” from Pearl Jam is due out April 19, which could prompt fans of the Seattle rockers to hit the stores on Saturday.

Music from many other artists will come out on April 20 including selections from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, The Offspring, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, The Sisters of Mercy and many, many more. There are singles, full albums and picture discs. A list of new releases also can be found on recordstoreday.com.

‘There are a lot of good releases this year’

“We always have a great turnout,” said John Lehl, who owns Village Vinyl in Sterling Heights, which will open at 8 a.m. April 20. “There are 300 releases, and we should have most of them.”

For Lehl, the Mudhoney box set “Suck You Dry: The Reprise Years”’ is the title he’s most interested in. Village Vinyl recently moved from its digs on Chicago Road in Warren to its new spot at 34230 Van Dyke Ave., between 14 Mile and 15 Mile roads. Something Lehl always notices about Record Store Day is the camaraderie between customers.

“It’s a lot of people talking music and having a good time,” he said. “I think people are on the move all day bounc-

ing from store to store. Every store has different sales.”

One piece of music people have been asking about is the release from folk-pop performer Noah Kahan.

“There’s a regular release and a split with Olivia Rodrigo, which is going to be pretty big,” Lehl said.

Village Vinyl has been in business for seven years.

“I enjoy everything about music,” Lehl said. “It’s always exciting to see what people will buy and what people will bring in. We see a little bit of everything.”

Melodies & Memories, located at 23013 Gratiot Ave., in Eastpointe, will get into the vibe of the occasion by offering a 20% discount on used merchandise all day. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We do Record Store Day every year. A lot of the people are our regular customers,” said Dan Zieja, who owns the business with his wife, Denise. “There are a lot of good releases this year.”

Over the years, vinyl records have been the biggest seller for the Ziejas. They’ve also witnessed a recent resurgence of 45 RPM sales, and plans are underway to start stocking vintage T-shirts. Melodies & Memories recently celebrated 36 years in business.

“We’re like an old slipper,” Zieja said. “We’ve been here a long time. People know our store from all over the world.”

According to Zieja, past shoppers have included rappers Eminem and Kanye West, and Motown great Martha Reeves.

“Aretha Franklin used to shop here,” he said. “Questlove (from) Jimmy Fallon’s show was just in here.”

Record Store Day is held twice a year, in April and every November on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

According to the website recordstoreday.com, the following stores in the C & G Newspapers coverage area are participating in Record Store Day:

• Dearborn Music-Farmington, 33025 Grand River Ave., Farmington.

• Found Sound, 234 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale.

• Ripe Records Detroit, 15212 Charlevoix St., Grosse Pointe Park.

• Weirdsville Records, 61 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens.

• Blast in the Past, 28071 Gratiot Ave., Roseville.

• Solo Records, 30148 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak.

• The Detroit Record Club, 28834 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak.

• UHF Music, 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak.

• Media Reload, 13285 Hall Road, Utica.

Participating record stores are subject to change.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Offices

from page 3A

Councilwoman Linda Bertges was not yet present at the meeting on March 19.

When city officials looked to place trailers on-site at the departments, Lent said there would not be enough room for all the needed vehicles and that it was a more expensive option than moving to St. Lucy’s. The original cost was around $650,000 for the trailers.

“One of the main reason(s) that cost was skyrocketing was because that site is very limited in space,” Lent said. “And when you are trying to do construction work of demoing the current police department, plus also utilizing all the parking for all the cops’ cars still being there, it left very little room for a lot of the construction vehicles.”

He went on to say that because of the limited space, the construction company would have to relocate their supplies somewhere within the city. In the end, he said moving the administrative employees of both departments would save more money.

Fire Chief James Piper said in an interview that the administrative offices for the St. Clair Shores police and fire departments are moving because of the demolition and the reconstruction of the police department and the central fire station. Active firefighters will be split between the two other stations while construction is ongoing.

“Right now the plan is for the firefighters, the daily operations firefighters, are going to split between Station 2 and Station 3,” Piper said.

He said there is not enough space on the site for temporary trailers or to keep half of the station open.

“A lot of it is just going to come down to cost/benefit,” Piper said. “If we can afford to do it well and easily and also do a little bit of upgrade to Station 2 and 3 at the same time, that’ll happen. If it’s actually cheaper and more cost effective we might do something like trailers somewhere in the center part of town but we’re still working on that

and that hasn’t been decided yet.”

St. Lucy’s has space to rent out in their building and it is just a small wing in the building. Other space is rented out to other entities.

Piper said residents could still call 911 as that is handled by the South East Regional Emergency Services Authority in Roseville. The only difference is if people would need to visit the administrative offices in person.

“Instead of coming here to Harper and Sunnydale, we’re going to be down there on the south end of St. Lucy’s for about a year,” Piper said.

Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Candice Rusie pointed out at the meeting a bolded part within the documents they were given and asked for clarification. This section stated that police cannot house any prisoners on-site. Lent explained that the parish was OK with processing and temporarily holding the prisoners, but not housing them for extended periods of time.

Police Chief Jason Allen said they house prisoners at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and that they’ve been doing that for a little over a year.

Housing prisoners at the county jail, Allen said, saves the St. Clair Shores Police Department money on meals, blankets and other things.

“It works out well for us; they’re not in our building,” Allen said. “The liability in my opinion is greatly reduced. It costs a little bit extra in gas, driving them out to the county.”

He said they complete tasks such as fingerprinting, breathalyzer tests and other basics in St. Clair Shores but that they do not house the prisoners.

“That’s what we’ll do at the church as well,” Allen said. “We’ll have a temporary processing room built and then they’ll come in through a side door, get processed. They’re there 20, 30 minutes and then right out to the county.”

Piper estimates the move will happen by July or August.

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

CRIME WATCH

Stolen vehicles reported

At 5:15 a.m. on April 10, a report was made about vehicles that were stolen between 1:34 a.m. and 1:40 a.m. the same morning at the intersection of Alice Street and Avalon Street.

When an officer arrived at the scene, he saw an unoccupied vehicle with the front passenger window broken out. The vehicle was registered to an address in Detroit. The steering column was completely destroyed and multiple belongings including tablets, laptops, mail and other items were tossed about the interior. A piece of mail containing an address and a name was found and it was later discovered that another vehicle was stolen as well.

The investigating officer found a nearby address with cameras and a 51-year-old man allowed the officer to view the footage. The video captured an individual pulling up to the intersection and another person rounding the corner and assisting with tossing the property from one stolen vehicle. The suspects left the stolen vehicle from Detroit behind and fled south on Alice where they dumped the property.

The Detroit Police Department was notified of the incident.

Package theft reported

At 7:21 p.m. on April 9, a report was made about a larceny that occurred on March 28 in the 21000 block of Sunnydale Street.

An officer at the front desk met and talked to a 41-year-old woman who reported a package theft. UPS delivered several packages to the address and the woman was notified that the packages were delivered. When she arrived home, the packages were gone.

A police report had to be made to file a claim. The total loss was $233.

— Alyssa Ochss

Music

from page 3A

The only new band this year is The Randy Brock Group on Aug. 7. Bowman said Randy Brock, the guitarist of the group, grew up in St. Clair Shores.

Food trucks will also be available for hungry eventgoers.

The Chamber Music Concert Series on Monday nights starts the first Monday after the Fourth of July.

Rick Bertges, owner of B.A.S Security, Inc. and husband of Councilwoman Linda Bertges, said St. Clair Shores is a great place to live in. He said the company has been open since 2001 and they’ve been sponsoring

events and other things for 10 years.

“My wife and I love the city,” Bertges said. “We love making everyone happy in this city.”

This event is open to the public and no park passes are needed. Parking is also free.

For a full list of musical acts, visit the St. Clair Shores Parks and Recreation Facebook page or the St. Clair Shores website at scsmi. net.

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

Spotlight on business...

Dr. Sonia Kaur Singh, DMD, and her sta are passionate about improving patients’ smiles and oral health with the most advanced care. Giving back to the community is also a great mission of Dr. Sonia and team through the good work of God.

“When a patient is self-conscious about their smile and we x that, they become a di erent person,” said Dr. Sonia, who was recognized as a Woman of Distinction by the state of Michigan in 2018. “When a patient is nally able to eat better, taste better, feel better and look better, it boosts their self esteem.”

e practice o ers a wide selection of dental care, from simple cleanings, llings and exams to more complex services such as root canals, bone grafting or full mouth reconstruction, as well as the latest in cosmetic dentistry, including dental implants and Invisalign. Intravenous sedation is an option for those anxious about receiving dental care. New technology is also a signi cant part of Dr. Sonia's practice. She o ers 3D printing models of the patients teeth of what a nal look will be without drilling on the teeth.

Dr. Sonia started doing implant dentistry nearly two decades ago and holds accreditations with the International Congress of Oral Implantology and the American Academy of lmplant Dentistry, where she is a Fellow. She is a speaker for professional Implant manufacturing companies and teaches other dentists how to place implants.

e female-led, family-owned organization has a diverse team that includes Dr. Sherin John and Dr. Amit Shah- each of whom shares Dr. Sonia’s high standards and commitment to providing the best possible patient experience. Dr. Sonia's daughter, Dr. Sharon Singh, DMD has joined the practice. She graduated from university of Pennsylvania in May 2023.

“All of our associates spend a lot of time with our patients to get to know them personally,” said regional manager Courtney McPhillips. “Dr. Sonia’s gentle touch and attention to detail together with our really advanced technology- from 3D scanners to heated massage chairs - really sets us apart and makes the patient experience smooth and comfortable.”

Your Neighborhood Dentist o ers a ordability without compromising the patient experience.

“We have a wide variety of nancing options - some with no interest - as well as in-house insurance for the uninsured at a 25% discount,” McPhillips added, do it once and do it right!

Softball

from page 5A

Talk about taking your first varsity game head-on, Scott and Williams excelled in the task while freshmen Kendra Damm (3B) and Sara Augustitus (SS) provided some pop with their bats in the victory. VanDenstorm struck out 14 in the win over Mott and had the goahead RBI.

“The plays that had to be made, they just made,” Agosta said. “Did we have a few errors? A few — two in the whole game. Those were both communication errors, and now we know how to correct it and they know how to correct it. For the most part, what I can ask for is their attitude, effort, and energy and take to it and communicate. They all did that.”

Damm has never manned the hot corner before and Augustitus hit leadoff for the Shorians, so Lake Shore is wasting no time introducing its newcomers to the varsity level.

Mistakes will happen and adjustments will be made, but Agosta said he’s counting on their progression to elevate as they continue to work on their craft.

“Right now, the freshmen are eyes wide open,” Agosta said. “They’re afraid to make a mistake and they don’t want to ask a lot of questions, so by repetition we’re just working them.”

Lake Shore is currently 1-2 on the season with losses to MAC White rivals Utica and Marysville to open the season, but growth is all Agosta is looking for from his team.

Wins will come as the season goes on, and Lake Shore has always been strong when it comes to playing its best softball at the right time, and nothing less should be expected from this team when districts roll around.

“We just build from the beginning to the end,” Agosta said. “It’s never about one win. It’s about what we’re going to do at the end. Let’s build to the end, and we’re going to do that this year. It’s hard at first, especially when losses start to pile up a little bit, but they stay with the process, and they stay with the program. From there, they see that even though it’s not showing up on the scoreboard, we’re getting closer and we’re building. Where we were eight runs apart, now it’s a one run game and we’re right there.”

Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.

Marine City Art Drift

Saturday, April 27th • 12-5pm This city-wide art exhibition combines Marine City businesses with Michigan Artists for a day of exploration and discovery!

Photo by: Lori Hannon

Chapaton

$200,000 a year in savings right there.”

The old gates took around 10 minutes to open, Astorino said.

“Every time we opened them, we had to open them early,” Astorino said. “The lake would actually come back and we would lose storage.”

The air bladders have a metal plate on top, Astorino said, and they’ll fully inflate them in a heavy rain event.

“And we’ll keep it fully inflated to maximize all the storage within here and then once that storage is full, then we’ll just let the air out and let it go if we have to spill,” Astorino said. “If we don’t have to spill, it just contains it in this area, and we send it down to Detroit after the event.”

Miller said the St. Clair Shores Zoning Board of Appeals approved a request that allows them to build a fence to 8 feet. Miller said they had a few complaints from the neighbors on the side the gate is facing due to the noise from the construction, which she acknowledged is loud.

“We’re putting in a higher fence and a much nicer fence than we certainly would have had to, but we want to accommodate them, right,” Miller said. “They’re living here with this thing, and we always want to be good neighbors.”

Astorino said days are worked into the construction contract to account for heavy rain events that occur before the completion date.

“We’ve had those days in the past and they (the workers) continue working,” Asto-

rino said. “There’s work above ground that they can work on, and it hasn’t really stopped them.”

Astorino also said this was a little different from the underground work the county has worked on in the past.

“Z’s is doing a really good job,” Astorino said.

Around the early 2000s, Z’s built the original gates to the basin when the company went by a different name.

Miller said they’ve had a great reaction from the community including environmental groups, the county and other entities when it comes to the project.

“I think I can speak on (behalf of) practically everybody in Macomb County, they are all onboard with these projects,” Miller said. “I mean, we got a unanimous vote out of the county Board of Commissioners for some ARPA money for some other CSO projects and some of the things that we’re doing.”

She also said this is a generational project as it is going to help improve the lake water for generations to come.

Michael Droogleever, a member of the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee, said CSOs are the greatest polluters of Lake St. Clair and that water processing facilities all over the state cannot handle large amounts of rainfall. He said the project is designed to hold more water and that it’s a good thing.

He said Macomb County and Miller are those to thank for the project.

“While it is here in St. Clair Shores, it’s much bigger than the city,” Droogleever said. “We are grateful for the county, for Candice finally making this happen.”

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If you experience any issues attending this live event, please email evan.chechack@bartonmalow.com.

A Pre-Bid Meeting has been scheduled for 10:00a, April 11, 2024 at the Lake Shore Public Schools Taylor Building (30401 Taylor St. St. Clair Shores, Mi 48081).

All Bidders must provide a familial disclosure Form, Iran Sanctions Form, and also a Bid Bond, upload this information to the Bid Proposal on Building Connected. The District will not accept a bid proposal that does not include this information. The Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Bid Proposals, either in whole or in part; to award the Contract to other than the low Bidder; to waive any irregularities and/or informalities; and in general to make awards in any manner deemed to be in the best interests of the Owner.

Permanent part-time Custodian position, $18.01 - $22.92 hourly (32 Hours per week) includes benefit package. Successful completion of Civil Service Examination(s) is required, and applicant must meet all requirements set forth in the Employees Civil Service Ordinance, as well as possession of a valid Michigan driver’s license and a good driving record. Pre-employment background investigation and substance abuse testing is required. Interested, applicants must submit application to the Clinton Township Employees Civil Service Commission, 40700 Romeo Plank Rd., Clinton Twp., MI 48038

APRIL 20

Civil War: Returning Soldiers: Lecture and exhibit (on display until June 1), 2-2:45 p.m., Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum, 22500 11 Mile Road in St. Clair Shores, (586) 771-9020

Lights! Camera! Auction: Hollywood-themed fundraiser for St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School, includes silent and live auctions, raffles baskets, and dinner and dancing, 6 p.m., Century Banquet Center, 33204 Maple Lane in Sterling Heights, facebook.com/stisaacjoguescatholic

APRIL 24

Poetry and conversation: Featuring Nandi Comer and Tommye Blount, 6:30-7:30 p.m., St. Clair Shores Public Library, 22500 E. 11 Mile Road, registration required, (586) 771-9020

APRIL 26

Crime survivors assistance: Learn about criminal justice system and support services available, also meet other survivors, hosted by Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Victim Rights Unit, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Velocity Center, 6633 18 Mile Road in Sterling Heights, (586) 469-5675 MAY

third-degree retail fraud, though the suspects reportedly didn’t have the Lego set on them, and they allegedly wouldn’t say what happened to it.

Police settle dispute over cutting in line

STERLING HEIGHTS — Police reportedly went to a business in the 35000 block of Dodge Park Road March 16 upon hearing that someone was being aggressive and causing disorder over their placement in a line. Police said the argument involved an allegation of cutting in line and included a statement about being able to beat up one of the parties. Police said they separated the parties and advised one of them to leave and refrain from contacting the other side. Once the parties split, police took no further action.

Man tricked into accidentally signing deed

child neglect charges. Her vehicle was impounded and the children were turned over to the woman’s brother.

Intoxicated driver arrested

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Police pulled over a 24-year-old Grosse Pointe Woods man in the area of Mack Avenue and LaBelle Circle at 11:43 p.m. March 19 after spotting him traveling 50 mph in a 35 mph zone, swerving on the road and nearly hitting a legally parked scout car.

Although the driver smelled of alcohol and had slightly slurred speech, police said he denied having been drinking. The driver was asked to recite the letters of the alphabet from D to Q, and he reportedly said, “D, E, F, G, Q.” According to a police report, the driver then told police he was “never very good at mathematics.”

After failing field sobriety tests and having a blood alcohol content of 0.17% in a preliminary breath test, the driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated. When police inventoried the contents of the driver’s vehicle before it was impounded, they said they found an open bottle of Coastal Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, which they confiscated.

Pair accused of stealing Legos from Kohl’s STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said a male suspect and a female suspect left Kohl’s, 44200 Schoenherr Road, after allegedly stealing a $19.99 Lego set March 17. According to store staff, the suspects have previously stolen from the store.

Police said they found the pair walking by Lakeside Circle and arrested them on suspicion of

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 3 p.m. March 11, a resident came to the Shelby Township Police Department’s front desk to file a fraud report. The man stated that a family member had him sign a document, which happened to be the deed for his house, without him reading it. The suspect then took the document to be notarized. The man’s lawyer advised him to file a police report. The detective bureau was investigating.

Dirt bike stolen

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A resident came to the front desk of the Police Department to file a stolen vehicle report at 7:29 p.m. March 11. The resident stated that his dirt bike had been stolen from an apartment complex in the area of 23 Mile and Dequindre roads. He stated that he had the dirt bike parked in the parking lot, and when he went out there the next day, the dirt bike was missing. Police notified local law enforcement jurisdictions to be on the lookout for the stolen dirt bike.

Auto larceny reported ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 9:48 a.m. on March 24, a report was made about a belated larceny that occurred on March 22 in the 23000 block of Brookdale Boulevard. Upon arrival, an officer met with the victim, a 36-year-old man, who stated he left his vehicle unlocked and that someone had rummaged through it. He said the only thing missing was change from his center tray. Cameras were in the area, and they captured a truck in his neighbor’s driveway around 12:39 a.m. The officer advised the man to lock his vehicle in the future.