NEWSPAPERS Special Edition
DNR ‘Hunters Feeding Michigan’ program assists those in need STERLING HEIGHTS BUSINESS LENDS HAND
BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — A Department of Natural Resources program is aiming to expand and provide more for those in need.
The DNR’s Hunters Feeding Michigan program allows hunters to donate their harvest at select processing locations throughout the state. The DNR is contracting the Food Bank Council of Michigan to facilitate the program. The council links up donors, wild game processors and charities.
“It’s a privilege to work side by side with the Food Bank Council of Michigan to grow the Hunters Feeding
Michigan program and to help channel venison donated by hunters to local food agencies throughout the state,”
Joe Presgrove, DNR Hunters Feeding Michigan program specialist, said in a press release. “Together we will help many Michiganders in need!”
Hunters Feeding Michigan was established in 2005 by legislation and really got off the ground in 2007, according to Presgrove. He said the program’s numbers have been increasing each year. Since Oct. 1, 2024, Presgrove said over 75,000 pounds of meat have been donated, working out to about 300,000 servings for the fiscal year so far. Presgrove estimates over 2.8 million servings have been provided since the program started.
APRIL 23, 2025
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Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
Motor City Comic Con to spring back this May with iconic nostalgia
BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com
NOVI — The 2025 Motor City Comic Con is set to take over the Suburban Collection Showplace May 16-18. This year, the show will be flying in with all the superpower aspects it’s known for, but with an additional nostalgic punch.
The biannual convention, which caters to everything pop culture, has become synonymous with special celebrity and comic guests, events, attractions, and a welcoming atmosphere for all.
“I wouldn’t say that we ever really go for a theme. Pop culture is so encompassing that it’s hard to really nail it down to just one theme,” said Samantha Yankee, show manager. “But there is definitely a lot of nostalgia for this show.”
The show this year will feature many celebrities, some of whom are known for iconic roles, such as Bill Nye and the “Blue’s Clues” team.
“All these people who you watched when you were a kid, now they’re coming in and you can meet them,” said Beth Burland, show manager. “I would agree nostalgia’s definitely there.”
Yankee said that show guests are not chosen necessarily at random, because they try to get people who are not filming or working anymore as well as actors who are currently working. She said the latter definitely makes scheduling more of a challenge. It’s all about the timing, she said.
“So, a lot of the guests are people we have maybe been trying to get for a few shows now, but the schedules finally lined up,” Yankee said.
Jeremy Renner, known for his roles in “Mission Impossible” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he plays Hawkeye, was among them. The timing of the con worked out well with the release of his memoir, “My Next Breath,” on April 29. The show will provide an opportunity for Renner to meet fans and promote his book, Yankee said.
Photo provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Hunters Feeding Michigan program allows hunters to donate their harvest to those in need. In this photo, packages of frozen venison await distribution.
School district luncheon puts the ‘unity’ in community
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
CITY — Dozens of school and city officials from the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods were joined by leaders from local nonprofits and churches during the Grosse Pointe Public School System’s 14th annual Community Luncheon, held April 3 at Maire Elementary School in Grosse Pointe City.
“This event gets us out of our office and we’re able to connect with other groups and administrations,” Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Director John Kosanke said. “It’s a great community, and it doesn’t happen by accident — it’s because of hard work.”
Alicia Carlisle, one of the organizers of the luncheon, said that no school district money is spent on the luncheon. Instead, the costs are borne by event sponsors.
“Our community is so incredible and giving and connected, and you are the connectors,” Carlisle told attendees.
Maire Principal Nicole Filiccia said the luncheon celebrates the partnerships that make the community so special.
“We are honored to have such an esteemed group of leaders (here),” Filiccia said. “It truly takes a village for all of our kids to grow and thrive.”
Maire kindergarteners kicked off the luncheon by enthusiastically leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the students singing.
Superintendent Andrea Tuttle thanked the youngsters, making reference to a song they performed — “It’s a Good Day” — by saying, “You’ve made it a great day.”
Tuttle, who has worked in education for 30 years, became the superintendent last year.
See LUNCHEON on page 6A
Macomb Elks honors teen who helped rescue woman from lake
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN/GROSSE POINTE — Last summer, Grosse Pointe North High School student John Agnello performed an act of selflessness that saved another person’s life.
On July 23, he was fishing at Lake Front Park, located on Jefferson Avenue near Nine Mile Road in St. Clair Shores, when he saw a car go into Lake St. Clair. In just seconds, he and a neighbor raced into the water and rescued a woman from the car.
“I heard the splash, and we swam over there,” Agnello said. “It happened really fast. The windows were open, luckily, and we helped her out.”
Agnello said the driver told him there was a child in the backseat. But when I checked the backseat, there wasn’t anyone there. Soon, police were on the scene.
See AGNELLO on page 8A
From left, Grosse Pointe Public School System Superintendent Andrea Tuttle, Wayne County Community College District Provost Denis Karic and GPPSS Deputy Superintendent Roy Bishop chat before the 14th annual Community Luncheon April 3 at Maire Elementary School in Grosse Pointe City.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Macomb Elks No. 2292 Lodge Secretary Denise Allport, left, and Mike Bartolotta, current first vice president of the Michigan Elks Association, right, present John Agnello with the Elks Distinguished Citizen Award for 2024-2025.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Comic Con
from page 1A
Renner will be appearing at MC3 on Saturday, May 17, only.
Burland said she doesn’t think there are specific challenges with putting the show together, but she always questions “if they are bringing in the right guests that the fans will enjoy.”
The public is able to suggest guests on MC3’s website and social media. Yankee said that guest suggestions are always taken into account when they are trying to decide what guests to seek for the con.
“We like to make sure that we are listening to our fans and if there is a specific person that somebody is wanting us to bring in, then it lets us know if maybe we have a handful of people requesting that celebrity guest or maybe we have a hundred people requesting them,” Yankee said. “ When we are making our decisions on who to bring in, that definitely helps.”
New to MC3 this spring is Rough Magic games, which Burland said she is exited to have. The group will be hosting free Dungeons & Dragons games throughout the entire weekend. Burland said the group will also host panels on what D & D is all about and how to get into it.
Also new to the con this year is “Do You Want to be a Voice Actor.” The group will bring in a soundproof booth where guests will be able to record one to three lines of script. The group will edit it and add music and give a copy to the guests.
“Those two are very original and I’m looking forward to having those,” said Burland. “Something completely different that we haven’t had before.”
Another group that piggybacks off Dungeons & Dragons is Thunderforge Stu-
dios, which offers show attendees the chance to paint miniatures that can be used to play D & D games and other role-playing games. There is no cost for the miniatures.
As usual, authentication services for autographs will be available for MC3 attendees to purchase through JSA, but this year they have partnered with CGC, which specializes in comic book grating. So the show will have both autograph authentication and comic book, trading card and memorabilia grading services available to attendees.
The show is known for providing the opportunity for guests to experiment with and or partake in cosplay. This year the show is expanding to feature several cosplay guests, three of whom will be judging the cosplay contests and one of whom is a professional cosplayer.
“We have always had cosplay as a thing at our show, but because it has become such a big thing that people are turning this into a profession, we have expanded what are the guests that we bring in,” Yankee said. “We might expand this even further, but we are really trying it out for the show.”
The show will also include the traditional MC3 cosplay contests for both adults and children, and numerous panels, vendors and children’s activities.
“One of the things we are striving for each show is to bring in new attendees who are maybe a little bit timid about going to a comic con or maybe have the wrong idea about what a comic con is,” Yankee said. “It’s not just comic books. We have a lot of nostalgic guests that we are bringing in hoping to reach a new audience. So they understand there’s a lot more than just comic books at our show. We have local artists, we have vendors from all over the country, we’ve got activities and panels and after-hours events. There’s a lot going on that I think maybe people going to their first comic con might really enjoy.”
Motor City Comic Con attendees admire items for sale at one of the numerous vendor booths during the fall show in November 2024.
File photo by Erin Sanchez
‘LIKE A SECOND FAMILY’
SENIORS FIND FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNITY THROUGH THEATER GROUP
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
STERLING HEIGHTS — In the basement of the First United Methodist Church in Troy, a group of about 20 seniors — some in their 90s — sang to a digital recording of works from the musical “9 to 5.”
As the music played, they practiced choreography and used their hands and voices to show emotion.
The group of seniors come together several times a year to put on performances and sing at senior centers. They are the Heart of the Hills Players, and there’s only one requirement to join.
“The only requirement is that you’re age 50,” said Alison Boggs, who is currently directing the play.
Boggs has been with the group for several years, but like many others, she’s been acting most of her life. She was asked to direct “9 to 5” because she had been in it before with a different theater group.
Boggs said being part of the Heart of the Hills Players gives the seniors an opportunity to be cast in roles that would generally go to younger actors.
ABOVE: A member of the Heart of the Hills Players holds a song book for the musical “9 to 5” during a rehearsal.
LEFT: Dan Lambrix, left, and Erit Gill, both members of the Heart of the Hills Players, rehearse on April 9.
Photos by Brian Wells
Luncheon
“I’ve seen a lot of school districts, but none as great as the Grosse Pointe school district, and we really need to cherish (it),” Tuttle said.
From the arts and music to Advanced Placement classes and robotics programs to a wide variety of sports, Tuttle noted that the GPPSS provides academic rigor alongside chances for students to find something they’re passionate about.
“One of the things I love about Grosse Pointe is the opportunities we provide our students,” Tuttle said.
She said she’s heard that the GPPSS is second only to universities like Michigan State and the University of Michigan when it comes to athletic opportunities.
One of the luncheon’s sponsors was the Wayne County Community College District. Denis Karic, provost of WCCCD’s Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center in Harper Woods, said the college believes in providing education for all and equipping people with the skills needed today.
“We believe our success is measured by the success of our communities,” said Karic, who lives in Grosse Pointe Park.
The new Diverse Learners Program — organized jointly by Grosse Pointe Park nonprofit Michael B’s Café and WCCCD — has “really grown” in its second semester, Karic said.
Karic announced that WCCCD would soon be expanding its University Campus to add the Center for Virtual Learning and Digital Careers. He said the center would offer training in multimedia, graphic design
and much more, and elements such as editing suites and podcasting suites would be available to residents and businesses.
“It will be a resource to the whole community,” Karic said. “Our entire region will benefit from a workforce trained in highdemand digital skills.”
At press time, a groundbreaking date for the center hadn’t been set yet.
State Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, gave the keynote address. Along with providing an update on what’s going on in Lansing, he acknowledged the challenges state and local officials are facing with widespread cuts in federal funding, along with the problems caused by partisan gridlock.
“We need to find better ways to disagree with each other,” Hertel said.
Attendees — all of whom are there by invitation — are seated randomly at tables, so that multiple people from the same city or organization aren’t sitting together. This leads to conversations and connections that might not happen otherwise.
Attendees say that mix of city and school administrators, nonprofit representatives and local religious leaders is one of the things that makes the luncheon a meaningful event.
“This is a wonderful community event bringing all of the Grosse Pointe leaders together,” Grosse Pointe Park City Manager Nick Sizeland said. “We are here to serve the community and the residents.”
Next year’s luncheon will be at Grosse Pointe South High School, Carlisle said, meaning that it will have been held at each of the school buildings in the district. She said that doesn’t mean it’ll be the last luncheon, though.
TOP: Alicia Carlisle, center, greets attendees of the 14th annual Community Luncheon April 3 at Maire Elementary School in Grosse Pointe City as kindergarteners on the stage prepare to perform a song.
ABOVE LEFT: GPPSS Superintendent Andrea Tuttle talks about what makes the school district so special.
ABOVE RIGHT: State Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, delivers the keynote address.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
Clinton Township officials open inclusive playground
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A long-term project to build a place for everyone to play has come to fruition.
On April 4, Clinton Township officials and community members ceremonially opened the township’s inclusive playground. Located on the municipal campus between the Robert J. Cannon Civic Center and the Clinton-Macomb Public Library’s main branch, the park features six playscape “pods” built on top of American with Disabilities Act-compliant soft surfaces.
“This is really exciting, not just for me personally because of the work and years of effort that we had to put into this, but it’s just so exciting for the community,” said Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem, a member of the Inclusive Playground Committee. “Our hope is to see this filled. It’s a great feeling.”
The park’s six pods contain a mix of play equip-
See PLAYGROUND on page 8A
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Children play together at the Clinton Township inclusive playground on April 4. Various aspects of the playground are designed to accommodate the needs and abilities of children with various disabilities, allowing virtually all children a place where they can play together. Photo by Dean Vaglia
Playground
from page 7A
ment for children of all ages and abilities. A total of three play structures dot the playground, along with two sets of swings, a zip line and numerous ground-level features to climb up, on and play around. Even older park guests can get their active minutes in with a circuit training workout area.
While the park’s surface and range of structures work to make the playground as inclusive as it can be, the details are where the inclusivity shines though. Slides on the play structures are metal, which Gieleghem says allows guests with cochlear implants — a surgically-implanted device that can help people with hearing loss perceive sounds — to slide carefree while a plastic-surfaced slide would create issues for them. Signs displaying the Macomb Intermediate School District’s storyboard system allow for nonverbal communication using a language familiar to Macomb County children. A section of the playground is dedicated to a “quiet area” where overstimulated park guests can stop and resituate themselves as needed.
“(The park is) built for everybody but designed to accommodate people who, I think, were previously excluded from being on a playground,” Gieleghem said. “What that brings us to is kids being able to play together and the socialization effect of that. For kids without disabilities, they get to learn and appreciate kids with (disabilities,) and the kids with disabilities get to play with everybody else.”
For AnnMarie Ottoy, chair of the Inclusive Playground Committee, her favorite part of the park are the swings because they
Agnello
from page 3A
“I think she was dazed from the crash,” said Agnello, a sophomore. “The car was fully underwater at this time.”
Agnello’s quick thinking and act of bravery caught the attention of the Macomb Elks No. 2292, who each year selects a citizen of the year. On March 30, the members held a ceremony at their lodge to recognize the teenager with the Elks Distinguished Citizen Award for 2024-2025.
Denise Allport, the lodge secretary, and Mike Bartolotta, the current first vice president of the Michigan Elks Association at the state level, presented Agnello with the award. Bartolotta also is a member of Macomb Elks
are her son Zachary’s favorite part. The work and isolation of seeking out professionals, assistance and support for Zachary after his disabilities diagnosis led to Ottoy reaching out to the township and then-treasurer Gieleghem about constructing an inclusive playground.
“It was mentally and emotionally exhausting and left little time for something every child and their family deserves: fun,” Ottoy said. “A chance to be outside running, swinging, spinning, playing with friends or having the chance to make friends. For parents, family members and caregivers to connect and understand they are not alone and that there is such a thing as community. These are the things that would have made a tremendous difference in the life of our family, helping us navigate the loneliness and solitude that often comes with raising a child with disabilities.”
Over the intervening years the committee worked to raise $1.4 million to fund the park’s construction, often finding help throughout the community to get there. The committee teamed up with nonprofit The Arc of Macomb to aid in the grant process, and local legislators lobbied for a $1 million allocation for the park in the 2024 state budget. A final major donation of $300,000 was made from the township at the insistence of Robert Cannon, then the township supervisor, to allow the project to meet its goals and make the inclusive playground a reality. Work on the park began in July 2024 and ended by November last year.
“I’m just really overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the help and the support from the community and everybody that helped make this happen,” Ottoy said. “This was really a dream and at one point we weren’t
No. 2292. Several lodge members were present for the event, which also included a luncheon.
“In the past we chose members of the lodge,” Allport said. “This year we wanted to recognize someone in the community. I thought he went above and beyond. He was fishing with his mom, and boom, out on the lake he went to help her while mom called 911.”
“Your bravery and selflessness are nothing short of heroic,” Bartolotta said. “Without hesitation, you risked your own safety to save a stranger in a dangerous and terrifying situation. That kind of courage is rare, especially in someone so young. Your quick thinking, calm under pressure and willingness to act speaks volumes about your character.”
sure if it was going to be a reality just due to the sheer cost of it, but here we are and I couldn’t be happier.”
Along with building the inclusive playground, the committee’s goals also include recommending adaptive improvements and practices to be carried out in other parks. In fact, what the committee has learned has already made it into existing and future park improvements.
“The splashpad (at the Civic Center) was built; they now have wheelchair seats so kids that are not mobile can enjoy the splashpad,” Gieleghem said. “And then (there are) the grants that we got for George George Park to build an accessible universal kayak launch. This project really helped us sort of expand that focus and do these types of things to make us more inclusionary and more accessible for everybody.”
The two Challenger Baseball fields at Neil Reid Park are another example of inclusive play design making its way into the township’s parks. The diamonds feature solid baserunning surfaces and were made to support the Clinton Valley Little League’s Challenger Division.
The completion and grand opening of the inclusive playground was a celebration, but also a crossroads for the committee
behind it now that its tentpole project has been completed.
So where does the committee go from here?
“Well, we’re still looking at that,” Gieleghem said. “I think (the committee) provided some great guidance, but I would hate (for) the amount of effort and the amount of experience and the things we learned along the way go away. So we need to sort of expand the direction (of the committee) and hope that folks stay with us.”
The question of what the committee will look like going forward remains open for Ottoy, but the accomplishment in Clinton Township is unlikely to be the end of her own efforts. Ottoy serves as the communications director for Dutton Farm, an organization that supports adults with disabilities, and she expects to continue working for disability advocacy causes.
“My sincere desire is for families to come together here in this space (the inclusive playground) and to connect with one another, to better understand one another and to form those real, lasting friendships and bonds that can last a lifetime,” Ottoy said.
The inclusive playground is located at 40700 Romeo Plank Road.
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The FBCM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and was started in 1984. It has seven regional food banks, covering all of Michigan’s 83 counties.
“We are excited to help partner with the participating deer processors and hunters to expand the Hunters Feeding Michigan program and are looking forward to what the future holds,” Garrett Zuver, Food Bank Council of Michigan Agriculture Program specialist, said in the release.
Hunters Feeding Michigan is primarily funded by voluntary donations when hunters and anglers sign up for licenses. Presgrove said these funds go toward processing expenses.
“We see the demand for good clean protein at the food banks, so we’re trying to get creative with raising additional revenue or donations to put toward processing,” Presgrove said in a phone interview. “We reimburse our processors at a certain rate and we want to make sure it’s a reasonable rate for them to continue processing deer for us.”
This year the DNR is getting some help
from a local business. Sterling Heights-based Deer Camp Coffee Roasting Company & Outfitters, which started up in 2015, has partnered with the DNR to raise funds for the program. The funds support the processing and distribution of the donated meat. Donations at Deer Camp can be made by buying coffee bags of medium roast Donor Doe or dark roast Traditions. With Traditions, an embroidered DNR deer patch from the past is included.
“At Deer Camp, we believe in great coffee, strong traditions, connecting and giving back to the community,” Julie Majewski, Deer Camp’s director, said in the release.
“This partnership with the DNR is more than just a collaboration — it’s a way for us to support hunters, conservation efforts and those in need. Every purchase makes a difference, and together, we can create lasting change, one cup at a time.”
According to Mike Tocco, who does media relations for Deer Camp, the company got involved with the program through Uncle Henry’s Gourmet Meats. Uncle Henry’s is one of the participating processors in the DNR program and Deer Camp has a relationship with the company. He said the contribution from each coffee bag purchased
is “very significant.”
“From our standpoint, because of the benefit from what they’re trying to do, it’s over $6 in some cases that we’re donating back,” Tocco said in a phone interview.
The Sterling Heights business is no stranger to getting involved in the community. Tocco pointed to Deer Camp’s partnerships with other local businesses like Tennerra Winery. Tocco said students with disabilities from Utica Schools help bag and package coffee as part of a work training program. The company sponsors the Pure
Michigan Hunt and has previously partnered with the DNR for a tree planting program.
“We did a tree planting program, which basically created wildlife in the Upper Peninsula that allowed deer to come in and habitat it,” Tocco said. “It also created more opportunities for them to not only be fed during harsh winters, but also manage the herds in an effective way.”
For a list of processors taking part in the DNR program, visit michigan.gov/dnr/ about/get-involved/hunters-feeding-michi gan.
We’re never done making health care better.
Theater
“Some people in this group have never done theater before. Some people have worked with other groups, but you get to a certain age, and it’s kind of hard to get cast in some shows,” Boggs said. “So this gives people an opportunity at an older age to play some roles that they never thought they’d be able to play, because they’ve aged out of the roles.”
One of the members of the group is playing a 16-year-old who just got their driver’s license.
Dan Lambrix, who is playing the lead male character, said he decided to join the group because it gets him out of the house.
Lambrix is in his first year with the group, but said he did his first show in 1978.
Diana Schreiber, who is also one of the leads in the show, said she decided to join the group when she retired.
“I was just retired, and I wanted to get into the theater arts — singing, acting, and this was perfect for me,” she said.
Schreiber has also participated in a number of local groups before joining the Heart of the Hills Players 17 years ago.
“I get so much satisfaction, and it keeps me young and keeps me active,” she said.
Because of the age of the players, they sometimes face challenges that those in other theater groups wouldn’t, such as physical limitations or illness, Boggs said. Schreiber added that memory problems can also pose a challenge to the group.
“As you get older, it’s your memory,” she said. “I have to work harder on lines and lyrics, but I love it because it keeps my mind sharp.”
But despite the challenges, Boggs said the group always gives it their best.
“They’re wonderful people with hearts of gold,” Boggs said. “They try really hard.”
All three of the performers said the group has also helped them find community.
“It’s almost like a little family, like a second family, because they’re a tight-knit group,” Lambrix said. “And they’re really nice people.”
The Heart of the Hills Players will perform the musical “9 to 5” at 7 p.m. April 25 and April 26 and 2 p.m. April 27 at Anita’s Elite Dance Studio, 37360 Van Dyke Ave., in Sterling Heights. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online at hohplayers.org/ tickets.
from page 5A
Alison Boggs, right, gives direction to members during a rehearsal.
Photo by Brian Wells
