NEWSPAPERS Special Edition
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024
candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
BOOMING APPLE CROPS THIS YEAR ADD TO FALL FUN AT LOCAL ORCHARDS, CIDER MILLS
BY MARY BETH ALMOND malmond@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — As the weather begins to cool in Michigan, there’s no better way to warm yourself up than with a cup of hot apple cider and mouth-watering doughnuts this fall. According to the Michigan Apple Committee, there’s plenty of apples to choose from this year. Michigan is now in its third consecutive season of large apple crops, estimating a harvest of 30.5 million bushels in 2024 — well above Michigan’s average of approximately 25.9 million bushels.
“Apples are the largest and most valuable fruit crop in Michigan – not to mention a big part of Michigan’s culture,” Diane Smith, the executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, said in a statement. “Ask any Michigander about their fall traditions, and you’ll hear about apple picking, apple cider and more. Apples are the flavor of fall in Michigan, naturally.”
Warmer than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused buds to form, leading to an earlier bloom in May. Growers, Smith said, were fortunate this year not to experience significant frost and freeze events after that early bloom, allowing a plentiful crop to be harvested 10 days earlier than usual.
Although the Michigan Apple Committee’s estimated harvest of 30.5 million bushels this year is slightly down from 31.9 million last year, Smith said that’s still above average. Michigan harvested around a record 32.38 million bushels of apples in 2022, according to the United States
See CIDER MILLS on page 6A
Proponents say ECCA will expand education choices for families
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — As the new school year started, a press conference was held Aug. 28 at Regina High School where attendees discussed a federal bill that supporters say would give parents more choices for their children’s education.
Bill No. 531, titled the Educational Choice for Children Act or ECCA, was introduced last year and is currently under review in the Committee on Ways and Means.
Proponents of the bill include the Invest in Education Coalition, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and Beth DeShone, executive director of the Great Lakes Education Project. All attended the press conference. Invest in Education Coalition advocates at the federal level for legislation so K-12 parents can choose the best school or education service for their children.
“The design of this bill is basically to ensure that families who face obstacles and barriers at the state level will be able to access the resources they need to broaden the array
of educational options available to them,” said Greg Brock, a senior advisor with the Invest in Education Coalition.
Bill No. 531, if passed, will fund K-12 scholarships through private donations that cover essential elements including tuition, tutoring and special needs services for public, private, charter and homeschooled children.
“This Educational Choice for Children Act is such an exciting opportunity to change the dynamic here in Michigan and provide families with supplemental support
for their children’s education,” DeShone said. “This legislation would allow families to pay for things like tuition, tutoring and many other educational enrichments they desperately need to set their children on the best path for a successful future.”
If signed into federal law, the ECCA will allow individuals and corporations a new tax credit after 2023 for charitable contributions to tax-exempt organizations that provide scholarships to elementary and secondary school students. Beneficiaries must
ABOVE: Yates Cider Mill’s press can produce hundreds of gallons of apple cider each hour.
RIGHT: Yates Cider Mills staff member Ava Ramales, 17, of Shelby Township, takes out dozens of freshly baked doughnuts.
Photos by Erin Sanchez
SECOND FRONT PAGE
Guns N’ Hoses strengthens camaraderie, raises money
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
ST. CLAIR SHORES — Not only did the Guns N’ Hoses softball game build camaraderie between the St. Clair Shores Police Department and St. Clair Shores Fire Department, it also raised money for three great charities.
Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Candice Rusie said the Guns N’ Hoses softball game raised money for the Great Lakes Burn Camp, Cops for Kids and the St. Clair Shores Women’s Civic League civic funds.
“Which is going to be money we utilize to help projects within the city from other civic or charitable organizations,” Rusie said.
The police won the game. The Aug. 17 contest marked the eighth game hosted by the league and it was also the first game since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The last game was played in 2019.
“We decided to try to reintroduce what was becoming a fun annual tradition and hopefully we’ll be able to do this again next year and the year after that,” Rusie said.
It was originally started as a fundraiser for the league and also to help the Fire Department and Police Department fundraise for their charities as well.
“We wanted to just have a day of camaraderie between the community,” Rusie said. “Between different organizations.”
Sarah DeDonatis, the Women’s Civic League vice president and Guns N’ Hoses event chair, said the event started around
2013 and that the league has been around since 1939.
“We were looking for ways to help our community, which is one of our bases for existing, but also ways to incorporate police and fire,” DeDonatis said.
There are seven members of the league and DeDonatis said they went to well over 100 businesses to collect donations. With that help, they gave away 53 door prizes and had other separate raffles. They also had sponsors who contributed money.
“It was just a beautiful collaboration,” DeDonatis said.
St. Clair Shores Fire Department Chief James Piper said that though he wasn’t at the event, he thinks the crew had a good time.
“It’s always a good opportunity for some camaraderie and some friendly competition with the police, and it raises some good money for charity,” Piper said.
Piper said the police have had a good time “ribbing” them because they won, but he said the Fire Department would be doing the same thing if they had won.
“We work really closely with them which is great and so any time you get a chance for some of that friendly competition it’s always fun,” Piper said.
In a post on Facebook, the St. Clair Shores Police Department said this:
“ While we may have joked back and forth on social media, behind the scenes this night was about bringing back an old tradition and strengthening the camaraderie between our two departments.”
The amount raised for charity was not known at press time.
Plans for Sheetz move forward despite concerns from residents, council
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
EASTPOINTE — The plans for a new Sheetz gas station and cafe in Eastpointe are moving forward despite concerns from both residents and the City Council.
The site plan for a Sheetz gas station, restaurant and convenience store, as well as a special land use permit, were approved unanimously by Eastpointe’s Planning Commission in early August. The gas station will be constructed at 19001 Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe, at the corner of Nine Mile Road and Beaconsfield Avenue.
Currently an Office Depot occupies the property; however, it will be demolished to build the combination gas station, restaurant and convenience store, plus outdoor seating for the restaurant and landscaping.
The special land use permit for the property was brought before the City Council at its Aug. 20 meeting.
Despite a number of residents speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting about their concerns with the project, as well as concerns brought up by City Council
ABOVE: The St. Clair Shores Police Department won the first Guns N’ Hoses game since the pandemic.
RIGHT: The trophy straps in for a ride back to the St. Clair Shores Police Department after the Guns N’ Hoses game on Aug. 17.
Photos provided by the St. Clair Shores Police Department
The Eastpointe City Council approved a special land use permit to develop a Sheetz gas station, restaurant and convenience store at 19001 Nine Mile Road, which is the current site of an Office Depot.
Photo provided by Sheetz
Shelby sprint car racer takes 2 victories in Ohio and Michigan
BY KARA SZYMANSKI kszymanski@candgnews.com
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — It was two consecutive victories for a local Shelby Township sprint car racer at the end of August.
Andrew Bogusz, an 18-year-old from Shelby Township, took the victory in the feature event at the sprint car Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Aug. 24 at Lorain Raceway Park in Ohio and Aug. 31 at Owosso Speedway in Michigan.
He led all 30 laps in both events for the win. These are pavement winged sprint cars with GM 602 crate engines that run on methanol fuel.
His first win of the year Aug. 24 took seven minutes and eight seconds from the start of the race to the finish. The track is a 3/8-mile paved oval. Bogusz now has four career victories.
Bogusz said he was very happy to be able to finally accomplish something that has been a goal of his for a long time.
“It’s good to win two in a row, and we finally won here at Owosso, a place that’s just been eluding me since we came here last year,” Bogusz said.
He said he just kept going to get that second win.
“I just did what I had to do there at the end. I wasn’t going to let him take this one away from us,” Bogusz said of driver J.J. Henes, who finished second at Owosso.
Bogusz was proud that he was able to show his fans that he could win the race, and make it back-to-back wins.
“I wanted to do this in front of my Michigan crowd. I’m from north of Detroit, so the Michigan racers finally got our winner’s crown back,” he said.
Racing team owner Eddie Sachs III said they are very happy with all the hard work they have been putting into the races and that their hard work is finally showing.
“We’ve been bringing a well-prepared car to every event and finally our team’s hard work is paying off. This car we built new last year has not finished worse than third place in feature events,” he said.
Bogusz specifically has shown Sachs what he can achieve and is getting better and better every race.
“My driver Andrew has put in the work and stepped up his driving this year. It really shows how he is maturing as a driver.”
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Andrew Bogusz, 18, from Shelby Township, took the victory in the feature event Aug. 24 at Lorain Raceway Park in Ohio. It was the first of two consecutive victories.
Photo provided by Terry Bogusz
U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, said the Educational Choice for Children Act, if passed, would provide $10 billion in annual tax credits to taxpayers to fund textbooks, tuition, supplies and equipment for public, private, charter and homeschooled students.
ECCA
from page 1A
be members of a household with incomes not greater than 300% of the area median gross income and be eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school.
According to the bill’s language, it excludes from the gross income of taxpayer dependents any scholarship amount for the elementary or secondary education expenses of eligible students. It also prohibits governmental control over scholarship granting organizations.
Anthony J. de Nicola, chairman of the Board of Invest in Education Coalition is a Michigan native who grew up in the Albion area and attended Catholic school, as did his three children. He would like to see other families have the same opportunity if they choose.
James, who co-sponsored the bill, said it would expand education freedom by providing $10 billion in annual tax credits made available to taxpayers to fund textbooks, tuition, supplies and equipment. Math and reading scores and student mental health are among his concerns.
“Mental health issues are skyrocketing because there’s hopelessness running rampant among generations who do not see a brighter future. A quality education is a basic civic right and we must fight to protect it,” said James, a graduate of Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills. “I believe every child regardless of ZIP code or income should have the opportunity for success. I firmly believe that when you give parents a choice, you give children a chance. We have to return power to the people and get
money down to the lowest level so teachers can do their jobs.”
Sterling Heights parent Michelle Smith has a first- and second-grader who attend a private Christian school, but it is a sacrifice financially.
“The most important thing we can do as parents is give our kids the best start. We have no issue necessarily with public schooling but for us what felt right was making sure our kids grew up in a faith-based environment,” she said. “This bill would be an excellent opportunity for other families who might not be able to afford to send their kid to a private school to have that opportunity.”
Eastpointe Community Schools Superintendent Christina Gibson, however, is not in favor of the ECCA and believes vouchers — whether as direct payments or tax credits — do not correlate with improved student outcomes.
“Vouchers primarily serve to save money for wealthier families, rather than addressing the broader needs of all students,” she said in a statement. “Studies have shown that voucher systems can have a more detrimental impact on student performance than significant disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic or natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.”
Gibson has reached out to James’ office to express her concerns.
“Instead of competing for students, we should be united in advocating for our children by supporting communities and strengthening public education,” Gibson said. “What we know works is placing highly qualified, well-trained, and well-compensated teachers in front of students. The primary beneficiaries of voucher systems are often families who already have their children in private schools.”
Photo by Maria Allard
Cider mills
Department of Agriculture.
“It is unusual to have three large crops in a row,” Smith explained. “However, as growers continue to plant high-density orchards and adopt other innovative growing practices, Michigan’s apple crop sizes will increase, and we will continue to see these larger crops.”
There are more than 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan, which means plenty of apples to taste this fall.
Visiting orchards and cider mills for freshly picked apples, or sipping apple cider with fresh doughnuts is part of the culture
of Michigan.
“It’s definitely a southeast Michigan tradition for people to have a pilgrimage to a cider mill in the fall,” said Katie Titus, who owns Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills.
Yates Cider Mill, touted as one of the oldest cider mills in Michigan, has been in operation for over 160-years, bringing families and friends together each year for fall flavors and fun.
“Some folks have actually been coming for decades. I’ve spoken to so many of them who’ve said they started coming when they were little, they brought their kids, and now, their grandkids,” Titus said. “We even have that within our own employee base, where we have third generations of kids working whose parents and grandparents have worked here — so it’s not just the customers, it’s also our employees that keep coming
Armada
• Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill, 17985 Armada Center Road, blakefarms.com/orchard-cider-mill
• Blake’s Big Apple, 71485 North Ave., blakefarms.com/big-apple
Bloomfield Hills
• Franklin Cider Mill, 7450 Franklin Road, franklincidermill.com
Commerce Township
• Long Family Orchard and Farm, 1540 E. Commerce Road, longsorchard.com
Highland Township
• Bonadeo Farms, 1215 White Lake Road, bonadeofarms.com
Holly
• Diehl’s Orchard & Cider Mill, 1479 Ranch Road, diehlsorchard.com
• Mitchell Farm, 3500 Mitchell Road, mitchellfarm.biz/index.html
Lake Orion
• Yates Cider Mill at Canterbury Village, 2375 Joslyn Ct., yatescidermill.com/canterbury-village
Northville
• Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill, 714 Baseline Road, northvillecider.com
back year after year.”
Fresh-pressed cider, warm doughnuts, farm animals and scenic trails are a few of highlights at Yates that keep guests coming back.
“Our focus is really good cider and re-
Ortonville
• Ashton Orchards, 3925 Seymour Lake Road, michigan.org/property/ ashton-orchards
Rochester
• Rochester Cider Mill, 5125 N. Rochester Road, rochestercidermill.com
Rochester Hills
• Yates Cider Mill, 1950 E. Avon Road, yatescidermill.com
Romeo
• Hy’s Cider Mill, 6350 37 Mile Road, hyscidermill.com
• Stony Creek Orchard and Cider Mill, 2961 W. 32 Mile Road, stonycreekorchard.com
• Westview Orchards & Cider Mill, 65075 Van Dyke Ave., westvieworchards.com
South Lyon
• Blake’s Lyon Township, 61475 Silver Lake Road, blakefarms.com/blakes-south-lyon
Washington Township
• Big Red Orchard and Cider Mill, 4900 32 Mile Road, bigredorchard.com
• Verellen Orchards, 63260 Van Dyke Ave., verellenorchards.com
ally good doughnuts, and that’s what we do really well,” Titus explained.
The mill’s press can produce 300 gallons of apple cider each hour, and guests can even watch cider being made on-site. The
Families and friends enjoy some sweet treats at Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Sept. 7.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Cider mills
cider recipe, Titus said, changes a bit as the season goes on and different apples become ripe, adding new flavors as the weeks pass by.
“We also aim to have fresh doughnuts all day long — we don’t just make them in the morning. We make them all day, so everybody gets fresh doughnuts,” she added.
Fudge, ice cream, hot dogs and more are available for purchase.
“We aim to have an environment that is park-like, where people can take a walk on the trail with their cider and doughnuts, enjoy some hotdogs for lunch and grab some fudge from the Frankenmuth Fudge Shoppe here,” Titus said. “We just want our customers to come enjoy time with their friends and family, and enjoy the fall weather, because Michigan is having amazing fall weather so far.”
Blake’s, a family-owned and operated orchard and cider mill in Armada that has been serving generations since 1946, is reporting a robust crop this year leading into the busy fall season.
“The harvest of the crop is two to three
weeks earlier this year than it has been in past years because it’s been so hot this summer — and because of that too, we are seeing a bumper crop,” said Jacqlyn Bradford, director of marketing at Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill.
The Blake’s Family of Companies has a harvest of fun-filled events and attractions at its four locations — Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill in Armada, Blake’s Big Apple in Armada, Blake’s Backyard in Almont and Blake’s Lyon Township in South Lyon.
The farm and apple orchards started it all in 1946, and they expanded over the years to include year-round attractions, experiences and events. This fall, the crowds are already rolling in.
“It’s a tradition that’s passed down,” Bradford said. “It’s a simple activity, but one that has been around for so long.”
Depending on the Blake’s site, guests can enjoy u-pick apples and pumpkins, cider and doughnuts, corn mazes, a haunted house, hayrides, a hard cider bar, farm stand produce and more.
“We really try to create experiences for our customers and innovate all the time. We really try to get people out and create memories that you wouldn’t be able to do at your typical cider mill,” Bradford added.
SHEETZ PLANS WARREN STORES
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WARREN — The Warren Planning Commission voted unanimously Aug. 19 to approve the site plan for a Sheetz gas station and convenience store amid resistance from area businesses and residents.
The commission’s decision to approve or deny a project is based on whether the plan meets the zoning requirements and ordinances, according to Warren Planning Commission Chairman Warren Smith.
“As long as it meets the ordinance, and as long as it meets all the requirements, we have an obligation to approve it,” Smith said at the meeting.
Sheetz is to be located on the southeast corner of 12 Mile and Mound roads, at 5920 12 Mile and 28950 Mound, which is the current location of the Victory Inn, a Warren restaurant that has been in the community nearly 80 years.
Sheetz was presented as a family-owned business that is a friend to the community it serves. David Bruckelmeyer, a representative of the company, gave the presentation to the commission in which he said, “None of its stores are franchised; rather, corporately owned through the family.”
Sheetz concentrates on food, according to Bruckelmeyer.
“We operate a 24/7/365 kitchen. Every menu option is open all day all year. It’s an incredible offering, so we are heavily food focused. We also offer a very large amount of premium convenience items,” he said.
Among those premium items at the gas station, store and restaurant will be liquor, wine and beer.
“I would like to note that we will not be able to sell liquor 24 hours. We do sell liquor; we do not consider ourselves a liquor store,” Bruckelmeyer said. “We are not going to have a large selection. It will be very limited and carryout beer and wine as well. So we do not feel we need private security.”
Because the stores are open 24 hours, Bruckelmeyer stressed how the store’s lighting offers security.
“Sheetz takes a really big emphasis on security. Because we are open 24/7/365 we do want to provide that sense of security to our customers and employees, so we properly light
our sites. It’s something that’s really critical,” Bruckelmeyer said. “Lighting does deter any kind of issues going on. In addition to that, on an average site Sheetz provides roughly 60 high definition monitored cameras that are monitored 24/7/365 by Sheetz employees back in Altoona, Pennsylvania, something that’s really incredible.”
Bruckelmeyer praised the work environment.
“Something that sets us apart is Sheetz has an incredible culture and that’s spoken to by Sheetz being named to Fortune’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ nine years running,” Bruckelmeyer said. “Along with that, we’ve grown to offer 30 to 35 positions per location.
Those include preferably full-time positions that offer benefits, paid time off, 401(k), the entire package, so it’s really a premium offering to our employees.”
Bruckelmeyer’s presentation extolled Sheetz as a business that would be a positive addition to the community.
Warren business owners and residents had a different view. Their concerns included the reputation of the company, crime, taking business away from local small business owners, and a history of discrimination practices.
Sharkey Haddad from the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce said at the meeting, “I’m here today to ask you to do your due diligence and check with other states and their police departments about their experiences with Sheetz years after their approval so you are not misguided by their sugar-coated presentations and public relations campaigns,” Haddad said.
“Ask your police chief about their public safety concerns with Sheetz 24-hour restaurant, gas station and liquor store near a highway,” Haddad said. “Or ask your police chief to Google crimes at Sheetz. Ask Sheetz how much their employees must pay per month per person for their competitive prices for health care.”
Other Warren residents spoke at the meeting.
“We know they have this problem with discrimination. We know they have a record of bad gas. They had to shut down the Romeo (Michigan) place for selling gas in January because they had water in the gas,” said Michael Brzoska.
“We know (they) don’t support local businesses, it’s a national chain, so the chips, the pop, whatever other stuff that’s not coming local they are going to kill local business,”
Brzoska said.
“We know they have late-night problems,” Brzoska said. “I did a late-night trip and ended up in Raleigh, a very nice area, and it didn’t look like that at midnight (pointing to a photo on the screen of Sheetz). It’s a hangout spot for people that have no place to go or nothing to do.”
Beverly Suida, owner of the Victory Inn, said, “I just want the record to reflect that an actual completed and closed sale of the Victory Inn property cannot happen any sooner than August 1, 2027.
“The Victory Inn is not closing and will continue to be open and operating as usual,” Suida said.
In a previous interview with C & G Newspapers, Suida said, “I am excited about celebrating our 80th anniversary in 2026.”
In light of the agreement with the Victory Inn, Smith questioned whether Sheetz would be able to move forward with their plans.
“I don’t think it affects anything, they can get a twoyear approval here and if they haven’t changed anything in the lease, or whatever their intentions are with the owner, they can get an extension,” said Ron Wuerth, director of planning for the city of Warren. “Getting a year extension is not something that is uncommon. It’s more common than uncommon.”
Smith implored the representative from Sheetz to address the concerns of the business owners made during the meeting.
“We are working on engaging with the Chaldean Chamber. Some of those conversations are being worked on,” Bruckelmeyer said. He attributed much of the comments to businesses not wanting additional competition.
“We have picked a property that really fits the appropriate zoning. Another fuel station operator could come in here and build another site by right, and they would also therefore be competition,” Bruckelmeyer said.
“I’m sure it’s going to have some impact (on business) because of the amenities that you offer, some of the other businesses don’t offer,” Warren Planning Commissioner Claudette Robinson said at the meeting.
Sheetz also has plans to bring another gas station and convenience store to Warren, at Van Dyke Avenue and Murthum Avenue, the site of the former Pampa Lanes.
members, the council voted 3-1 to approve the special land use permit that will allow the business to move forward with construction on the property at Nine Mile and Kelly roads.
Before the issue was brought up, multiple residents took to the podium to talk about traffic, safety and the number of gas stations in Eastpointe. Many of their concerns echoed those spoken at the Planning Commission meeting earlier in the month.
Jerry Cook, who lives on Beaconsfield, said building Sheetz in his neighborhood would be “very horrible.”
“It’s so hard to get out from Beaconsfield to Nine Mile just to get on the freeway or go left or right, so with that business being there, it’s just going to cause more confusion,” he said.
He added that he believed Sheetz locations were 24-hour truck stops, and he didn’t want to see that in his neighborhood.
“My neighborhood is not a truck stop,” he said. “So I don’t plan on seeing a Sheetz in my neighborhood. Send it to wherever the truck stop is.”
Geraldine Robinson, who also lives on Beaconsfield, said she believes there are too
many gas stations in Eastpointe.
“Can you come up with anything else besides gas stations?” she said. “We need other things in Eastpointe besides gas stations. We deserve more.”
After multiple residents expressed doubt about being able to turn from Beaconsfield onto Nine Mile Road with the additional traffic they expect Sheetz to bring,
David Bruckelmeyer, engineering permit manager for Sheetz, stated that a curbed median will be added to the exit of the business, restricting people from turning left to head north on Beaconsfield Avenue.
“That was to address some residents’ concerns, and certainly something we’re willing to take into account,” he said. “We had a traffic study done on the site. We did note that our access is supported by the traffic study and it says it is operating safely.”
Despite the traffic study, Bruckelmeyer said he understands it can be difficult to get from Beaconsfield onto Nine Mile Road. He said Sheetz generally picks corner locations to offer customers a convenient way to get into the business.
Many residents voiced fears about crime that could come with a 24-hour gas station. Bruckelmeyer said the business will have 60 high-definition security cameras and will release footage to local police if requested.
“It’s unfortunately something within
our society that crime does exist, but what we do is we invest in lighting, we invest in cameras, and we work with local police departments to address any security concerns,” he said. “We truly do work with local police.”
Councilman Harvey Curley also had questions about the business, starting with what kind of food would be offered at the restaurant. Bruckelmeyer said the restaurant will feature made-to-order food with many different combinations available.
“It’s our brand of premium food offering. So it’s everything from salads, rice bowls — we also have burgers and fries, we have mac and cheese,” he said. “There are Instagram pages that actually are fan favorites; people post their favorite Sheetz food. So we really, truly are a restaurant. We take pride in our made-to-order food.”
Curley, like many residents, also raised questions over the hours of operation.
“Someone mentioned a truck stop to me,” he said. “About the truck stop. Do you have parking overnight?”
While Sheetz does have fueling stations that cater to truck drivers, Bruckelmeyer said the proposed Eastpointe location wouldn’t be one of them.
Councilman Cardi DeMonaco cited environmental impacts from the gas station as the reason for his vote against the permit.
“I think that, looking at this holistically, I don’t think we should approve the special land use — mainly because the project is not an improvement to the community, because the U.S. is moving forward to becoming carbon neutral, and developing a new gas station contradicts these efforts to reduce the impacts of global climate change,” he said.
DeMonaco’s objection was met with applause from residents.
Mayor Michael Klinefelt initially spoke in support of Sheetz, stating he feels it’s important that a business move into the property to protect Nine Mile Road from additional blight. However, he did voice concern that it will cause competition for other businesses.
“I have concerns about what will happen to the other gas stations, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to make decisions based on the competitive market,” he said.
Despite concerns from Curley, DeMonaco was the only council member to vote against the permit. Councilman Rob Baker was absent from the meeting.
“This is a site where, if an over-the-road truck driver came in, pulled in and parked overnight, we would ask him to leave or tow him because he’s going to plug up the site,” he said. “He’s not allowed to be there. He shouldn’t be there. This is really focused on auto users, not heavy truck diesels.”
WORLD WAR II, KOREA VETERAN TURNS 100
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — In 1924, Calvin Coolidge was the president, the Washington Senators claimed the World Series over the New York Giants, purchasing alcohol was a felony and William Szypa of Hamtramck was born on Aug. 31.
Now 100 years to the good since that last day of August 1924, Szypa is still at it. His life has taken him across metro Detroit and the world, saw him serve in two wars and build a family.
“It’s a long journey, I’ll tell you that,” Szypa said.
After growing up in Hamtramck, Szypa joined the U.S. Navy and served during World War II.
“During the war, I was in a destroyer escort squadron and my job was to go out and depth charge and try to kill as many German submarines as I could,” Szypa said. “They were torpedoing our ships that were going overseas with supplies. We were in the North Atlantic patrol, and we would go after these German submarines that were torpedoing our ships.”
Szypa’s service extended into the Korean War, where he served as an electrician on a training ship in the Caribbean Sea.
“We had a small carrier, a 500-foot,” Szypa said. “We took them out around Cuba, Guantanamo Bay, in that area, and we would train these pilots on landing on a small ship in the ocean. We were in the training war. These pilots had just graduated from the training schools and only knew how to land on land, and landing on land is awfully different from landing on a 500-foot runway. A land runway is probably 10,000 feet or so.”
After the war, Szypa returned to Michigan and looked for work. He tried his hand at manufacturing and other roles but found himself coming back to electrical work in due time.
“I met some friends, and they had some jobs in the Detroit electrical inspection bureau,” Szypa said. “They gave me a helping hand because I had a few odd jobs where I worked with Dodges (and) I worked on the assembly line, and I did not care for that line of work. I figured I’d change over to the kind of work that I liked.”
Szypa built a career as an electrician, working up to become
the chief electrician for the city of Hamtramck and as a journeyman electrician teacher at South Lake High School in St. Clair Shores where he taught for 15 years. He married his wife Stella in 1950 and had six children together. Stella died in 2004.
“My wife died 20 years ago and time kind of passed by after that,” Szypa said. “It seemed like before that I was more sociable. I was alone after that.”
Throughout his life, Szypa has been a devoted Catholic. He regularly attends Mass in Hamtramck and has received two letters from Pope Francis congratulating Szypa on his 99th and 100th birthdays. The Pope’s letters hang on his wall.
Still the owner of a home in Hamtramck, Szypa
Honest
has lived in Mount Clemens at Meadows Assisted Living for three years. It was in Mount Clemens on Sept. 3 where fellow Meadows residents were joined by Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido and Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp to celebrate Szypa’s 100 years of living. The centenarian received a quilt, blankets and numerous certificates recognizing his service and life.
The Sept. 3 celebration was not the only part of the festivities surrounding Szypa’s 100th. The Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck held a special mass on Sept. 1 for Szypa where he was blessed by the priest and a party was held on Aug. 31 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren.
William Szypa, a centenarian and veteran of two wars, blows out birthday candles at a celebration in Mount Clemens on Sept. 3. Szypa was born on Aug. 31, 1924.
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Spring-breaking news! Now is the time to book your next trip
You can’t wait until the cold winds blow to start planning your next escape to the sun and sea on a beach or a cruise ship.
Travel Time Vacation & Cruises has you covered.
“ is is a good time for people to book their travel for the end of the year and also for next year,” said Je rey Leonardi, a travel sales professional and the owner of Travel Time Vacations & Cruises.
Leonardi has been booking winter and spring break getaways, annual trips and vacations of a lifetime for his clients for 28+ years. He knows how to do it, and when to do it.
“For people who wait until the last minute, they think they’re getting a really good deal on a cruise. When you take a look at the whole
picture, the air travel at the last minute could be more than the cruise,” Leonardi said. “It’s good to book these in advance. I will always nd the very best deal for everyone.”
ose who wait to book not only risk losing the best price. ey risk losing the chance to go at all.
“For example, for Alaska, now is the time to book for next year, because it was all sold out last year,” Leonardi said.
He said he’s putting together a group deal with Royal Caribbean for an Alaskan Cruise in 2025.
“And the Caribbean tends to sell out as well for spring break season. It’s the best time, the best weather. It’s incredible in the winter and in
the spring, as it’s past hurricane season,” Leonardi said.
When you book with Travel Time, Leonardi is your booking contact and your only contact. He personally takes care of everything, so all you have to do is relax on vacation.
Travel Time Vacations & Cruises o ers its clients the world, including a trip to “Southern Italy & Sicily” (see below) from April 27 to May 9, 2025.
To inquire about booking your next trip through Travel Time Vacations & Cruises, call (586) 323-6100. For more information, visit 586travel.com.
SHELBY CABINETS OFFERS THE FINEST CRAFTSMANSHIP, QUALITY
You can buy a variety of cabinets from a national big-box home improvement chain, but you’ll never find cabinets to match the quality of those made by the specialty craftsmen right here at home in Shelby Township.
Shelby Cabinets has been making your home’s dream spaces a reality with the finest cabinetry since the mid-1970s.
“Our cabinets are all handcrafted — that’s hands on, custom made and tailored to the needs of our customers,” said Nino LoChirco, of Shelby Cabinets. “They’re not mass produced. They are locally made in Michigan. All of the components are handcrafted in the shop.”
LoChirco said the big-box cabinet factories outsource much of the work and typically buy doors and drawer boxes from different manufacturers across the country or around the world.
The expert cabinetmakers at Shelby Cabinets make everything in-house, which ensures quality control of the products and complete satisfaction on every job.
Shelby Cabinets was founded by LoChirco’s father and uncle, who still serves as a principal of the company.
“When you buy from us, you’re buying everything from the manufacturer,” LoChirco said. “You’re not buying from a dealership. We get the raw wood. We get the raw sheet goods. At the end of the day, the cabinets we sell you are made to your specifications. Our quality can go head-to-head with and exceed that of the major brands, with all the latest finishes that are the industry standard.”
That includes soft-close doors and hinges, and dovetail drawer boxes.
Shelby Cabinets are available in sizes over 3-inch increments. They’re hand-sanded and made from a variety of wood species
including white oak, red oak, alder and maple.
All of the design work is done using a CAD system in consultation with the customer.
LoChirco said Shelby Cabinets are face frame cabinets, which is something other manufacturers are shying away from.
“It’s a cabinet that is structurally better than a frameless cabinet,” LoChirco said.
“We can build you a $400 vanity, or we can build you a $200,000 cabinet job from A to Z,” LoChirco added. “Bookcases, entertainment centers, vanities, workstations. All of it is made right here in our very efficient shop.”
The Shelby Cabinets showroom is located at 4701 25 Mile Road in Shelby Township. To schedule a consultation, call (248) 651-8155. For more information, go to shelbycabinets. com.
