SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Women Officials Network Foundation’s Wonder Woman Approximately 120 attended the 27th Wonder Woman Celebration at Somerset Inn. Many were there to applaud the four 2011 honorees, all of whom were introduced in a warm, personal manner by a close friend. Colette Sirhal introduced her sister, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan, who now serves in Governor Snyder’s Cabinet as Director of Human Services. Sherry Whiting introduced youth advocate Kristina Marshall (www.winningfutures.org). Retired Birmingham Public Schools administrator Shirley Bryant introduced BPS trustee Geri Rinschler. Former Birmingham mayor Coco Siewert introduced AAUW veteran and women’s rights advocate Barbara Bonsignore. All received standing ovations, but foundation president Debbie Macon also got resounding applause when she introduced emcee Sue Nine thusly: “Sue Nine will always be a ten.” Nine & Maggie Allesee founded the award for the now defunct Women’s Survival Center and “gave” it to WON, which envisions more women in all levels of government. Past Wonder Women at the event included: Maggie Allesee, Lynn Alexander, Fran Anderson, Elizabeth Bauer, Pat Hardy, Debbie Macon, Sue Nine, Harriet Rotter, Jeanne Towar, Joan Young, Portia Fields-Anderson, Gilda Jacobs, Betty Lowenthal, Barbara Miller and this reporter.
Women Officials Network Foundation’s Wonder Woman
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1. Past honoree Judith Miller (left) of Bloomfield with 2011 honoree Geri Rinschler of Birmingham and Coco Siewert of Birmingham. 2. Patricia Hill Burnett (left) and past Wonder Woman Pat Hardy of Bloomfield with 2011 honorees Maura Corrigan of Grosse Pointe and Kristina Marshall of Shelby Twp. 3. Event honoree Barbara Bonsignore (center) of Rochester Hills with past honoree Maggie Allesee (left) of Bloomfield and Joan Allesee of Troy. 4. Foundation board members Maureen McGinnis (left) and Robin Betramini of Troy, Cynthia von Oeyen of Bloomfield, Elizabeth Bauer of Birmingham and Eileen Pulker of Franklin.
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Furniture Fashion benefiting Kids Kicking Cancer
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Furniture Fashion benefiting Kids Kicking Cancer Hillside Furniture’s Jeff Selik and dress designer Paulina PH’s Paulina Harbe recently combined their talents and resources to benefit Kids Kicking Cancer at Hillside’s Telegraph Road showroom. More than 200 people attended the evening soiree. In addition to perusing the regular silent auction and snack stations, they also bid on Selik’s four room vignettes accented with models wearing a Paulina PH custom made gown. The evening raised more than $14,000 (gross) for Kids Kicking Cancer, which equips young cancer patients with martial arts skills. KKC’s next event, a fun family affair, is a Bike or Walkathon Sunday, Aug. 21 at Waterford Hills Raceway. Go to http://kkcrider.eventbrite.com for more information.
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1. Event host Hillside Furniture’s Jeff Selik (left) of Troy, event sponsor Cece Zlatkin of W. Bloomfield, Ted & Paulina of PH’s Paulina Harbe of Clinton Twp. 2. Andy Roisman (left) of Beverly Hills and Casey Powell of Birmingham. 3. Michael (left) & Mary Anne Alioto and Jeffrey Lance Abood of Birmingham with Issa Haddad of Detroit. 4. Shaun Nyeholt (left) of Royal Oak, Erin Nicole of Birmingham, Ann Marie LaFlamme of Rochester and Jeremy Scott of Bingham Farms.
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Pilgrim Congregational Church
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1. New pastor John Mathers (left) of Clarkston, church secretary Rosemary Ging of Birmingham, former pastor Jack Brown, now of Olivet. 2. Event co-chair JoAnn Colliver of Birmingham with Chris Hill of Bloomfield. 3. Event co-chair, Don Colliver (left) of Birmingham with Don and Betty Darnell who came from Florida.
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CCS Annual Student Exhibition Opening
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1. Ed Levy (left) & his wife Linda Dresner of Birmingham, Steve & Sheila Hamp of Ann Arbor and Bob & Suzy Bluestein of Birmingham. 2. CCS Trustee Lois Pincus Cohen (center) with Irwin (left) and Judy Elson of Birmingham.
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Pilgrim Congregational Church Fifty years ago 60 members of the Birmingham Congregational Church protested its merger with the United Church of Christ by leaving it and forming the Pilgrim Congregational Church. Initially, the primary concerns were survival –Who is going to preach? Where are we going to meet? Do we have enough money? In some ways, a rough start, but mostly, based on old meeting minutes, it was a wonderfully exhilarating time – a new beginning, reports JoAnn Colliver. She and her husband Don chaired the recent all day celebration of that momentous decision. It began with coffee and bagels, followed by a worship service, an al fresco lunch catered by Picano’s Italian Restaurant and a performance of a musical production “Bible on Broadway.” It attracted more than 100 current and former members to the now landmark church on Adams Road in Bloomfield Township. CCS Annual Student Exhibition Opening The College for Creative Studies held its 86th annual end of the year show at its A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education. Always popular, this year the event 08.11