Birmingham/Bloomfield

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP

BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION PFOA/PFOS: CHEMICALS OF CONCERN INTO THE FUTURE ENDNOTE: DELAYED DOWNTOWN OLD WOODWARD PROJECT ECRWSS Postal Customer EDDM

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Michigan education: Blueprint for improvement A state commission has presented a comprehensive report that looks at Michigan’s educational standards, so we brought together superintendents from three local districts, the intermediate district and a member of the commission to discuss the future of education.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

18

The Trump administration in Washington D.C. has breathed new life into journalism much like the Watergate scandal did in the 1970’s a good sign as we inch toward a Constitutional crisis now.

OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

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Proposal to cut back number of Michigan House districts; new AG contender for 2018; gubernatorial field could get much larger; Troy gadfly joins troubled Macomb County Clerk, plus more.

CRIME LOCATOR

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A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.

MUNICIPAL

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Old Woodward project delayed one year; no progress on Emagine liquor license; city cancels fireworks for Fourth; 2017 bistros get approved; anti-Semitic behavior at Seaholm; plus more.

THE COVER Birmingham City Hall at 151 Martin Street, built in 1928 and originally housing both the original village and township offices.

Downtown photo: Laurie Tennent.

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Carter Altman

SOCIAL LIGHTS

107

Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and non-profit circuit as she covers recent major events.

ENDNOTE

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Our take on the recently released blueprint for improving education in Michigan, as well as our thoughts on how Birmingham bungled a road project and impacted local businesses.

FACES

30 51 72 95 99

Carter Altman Elizabeth Chiu King Chef Paul Grosz John Moffat Ethan Gutman

Express Y ourself

PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Allison Batdorff | Rachel Bechard | Hillary Brody Kevin Elliott | Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf Kathleen Meisner | Bill Seklar PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski Carol Barr GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in downtown Birmingham.

For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual charge. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order online or scan the QR Code here.

INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. The traditional “letters to the editor” in Downtown are published in our Incoming section and can include written letters or electronic communication.

Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 W. Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009.

If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER ne is almost tempted to congratulate President Donald Trump for singlehandily re-energizing the media landscape, especially the newspaper print/digital part of the journalism world. As we went through the final days of the election last fall, for example, the New York Times notched more new digital subscribers than the total from 2013 and 2014 combined. Heck, the week after the election alone some 42,000 people bought new print and digital subscriptions. And in the first quarter of this year, the New York Times netted 308,000 new digital subscribers.

O

The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post are also experiencing increased subscribers, both print and digital, much of it attributed to Trump’s incessant attacks on newspaper and broadcast outlets, not to mention overall growing concern about his young presidency.

I suspect, as a result, we will see increasing applications at journalism schools in the next few years, much like the period following the Watergate controversy that dethroned then-President Richard Nixon back in the 1970’s.

So I took some comfort as Seaholm High School in Birmingham surveyed junior level students this year to see where their interest lies as the school started preparing for its annual career day this June. For the first time ever, school officials say, a few students actually requested “writer/journalism” as a career option in the program where they visit for part of a day with persons currently working in the field they think they would like to pursue in their post college years.

In years past we have generally turned down requests for students to spend time “shadowing” members of our news department simply because we are a very small, independent news organization, our schedules are extremely busy, and we have not been convinced that watching a news reporter on the phone would be that exciting. But we are now rethinking our position, especially because we are really the last news operations in Oakland County – and quite possibly the state – doing things such as longform journalism (5,000 words plus) – in depth features focused on more serious issues facing local residents. And the new administration in Washington has really been a call to arms for those of us in the media, not just as a double-check and resistance to bad policy and abuse of power, but also a wake up call reminding us of the need to grow the ranks of journalists for the future.

We will be doing our part the first week of June when four high school juniors from Seaholm – Haley Dolan, Andrew Lapain, Molly Ligon and Lauren Wilson – visit our offices for a few hours to interact with news editor Lisa Brody, reporter Kevin Elliott, me and a couple of staff members.

Hopefully we can inspire members of this group to follow in our footsteps.

In my case, I have my mother to thank for putting me on the path to where I am these days. She dutifully drove me down a two-lane M-59 from then-migrant farmland Sterling Heights each month to what was then the Pontiac (now Oakland) Press to turn in my monthly column/report printed as part of a school correspondents page. This

against the background of advice from my father, a senior production engineer for General Motors, that a daughter of one of his buddies at work was a journalist and I should be forewarned that it was a profession entailing long, long hours and not the greatest of pay. He was right.

Things have not changed.

By the time I hit college I did not need the Watergate controversy and the captivating congressional hearings to motivate me towards a career in journalism, although it certainly helped that a group of us at Michigan State scheduled our classes for one year around the committees’ schedules so we could watch history of a Constitutional crisis unfold on live television. I was already doing occasional freelance pieces for the student newspaper, helping launch a literary magazine (lasted one year) and dreaming of selling a freelance piece to Rolling Stone during the tumultuous anti-Vietnam War era.

It will be interesting to hear from the Seaholm students just what exactly sparked their interest in journalism as a possible profession. I would like to think the current malaise in Washington D.C. and the never ending media coverage has been part of it. That would restore my faith in those who follow us in this profession because we are quickly inching toward a Constitutional crisis of sorts in the first few months of this administration and it won’t be the last time in the history of the republic.

For those too young to remember, back in the early 70’s we had Nixon as head of a Republican administration that was found to have ordered a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Building to copy documents and plant listening devices, a host of other dirty tricks all financed by a re-election slush fund controlled by the administration and the ensuing attempted cover up.

We are talking about a president who lacked respect for democratic institutions such as an independent press, judiciary and justice department. Nixon bugged/recorded political opponents; ordered his justice department to investigate those opposed to what he was doing, members of activist groups and the media; ordered IRS audits of members of the media and wiretapping of their phones so he could determine where news leaks were coming from; instructed the CIA to block the FBI from investigating his staff and their abuses of power; called for the resignation of two key aides and the attorney general; fired the White House counsel; and commanded the attorney general to fire the special prosecutor named to investigate his administration.

Sound familiar? History does repeat itself if we ignore or don’t make ourselves familiar with the lessons of the past.

It is with hope that I am looking forward to the visit from the Seaholm students.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com

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60 Quarton Lane Bloomfield Hills $1,499,900

Sprawling ranch with an open floor plan, extensively renovated.

Beautiful new kitchen includes center island and Viking appliances. 4 bedrooms, 5.1 updated baths. Finished walk out lower level. 3 car side entry garage. Over one acre of property. Birmingham schools.

201 Dourdan Bloomfield Hills $1,050,000

To be built home by Cranbrook Custom Homes in desirable Dourdan Place Sub, a neighborhood of 18 custom homes. Stone and brick elevation. Standard features will include granite counters throughout, custom cabinets, nook and great room with wide plank wood flooring.

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1040 Woodlea Birmingham $950,000

2005 build on a nice 80 foot wide lot in Birmingham. 4 bedrooms, 3.2 baths. 3 car attached garage. Finished basement with bar. Second floor laundry. Great outdoor space including a new covered porch with fireplace.

1105 Smith Birmingham $569,900

Wonderful renovation/expansion with great curb appeal on a corner lot in Birmingham. Around the corner from Howarth Park. Kitchen includes granite counters, center island and SS appls. Opens to spacious family room with fireplace. 3 bedrooms, 2.1 baths. Finished basement. Two car garage.

3045 S. Westview Ct Bloomfield Hills $470,000

Spacious home on a beautiful cul-de-sac lot of almost one acre in Bloomfield.

Remodeled kitchen with granite counters, hardwood floors and SS appls.

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590 Riverside Birmingham $449,900

Unique opportunity for land purchase in a secluded detached condo development. Tucked away site yet just blocks away from town.

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6865 Halyard Bloomfield Hills $399,900

Wonderfully remodeled ranch on over a 1/2 acre lot with Birmingham Schools. White kitchen with granite counters. 3 spacious bedrooms, 2 full baths - both remodeled. New carpet, freshly painted. Dimensional shingle roof. Central air. First floor laundry. 2 car side entry garage w/ direct access.

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4961 Rands Bloomfield Hills $1,125,000

Spacious home in Bloomfield Township with Birmingham schools.

4 bedrooms, 3.3 baths. Remodeled throughout including beautiful gourmet kitchen and an amazing master suite. Huge 6 + car garage.

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2235 Quarton Rd Bloomfield Hills $625,000

Stately red brick Colonial, built in the 20's, sitting on nearly one acre of beautiful grounds in Bloomfield Village. Newer kitchen with Wolf stove and Sub Zero fridge. Four bdrms, 2.2 baths. Two car side entry garage.

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INCOMING Thoughtful column Thank you for this thoughtful piece (From The Publisher/March). I have never written to a publication before, but I felt moved to do so after reading David Hohendorf’s column.

I'm sure you will be inundated with emails of the opposite, but I wanted to say that I appreciate him calling attention to the fact that this administration is "scary stuff,” and that the media is there as a service to the public to give information so that we can have a transparent government.

So thank you again. I hope that the checks and balances that were put in place for the protection of the democracy of the U.S. continue to stop this impulsive dimwit from hurting this country in a way that we may not be able to fix.

Nicole Wasson Rochester

Column not balanced In response to David Hohendorf's column of March, I would like to make the following comments.

I am not a particular supporter of President Trump, but where I come from we believe in giving a person a fair go. What did stir him to write of his concerns on the idea of "free press?" I totally support that idea but am concerned that we don't have any such in this country.

The people who do own the press have their own agendas to which they seem intent on converting us, by any means, to their view point. I do not blame the journalists who have to do as they are told and must earn their livings, rather the owners who distort events to suit their own goals.

More reprehensible is the National Public Radio who are using every petty and snide method possible to convert their public to their own viewpoint. I feel they, and their ilk, are responsible for the divisions that now plague this great country.

I normally enjoy your publication very much and I am disappointed that David Hohendorf cannot seem to show a more balanced view point.

Merton Wreford Rochester Hills

There's something wrong with the planning board for not providing clear and timely feedback to the developer.

Allow me to assist: “There is insufficient parking for the use and intensity you propose.” Consider Rochester.

See? It's not that difficult.

Paul Reagan

Fireworks cancellation Sad but totally understandable.

The crowds had reached the point where parking on residential streets stretched half mile away.

Charlie Smith

Palladium liquor permit No idea why city government is targeting a very well run business bringing in economic activity. I have been to the theater many times and it is my favorite theater for seeing popular movies.

Max Rohtbart

New boutique hotel

Come on Birmingham commissioners, the Palladium building is already virtually restaurant-proof and you simply want to beat your prideful chests?

Fine them for not coming to you for the name change but to make this big deal about them not showing up personally? Really? Who cares?

This looks like beating an injured dog.

Charlie Smith

(From Facebook and our website) "That's a big thing. We don't have enough information to figure it out," Labadie said. Really?

I think you do. The fact is that there's insufficient parking regardless of green and granite (the usual placation of how attractive the pig will look with lipstick and a skirt).

I’ve lived in Birmingham for 15 years. You on the commission are protecting nobody in this case. You’re wasting my money and everybody's time. They are just trying to figure a way to make a dollar and you get in the way.

David Rubin

downtownpublications.com

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It is good to not see an outright defense against competition for the Townsend. Competition is good.

While the property owners should have freedom to develop the way they like, two concerns seem obvious: 1) The parking issue mentioned.

The Townsend already absorbs so much off property parking. It is hard to see how a similar, even if smaller, facility would not make parking an even bigger hell in Birmingham than currently. The developer should be required to address parking “on site.”

If that means going two-three levels down, so be it.

2) A five-story building in that spot casts a big shadow in the afternoon on Old Woodward. Is it the desire of Birmingham to create a tunnel down Old Woodward? Five stories is understandable where there are proper setbacks, but perhaps not where the setbacks are nil.

Charlie Smith

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FRANKLIN VILLAGE 32965 Franklin Court | $599,000 Open, airy & naturally charming home with character of an American Classic. A picket fence frames the updated farm house set on nearly one private acre.

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

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Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political/government news and gossip, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column (all sources are kept strictly confidential) which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com.

DUMBING IT DOWN: State Rep. Mike McCready (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield) has introduced a legislative proposal to reduce the number of members of the state House of Representatives from 110 to 76, or about one-third. “We currently have three House members for every three state Senate seats,” McCready said, noting there are 38 state Senate members. Each state Senate district represents about 280,000 people, while currently, each state House district represents approximately 85,000 to 90,000 people. “If we went down to two House members for every one Senate seat, rather than our current three House members for every one Senate seat, each House district would represent about 140,000 people, and would save in salary and benefits for members and staff about $7.5 million annually,” McCready said. Add leasing out the extra vacant office space in Lansing, he said, and there would be upwards of $9 million in savings, according to the House fiscal agency. “You’d probably get a better balance of people. We’d have to work harder, and see a better legislature,” he said. While the bill is still in committee, if heard, which McCready admits is doubtful, and approved, it could end up as a constitutional amendment proposal on the 2018 ballot.

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LAW & ORDER: With 2018 around the corner, and current Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) term-limited and likely running for governor, Republicans and Democrats alike are getting their ducks in a row to see who can fill the state’s top legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer’s position as the new attorney general.

Word is that state Speaker of the House Tom Leonard (RDeWitt) wants to run for AG, is positioning himself, and his staff is getting ready – all that is needed is the announcement. He’s LEONARD even appointed political consultant and former chief of staff and campaign manager to former governor John Engler, Dan Pero, as his chief of staff. Word is Pero is making lots of calls to raise money, but he’s never seen by other reps. Not all Republicans are fans of the current house leader, and will be backing state Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton). “She’s awesome and wellbalanced, from the west side of the state (near Kalamazoo).

She’s conservative, a female, feisty, and she’s normal,” said one SCHUITMAKER politico. “And she’s not out to hurt people.”

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APPLES & ORANGES: Speaking of running for governor, while neither Attorney General Bill Schuette nor Lt. Governor Brian Calley have officially announced they are running to be the Republican Party’s nominee in 2018, all that is left for either one are their formal announcements. While many Republican stalwarts had been quietly putting their money on Schuette to take on all comers, his star is looking a bit tarnished these days, with one lawmaker pointing out that Schuette has spent $2.3 million so far on his Flint water criminal and civil investigation, with few charges filed, many of which were mere misdemeanors. Internal polling is showing Democrat BERNSTEIN Gretchen Whitmer doing very well against both Schuette and Calley. “I think the Dems have a real good chance to take some of these higher seats,” the lawmaker opined. If rumored candidate Mark Bernstein throws his hat into the Democratic pile, which Bernstein said he is “seriously considering,” Republicans are privately saying all bets are off. Another unknown is wild card Geoffrey Feiger. During a taping of WKAR-TV’s “Off the Record” in May, the Southfield attorney said he was considering a run for governor. But Feiger’s previously said he was considering a run for that office in 2002, 2005, 2010 and 2011. He famously lost to incumbent John Engler in 1998. He has maintained his candidate committee, and recent records show that the committee owes more than $5 million in debt to Fieger, which it received over the years, most dating back to the late 1990s.

NO FRANK UNDERWOLF: A series of online advertisements featuring Lt. Governor Brian Calley is promoting May 30, 2017 as the day for a major announcement from the state’s number two executive. The lastest 28-second clip shows Calley using a rowing machine in a parody of the Netflix show

DOWNTOWN

06.17

Gift Certificates Available for Father’s Day “House of Cards,” which is set to begin its new season on the same 5.30.17 date. “We have a date in common, nothing more,” Calley says after a narrator states, “There’s no room for Frank Underwolfs in Lansing.” The ad – which plays on a Sesame Street parody featuring a character of the same name – is aimed at promoting Calley’s low profile demeanor, according to John Yob, a political consultant. Yob, who has been working on Calley’s MiPAC committee, which is funding the ads. Yob, the son of former Republican National Committee member and Republican consultant Chuck Yob, said in news reports the committee is working to promote Calley prior to his gubernatorial announcement. John Yob advised CALLEY Rand Paul’s presidential campaign, and worked for Sen. John McCain and Rick Santorum, Gov. Rick Snyder and Terri Lynn Land. Yob said last fall while working for Paul and attending a Republican conference on Mackinac Island that he was punched in the face by one of Marco Rubio’s staffers. In 2016, Yob made national headlines when he, his wife and two others had their voter registrations nixed by election officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he ran as a delegate for the Republican National Convention.

Yob’s voting restrictions were eventually lifted.

CONSERVATIVE LABELING: The American Conservative Union (ACU) Foundation has released its ratings for the 2016 Michigan Legislature and found the most conservative lawmaker from Oakland County was Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), based on his voting record of key conservative legislation. According to the ACU, which ranks state and federal lawmakers across the country and hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Runestad voted in favor of 91 percent of legislation that supports the ACU’s definition of a “conservative.” Only two RUNESTAD legislators in the state received higher rankings than Runestad, who was followed by representatives Jim Tedder (R-Clarkston) and Joseph Graves (R-Holly), both receiving 87 percent rankings. The lowest ranked Republican by the ACU was Troy Rep. Martin Howrylak, with a 65 percent ranking for 2016 and a 71 percent lifetime ranking. Slipping in the ranks this year was state Senator Marty Knollenberg (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills), whose ranking went from 91 percent in 2015 to 75 percent in 2016. Senator Jim Marleau (R-Bloomfield Township) received a 74 percent ranking. Other Oakland County lawmaker rankings included Reps.

Mike McCready (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township), 71 percent; Kathy Crawford (R-Novi), 74 percent; Mike Webber (R-Rochester, Rochester Hills),78 percent; and Klint Kesto (R-West Bloomfield, Commerce Township), 78 percent. State Senator Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) received a 65 percent ranking for 2016. The rankings, however, may further muddy how many people may define a “conservative” in today’s political atmosphere.

“There is no ironclad definition of what a conservative is,” said Michigan political analyst Bill Ballenger. “It’s gotten a little more complicated. Are Libertarians conservatives or not? You could say they are more liberal. It comes down to how individual legislators vote on certain issues, but still after everything, the old fashioned conservative-liberal split that the public sees as dividing still exists.”

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STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: As those of us who follow civic meetings know, often community gadflies stick together. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that political outsider – now Macomb County clerk/register of deeds Karen Spranger has hired George Brikho of Troy as a deputy clerk. If Brikho’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he ran, unsuccessfully, as the Republican challenger to longtime Congressman Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak, Bloomfield Township) in 2014. While he ran under the Republican banner, he considers himself part of the Liberty movement, according to a posting on his political Facebook page. Brikho wrote in 2016, “I am willing BRIKHO to use my resources to promote the Liberty agenda and help Liberty-oriented candidates who run for public office as Republicans.” Besides his new career as Macomb County deputy clerk, Brikho owns a medical marijuana dispensary in Madison Heights that he said he hopes will advance his political, humanitarian and entrepreneurial goals. Spranger, who recently settled lawsuits with the the Macomb County executive offices over moving the clerk/register of deeds office, appointed another noted gadfly as an aide, Jackie Ryan of Sterling Heights. Brikho wrote on Facebook he may run again for political office in 2018. As they say on TV, stay tuned. downtownpublications.com

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CRIME LOCATOR

NORTH

Map key

Sexual assault

Assault

Murder

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Larceny from vehicle

Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through May 15, 2017.

Placement of codes is approximate.

FACES Carter Altman EO and founder of Carter Young USA, Carter Altman, is an upand-coming visionary who recently launched his first collection of ungendered fashion designs.

“We had a soft launch of the brand itself at Linda Dresner. I’ve always loved going into Linda’s,” said the Birmingham native. “That was a huge treat for me.”

Altman’s creative ingenuity emerged at a young age. His parents graciously granted him the freedom to develop his ideas.

“I used to make knight (costumes) out of sheet metal and folded-up cardboard. My parents were super supportive of everything. If we needed to take over the garage for the day, they’d say, ‘have at it,’” Altman recalled.

Soon, the young entrepreneur became intrigued by fashion. He was captivated by his mom’s vast collection of chic and eclectic fashion choices.

“My mom’s creative in every sense of the word. Her wardrobe is a huge inspiration for me,” he said. “She has old designer, vintage, workwear from the 1800s.”

Altman noted that some of his mom’s pants actually flattered his physique; likewise, his mom liked the way some of his tops complimented her frame. The epiphany inspired Altman to create his own line of ungendered clothing.

“I came to the conclusion that the distinction between what is feminine and what is masculine didn’t make sense to me.”

Altman created his first design, a cargo pant, when he was 15years-old. Subsequently, he immersed himself in fashion. He interned for Alexander Nash, Kiss NYC and Helmut Lang in New York City. By 16, he had begun formulating Carter Young USA. “I knew it was something I had to do. I had gotten a lot of street training and worked with people in the industry. That allowed me to get clothing produced.”

Altman has traveled to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean. The exposure to different cultures strengthened his designing ability and imagination.

“I came into contact with a lot of cultures that operate on another paradigm.”

The premier collection of posh, androgynous designs from Carter Young USA was well-received and is in limited supply exclusively on the company’s website.

“We produce from a size 26 women’s to 36 men’s in terms of pants. Everything we make is with men and women in mind. We recognize women and men have different body types, but there are fundamental points that overlap between the two.”

Currently, Altman is a freshman at New York University and his spring/summer collection was showcased at a pop-up event at the Holyrad Studio in Brooklyn, New York on May 20.

This summer, Altman will intern for Alyx Studio in Italy and study under designer Matthew Williams.

“I’m going to be wearing many hats. It will be a mixture of production, samples and wholesaling.”

Altman is gaining recognition in a hyper-competitive industry, but he remains gracious, diligent and focused.

“It was never about making tons of money. We want a loyal and understanding consumer base, and it’s important to me that I retain creative control and produce my vision.”

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Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent

LISTENING TO THE LEARNED: EDUCATION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON NEW MICHIGAN EDUCATION BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

ebruary of this year, a 16-member gubernatorial commission, known as the 21st Century Education Commission, completed and presented to Governor Rick Snyder a new and comprehensive education report that looks at Michigan’s educational status and standards, ranking at 48th in the United States, and provides recommendations and guidelines on how to improve the education of all Michigan students. The report, called “The Best Education System for Michigan’s Success: A Blueprint for Educating Michigan’s Residents to Build the Best Businesses, Win the Best Jobs, and Achieve the American Dream,” begins with a reality – that to succeed in today’s world, residents must provide more comprehensive education to our students.

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Downtown photos: Laurie Tennent

Rob Glass Superintendent, Bloomfield Hills Schools.

Most recently previous to that, Superintendent in Dexter.

Dan Nerad Superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools. Thirty three years spent in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the last seven years as Superintendent, then Superintendent in Madison, Wisconsin for four years prior to Birmingham.

Wanda Cook-Robinson Superintendent at Oakland Schools, one of 56 intermediate school districts in Michigan.

Formerly the Superintendent in Southfield Public Schools.

Key highlights of the report emphasize that we must begin earlier, with universal preschool education, and we must continue educating students longer, providing access to two years of community college or trade school for all students, as the economy has changed, and a high school diploma is no longer a ticket to economic prosperity, and by doing so, Michigan itself will prosper. “Since 2009, 99 percent of jobs added to the economy have gone to workers with at least some post-secondary education,” the report noted.

The report points out a strong current correlation between state income and education levels. Michigan, which ranks 35th for educational attainment, is ranked 33rd for per-capita income. There are worse results for African American children, and for those living in poverty. Most startling, the report points out that Michigan’s higher income and white students are also among some of the worst performing students in the country, ranking 48th. In stark terms, it stated, “This is not the path to prosperity.”

The blueprint recommends creating a K-14 education system in Michigan; providing qualified universal access to early education for four-year-olds; determining the developmentally-appropriate readiness of children for kindergarten; focusing on learning to shift towards a students progression through the curriculum at their own pace, rather than at grade levels; provide post-secondary access to community colleges and other skill training to all students; elevating education as a profession; and investing in an efficient and effective system of public funding to become a world leader in education.

The estimated investment to enact the educational changes recommended by the commission is approximately $2 billion by 2025, an approximate 15 percent increase over current costs of public education.

Downtown News Editor Lisa Brody brought together Bloomfield Hills Schools Superintendent Rob Glass, Birmingham Schools Superintendent Dan Nerad, Rochester Community Schools Superintendent Robert Shaner, Oakland Schools (the county’s intermediate district) Superintendent Wanda Cook-Robinson, and Doug Ross, former state senator, commerce director and Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, and currently head of American Promise Schools in Detroit, and was an active member of the 21st Century Education Commission, to discuss the education blueprint, and its validity or difficulty in being enacted as an educational tool.

Michigan educates over 1.5 million kids in traditional K12 districts; another 150,000 in charter schools; over 126,000 in career and technological schools; 277,000 are enrolled in community colleges, and another quarter million are enrolled in Michigan public universities.

There are over a half million children aged infant to 4, with almost 50,000 children enrolled in state-funded prekindergartens. That is just shy of 3 million (2.8 million) Michigan students from birth to adulthood that are in the process of being educated by the Michigan public education system. According to the new report prepared for Gov. Snyder, The Best Education System for Michigan’s Success, Michigan’s economy has changed, and the education system, which prepares students for a post-education life, must change in response. Where 30 years ago Michiganders could earn a high school diploma, enter the workforce and earn a wage to support a family, that is no longer the case. Since 2009, 99 percent of jobs added to the economy have gone to workers with at least some postsecondary education. By 2025, 70 percent or more of our 25-year-olds will have completed a college degree, occupational certificate,

apprenticeship, or other formal skill training, which the report notes is essential to economic prosperity not only for them, but for the state, which currently ranks 35th for education attainment and 33rd for per-capita income.

Critical to this report is a focus on changing K-12 education to P-20, making mandatory education for P-14, which would offer universal access to community college and pre-approved career technical education programs. The blueprint says adopting a K-14 education system is their top priority. What do you think – is that a recommendation you could stand behind?

NERAD: I could. Education is really about human capital development and preparing young people for bright futures.

I think there’s a place for the system to remain a K-12 system and a two-year system, but the whole notion of how we work together and how portable, or not, our educations are, in terms of next phase learning, is a key thing for us to look at. We also know that education is far from completed in 12th grade today – we all talk about lifelong learning.

That’s an important thing to embrace. There’s also the idea of taking credit from high school and having some credit in the post-secondary environment. I know there’s systems available for that now, but the more that these systems can work together, the more opportunities we can create for young people. And I think there have to be multiple pathways in that kind of system for it to work because university-bound is important, but technical-bound is important too, and my read is that a lot of the work of the future is new tech, high-skills kind of industries. Some people will go from high school right to work, and we have to prepare them for their best future, as well.

GLASS: I would. If you were going to strengthen the role, as this report suggests, where you’re going to have the Department of Education having a stronger role in shaping the overall policy and having K-14 as part of that, I think that just enhances the line, as Dan talked about. That’s a plus.

COOK-ROBINSON: In fact, in the report, it talks about K-14.

We’ve got to talk about pre-K. We have to talk about early childhood, and we do a lot of that in our county, starting with Great Success, preparing students. We practically go womb-to-tomb preparing our youngsters. You’ll see that in all of these districts. In addition, at the county level, the 28 districts and the 26 service academies (charters) work with us. We have an ACE program, which is an Accelerated College Experience – we have students actually start Oakland Community College when they’re in the 11th grade, and they’re able to go that 13th year and receive their associate’s degree. Last year, we graduated 50 students that came out with their associate’s degree – and they had no loans, more importantly, provided by these communities.

In addition, we also started this year an early college program which is an extension of our technical centers. We have, in each quadrant, a technical center that has about 17 clusters that includes industry-level certifications, and our students attend there as well. They’re able to come out with an apprenticeship, with community college credit which they can transfer into a four-year university, a trade school or wherever.

NERAD: On the preschool side, I couldn’t agree more. In fact, when the Federal Reserve Bank starts writing about the value of early learning as a cost-benefit to communities, I think it’s time for our state to consider universally available preschool programming.

The second thing is, I think it’s time that we work together and think about pre-K-14, pre-K-20, to reframe how you consider the two-year degree. A lot of what these young

people are learning are really advanced skills that lead to really good jobs. But when we frame them as traditional vocational jobs or programs, they can be, in a lot of communities, less interesting for the young people pursuing them. Certainly in affluent districts. So we have to create experiences early on for young people to see the value in that type of program. Then at the two-year, can be built on two more years for the four-year, so you’re matching for some young people, the two-years of the associate’s program so it’s only two years, or plus a little bit, to complete a four-year degree. That’s what I meant about portability.

ROSS: A couple things led the commission to these conclusions. First of all, when we looked at the wealthy states, per capita income, who were the richest states, with the exception of the three states that sit on huge oil reserves – Alaska, Wyoming and N. Dakota – the top 15 states in terms of top per capita income are also the top 15 states for percentages of adults with four- or two-year degrees. It couldn’t be more clear.

The other thing was historical context. We felt that every time the developing society required more education in order to move forward, and it became a source of opportunity for individuals – by the Civil War, primary education was required everywhere, other than the South, and when they lost, it was imposed; by the end of World War I, virtually everyone had high schools, which were free and mandatory up to age 16. Well, that was 100 years ago. So the notion now is post-secondary is something that the community urgently needs, and as an individual it’s your only ticket to the middle class.

I think we would have gone further to even say: your access to any kind of post-secondary education will no longer be conditioned on family income.

I understand K-14; what’s P-20?

ROSS: It’s a Snyder slogan. We weren’t sure what it meant.

It certainly means preschool. Through 20 – to career, or something like that.

SHANER: I would agree with the notion, and reaffirm the need for pre-K universally. I think all this is well and good in terms of raising expectations – but one thing you learn when working with young people, is whenever you raise expectations, they’ll meet and usually exceed them. But we have to, especially in areas of poverty, focus on making sure the fundamentals of education are there.

I’ll give you an example. In my old district we ran a CT program – very difficult getting kids into apprenticeships because they didn’t have the fundamental skills to do that sort of work leaving high school. As important as these programs are, it’s also important to make sure the fundamentals, particularly when kids enter school, are there so they can succeed. If they’re not there, we need to intervene as soon as we possibly can.

ROSS: There’s a huge challenge in this, as well, in that the completion rates for community college are horrible. If you can get a kid into a four-year college, his-or-her chance of completing is dramatically higher than if you go to OCC or Macomb County or Henry Ford, or whatever. The three-year completion rates, in many cases, are 10-15 percent.

SHANER: I think sometimes, too, in the past, community colleges were a default for some kids.

ROSS: We sent our lowest performing kids there.

At OCC in the last few years, they’ve worked with Automation Alley, Medical Main Street, and others, to create technical programs for students, to address the needs of the new economy.

ROSS: The challenge Bob indicated, though, to get one of our students into an electrical apprenticeship, you need the same skills you need to get into MSU. Because if you don’t have the math skills, you can’t pass the tests.

COOK-ROBINSON: We’ve started doing things a little differently. We have them in our technical centers in 11th grade. We started last year, and this was with the support of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) and her task force that she started last year, and we went to the apprentice union and we asked that they look at changing their bylaws to move that age back to 17 again, so we could start some kids with some hands-on and do some applied mathematics, and to start teaching math in a real-world context. They piloted it last year, and we had eight students that were accepted into the union in a pre-approved apprenticeship that worked last summer, and when they finish high school, they’ll only have one year of left (of community college) to be fully apprenticed as electricians.

This year, we had 20. So we’re starting to change that, slowly.

SHANER: Part of what we’re talking about is – it’s good that we’re all aware of what is changing and how and we’re willing to change it all, but it’s awareness of the public and acceptance by the public of different pathways, and the expectations of those pathways. It’s critical.

NERAD: Another way to look at it is, who is going to rebuild these cities. If those skill sets are nurtured and developed – it has to be with the high school set today because of how much math and science goes into it today.

SHANER: The nature of the trades have changed, too. I wish the leaders would use the term ‘advanced manufacturing’ more, because they’re vastly different things. I was raised by blue collar people who were incredibly successful, by many measures, but there was something important to my parents – it was important to be educated. I think that can be done in the context of a specific skill like advanced manufacturing. I don’t want the notion of being educated from a liberal arts standpoint to be lost. Part of our responsibility is supplying a workforce – not all of it.

NERAD: It’s that nice blend between the two.

COOK-ROBINSON: What we want are secondary options.

We want options for students so we have the whole continuum.

Preschool education has been an education focus for several years, with acknowledged success. In today’s world and into the future, the report states, for children to thrive, the formal education system must now start at 4, not 5. Do you agree or disagree?

NERAD: I absolutely agree. Robert’s previous reference to kindergarten – that’s the prior first grade curriculum. If you look at the whole notion of higher standards in school, that’s one of the byproducts of that. The whole idea of getting kids into school early is really important.

SHANER: There’s a strong research base that says the earlier you get them, the better, especially in terms of poverty.

ROSS: Four is probably not early enough, especially for a lot of low-income children. Ideally, but they’re so expensive, people would like early learning centers for parents and children, that are 0-3, then 3-5, and beyond, that becomes early education.

COOK-ROBINSON: Prior to three, I would really like to see the mother/tot kind of program, where we’re learning play. I get real nervous about three- and four-year-olds sitting in rows and very formal education. Four, I’m with you, starting a more formalized kind of learning, but prior to that, it’s

Doug Ross Former state senator; Commerce Secretary and Director of Labor, Clinton Administration; started University Prep charter schools; former chief innovation officer, DPS; started and runs American Promise Schools, non-profit focused on turning around high schools in Detroit. Member of the state blueprint education commission.

Rob Shaner Superintendent, Rochester Community Schools. Came from Warren Consolidated, where he was a high school principal, teacher, assistant principal, central office administrator.

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really mom-and-child doing some things together. And there’s a curriculum for that.

What about the moms who are working?

COOK ROBINSON: Moms who are working – day care.

(Some) mirror that mom/tot experience.

NERAD: If we had four-year-old kindergarten, it wouldn’t mean they would all have to be in our schools.

It could be our teachers in community centers or child care centers. And then if you can wrap around a halfday program for four-year-olds, and wrap around the child care piece on the other half-day, then you’ve got parents who are working taken care of.

How does that investment into early childhood education improve school readiness, and change the long term success rate of students? What kind of funding does that necessitate for a district? The report asserts that kindergarten assessments are needed for Michigan, as 29 other states have. Do you believe that would help in determining student placement, education needs, for readiness, and possible disability assessments?

SHANER: We do literacy assessments in kindergarten.

It’s necessary. I think it helps inform instruction. But it needs to be kept in the realm of assessment. When it gets into the world of accountability with six-year-olds, I have a problem with it.

ROSS: One of the things we ended up focusing on was how to improve the teaching and learning in the K-12 setting. One of the things we did get to is looking at the European and Asian nations we compete with, states that have been making faster progress than we have been – we’re just going to have to talk about investing more resources than we do. In real terms, we’re getting less than we had five years ago. You can’t do it on the cheap.

SHANER: To that point, I think what that report does is set priorities. It’s now up to the rest of us to talk about the how.

When you visit an Asian country, it is palpable how much education is a moral imperative because it is your only path to economic prosperity. It doesn’t matter if it’s Taiwan, Japan, or China, it’s a moral imperative.

Right now, for example, in China, they have an expanded compulsory education to ninth grade. I know – wow – ninth grade, but remember the size and scope.

The availability and the moral impetus to be educated is palpable. When you walk into a Chinese school, it is the business of education; they treat it as very important. When you look at nations that have scored well on PISA (measuring 15-year-olds educational competency worldwide) or made great improvements on PISA, like Poland, Finland’s a perennial – education in Finland is a moral imperative for that nation, and it’s not necessarily economic. It’s holistic. It’s certainly economic in China, because they’ve got to figure out what to do with their workforce as it grows and grows and grows, to maintain their economy.

ROSS: There were two things, for me, that emerged, that were the two most powerful levers of moving Michigan up internationally – one was culture. The sense that going to school, working hard, getting good grades, doing homework, calculus, is more important than cheerleading. This is how you’re going to progress; this is how you’re going to be successful.

We’re sort of ambivalent in Michigan – a little bit

Education is really about human capital development and preparing young people for bright futures.

We've got to talk about preK. We have to talk about early childhood, and we do a lot of that in our county.

because we’ve had this huge influx of both white and African Americans coming up from the very poor South, and to some degree, eastern Europe, who made a good living working with their hands. Good honest work. But we’re a little ambivalent about how important higher education is, and higher learning. You can change culture.

The other one is creating a world-class teacher force.

We pay too little. We respect it too little. Good teachers are pulled out of the classroom and into the administrative force.

One doesn’t cost money; the other one does. You change culture by changing the mindset across all of these institutions, political leadership, education leadership, business leadership, other civic leadership, ad nauseam. The only sure path to a prosperous life, to the choices and doing interesting things, is education.

Therefor your job as a child and your job as a parent is to really go at this thing. I think if we decide it’s pretty important, we as a set of communities can do it. You tend to represent three communities where there’s some of that, because you have pretty highly-educated families. But much of the state doesn’t have that.

GLASS: The other piece of this report is really talking about a student-centered approach, about a competency-based approach, connecting more with the students. If a student’s not lit up by the educational experience, it’s pretty hard to overcome a pre-existing belief system that says, “School is going to be difficult,” or “It’s not for me.” They haven’t found themselves in it, but when they have some experiences in which they start to find, where they surprise themselves in what they can learn, and can know, and can do, and start to really enjoy it and have a really great experience, that changes everything. That’s a big piece of the culture.

It’s a big piece in how we move the state forward.

The other little recognition that goes along with that is this notion of accountability. They took some big steps in here about balancing accountability. Previously they were talking about improving it, and it kind of backfired. If you’re a teacher, or a student in a system that is so uptight and concerned about performance, and accountability is with threat...

We can look at some data – it’s so helpful to look at data in a non-threatening way – that’s continuous improvement. But when you look at it, and everything’s on the line, you as a learner, as a school, as a teacher, and your valuation system is tightly wound with that, what ends up happening with that is you play it safe.

You don’t want to innovate. You lock yourself into a more entrenched traditional model because you can’t risk innovation because you might not have a job the next day or the next year. Or your school, or your district, might be at risk of being on some kind of list and might close. When that starts to happen, I don’t think anything really improves. At the governor’s conference, it was mentioned that Ontario’s one place that’s done really good work around systems. And what they found is that Ontario never had to close any schools, because they just worked with it. I see elements of that in here. I find that very encouraging.

Over the next decade, the report recommends that Michigan should move its education system towards a competency-based model, which focuses on a student’s demonstration of desired learning outcomes as central to the learning process. It emphasizes that the focus of learning should shift towards a student’s progression through the

curriculum at their pace and depth – in essence, getting rid of grade levels, and allowing students to learn at their own pace. The report states: “Education is adapting to the child rather than forcing the child to adapt to the system. This ensures that there are no dead ends for students; they master all content, are consistently engaged in their learning, and develop skills needed for the 21st century economy.” That sounds ideal – and idealistic – but with a full classroom, what does that mean for a teacher, and how can that be accomplished?

ROSS: In part, that is where technology will play a role.

Even when you get something like Read 180 (a reading comprehension tool), you can break into small groups, another group is working on an interactive computer program, another is working with the teacher. We haven’t quite figured out how to work with technology, but we’re going to have to.

SHANER: I would agree with that, but the thing that concerns me is that some of that would take the place of a highly-skilled teacher with a strong relationship with children. What teachers do in a classroom every day with children is every bit as important, or more important, than practicing medicine. And until we culturally understand that, we can talk about all this, which is great, but that’s the only way that realization will set that as a priority, and put the resources behind that priority.

NERAD: What the standards asserted – as developed by the professional groups – are what young people should know and be able to do. You have to have that as a foundation before you can make decisions about how you move kids through a system. Then you can look, ‘Does that child have that skill set right now?

What else might be needed for that child?’ We’ve got to be able to get that into the hands of professional educators that are really focused on children and on knowing a progression of learning skills on a 13-year, pre-K-12 at least.

ROSS: And get the legislature out of it.

NERAD: What I’m worried is, we’re not going to be able to get to whole system kind of conversations – things like competency-based – if we’re still arguing about what kids should learn in second grade. The professions have weighed in heavily on what that should be. And that work should be respected.

We have examples in our district of multi-age classrooms, which is mixing kids, typically at third, fourth grade. That can blur the lines too, because if I’m in third grade, but ready for that fourth grade math curriculum, I’m in that class.

GLASS: I think it’s a mindset, too. It’s about accommodating the needs of the child first. Individual teachers can do it in our current systems – and do it very successfully in fully-graded schools. They look at that child as an individual and say, ‘Who are they?

What do they need to be successful? How do I adapt what I do to meet their needs?’ and when you take that mindset, you can really do quite a bit without having to change grade level systems. You can change grade level systems, as well. Those are local decisions, I think. But when you’re talking about a system, and you’re talking about what Michigan’s going to be all about – then it’s a conversation about is the Department of Education empowered, and properly help with the ISDs, (intermediate school districts) properly help us with experts in how you do this stuff,

To get one of our students into an electrical apprenticeship, you need the same skills you need to get into MSU.

Awareness of the public and acceptance by the public of different pathways, and the expectations of those pathways. It’s critical.

so you’re able to get conversations going about best practices for doing this.

ROSS: When we looked at other countries, as well as some of the states, the other countries all had ministries of education; were highly-professional, very respected, and were constantly working to identify effective ways in teaching and learning, and had a major hand in shaping teaching and learning.

SHANER: If you think about Ontario, they set priorities and they left them alone for 10 years. Let them pursue those priorities.

ROSS: Here, first of all, we’re pretty fragmented, nobody has much scale to do that, and the Michigan Department of Education is largely a test-giving compliance agency. One of the major recommendations is we need to create that resource, otherwise how do you share that learning?

One of the biggest issues that I see consistently is with the legislature – the bifurcation and the funding in the state, between southeast Michigan and western Michigan, whether it’s talking to several of our legislators, or legislators on the other side of the state – and there’s a very different focus.

ROSS: The legislature – and I’m a former legislator, and I recognize I regularly opined on things I knew nothing about, including education – it’s more partisan now, but the reality is, and there are some exceptions, so many issues being debated are crazy. It’s crazy stuff. I think all of this opt-out stuff or changing the tests comps or...

COOK-ROBINSON: Third grade reading bill...

ROSS: Yeah. It’s stuff that doesn’t reflect any knowledge of educating kids.

SHANER: It lacks so much system-ness, to coin a term.

ROSS: And they get into, rather than governing, they get into managing. Micromanaging. It’s probably going to take, I think, a strong governor and the education community organizing more effectively to try to push them back to that. Because as long as they’re changing standards every two years, we have no standards. Term limits were very disruptive.

NERAD: You couple that with what the enrollment looks like in ed schools today – it’s not good. Education needs to be viewed as a profession of first choice. And obviously there’s a lot of 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds, who are opting out now. Why is that happening?

Teaching jobs are demanding, very hard job, complicated kids, expectation of community – it’s hard stuff. But we’ve got to create – and hopefully some of these recommendations will create – a system of support to launch people in careers and support them when they’re in.

ROSS: That really emerged as huge. We need to be recruiting college-going high school kids from the top quarter of their class. You need about five years working with them in a school at a lower wage, and then you need to start earning the same as anyone who’s put in five years of college – an engineer, a CPA, and see how you can get up to an upper middle class income while staying in the classroom. That would communicate that we value them.

GLASS: I’ve heard this narrative that we can’t get qualified people, it’s not just teachers. I tend to look at the fundamental disrespectful, or rude, assertion that teachers aren’t doing the job, they are the reason we are in this situation. It’s really misplaced. That more

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442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009

than anything, when you couple things, that is the tipping point that says, if I’m not going to have some basic respect and be supported then I’m going to look for something else.

SHANER: I couldn’t agree more. You keep the focus on kids, and less on the adult, petty jealousies and issues that come up, we would probably be able to educate children on a much higher level and far less expensively. We lack system-ness and we lack focus, and I don’t mean as a profession, I mean as a society, whether in Michigan or anyplace else.

There are currently 540 traditional school districts in the state, 302 charter schools, and 56 intermediate school districts. However, enrollment has been in a decline, with nearly two-thirds of districts experiencing a decline – 13 percent since 2002-2003 – creating significant financial challenges because funding is tied to the number of students served. A recommendation in the report is to have local school districts consolidate, as they have in many other states, which would save money and allow districts to more efficiently provide services.

It also says that Michigan needs to rename, reconfigure and reassign the tasks intermediate school districts do in order to enable the highquality and economically efficient delivery of services to students. As superintendents of local districts and the ISD, what are your thoughts, and why, or how, would you help accomplish this?

NERAD: Efficiencies are important, but we also have to be mindful that people in communities want to have conversations with people on locally-elected school boards, too. These entities were created a long time ago as proud, local institutions. There are numerous ways we can get at greater efficiencies – I’m not saying that consolidation in some instances shouldn’t be looked at.

GLASS: I think you just can’t underestimate the politics of consolidation. In other words, you can have a lot of good reasons, but there’s nothing in the system that incentivizes a thoughtful way to do that. Dan (Nerad) and I could have a conversation, and our boards could have a conversation, and we could agree that it makes so much sense – same with any of our districts – and we do have a lot of conversations, share a lot of ideas, we work together – look at trying to merge our two high schools. It isn’t always about what makes sense or what is logical. It becomes about that emotional component and that identity and the fear of the unknown.

One of the things highlighted that I appreciated – it doesn’t go into detail in the report about how you incentivize it – there can be financial incentives or other kinds to make it happen where it makes sense.

And you’d see districts doing that. Other than that, you’d have to impose it. I’m not advocating that that occur. It would have to be some kind of a governmental decision at a higher level. And I question the efficiencies – I think they’re overrated. Whenever there’s that kind of disruption, there’s a suspension of productivity in the short run.

SHANER: And the million-dollar question is, or billiondollar question, what size is the right size? I have grave concerns about creating massive, countywide school districts (like in Florida). When a parent has a complaint about a ride on a bus, who do they call, and how are they attended to? Do they feel satisfied that

I tend to look at the fundamental disrespectful, or rude, assertion that teachers aren’t doing the job, they are the reason we are in this situation.

You keep the focus on kids, and less on the adult, petty jealousies and issues that come up, we would probably be able to educate children on a much higher level...

someone heard them, and someone will attend to their child. Some of the disparities in a district where you can have abject poverty and extreme affluence. How you make that an equitable opportunity for all students is something I wrestle with. I happen to believe there is something fundamentally right about having a locallyelected board of education. It’s a foundation of a political unit in the United States.

COOK-ROBINSON: I completely agree.

ROSS: I have reservations. In too many places, boards become small and petty, not knowledgeable, put pressure for the wrong sorts of things, do not provide high quality governance to the district. In fact, often the challenge is for a very good superintendent to figure out how to manage the board; whereas ideally a good board manages between priorities and supporting, but gets out of the schools, gets out of all of that.

SHANER: I am uniquely blessed – I truly am. I think we’re a great example of what a school board should be and what governance looks like.

ROSS: Administratively, (consolidation) has economies of scale. But high schools – especially low income, I don’t think they should be larger than 500 students.

COOK-ROBINSON: I’m glad to hear you say that, because as I hear this conversation, like about Florida, where they have county schools – I do not see a county school in this region. I think you start to lose – you talk about personalized learning, which is one of the elements here – I think it’s very impersonal when scale starts to be too big. The question is, what is the right size and still have economies of scale. I think that’s the issue that we have to rassle.

SHANER: And having that discussion in a forum that’s not politicized, that’s the challenge.

NERAD: I too, have had the benefit of working with school board members that are true stewards of the community. As I look out into the community where I serve, people out there have a lot of pride in the Birmingham Public Schools. When they send their children to school, it’s with the hope that they’re getting the best education possible, with the commitment to work with us.

ROSS: One of the things that drove this was an urgency in respect to overall performance of the system. The struggles of Detroit, and others have been known – the fact that if an African American had been educated in Mississippi they’d do marginally better than if they lived here I find very distressing. But non-poor white kids compared to their peers in other states – we were 48th.

It may be, with upper middle class kids, like your districts – if Birmingham were a nation, you’d rank pretty high. But a lot of the other communities in Macomb, Oakland, and western Wayne, don’t.

NERAD: Now you’re really putting the elephant in the room, which is, what’s the difference between those places. Some of it is in those people’s commitment to education, but poverty is a dis-equalizer for kids. When you have higher poverty, it’s not that we don’t have a responsibility to take the kids every day as far as they can possibly get, but it seems to me we’re not willing to have that conversation as a society. You look at kindergarten, going back to the beginning, the difference in words that some children come into kindergarten with compared to the kids in Birmingham...

COOK-ROBINSON: 5,000 words, children in poverty; 11,005 in children like these.

ROSS: Our middle class kids, regardless of race, it’s not that they’ve gotten particularly worse, it’s that others have improved faster.

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GLASS: It really comes down to an educational system difference. And frankly, a disinvestment. You can argue that the pensions are eating a greater percentage of the budget, but that doesn’t educate students, and that’s not something that school districts created. That is a governmental/legislative issue.

ROSS: We have to face up to that. And there isn’t a sense of urgency. I don’t think most middle class parents, if you said, ‘How’s your child doing?’ ‘They’re doing great.’

NERAD: I don’t think many of us would argue against improvement. The question is – what is that improvement that will leverage the right kind of education for children? An ‘initiative of the month’ will not do it. In places like Ontario, that had designed a province system – what are the right things to have in place to get the right outcomes – is where I think, we have fallen short.

SHANER: Ten years ago, Ontario started two initiatives: literacy and numeracy. That is what they were going to be good in. We are going to make sure our kids can read and perform in math at a very high level. That will enable them to do great things in other disciplines.

GLASS: Everyone at the classroom level could articulate that and really understood that focus. We tend to not have that focus.

Funding has historically been challenging – especially since 1994, when the school funding model was changed and no longer tied to property taxes. To enact the changes in this education blueprint would come to approximately $2 billion, which would need to be appropriated from the Michigan legislature.

How likely would that be? What priorities do you see, and what do you feel is unnecessary, or less than necessary? How do you convince local legislators their district – you – would benefit, while they’re concerned about reelection?

COOK-ROBINSON: I think the first thing we have to do is go back and look at the Michigan Adequacy Study that was conducted. It was an excellent, excellent start, but we didn’t have a comprehensive data set. I think most educators would agree if we said that our funding system is broken. Most of the adequacy studies that have been done around the country used at least two or more to look at that iterated reliability. There is a project, through the Oakland Schools Education Foundation, not Oakland Schools, the school finance collaborative, is looking at using private funding and a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to complete that comprehensive data set, because as you know, the original study looked at about $8,817 per student with about 3 percent increase per English Language Learners and 4 percent for students that have challenges.

For example, the school district for the city of Pontiac has 30 percent of its students that are English Language Learners. That impacts how you learn.

We want to complete that data for the legislators so we can have an accurate sense of what resources are needed per student. That’s going to vary per region. Until we find out what those resources are and what it takes to educate a child per region – because it’s a little different when you go up north, in the Upper Peninsula, than down here in southeastern Michigan, it’s hard to talk to legislators how do we do that, and how much money do we need.

ROSS: The school aid fund is what – $14 billion? We kind of guessed at some of these numbers broadly. So if you said you needed another $2 billion more, that’s 14-15

You can argue that the pensions are eating a greater percentage of the budget, but that doesn’t educate students, and that’s not something school districts created.

Over a couple of years, to increase education spending another 14-15 percent sounds right.

Right now, we reduce it every year it seems – we go backwards.

percent. Over a couple of years, to increase education spending another 14-15 percent sounds right. Right now, we reduce it every year it seems – we go backwards.

COOK-ROBINSON: And if we had not reduced down to where we are, we’d be a lot closer, and that number would be smaller.

We have to keep in mind that the legislature has reduced what’s coming to these classrooms over the last five to 10 years. Dramatically.

GLASS: I think this report really did a nice job of actually estimating what each cost was, so you can have a menu of priorities – what should we attack first.

Should it be early childhood education? They noted it’s a long-term investment, it’s hard to be patient. But it goes back to other countries, where they have a mindset of this is really important, and we’re going to spend a lot of money on it, because in the long run it’s going to give us really good outcomes, maybe even save us money.

We have two really important things: first, we can understand the real cost from a data perspective, an unbiased perspective. Then you have, for those who say just throwing money at things, which it’s not, you have a pretty nice blueprint, and you put those two things together, and if you have creative leadership and people coming together, you have ingredients to make really good decisions.

What will the questions be that will emerge politically because none of us have all the levers to make this happen?

Is Michigan ready for an education revolution, or does it just need to be tweaked? How do you convince all of the constituents – parents, teachers, unions, legislators, lobbyists – that this is in the long term best interest of everyone, but especially students, when every few years there is a new education reform, such as Common Core, that is then discarded a couple of years later, and this is not another thing that will be discarded?

ROSS: We said there was a kind of urgent optimism. The urgency was, we’re in trouble. The optimism, other people have done it. Ontario is an example – if you pick some reasonable goals, and you stick with them and focus on it, you can get somewhere. We have had no steady focus. We don’t have a strategy.

GLASS: A lot of what gets in our way is the mechanism – the reporting, the funding, the systemness, the ability not to get gridlocked between the three bodies – the governor’s office, the legislature, and the Michigan Departure of Education. They have so much shared authority that nobody has authority.

NERAD: My priority remains, what can we do to improve learning for kids in classrooms. There’s a variety of governance models, and what I worry about is that ends up being the priority focus, and we’re not going to get to the things that make a difference for children.

We need to get adults in classrooms and be more bipartisan and have more discussions about improving the lives of children.

SHANER: We have a legislature that doesn’t understand the context of the problem.

Scan for audio ROSS: We have to have both people education roundtable who run for governor put this on interview. their agenda.

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5,671 SF | 4 BR | 4.1 Baths | MLS# 217017023 5,685 SF | 6 BR | 4.1 Baths | MLS# 217002225 3,459 SF | 4 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 217022349

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3,375 Total SF | 4 BR | 3.1 Baths | MLS# 217028568

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Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009

Sal Impastato & Mark L. Bess

248.763.2223 | simpastato@hallandhunter.com 248.425.3778 | mbess@hallandhunter.com

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4,832 Total SF | 4 BR | 3 Full, 2 Half Baths | MLS# 217029306

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1,579 SF | 3 BR | 2 Baths | MLS# 217033634

Charming Poppleton Park storybook Tudor. Large yard offers potential to expand/renovate. Spacious living room. Ensuite bedroom over attached garage.

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BIRMINGHAM 1465 Fairfax Street | $924,900 Fabulous opportunity to purchase one of the finest remaining undeveloped lots in Quarton Lake Estates. A rare, oversized lot – approximately 0.39 acres – located on an elevated section just north of Redding, just south of the Fairfax/Suffield fork, making the approach from the north particularly dramatic. Ideal build site for a true multi-million-dollar showpiece! Home on lot not available for viewing until accepted offer.

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442 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009

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For more information, visit HallandHunter.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009

Amy Zimmer

Tiffany Glime

Associate Broker

248.469.6430

REALTOR® 248.930.5656

azimmer@ hallandhunter.com

tglime@ hallandhunter.com

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Sophisticated, chic and renovated to perfection! This stately residence blending stylish beauty and comfort is truly not your typical Village home. Dream kitchen filled specialty features, is an entertainer’s delight! 10’ ceilings throughout. Extensive molding and architectural detailing. Wonderful corner lot. Turn-key property!

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442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

248.644.3500

Kevin Conway

Cheryl Riback

REALTOR® 248.330.3324

Associate Broker 248.808.3112

kconway@hallandhunter.com

criback@hallandhunter.com

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Stunning home masterfully renovated on a prime 2.18-acre setting in the estates section of Franklin. The open layout features premium appointments and materials throughout. Gourmet kitchen provides direct access to the sprawling fenced property. Spacious master suite is a true oasis. Separate in-law suite with own entry. Pool, tennis courts and 3-car heated garage.

Stunning, newer construction close to town. Large, bright island kitchen opens to family room overlooking back yard – great for entertianing. Sunlit dining room. Office/den. 2nd floor laundry. Master bedroom offers walkin closet and luxurious master bath with radiant heated floors. Finished lower level with 4th bedroom, full bath and play/rec room. 2-car garage.

5,150 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Full Baths | MLS# 217037802

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2210 Avon Lane | Birmingham | $699,000 Pristine home in sought-after Midvale neighborhood offers extensive, quality updates throughout. Spacious eat-in kitchen opens to great room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace and access to private terrace and fenced yard. Master with marble bath. Updated HVAC systems, water heaters, roof, gutters and windows. Basement completely redone in 2015/16.

2,915 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 217036115

465 S. Evansdale | Bloomfield | $699,000 Breathtaking views in desirable Charing Cross from cleared 1.75 acre lot that can accommodate up to 10,000 square feet home with a walkout lower level. Property is cleared. A truly wonderful location to build the home of your dreams!

Vacant Land | 200’ x 202’ x 360’ x 390’ | MLS# 216112593

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009

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Birmingham-Bloomfield Market: Downtown newsmagazine Our monthly direct mail newsmagazine, Downtown, serving the communities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township, is considered the dominant news source for this unique area of Oakland County. A strong editorial product and a focus on the local matters affecting residents, from the government to the society circuit, personality profiles to long-form journalism on topics of critical importance. And the largest collection of real estate marketing each month directed at this special audience. No one else compares on the news and advertising front.

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FACES

Elizabeth Chiu King uthor and Christian meditation expert Elizabeth Chiu King was born to a beautiful Chinese socialite whose polarizing personality fortuitously shaped King’s career and journey to personal fulfillment.

“Mom was the mistress of the household,” King said. “She left the child raising to the amah (nanny). My mom was never affectionate and she never really affirmed me.”

In her 2016 memoir, “The Good Chinese Daughter,” King recounts details of her life from her childhood in Shanghai to 2002.

“People (in China) were very simple, but Shanghai was very cosmopolitan.”

King remembers her mother as a rigid narcissist who divorced her biological father and hesitatingly gave birth to her before remarrying. Later King learned that her stepfather was not her biological father.

Despondent over her mother’s apathy toward her, King’s turned to her amah for affection and affirmation. She also taught her how to cook.

“My amah was a born chef,” she said. “I learned a lot from her.”

Consequently, King has published multiple cookbooks, including “The 15 Minute Chinese Gourmet,” “A Wok a Week-52 Lite and Easy Meals,” and “Eating the Chinese Way in Detroit.”

The Chinese Civil War is what ultimately changed the trajectory of King’s life.

“When the war broke out, our home was burned down,” she said. “We lost almost everything. We had two things: my mom had buried her jewelry in the ground and dad had some back pay. We didn’t have much, but we had enough.”

In 1955, King’s family immigrated to the United States and settled in

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San Francisco. Without household help, King’s mom enlisted her to be her right hand.

“I was her helper. I would get everything ready for her. Cooking became my hobby and my salvation.”

King went on to study at the University of Hong Kong, the University of San Francisco, Berkeley and the University of Michigan. At the University of Hong Kong, she met Albert, who later became her husband.

After graduation, King returned to California. Albert accepted a position at Wayne State University in Detroit, and the two began corresponding. They were married soon after and settled in Bloomfield Hills, where they raised two sons.

King had turned to Christian mediation to cope with unresolved feelings toward her mother, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 102.

Today, she is a missionary who shares the benefits of Christian mediation all over the world. She even once met the Dalai Lama.

“I’ve been going back (to China) every year for the last 15 years,” she said. “With so much noise, people need inner peace.”

Currently, she is working on the sequel to her memoir, “The Good Chinese Daughter.” The second memoir will take readers from her life in 2002 to today. King’s books are all available on Amazon.

Through her work and spiritual practices, King has overcome resentment and feelings of inadequacy. Her journey was arduous, but the adversity made her a better wife, mother and person.

“We have two sons and seven grandchildren. I am more affectionate. I show them love and support. I accept them.”

Story: Katey Meisner

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THREATENING PAIR: PFOA/PFOS CHEMICAL CONCERNS INTO THE FUTURE

BY KEVIN ELLIOTT

pair of chemicals linked to serious health issues and used for decades to make products ranging from firefighting foam to pizza boxes is being investigated as a source of widespread contamination at military bases and drinking water systems across the country.

Best known by its initials, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the chemicals have been used to make carpets, upholstery, food packaging, cookware and hundreds of other products.

In the United States, PFOA was used by DuPont to make Teflon, while PFOS was used by 3M to make Scotchgard. Traces of the man-made chemicals can be detected nearly everywhere in the environment and can be expected to found in everyone's blood.

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WITH THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN RECEIVING DRINKING WATER FROM THE GREAT LAKES WATER AUTHORITY, THE EPA REQUIRED THE WATER PROVIDER IN 2009 TO TEST FOR PFOA AND PFOS. Due to health concerns, the chemicals have been mostly phased out of production by manufacturers in the United States. But because the chemicals take years to breakdown in the environment and people's bodies, PFOA and PFOS are expected to be chemicals of concern well into the future. ational water sampling directed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2013 and 2014 found PFOA and/or PFOS in 52 public water systems in 19 states at levels exceeding federal water advisory limits.

The presence of the chemicals has been found in many more public drinking systems, including those in Ann Arbor and Plainfield Township, near Grand Rapids.

Richard Benzie, assistant chief of the Michigan Department of Environmental (DEQ) Quality Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance Water Supply Program, said the EPA advisory isn't a predictor of what the EPA could set regulation levels at in the future, if at all.

"The advisory is in no way what the drinking water standard may be," he said. "They must also consider if there is technology to treat these things, and is it cost effective."

For instance, Benzie said the drinking water standard for arsenic is "much higher than if it were based on just health."

"Michigan has a lot of naturally occurring arsenic, and the cost impact to small systems caused them to set it much higher than if it were based on just health," he said. "Those standards don't mean there's no risk at a lower level."

The DEQ adheres to the EPA's drinking water advisory levels for drinking water. However, the state has implemented thresholds for surface water (non-drinking water) in the state at levels of 11 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and 42 ppt for PFOA. However, those levels refer to surface water concentrations, which are predominantly set for fish consumption advisories issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Testing of drinking water in Michigan for PFOA and PFOS falls under the EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, which allows the agency to issue a list of no more than 30 contaminants every five years to be monitored by public water systems serving over 10,000 people. The EPA added PFOA and PFOS in its third update of the rule. Utilities are required to report samples to the EPA that detect levels above two ppt for PFOA and above four ppt for PFOS. With the majority of residents of southeast Michigan receiving drinking water from the Great Lakes Water Authority (formerly the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department), the

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EPA required the water provider in 2009 to test for PFOA and PFOS. Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) COO Cheryl Porter said the EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule require the GLWA to collect data and report that data to the EPA. "The Great Lakes Water Authority has been monitoring PFOA and PFOS since 2009, and is pleased to assure the public that in our latest round of screenings, done from 2014 to 2015, these chemicals tested so low they were practically undetectable at .00067 (parts per billion) and .0013 parts per billion respectively," Porter said. "PFOA and PFOS are unregulated contaminants."

Converted to parts per trillion, the GLWA findings were .67 parts per trillion for PFOA and 1.3 parts per trillion for PFOS, below both the national advisory level of 70 parts per trillion, and the state's limits for surface water.

"We take our responsibility to public health and safety seriously, and are in full support of the EPA's new health advisories, which will further ensure quality drinking water.

Additionally, GLWA can confirm that these chemicals are not a threat to our system, or our ability to continue to provide water of unsurpassed safety and quality to the region."

Removal of PFOA and PFOS from a drinking water source depends on the treatment method and the concentration of the contaminants in the source water. Conventional treatment has been shown to be largely ineffective at removal of PFCs, but studies show up to 90 percent removal is possible with certain advanced treatment techniques like activated carbon filtration, high pressure membrane filtration or anion exchange, according to the American Water Works Association.

Even in communities where the chemicals haven't been found in high concentrations, the widespread use of the chemicals makes them ubiquitous in the environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found PFOA and PFOS present in the blood of more than 95 percent of some 2,094 participants.

Exposure to elevated levels of the chemicals has been linked to serious health issues, including kidney and testicular cancer, low birth weight, thyroid disease, decreased sperm quality, pregnancy-induced hypertension and immunotoxicity in children. Toxicological studies in animals have linked PFOA and PFOS exposure to altered mammary gland development, reproductive and developmental toxicity, testicular cancer, obesity, immune suppression and other serious health issues.

Despite health and environmental findings, there remains a lack of enforceable drinking

water regulation at the federal level.

"It's very toxic," said Denver-based toxicologist Richard DeGrandchamp, a faculty member at the University of Colorado. "When it was being procured in large quantities, 3M and DuPont really did little work on the toxicity of the compounds."

Among his work, DeGrandchamp has been contracted by the DEQ to study contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, where the use of PFC-laden (perfluorinated compounds) firefighting foams has resulted in heavy contamination of drinking and surface water in and around the base, including the Au Sable River.

"They last forever. They don't break down and microbes don't eat them,� DeGrandchamp said.

"Once they get in your body, it takes a long time for them to be eliminated. The half-life ranges from three to seven years, but what that means in realtime is that it takes about seven half-lifes to excrete all of that out. You wouldn't be rid of it until about 40 years old."

The man-made chemicals belong to a class of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) that aren't naturally found in the environment. Referred to more specifically, PFOA and PFOS are included in a subset of PFCs considered perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs. The classification refers to the chemical makeup of the compounds, which utilize a long string of carbon-flourine bonds, resulting in PFOA also being referred to as C8, for its string of eight carbon atoms.

"All of us have PFCs in our body," DeGrandchamp said. "It was used in a lot of products. It's a good water repellant and surfactant. Because they have been added to all these consumer products, our bodies are full of them, and we are finding out now how dangerous they are." sed in non-stick, stain-resistant and waterproof products because of their ability to repel water and greases, PFOA and PFOS were widely present in hundreds of industrial and commercial products over the past 50 to 60 years. Many of the dangers of PFOA and PFOS came to light following a 2001 class-action suit filed on behalf of some 50,000 residents of the region surrounding Parkersburg, West Virginia, home of DuPont's Teflon Plant. In 2005, acting on a petition from the non-profit Environmental Working Group, the EPA fined DuPont $16.5 million, and the company and others subsequently agreed to phase out PFOA and PFOS. The chemicals have been mostly phased out of production in the United States, but can still be found in products – such as fast food wrappers, clothing and a host of other consumer

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IT WAS USED IN A LOT OF PRODUCTS...BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ADDED TO ALL THESE CONSUMER PRODUCTS, OUR BODIES ARE FULL OF THEM, AND WE ARE FINDING OUT NOW HOW DANGEROUS THEY ARE. products – imported from manufacturers outside the country. The chemicals also are used in some applications, such as hydraulic fluids and other industrial uses where a replacement hasn't yet been developed.

In January of 2009, the EPA tested sites in Alabama where sewage sludge converted to fertilizer, or biosolids, were applied to agricultural lands where elevated levels of PFOA and PFOS were found. The sewage, according to the EPA, was from a wastewater treatment plant that receives water from numerous industrial sources, including facilities that manufacture the chemicals. Later that year, the EPA published provisional health advisories for the chemicals in regard to their presence in drinking water, with levels set at 200 ppt for PFOS and 400 ppt for PFOA. In Alabama, a class-action suit was filed against Minnesota-based 3M, the primary producer of the chemicals. The Minnesota attorney general in 2010 also filed suit against 3M on behalf of the people of that state, alleging the company contaminated more than 100 square miles near its plant in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. In February 2017, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $671 million to settle about 3,500 lawsuits from West Virginia and Ohio residents, whose drinking water was contaminated by PFOA produced at the Parkersburg plant The EPA in May of 2016 replaced the 2009 figures with new, lifetime health advisories that combined the two chemicals and set a 70 ppt advisory level for both contaminants. To put the levels in perspective, one part per trillion is equivalent to about one grain of sand in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

DeGrandchamp said he believes the levels set by the EPA in 2016 are still too high.

"I'm not real happy with what the EPA did there. I think (the advisory levels) are too high," he said. "The endpoints they looked at didn't include cancer. I think the EPA was under a great deal of pressure just to get something in place so that they would feel comfortable with something in place. States like New Jersey are about 10 times less than what the EPA set. I'm not sure the EPA will re-evaluate that, especially with (President) Trump in office."

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water and Geoscience said in February that PFOA was found in 78 percent of 23 drinking water systems tested in that state, albeit at very low levels. The state subsequently set the lifetime exposure levels of PFOA at 4 parts per trillion.

The EPA states that the updated health advisory levels were calculated based on the drinking water intake of lactating women, who drink more than other people and can pass

chemicals along to nursing infants. The levels were also based on the exposure to the chemicals for 70 years drinking two liters of drinking water per day. The advisory assumes 20 percent of exposure to the chemicals comes from drinking water and 80 percent come from nondrinking water sources, such as the environment and exposure to products containing the chemicals. ublic drinking water systems that discover levels of PFOS and/or PFOA above 70 ppt are advised to undertake additional sampling, inform their state drinking water safety agency, which would be the DEQ in Michigan, and determine the best way to proceed with additional sampling. System operators are also advised by the EPA to notify the public of the elevated levels and potential health risks. However, because the recommendations are only advisories, there is yet to be any requirements to address PFOS or PFOA at the federal level. Still, drinking water systems serving large populations must monitor for the chemicals under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.

While the EPA hasn't created national primary drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS, the agency states it is evaluating the chemicals as drinking water contaminants, in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. In order to regulate a contaminant under the act, the EPA must find it; may have adverse health effects; occurs frequently at levels of public health concern; and there is a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for people served by public water systems.

The EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule requires periodic testing of drinking water systems for contaminants of concern, but don't have enforceable water quality standards. Sampling under the rule from 2013 to 2015 found no detectable PFOA or PFOS in 105 drinking water samples in Oakland County. However, those samples don't include those in the county on private drinking wells, nor smaller municipal systems such as those which serve a portion of the city of Rochester.

Rochester Department of Public Works Director Shannon Filarecki said the city isn't required to test for PFOA or PFOS in its drinking water system. Rochester receives drinking water from both the GLWA and publicly-maintained wells.

Testing in Macomb County returned no results above reporting levels for 37 samples. In Wayne County, 95 samples were tested, with zero found to be above reporting levels. In total, three samples taken in Michigan were at or above the reporting levels in 2013 and 2014,

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which included those in Plainfield Township and Ann Arbor.

Water samples collected in Plainfield Township, just north of Grand Rapids, in June of 2013, detected PFOS at 50 parts per trillion.

Samples in September of 2014 detected levels at 60 parts per trillion. The contamination, while not above the previous health advisory levels set by the EPA, nor the updated lifetime advisory levels set in 2016, still caused enough concern that a source well where the contamination was found was shut down in order to lower levels.

The contamination was later traced to a contamination leaching from a shuttered landfill about two miles from the contaminated well.

"In Plainfield, they used enough wells that they are able to minimize it and not use the wells where it was found, but they did lose some redundancy," Benzie said. "They are also looking at the source and what they can do to remedy that."

In Ann Arbor, samples for PFOS in March of 2014 were detected at 43 parts per trillion.

Benzie said that contamination was traced to the Huron River, which provides the city's water system with 80 to 90 percent of its drinking water. While additional testing at other drinking water sources detected PFOS, the levels were far below that of the 43 parts per trillion detected in the water in 2014.

"We are below the advisory levels in Ann Arbor, but because there's an advisory and there is a chemical, we decided to do some additional monitoring, even though we aren't required," said Brian Steglitz, manager of water treatment services for the city. "We go to the intake, which is the Huron River. It's not like some systems, like in Plainfield where they have multiple wells.

We have a blended source of water. We have surface water and wells. That's a single source, and we can't turn off the river." teglitz said no one has been able to identify the source of contamination in the river, which starts at Kent Lake in the Milford area of Oakland County and initially flows in a southwesterly direction through Livingston and Washtenaw counties and then back in a southeasterly direction into Wayne County where it eventually dumps into Lake Erie.

"We don't really know where it's coming from," he said. "It's probably not a singular source. It's probably coming from upstream."

Using information from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule sampling scientists found in each additional military site within a watershed is associated with a 35 percent increase of PFOS detection in drinking water, and a 10 percent increase of PFOA. The study found an 81 percent increase

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DOWNTOWN

06.17

ROCHESTER DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SHANNON FILARECKI SAID THE CITY ISN'T REQUIRED TO TEST FOR PFOA OR PFOS IN ITS DRINKING WATER SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES PUBLICLY-MAINTAINED WELLS. in PFOA contamination in watersheds where industrial sites were located where the chemicals were produced or used. The study also found a "small but significant" increase in PFOS and PFOA – about two percent – for each wastewater treatment plant located in a watershed. However, scientists said the number of wastewater treatment plants may also be an indicator for other population-driven sources of the chemicals. hemist and nanotechnology researcher David Andrews, who serves as senior scientist for the non-profit Environmental Working Group and who contributed to the study, said more work needs to be done to identify sources of contamination.

The group is also pushing for the EPA to set national regulations that go beyond an advisory.

"There's no great mechanism in tracking where these chemicals were used or disposed of, and a very small quantity can contaminate groundwater sources. We do have some information on identifying some locations where they may be," Andrews said, referencing the 2016 study. "It comes down to having to look at individual assessments and finding those sources."

As scientists and health experts learn more about PFOA, PFOS and related chemicals, the more evidence they find that the chemicals may pose a threat to health at very low levels, Andrews said. Further, he said current testing methods allow for detection of more than a dozen chemicals. However, because EPA reporting requirements only call for a limited number of compounds, the agency is "needlessly throwing away information on the chemicals that would help identify sources."

Despite the push to expand drinking water standards, Andrews said federal regulations are falling decades behind the discovery of chemicals scientists know are occurring.

"One of the most telling points is that the amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act were passed in 1996, and since then, the EPA hasn't been able to set new standards," he said.

"It's seems unlikely with the current political environment in Washington, but it wasn't moving quickly before."

In addition to elevated levels of PFOA and PFOS in Michigan found in Ann Arbor and Plainfield Township, the highest levels of contamination have been found at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, in Oscoda, where the chemical contamination has entered drinking water wells near the base. That contamination is directly related to Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) that was used during training exercises and emergency response situations at the base.

Work on Michigan's surface water limits

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began in 2001, when the DEQ sampled surface water from rivers in different parts of the state for presence of PFOA and FPOS. The sampling was conducted because PFCs had been found at elevated levels in water, fish and wildlife in Minnesota and other areas of the country, indicating the compounds might be emerging contaminants of concern. The DEQ said results from those tests showed the levels of PFOS and PFOA in state surface waters at the time "were not a statewide concern."

About a decade later, the DEQ's Remediation and Redevelopment Division and state toxicologists began assessing PFOS and PFOA found at the former Wurtsmith base in Oscoda, which the state has confirmed was due to firefighting foams used at the base that contained the compounds. Groundwater at the site that was contaminated by the foams flowed into the nearby Au Sable River via Clark's Marsh.

Michigan's surface water levels were set largely due to the ability for the chemicals to build up in fish tissue in contaminated waterways.

As the national drinking water advisory level assumes a person consumes two liters of water a day, the non-drinking water level assumes a person consumes .01 liters of surface water while recreating and 15 grams of fish per day over a lifetime, said Dennis Bush, toxicologist manager with the DEQ's Water Resources Division. Because PFOS builds up in fish tissue to a much higher degree than PFOA, Bush said the limits for PFOS is much lower than that of PFOA. While Michigan's limits on PFOA and PFOS relate to water, the limits were constructed in large part with that water's impact on fish in mind.

"I don't believe there are any surface water data for PFOS or PFOA at drinking water intakes. However, it's noteworthy that the concentrations of PFOS and PFOA that have been measured in surface waters – except for samples collected at Clark's Marsh in Oscoda – are below the EPA's health advisory," Bush said.

"Keep in mind that the EPA health advisory doesn't apply to surface water, but to finished drinking water. Because the ability of PFOS to build up in fish tissue, one of the most important potential sources of exposure to PFCs is from surface water perspective is the consumption of fish."

Fish samples were sent by the DEQ to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for testing, which revealed extremely high levels of PFOS in filet samples of bluegill and pumpkinseed fish collected from Clark's Marsh. The findings resulted in the state health department to issue a "Do Not Eat" fish consumption advisory for the both the marsh

and the nearby lower Au Sable River.

The findings led to additional sampling of fish and surface water in some areas of the state, including the Flint, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Saginaw, St. Joseph, Thunder Bay and Tahquamenon rivers in 2013 and 2014. PFOS was detected in water samples in nine of 12 sites, ranging from 1.4 to 50.7 nanograms per liter. Concentrations at Clark's Marsh in Oscoda were found to be 5,099 nanograms per liter, with concentrations in the Flint River the highest behind those in Oscoda.

Levels of PFOA were found in all samples, with the exception of the Tehquamenon River, with the geometric mean concentration ranging from 1 – 4.3 nanograms per liter, compared to PFOA levels at Clark's Marsh of 1,309 nanograms per liter. PFOA concentrations outside of Clark's Marsh were highest in the Kalamazoo, Flint and Saginaw rivers. esting of 447 fish filets collected between 2010 and 2013 detected PFOS in nearly all those analyzed, with the highest concentrations found in fish from Clark's Marsh, with concentrations ranging from 3,170 to 9,580 micrograms per kilogram. The second highest concentrations were found in fish from the Flint River, where smallmouth bass had a mean concentration of 132.1 micrograms per kilogram. PFOA was found in 17 percent of all fish, but only in samples from the Saginaw and Thunder Bay rivers.

The testing shows contamination may be found throughout the state, particularly in areas in more urban settings, concentrations of PFOA and PFOS are significantly higher near military installations where firefighting foam was used.

"You can clearly see the signal when you see the firefighting foams," said Robert Delaney, Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement Coordinator for the DEQ's Remediation and Redevelopment Division. "We can see that for certain."

Former Air Force veteran James Bussey believes neuropathy in his legs and hands, chronic liver disease and other serious health issues he suffers from were caused by chemicals he was exposed to during his time stationed at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda.

"There are many people that are suffering from the same things that I'm suffering from," Bussey said during a May 1, 2017, news segment on MSNBC. "At my old base, we have a group of over 800 people now, and it's all very similar."

The group, Veterans & Civilians Clean Water Alliance, organized after the state discovered chemical contamination from firefighting foam used at the base was first confirmed in 2010.

The state issued health advisories after it was

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AMENDMENTS TO THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT WERE PASSED IN 1996, AND SINCE THEN, THE EPA HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SET NEW STANDARDS. IT'S SEEMS UNLIKELY WITH THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WASHINGTON. discovered the chemicals leached into the groundwater and contaminated drinking water, as well as nearby surface water, including the Au Sable River.

The clean water group recently began working with environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who appeared with Bussey on Greta Van Susteren's MSNBC show, "For The Record" to talk about contamination at Wurtsmith and dozens of other military bases.

"I don't think we are talking about it enough, and I don't think people want to know what is really going on," Brockovich said about the contamination. "I have been receiving complaints and pleas for help from our returning soldiers for years from at least a dozen bases who are dealing with this contamination."

The Department of Defense is in the process of testing about 200 military bases for PFC contamination. The military testing and cleanup work is believed to have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, with measures for Congress to monitor the defense department's progress built into the department's 2017 budget.

The Air Force said in a statement last year that tests at four of 30 of its bases confirmed PFC levels in drinking water was found to be above the EPA's recommended guidelines for PFOS and PFOA. "The Air Force is committed to eliminating firefighting foam containing either PFOS or PFOA from its inventory, and is finalizing a phased plan to replace existing foam inventories with recently approved PFOS/PFOA-free alternatives that still provide adequate fire protection for critical assets and infrastructure," the Air Force said in a statement. "These alternatives do contain PFCs but do not contain the two addressed by the EPA advisory." loser to Oakland County, in Macomb County, past and current operations at Selfridge Air National Guard base in Harrison Township is located next to the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair, which flows into the Detroit River, which serves as a drinking water source for the region, along with an intake in Lake Huron, near Port Huron, for the GLWA. While the National Guard has contracted with Los Angeles-based AECOM to conduct testing at the base, which is scheduled to begin in the late summer or early fall of 2017. Results of those tests are expected in late 2017 or early 2018, said base spokesman Phillip Ulmer, with the 127th Wing.

"The Air Force and the National Guard are using a comprehensive approach: identify, respond, prevent, to assess for potential PFOS and PFOA contamination of drinking water, on and off installations, and respond appropriately," Ulmer said.

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The Air Force and National Guard are testing about 200 bases to confirm whether the chemicals are present in groundwater and soils, with priority on sites that have probable contamination and a possible pathway for the contamination to reach drinking water. If a drinking water source is identified that could be contaminated, it will be tested, he said. If contamination is found, the Air Force will provide alternative sources of water and conduct the necessary actions to mitigate the contamination.

Additionally, Ulmer said the Air Force and National Guard are committed to eliminating future releases of PFOS and PFOA by only using firefighting foams in actual emergencies, rather than training exercises, and "by transitioning to a more environmentally responsible alternative" as of August 2016. The Air Force, he said, directed all installations to stop testing foam systems on fire vehicles in July 2015.

Toxicologist Christina Bush, with the Michigan Department of Community Health, said health impacts from elevated levels of PFOA and PFOS in specific communities isn't yet known in Michigan.

"We don't have any information that would draw a line between exposure at Michigan sites and health effects in those communities," she said. "We aren't at that point. We are trying to be proactive, so that if we hear about those sites, we can learn more about them and determine if it's alright for people to be eating fish and drinking water.

"There's no concern for skin contact, as far as getting the water on you for people that live there or visit there. It's not a problem. It's anything that goes down the hatch. Our advice is in regard to drinking and cooking with the water, or if it's in the fish."

Even with the phasing out of sources of PFOA and PFOS contamination, exposure to the chemicals in everyday products is nearly impossible to avoid. Other products utilizing the chemicals include waterproof and stain resistant textiles, clothing, and an array of mechanical and industrial components, such as plastic gears, gaskets, sealants, pipes, tubing and other products.

A study published in February of 2017 found PFCs, including PFOA and PFOS, in more than half of fast food packaging tested in 2014 and 2015. The study included 407 samples of paper and paperboard food wrappers and related food packaging at U.S. fast food restaurants. Samples were collected from restaurants in Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, California and Washington D.C., from 27 large fast food chains.

The study found nearly half (46 percent) of food contact papers contained some form of PFC, including PFOA and PFOS. Of those, about

38 percent of sandwich/burger wrappers and 57 percent were used for Tex-Mex or dessert/bread wrappers. PFOA was among the most commonly detected PFC. esearchers also attempted to investigate the fast food chains' knowledge of their fluorinated food packaging, only two of which provided substantive responses: "One stated that they believed none of their packaging contained fluorinated chemicals and the other stated that it verified with their suppliers that their food packaging didn't contain PFASs. Other studies have shown the ambient background level of PFOA and PFOS are present throughout the Great Lakes. A 2015 study of herring gull eggs found the presence of PFOAs in 97 percent of 114 eggs sampled, which also included levels of PFOS. Because humans, particularly those in more urban areas, are already constantly being exposed to PFOA and PFOS, additional sources, such as military bases, contaminated industrial sites or landfills, only serve to raise risks.

While no federally identified Superfund sites in Oakland County have identified PFOA, PFOS or other PFCs specifically, some toxicologists say it's possible some contamination could be present but but just havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been tested for in the past.

"They are so useful in so many aspects, but they are also indestructible in the environment," Delaney said. "In many ways, we are just scratching the surface of the issue."

DeGrandchamp said most Superfund sites weren't tested for PFCs until recent years. "I've investigated many Superfund sites, probably over 100, and up until about four years ago, I didn't even call for PFC testing. The testing for PFC is a relatively recent activity," he said. "Now, we are going back to those sites where we ignored it because we didn't know how toxic they were. I would imagine every state, if you took a map and put red dots on it, it would look like measles in every state."

As scientists continue to link the number of serious health concerns to PFCs such as PFOA and PFOS, and the constant exposure to the compounds becomes more apparent, many wonder what the overall impact to the country's health is and will be in the future.

"The more we start looking for it, the more places we are going to find it. You're going to find it in the drinking water in many places," DeGrandchamp said. "What is missing: what is the people's blood levels drinking it? Are they high enough that they should be advised not to have children? Once they get in your body, there's no way to eliminate them quicker."

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FACES Chef Paul Grosz or longtime chef Paul Grosz, who has owned and operated Cuisine Restaurant in Detroit, for 16 years, and is co-owner of The Stand in Birmingham, food has always been a way to bring people together.

"I grew up in a large family with seven siblings, so dinner was a big thing for us," he said. “My mother is Polish, so I grew up on Polish heritage cooking."

Today, when Grosz gets a chance to cook for himself, he enjoys a simple pasta with garlic, tomato and basil, while he said his four boys will "eat anything."

Grosz first started cooking at about six-years old, baking cookies and cakes. Three years later, he was able to pick up some work at a donut shop owned by a friend's family.

"I would go in and clean, but then I wanted to learn how to make batters. They kind of laughed, but I learned quick. I enjoyed baking, and the science of it," he said. "I was a line cook at 15years-old. I had to lie about my age – we could do that then. I was working at a diner, cooking breakfast and lunch on the weekends during school, and would come in after school and cook."

It was at the diner that Grosz learned to improve his speed and accuracy, and first got hooked on the adrenaline rush that comes with the pressure of knocking out orders during a dinner rush. After high school, he had hoped to study at the Culinary Institute of America, but wasn't able. Instead, he took a different route, gaining a hands-on education after landing a position with renowned Chef Jean Banchet at Le Francais, in the Chicago area.

While most chefs train in culinary schools before being hired by a prestigious chef, Grosz's progression went a bit backwards. He later left Chicago and worked at the Hyatt-Regency in Dearborn before heading to France and studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He then returned to Detroit, where he became the head chef at The Whitney.

In 2001, Grosz decided to leave The Whitney and take his 20years of experience and follow his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant, Cuisine, which features contemporary French-American cuisine and classic French desserts.

"I found some notes I had written in high school for a restaurant I wanted to open, and the notes were almost exact to what I was doing with Cuisine," he said. "I had always envisioned opening something in an urban setting, and being across from the Fisher, I knew there would be a built in theater crowd.

"The size of the restaurant, the setting and type of food – it was all in those notes. I was astonished that it was all similar to what I was doing."

Without major backing, Grosz put his life savings into launching the restaurant. While such ventures have become more common in today's restaurant scene, starting out on your own in Detroit was rare at the time.

"You didn't see a lot of it in Detroit without the backing of a big corporation. Now it's kind of common. I put my life savings into it," he said. "I was comfortable being the executive chef at The Whitney, and the numbers were going well, but I always wanted to open my own place. I didn't want to wonder, 'what if.' I just didn't think about failing."

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Story: Kevin Elliott

Photo: Laurie Tennent

MUNICIPAL Old Woodward work delayed until 2018

By Lisa Brody

The long-planned Old Woodward road construction project in downtown Birmingham will be postponed until spring 2018 after construction bids came in significantly higher than expected, with city commissioners voting unanimously on Monday, April 24, to reject the bids and to rebid the project in the fall.

Sources had confirmed that the city only received two bids back after sending out a full bid package on the road and infrastructure project – and they were significantly higher than what the city had budgeted.

Birmingham has budgeted $3.3 million for this phase of reconstruction of Old Woodward, with Maple planned for 2019, and S. Old Woodward from Brown to Elm in 2021. The bids received were for $6.8 million on the low side and $10 million on the higher side.

“We would have to pull from reserves (to do the road construction in 2017), and then it jeopardizes our credit worthiness,” explained commissioner Stuart Sherman. “It does not make sense otherwise.”

The planned road project would have shut down the center of downtown Birmingham along Old Woodward from Willits to Brown, and Maple to Pierce and part of E. Maple.

The road requires a complete reconstruction, similar to the Pierce Street and Hamilton projects in previous years, because these areas have some of the oldest water and sewer lines in Birmingham, as well as a streetscape that is on a different grade than the road. Much of this current infrastructure was installed in the 1940s and has exceeded its useful life – with some sewers dating to the 1890s.

Birmingham Engineer Paul O’Meara told commissioners the project was necessary “to address the old streetscape and to bring it into compliance; to address ADA issues; to remove existing brick sidewalk liabilities; remove double curbs; and to replace the old underlying infrastructure.”

However, he noted that the bids had exceed the allocated funds in the budget, with the initial budget established in the city’s 2016-2017 budget at $3.2 million. He said that in January 2017, engineers estimated the proposed designs at $4.5 million to $5.4 million, “based on what the planning consultant brought to the downtownpublications.com

Birmingham fireworks nixed due to crowds t’s an annual tradition that is going up in smoke – the annual Birmingham Fireworks Show, which has been held on July 3 at Lincoln Hills Golf Course for years, has been cancelled by the Birmingham Fire Department, stating that crowd size has grown significantly the last few years and the ability to provide public safety and services is too difficult.

“I loved the fireworks,” said Birmingham Fire Department Chief John Connaughton. “But the venue’s changed, and with other municipalities not doing theirs, more and more people have been coming (to Birmingham), and we can’t control it any more. The crowds have really grown a lot the last five years.”

Connaughton said the fire department consulted and made the decision in conjunction with the Birmingham Police Department.

In a release, the fire department stated, “The Birmingham Fire Department has announced that the Birmingham Fireworks Show will not take place this year. While we know this decision may be a disappointment to our residents, we want to allow everyone sufficient time to plan their summer activities accordingly. The event, typically held on July 3rd at the Lincoln Hills Golf Course, has grown significantly in attendance each year. With fewer local communities providing fireworks over the past several years, the city’s public safety and service departments have continually evaluated this event and its growth and recognized the event has exceeded the capacity of services necessary to support it at this venue.”

“On the fire side, with EMS, the crowds have created such congestion that there’s no travel lanes for EMS to get through,” Connaughton explained. In case of a multi-casualty incident, where there would be lots of trauma and patients, “we don’t have the ability to get other municipalities’ emergency vehicles through.”

Further, there are only two exits to Lincoln Hills, one at the southern end of the golf course, and one at the eastern end, “so everyone’s fenced in.

“You’d be surprised at how many shells take off early. It’s not as stable as you’d think,” he said, noting that fireworks are very dangerous. “They are 4-inch shells – where they explode, there is a large radius.”

Connaughton said the city is looking at what they can do to make the fireworks experience safe, and maybe bring it back in the future.

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table. We just got two bids on it, though the others showed some interest, we never received bids back from them,” O’Meara said.

Designs ranged from a lower-end package with Old Woodward with brushed pavement, and a higher-end package with brick pavers on the street.

“Our recommendation is to reject the bids and postpone the project until spring 2018, and refine the project and rebid it with a less complex package,” O’Meara said. He asked for more direction on the bids from the commission, and he said that they had tried to seek federal grants, but it is unlikely that would be available to the city.

Commissioner Patti Bordman expressed concern about the water and sewer pipes lasting.

“They’re working quite well,” O’Meara responded. “We have pipes that are 50 years old that fail faster than these pipes. I don’t see it as an imminent issue.”

The resolution was approved 7-0,

which will also delay all other planned future projects a year, with Maple, from Chester to Woodward undergoing reconstruction in 2020, and S. Old Woodward in 2022.

Study, plans for hotel need work

By Lisa Brody

A community impact study and preliminary site plan for a new boutique hotel to be built at 298 S. Old Woodward in Birmingham were presented to Birmingham’s planning board on Wednesday, April 24, and after discussions, each were postponed until May 24, as they require more details and work from the applicants.

The hotel, to be located on the site of the former Weir Manuel Snyder and Ranke realtor location, which became Drs. House Call, is currently vacant, as is another building. There is also a surface parking lot.

DOWNTOWN

Birmingham Planner Jana Ecker said the applicants, Lorient Capital, the Aperium Group, TynanGroup, and Booth Hansen architects, proposed a five-story building covering 25,000 square feet, with first floor retail, a hotel on the second, third and fourth floors, and residential on the fifth floor. The building complies with the area’s zoning, Ecker said, with the master plan in effect for the 2016 Plan. Any building over 25,000 square feet, she said, requires a community impact study.

“The proposed building is designed to go harmoniously with the surrounding area,” she said, pointing out that it is not in the city’s historic district.

“Transportation will be the biggest issues,” of the corridor impact study, Ecker said, and that proved to be the case for the planning board. The preliminary site plan proposed 31 parking spaces below ground, for the residential units, which only require 22 spots.

The remainder of parking needs are to be met by the city’s structures, as the site is in the parking assessment district. “They (property owners) have paid into the parking assessment district and are entitled to parking. They meet the ordinance,” she said.

Valet is proposed for parking needs for the hotel and proposed restaurant for the first floor, as well as banquet and meeting spaces.

Mike Labadie, Birmingham’s traffic consultant with Fleis & Vanderbrink, said they are concerned about traffic backing up on Old Woodward and blocking access to valet. He said the board should also consider the city’s availability – lack thereof – in the parking decks, which are considered at capacity when at 95 percent. Both the Pierce and Peabody parking structures are close to capacity, he noted, adding there may not be enough room in the two decks for the hotel valet to park cars for retail, hotel guests, meeting rooms and banquet needs. He also said a traffic circulation plan was needed before the planning board could recommend approval of the plan.

“That’s a big thing. We don’t have enough information to figure it out,” Labadie said.

Planning board members unanimously concurred, with both Gillian Lazar and Scott Clein recusing themselves, voting to 75

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HOLY NAME 76

LOCAL

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P U B L I C A T I O N S

DOWNTOWN

06.17

Adachi, Whole Foods approved as bistros

By Lisa Brody

postpone reviewing and approving it until their meeting on Wednesday, May 24.

In presenting the site plan, Michael Kitchum from Aperium said, “Our goal with the hotel is to be an ultra-luxury hotel – to be one of the most elite hotels in the country.”

The exterior of the hotel, preliminarily, would be designed as a green building, with the first floor of granite, the second through fourth floors of limestone, and the fifth floor of coated metal cladding. Large windows and green spaces augment the design.

When asked about the fifth floor residential units, Aperium explained that they would be positioned for long-term leases for executives. “We see them for Fortune 500-type companies leasing them out in perpetuity. They’re not for the shortterm. They’re consistent with the hotel as a whole.”

Once again, traffic and parking issues concerned planning board members, and they postponed the preliminary site plan until May 24, in order for the developers to resolve various issues.

Palladium owners ordered to appear Once again, Birmingham city commissioners postponed making a decision on a special land use amendment and final site plan review for the Emagine Palladium Theater, to allow them to change the name of the former Ironwood Grill to Four Story Burger and keep their liquor license, after learning at their meeting on Monday, May 8, that only one of the two owners of the establishment, Jon Goldstein, was in attendance, after demanding that both appear when the item was put on the agenda several weeks before.

Just prior to the scheduled city commission meeting, Emagine Entertainment owner Paul Glantz posted a photo on Facebook from Rome, Italy.

Ownership had changed the restaurant, Ironwood Grill, to Four Story Burger, in December 2016, without applying for a special land use (SLUP) amendment or final site plan review, as is required by ordinance, and planning director Jana Ecker had informed commissioners at previous meetings that the owners and management

were informed as far back as September that they would need to submit plans and and SLUP amendment changes in order to be able to proceed. At a commission meeting in March, Goldstein claimed to not be familiar with Birmingham, or Birmingham ordinance requirements. Glantz had come before the commission in 2015 when the theater and restaurant received its original approvals.

Commissioner Stuart Sherman was incensed. “We instructed that both managing partners would be here, and I understand that one is here, and the other is out of the country,” he said. “I thought our request was pretty clear.” He explained to Glantz and Goldstein’s counsel, Patrick Howe, who objected to the demand for both owners to appear, that the commission wanted both so “they can’t say things the other contradicts at a later date. If it’s not important to the owners, we shouldn’t renew this SLUP.” “You did request both owners, but Mr. Glantz has nothing to do with food and beverages,” Howe said.

“Mr. Goldstein is the managing partner of the theater. Substantially, we have everything we need to move forward.”

Commissioner Rackeline Hoff, who initially wanted to make a decision that evening, concurred with Sherman. “Mr. Glantz has appeared at many meetings. He knows how seriously we take things.”

“We seem to be involved in a tugof-war. The city is tugging, and the business is tugging back,” said commissioner Patty Bordman. “One of the big reasons is because the commission feels the business has not given respect to the ordinances, and it is reflected in the owners’ not attending the meetings. If the business had shown greater interest in demonstrating its choice to resolve this – I believe a bit of humbleness will go a long way.”

“A SLUP is given at the discretion of the commission, and taken away at the discretion of the commission.

They are a mechanism that we use, and they’re very important. We have a business that doesn’t want to be in full compliance,” Sherman noted.

In concurrence with Goldstein and Howe, the issue was rescheduled for Monday, June 26, in the anticipation that Glantz will also attend.

fter a lengthy process which began last October, on Monday, April 24, Birmingham city commissioners unanimously approved two new applicants for bistro licenses, Adachi, an Asian-inspired restaurant for the Ford-Peabody mansion on S. Old Woodward, and a bistro within the new Whole Foods, after a popular third candidate, Lincoln Yard, asked to have its application withdrawn that afternoon.

In an unusual move, in October of 2016, the city commission moved forward three bistro concepts to the planning board for further development. Per the city's ordinance, which was created in 2007, only two bistro applications can be approved each calendar year. The bistro ordinance was developed as an economic development tool to invigorate the downtown streets, create walkability and vitality, and to enhance the retail component of the city. Per the ordinance, a bistro can have no more than 65 seats, with up to 10 at the bar; outdoor seating in front to enliven the walkability of the streetscape; window glazing of at least 70 percent, with windows that open up to the outdoors, to bring the outdoors in; a full kitchen; and more food than bar business, among other requirements.

Curt Catallo of Union Joints was behind the Lincoln Yard concept, an all-American restaurant to be located at 2159 E. Lincoln in the city's Rail District, in the Birmingham Schools' former bus garage. The city’s planning board had said it would have had the greatest positive impact for the city, making it their number one choice, but Catallo told commissioners that “we learned a lot about the bistro license through the process, and the city, which only makes us want to do this and succeed. However, a downtown storefront is very different than a large bus garage. Rather than saddle our project, which we believe would be an economic incentive to the area, we felt it was better to not go forward with a bistro license. We don’t believe it is better to have Lincoln Yard be half the size of our other restaurants,” which include Clarkston Union, Vinsetta Garage and Union Woodshop. “It’s better suited for a Class C license. But we want to keep it true to the Union Joints family, and we want to do it in Birmingham.”

“I want to commend you for not trying to fit a round hole in a square peg. Thank you for being gracious,” commissioner Patty Bordman said to Catallo.

Commissioners then unanimously approved Adachi, an Asian bistro in the Peabody mansion, at 325 S. Old Woodward at the corner of Brown Street, by Kenny Koza, a local hotelier; Brian Friedman, a real estate developer and hotel owner in Washington D.C.; and Michael Schlow, the executive chef. Planner Matt Baka explained that the building is a historic structure, and the applicants had received approval from the historic design commission and variances to make changes to the building. The interior will have 65 seats, no bar, along with 70 outdoor seats. The exterior will be landscaped by Birmingham landscape architect Michael Dul with rocks, natural grasses, a water feature and have an Asian flair.

“We have a great site. The building has never been used to its full extent. It has a large front yard that has never been utilized to its full sense,” architect Chris Longe said.

Koza said he hopes to open by the end of the year, with the first year the restaurant is open, serving dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunch.

“There’s a great opportunity to activate this part of S. Old Woodward,” said mayor Mark Nickita. “This is very aligned with the bistro ordinance, to activate the edges of our downtown, and it’s a reuse of a historic structure.”

A bistro area within the upcoming Whole Foods, currently under construction in the 2100 block of E. Maple, in the Rail District, also received unanimous approval from commissioners. The bistro had been part of the site’s original plan, in the northeast corner of the new grocery store. It will have a separate entrance, along with 33 outdoor seating.

There will be 36 seats inside, and eight seats at a bar, with the same hours as the rest of Whole Foods.

“They have indicated this is something they are doing in all of their new stores, and they are going back to put it in their older stores,” said city planning director Jana Ecker.

Store personnel said there will also be other eating areas in the store, but this will be the only area where customers can enjoy alcoholic beverages.

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Township studying Squirrel/S. Blvd area

Anti-Semitic, racist comments in chat

By Lisa Brody

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township trustees were presented with a land use study at their meeting on Monday, April 24, for the vacant corner at Squirrel Road and S. Boulevard to see if reuse as a mixed-use development would be compatible with the area and the township’s master plan, with the board voting to have the planning commission consider a master plan analysis and site plan consideration for the site.

Prior to presentations, township treasurer Brian Kepes recused himself, noting he has a conflict of interest as he owns adjacent land to the two sites under consideration, approximately 11 acres that were a former shopping center that once held a Kroger at the southwest corner of the intersection and another parcel of land.

Rod Arroyo, partner and director of community planning for Giffel Webster, said they prepared the land use study for reuse possibilities as an applicant had come forward seeking 59 units of one-story multi-family units, along with retail and restaurants, which would currently not be permitted as the site is zoned for business and office, and residential is not permitted.

He stated that the site has been in litigation dating back to 1973, with consent judgements on the parcels determining what can be built. A 1980 amendment to the consent amendment would allow detached single family, and there is existing residential surrounding the site. In the 2000s, a conflict between Kroger and the center’s landlord resulted in Kroger leaving, “and the shopping center fell into disrepair,” Arroya said.

“There are a mix of uses in adjacent Auburn Hills.”

He said that in 2007, Bloomfield Township adopted a master plan, noting the township is a largely builtout community, with new development coming from infill, and that quality housing supply needs to be maintained. The master plan encouraged the redevelopment of sites, the improvement of site design, and commercial development limited to redevelopment, with the encouragement of mixed uses in those developments.

“At a community open house on December 7, about 60 people downtownpublications.com

wo Birmingham Seaholm students have been been reprimanded after using anti-Semitic, racist and sexist language and visual depictions in a group chat that several other students observed and reported to adults at the school on Friday, May 5, school authorities reported.

On Monday, May 8, Seaholm Principal Kyle Hall sent out an email that stated in part, “Late Friday, several students came forward to share their concern about a ‘group chat’ where two students used language and visual depictions that were anti-Semitic, racist and sexist. The social media interaction was not consistent with school policy or the values of our community.”

Birmingham Public Schools director of community relations Marcia Wilkinson said that several students were part of a group chat, but that the conversation that was anti-Semitic, racist and sexist was confined to just two students, and read by the other students.

“The other students asked them to stop, and then reported it to adults at the school,” Wilkinson said. “The two students were removed from school.”

She said that she cannot comment further on disciplinary action that has been taken on the students, nor identify them, because that is part of their school record. “But absolutely some kind of action was taken,” she emphasized.

“The safety of our community is of paramount importance to us. This means that while students may not intend to harm others with their words or social media interactions, if there is any question or policy violation that raises safety concerns, we will take it with the utmost seriousness,” Hall stated in the email. “When these events happen, we work closely with the Birmingham Police Department. In this case, we have made them aware of the social media posts and they are also conducting an investigation.

She stated that the school is proud of the number of students who refused to stand by and allow the behavior to continue. “Such courage is commendable and it exemplifies the character and values reflected in our student body and our community,” Hall said.

“We will continue to work with the Anti Defamation League and the Office of Civil Rights to understand how we can further educate our students when it comes to understanding and communicating our differences in respectful ways,” Hall informed parents.

T

attended, with stations for zoning, land use, and others,” Arroyo said.

“There were concerns about residential density, the quality of the development, the viability of continuing commercial at this location.”

Howard Kohn, president of The Chesapeake Group, a planning consultant, said the site is between two markets, Birmingham/Bloomfield and Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield, where the office market is tight in Birmingham/Bloomfield, but soft in Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield.

“There are 10.2 million square feet in the two markets, and 1.1 million square feet are vacant,” Kohn said. “It will take years to fill that space.”

The Manchester Bloomfield, a planned residential community by developer Michael Furnari, would

feature 59 one-story units, each between 1,500 and 1,850 square feet with two-car attached garages.

Furnari noted that the development is still in a conceptual stage, but is seeking to change the zoning from office and commercial to residential to part of the parcel, while leaving the rest of the site still commercial in order to have some kind of a strip center for retail and residential.

Some trustees and representatives of the adjacent neighborhood association voiced concerns that Kepes would be involved in the decision-making while benefitting from the land, but were reassured that he would continue to completely recuse himself from any and all discussions on the site; and some were concerned that the board would amend the consent judgement without public hearings. Superviser

DOWNTOWN

Leo Savoie emphasized this was just a consideration and presentation of what could be done with the property, and trustees voted 5-1 to have the planning commission consider a master plan analysis and site plan consideration for the site, with Kepes recused and trustees Dani Walsh voting against project.

Water rates same, sewer rates to rise Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved water and sewer rates for 2017-2018 at their meeting on Monday, April 24, with water rates remaining the same as 2016-2017, but sewer rates will increase approximately 2.7 percent a year.

Wayne Domine, township engineering director, explained that the township owns the water system that delivers the water to the customers and the sewer system that collects the wastewater from each customer. The total township water and sewer system consists of over 500 miles of buried pipe throughout the township that is operated and maintained by Bloomfield Township.

The township water and sewer systems’ estimated expenses are added to the estimated water and sewer purchases from Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) and the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner’s Office (WRC). For 2017-18, the water volume is expected to be 255,000 MCF. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, Domine said, they determined that the water usage rate for residents can remain at $5.20 per 1,000 gallons, with the water debt charge decreasing from $11.50 to $10.75 a quarter, and the ready to serve (the connection charge to a house) remaining the same at $34 a quarter, but that the sewer usage rate needs to be increased by nine cents, to $6.93 per 1,000 gallons to cover cost increases from WRC. In addition, the debt charges for the sewer debt payments need to be increased by $3 per quarter, from $13.25 to $16.25, along with an increase to the sewer flat rate charge from $240 to $243 a quarter for homes that are not metered. The ready to serve charge will remain the same at $38 a quarter, he recommended.

Trustees agreed, approving the water and sewer rate recommendations 7-0.

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THE POLICE TASER CONTROVERSY • TESTING THE NOISE LEVELS • CONTROLLING Contact Mark Grablowski.

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Bloomfield Township quick road fixes Bloomfield Township residents moaning through their local drives will see some minor relief as the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) performs some quick fixes to local roads in the coming days.

Lahser Road between Hickory Grove and Square Lake Road is in the midst of preservation overlay, where there is some milling work done and simple resurfacing performed to the roadway. The work is weather, material and equipmentdependent. The road remains open to traffic, though there may be delays.

Sometime later this spring or summer, Lahser Road between Maple and Long Lake roads will have a similar preservation overlay performed, with milling work and simple resurfacing. The timeline is yet to be announced by RCOC.

Adams Road between South Blvd. and Square Lake Road will close to through traffic in mid-May for demolition of the northbound I-75 bridge located over Adams Road.

The bridge demolition project is part of MDOT’s Modernize 75 project.

The detour for the closure is South Blvd to Coolidge Highway to Square Lake Road, back to Adams Road, and vice versa.

Sewer project reason for removal of trees March’s massive wind storm and subsequent power outage isn’t the reason for the clear cutting of trees along the property line of Manresa Jesuit Retreat House at Woodward and Quarton in Bloomfield Hills, but rather, a sewer project that has been planned to provide relief in the event of major rain events.

“I’ve gotten a lot of calls about the removal of the trees. It is

upsetting,” said Bloomfield Hills City Manager David Hendrickson.

“But the sewer capabilities had to be increased. It’s a huge project.”

The removal of dozens of mature trees along Woodward was just the first step in the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office providing a sewer storage relief pipe which was mandated by the state of Michigan, and will result in the installation of about 1,100 feet total of pipes, said Sidney Lockhart, engineer and special project manager with the water resources commission.

“It’s part of a larger overall project,” he said, with similar work being done in neighboring municipalities. Besides Bloomfield Hills, other sewer work as part of the project has or will be done in Bloomfield Township, Birmingham Auburn Hills and West Bloomfield.

He said it is a $5.7 million project that will be able to store

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and carry 400,000 gallons of water to provide relief in the event of major rain events, and hopefully, offset problems of flooding.

Lockhart said gravity will allow the water to be released along Quarton.

He said the work is being done in an easement which they obtained from Manresa because “there wasn’t any room in the right of way, and Bloomfield Hills didn’t want it in the center median. Our current sewers are also in the center of the roadways.”

There was also a concern by MDOT that if bus rapid transit, or other mass transit, came about, he said, that MDOT would want access in the median, so Oakland County chose to go the side.

Hendrickson said that there is a plan by the county to replace the trees, and Manresa may landscape the interior of their property, “but they’ll never be able to replace the maturity of those trees.”

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MUNICIPAL Township updates sanitary sewer plan Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved an updated sanitary sewer facility plan at their meeting on Monday, May 8.

The previous sanitary sewer facility plan had been developed in 1978, township engineering and environmental director Olivia OlsztynBudry told trustees. She said that plan, which has been heavily referenced by engineers and contractors in the 39 years since it was created, identified how all the properties could be serviced by gravity sanitary sewers.

“A lot of land wasn’t developed in the township in 1978,” she said.

Olsztyn-Budry also said that sewer and engineering regulations in the 1970s were different than they are currently, with “lots of routes in lower lands, adjacent to wetlands, and in backyards and side yards. They didn’t think to get easements at the time.”

The updated sanitary sewer plan shows the areas where there are existing sanitary sewer, where access

is available for homeowners, where there are sewer extensions, and where there are still no sewers in the township. Olsztyn-Budry said the plan was carefully followed, but in some areas, it has been difficult to extend the sewers because of backyards and side yard issues.

Currently, approximately 3,000 properties utilize septic systems in the township, rather than sanitary sewer systems, and of those, 2,300 properties do not have access to sewers. The remaining properties have access to sewers, but choose to remain on their existing septic systems.

“There has been a lot of development changes over time,” she noted. “Because of trends in development and areas of connection, there is room in the system. We request the 1978 plan be updated. We identified areas where there is no service, and we’ve evaluated alternatives to the 1978 plan. It shows different technology for conveying sewage, away from backyards and environmentally-sensitive areas.”

Trustees agreed, voting 7-0 to approve the plan.

Handicap parking on side streets a no-go A request by one resident for an on-street handicap-accessible parking policy was presented to, and shot down, by the Birmingham City Commission on Monday, May 8, as both unnecessary at this point, and an issue that should be reserved for review by the upcoming master plan committee.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker told commissioners at the meeting that a request had come from someone outside of the downtown area, where there are handicapped parking spots, looking for handicapped parking spots. “We had the multi-modal board look at changes to our ADA parking policy, and they looked at two cities that we liked their policy – Philadelphia and Detroit,” she said.

She noted there is no requirement by federal ADA-requirement to provide handicap parking outside of the marked parking. Costs to provide a post and paint the spot were estimated at $250 per spot if done by

the city’s department of public works; or $500 each if done by an outside contractor. However, she said the multi-modal board decided they didn’t feel there should be a fee to the applicant to cover those costs.

She explained that while an applicant could request the spot near their home or place of business, it could not be a space dedicated just to them, “but to anyone with a handicap license.”

“I think this discussion is premature.

We specifically tasked parking to the new master plan, and I think this is something we should put aside,” said commissioner Patty Bordman.

“How many requests have you had?” commissioner Rackeline Hoff asked Ecker, who replied there had just been one. “I have problems with developing policies for limited requests. I don’t see why we should move forward. If anyone can park there, what’s the purpose?”

“I think this should be reserved for the master plan. We’ll take no action,” concurred mayor pro tem Andy Harris, who was running the meeting as mayor Mark Nickita was absent.

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FACES John Moffat he thought of being on a road tour with with rockstars and musicians like Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett and Cody Jinks may conjure images of raucous parties and unspeakable debauchery, but for Bloomfield Township native John Moffat, life on the road often entails late nights with Microsoft Office and balancing ledgers.

"I like office supplies and spreadsheets, I always have and always have been made fun of for it," said Moffat, who works as road manager for Kid Rock and other musicians.

"People come up to me a lot asking about backstage and what happens, and I always laugh. I have a road case with a couple of computers and a monitor. It's basically an office. No old-school party time."

A 2013 graduate of Groves High School, Moffat hoped early on to work in the arts and entertainment field, possibly in audio or theater production. While still in high school, Moffat began working as a stage technician for Advanced Lighting & Sound in Troy and also worked for Stagecrafters.

"I wanted to do theater production or audio for Broadway productions," he said. "That went into high school, and as I got older and started going to more concerts, that's when I knew I wanted to do something in music. I knew I didn't want to sit behind a desk all the time."

Moffat later started doing some work for Bob Seger after a neighbor who works in the business invited him to help with some local rehearsals and shows. That work later led to more shows and an eventual transition into the management side of the music. In late 2014, he became assistant tour manager for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.

"At that point, the job entailed things like jet chartering and transportation booking. It's very logistics heavy, and involved some finance as well," he said. "Essentially, I was a logistics coordinator and accountant."

While working for Seger, Moffat learned Kid Rock needed a substitute tour manager for some dates, which eventually led to a position on the tour. As road manager his responsibilities still include accounting and logistics work that ensures that everything is ready for each show, down to security.

In addition to his work with Seger and Kid Rock, Moffat sometimes tours with Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band as a production coordinator and as tour manager and accountant for country star Cody Jinks. The work keeps him busy most of the year, and away from home for many months at a time.

"It's extremely sporadic," he said. "I love being home.

There are times when moving from project to project that some days I'm only home for 12 hours. Then other times, this month for instance, I'm home for two weeks, or five days here and 10 days there."

Recently, Moffat moved back to Bloomfield Township from Huntington Beach, California. The move brings him closer to his family, as well as the home base of both Seger and Kid Rock.

While much of his time on the road is spent in a mobile office, Moffat said he still gets to enjoy the shows once the artists are on the stage.

"My favorite thing about the business is meeting all the people," he said. "The people I get to meet are from all over the world. I do like to travel. Anywhere, I just like to go."

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Story: Kevin Elliott

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Dick’s celebrates 20 years The first major renovation since its opening nearly two decades ago is planned for Dick O’ Dow’s Irish Pub, 160 W. Maple in Birmingham.

The pub, which opened in 1996, is continuing the celebration of its 20th anniversary with plans to revamp the rear dining area of the bar/restaurant to give the area a more open, communal feeling that will include new seating, an 18-foot bay door that will open up onto Willits Alley and 20 new beer taps. Founded by former Campbell-Ewald advertising executives Dick O’Connor and Pete Dow, along with current owner Mitch Black, the business will maintain its authentic Irish pub decor throughout the front of the building. Black, who became the sole owner about nine years ago, said the bar was specially-crafted in Dublin and shipped to Birmingham in six 40-foot containers and reassembled by the artist and craftsman who designed it in Ireland. Earlier this year, Black renovated the pub’s original bathrooms, restored some of the stonework and installed new lighting in the front of the restaurant.

“We are trying to recapture the integrity of the front pub, getting it back to when we opened. We didn’t want to change the vibe,” he said.

“But looking at trends, Birmingham doesn’t have a place to hang out and watch sports.” To fill the void, Black said the back room will include a new bar with nearly two dozen craft beers, six 80-inch televisions, long communal seating, a new fireplace and other features that will offer a blend of a modern sports bar and a craft beer pub. Garage-type doors will open out to the alley. The new room will also feature the “O’ Dow Exchange,” a market-based pricing system that uses an advanced algorithm to allow pints of beer to be sold at prices based on their sales in the bar. “The prices will fluctuate depending on sales, with a cap on the high end,” Black said. The pub will remain open during the renovation, which is scheduled to begin in mid-June and finish up by late July.

LePage’s expand to Detroit Longtime Birmingham restaurateurs Norm and Bonnie LePage, owners of Big Rock Chophouse and Griffin Claw Brewery, along with a new Griffin Claw Brewery in Rochester downtownpublications.com

Hills, are expanding their wings to Detroit, partnering with DTE Energy to open a restaurant at a new park at Cass and Grand River. “Bonnie and I have been looking at Detroit for a restaurant for 15 or 20 years,” Norm said. “We grew up in the city when it was bustling. We had been looking at Midtown. And the good thing is we’ll have our own parking lot at night, as well as valet.” While both the park and the restaurant are currently without a name, LePage’s restaurant will be an 85-seat brasserie-style establishment at an affordable price point, slated to open this fall, with a focus on food and Belgian beers. In warmer months, the restaurant will open out onto the park, where there will be an additional 125 seats for outdoor dining. “We’re the only food supplier for the park, which is gorgeous, and we’ll have some food trucks there.

It’s right across from DTE headquarters, with 3,500 employees,” Norm said.

New township center opens Where the venerable Hogan’s Restaurant once stood in Bloomfield Township on Telegraph just north of Maple Road, a new retail center has arisen, with a variety of everyday uses for local residents. An Art Van Pure Sleep mattress store opened in mid-May, center owner Scott Barbat announced. Art Van Pure Sleep offers 30 percent off popular and high-end mattress brands like Sealy, Serta, Beautyrest, Tempur-Pedic, King Koil and others. Opening in June is a Level One Bank branch on the endcap, with a drive through. Level One Bank is a community-focused bank based in Farmington Hills, which emphasizes its relationship with small businesses. Next to Art Van Pure Sleep will be Jersey Mike’s Subs, which Barbat said will open the end of May. At the northern end of the strip will be 2941 Mediterranean Street Food, opening sometime this summer. This location will be the rapidly expanding 2941 Mediterranean’s fourth location, after beginning in Rochester Hills in 2015 by Chef Jacques Van Staden and thenpartner Jeff Langois. The goal of the fast casual eatery is to serve wholesome and affordable food featuring progressive twists on traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, where diners can come up to the counter and

choose items from a list to create their personal dish. Van Staden has teamed up with Joe Vicari of Joe Vicari Restaurant Group and Andiamo’s, along with developer Doraid Markus, expanding 2941 Mediterranean Street Food to midtown Detroit and downtown Birmingham.

New cooking locale Like to cook, or want to learn how to cook? Then Bon Cook, opening up at 34901 Woodward in the Balmoral Building in Birmingham in late June, is just the place, according to owner Cindy Juncaj. “We teach people how to cook – it could be for team building, a children’s cooking camp, individual cooking classes, or classes for groups of people from 8 to 25,” she said. Located on the second floor of the new building, Bon Cook will have 5,000 square feet, and will be the national headquarters of Bon Cook, which has cooking instructors across the United States. It’s also the sister company of Demarle at Home, where Juncaj has toiled for the last 10 years in Milford, which will also be relocating to Birmingham.

Demarle at Home does concept cooking and direct sales for well known products to make cooking at home easier, representing numerous products, including silpad. “It’s one of the products we carry. It’s been used by professional chefs since the ‘60s. It’s quicker, healthier, and it makes cleanup a breeze,” she said.

Demarle at Home is based out of France, Juncaj said, and is noted for its cooking demonstrations throughout France and Italy.

Men’s custom clothier Men’s clothier Carl Sterr closed his long time Birmingham retail store this winter, and after a quick renovation, reopened in April as Carl Sterr By Design, in the same location, 742 N. Old Woodward, offering a “full line of men’s clothing on sale 24 hours a day, 365 days a week,” Sterr said. “The store now looks like someone’s walk-in closet,” he said of the “refreshing” he gave the shop. “A woman can come in with her husband, lounge, read a book, work on her computer, and help him shop.” Sterr closed Carl Sterr on the Hill after a 35-year-run, the last 15 years of which he was on N. Old Woodward. But changing shopping habits, the internet, and

DOWNTOWN

“an absolutely cataclysmic time for brick and mortar,” led to a liquidation sale, during which he offered his customers “my personally-curated products at neverbefore-seen prices,” he said. His clients went crazy, demanding more, telling him that they loved what he was offering, and they loved the prices, and he adapted. “It’s my passion (men’s clothing), but it’s also my responsibility to my clients. Now, rather than stressing about trying to predict menswear trends in the market, he’s having fun again, working with clients to offer them quality one-of-a-kind products produced in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom that they can purchase at really great – even bargain – prices. “I’m getting such great prices at great deals,” Sterr noted. “The quality is still there – we’re not sourcing in China. I have people in these countries I can talk to, who allow me to design, to monitor the quality. And we treat our customers the way they want to be treated, the way they always have been, and I have my design sense and artisan tailors.” Whether in the factories, or back on N. Old Woodward, Sterr said, “It’s all about my relationships.”

Art in 48 hours A public art incubator will take place on Saturday, June 3, at Birmingham’s TYP Collection as artist and founder Tony Rave has invited a group of artists to created a new body of works which will spotlight the culture and community over a 48-hour period called the 48 HR Experience at the art gallery located at 261 E. Merrill in downtown Birmingham. “We have invited artists that aren’t waiting for inspiration and who want to improve communities,” said Rave. He said the artists that were chosen were given consideration of the stage they are at in their career, and because they have developed previous bodies of work, which will be able to add something new to Detroit culture.

The 48 HR Experience is part of a microfellowship supported by TYP, Cafe Via, and Meijer.

Business Matters for the Birmingham Bloomfield area are reported by Kevin Elliott. Send items for consideration to KevinElliott@downtownpublications.com.

Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

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FACES

Ethan Gutmann ndependent investigative reporter Ethan Gutmann has focused for more than a decade on human rights issues in China, leading him to publish two books, dozens of articles and provide testimony and briefings to the United States Congress, Central Intelligence Agency, European Parliament, United Nations, and the parliaments of Ottawa, Canberra, Dublin, Jerusalem, Prague, Edinburgh and London. Earlier this year he was nominated for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.

"It's really less of a big deal than people think," the Cranbrook alumnus said from his home in London. "The bigger deal are the bets.

Yes, people bet on it."

It was Gutmann's second book, "The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem" about persecution of Tibetans, Falun Gong, Uighurs and House Christians that has spun out of control that led to his recent nomination. Specifically, the book exposĂŠ of China's mass killing of dissidents, particularly practitioners of Falun Gong to support a massive organ transplant business.

In 2016, Gutmann worked with David Kilgour and David Matas to publish an updated report on China's organ harvesting that estimates as many as 100,000 organ transplants each year through systematic murder at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. The report served to bring further attention to activities, with news outlets such as the New York Times, The Globe and Mail, CNN and others throughout the world, publicizing the report in their own stories. His work also has helped to spur medical travel bans to China in some countries, including Israel, Spain and Taiwan.

"We think we are looking at a mass murder situation," he said.

Gutmann's first book, "Losing the New China: A Story of Commerce,

I

Desire and Betrayal," looked into the relationship of American business and the Chinese government, in which businessmen ignored persecution in the country in the name of profits.

Gutmann's work has earned him a reputation as a human rights activist. However, he said it simply stemmed from his work as an investigative reporter who came across the stories while first looking into Chinese connections to President Bill Clinton's campaign and the growth happening in China.

"At heart, I'm really just an investigative reporter looking for a good story. I don't really consider myself a human rights guy. That's not really me," Gutmann said. "I'm interested in a good story. I saw one and I was covering it and nobody was covering it the way it needed to be done."

Prior to the work on his books, Gutmann served as a correspondent for a cable show, doing documentaries in China. He also worked for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Brookings Institute after earning degrees from Columbia University, which he attended some years after graduating from Cranbrook.

"After Cranbrook, I literally floated around for five years. I sailed in the Merchant Marine, and I was a punk rocker and did all sorts of lousy jobs," he said.

With his access to Chinese sources now diminished, Gutmann said he isn't sure what project he will work on next, but there is a slight possibility it could lead him back to Cranbrook, where he attended his final two years of high school as a boarding student.

"I have a potential story from back then. I'm starting to follow up on it with some people, if they are still alive and willing to talk," he said.

Story: Kevin Elliott

Photo: Simon Gross

PLACES TO EAT JUNE TASTING EVENTS Got Rocks Bourbon & Cigar Tasting Thursday, June 1, 2017 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Buffalo Trace, Evan Willams Single Barrel, Four Roses Small Batch.

Event includes spirits, 2 cigars and appetizers. $30 inclusive of tax and tip.

Plumpjack, Cade and Odette Wine Dinner Thursday, June 8, 2017 | 6:30 p.m.

Featuring Special Guest and Winemaker Jeff Owens.

Five-course wine dinner. $150 inclusive of tax and tip.

The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.

Birmingham/Bloomfield Got Rocks Scotch & Cigar Tasting Thursday, June 15, 2017 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Glenmorangie 12 yr Doublewood, Lasanta, Nectar D'or, Quinta Ruban.

Event includes spirits, 2 cigars and appetizers. $30 inclusive of tax and tip.

Tour and Taste Short's Brewing Company Tuesday, June 20, 2017 | 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The Michigan Brewery tasting tour with Joe Smith, Michigan Sales Manager and Fabio Carrico De Souza, Imperial Beverage.

Includes beer tasting and appetizers. $30 inclusive of tax and tip.

Reservations required as space is limited. Call 248.647.7774 or visit bigrockchophouse.com for more details.

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220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.2220.

5th Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607.

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.865.9300.

Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.792.3579.

Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Township, 48304.

248.499.6867.

Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630.

Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110.

Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355.

Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7078.

Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 245 South Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774.

Bill's: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Daily. Reservations, lunch only. Liquor.

39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000.

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.8880.

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor.

Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984.

Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.645.6879.

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690.

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily.

Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township.

248.642.4000.

Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.8800.

Cameron’s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.723.1700.

China Village: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1655 Opdyke,

DOWNTOWN

Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.758.1221.

Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555.

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Beer.

877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220.

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.9766.

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.1135.

Eddie Merlot's: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095.

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.258.9939.

Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.647.2420.

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033.

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134.

Forest: European. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009.

248.258.9400.

Four Story Burger: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 290 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.385.0506.

Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222.

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American.

Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations.

Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham.

248.712.4050.

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111.

Hunter House Hamburgers: American.

Breakfast, Monday-Saturday; Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.7121.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.594.4369.

IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522.

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166.

Khao San: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, MondayFriday. Carry out only. 355 W. Maple, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.3525.

La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.858.5800.

La Strada Dolci e Caffe: Italian. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492.

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707.

06.17

Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568.

Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400.

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6051.

Mad Hatter Cafe: Tea Room. Brunch, Lunch & Dinner. No reservations. Liquor.

185 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.540.0000 Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025.

248.723.7960.

Market North End: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953.

MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.723.0800.

Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.3663.

Mountain King: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 469 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.2913.

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581.

Nosh & Rye: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily.

No reservations. 39495 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.646.7923.

Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.451.0500.

Original Pancake House: American.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.5775.

Panera Bread: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 100 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7966.

Also 2125 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.253.9877.

Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122.

Pita Cafe: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 239 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.645.6999.

Polpetta Meatball Cafe: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.9007.

Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 795 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.988.8941.

Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304.

248.874.1876 Roadside B & G: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270.

Rojo Mexican Bistro: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 250 Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6200.

Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977.

Sidecar Slider Bar: Burgers. Lunch &

downtownpublications.com

Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 280 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham 48009.

248.220.4167.

Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200.

Stacked Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Delivery available. No reservations. 233 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.5300.

Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301.

248.932.0800.

Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily.

Reservations, Lunch only. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.645.9123.

Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887.

Sweet Tree Family Restaurant: Middle Eastern/American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.7767.

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830.

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American.

Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.731.7066.

The Bird & The Bread: Brasserie. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009.

248.203.6600.

The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600.

The Gallery Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.851.0313.

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688.

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999.

The Stand: Euro-American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.220.4237.

Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278.

Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.7881.

Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241.

Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor.

Reservations. 555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009. 248.480.4951.

Village Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

653 S. Adams. Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.7964.

Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.566.3566.

Royal Oak/Ferndale

Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917.

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680.

Andiamo Restaurants: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 129 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.582.0999.

Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499.

Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067.

Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.0082.

The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.547.6699.

Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 310 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.268.1621.

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749.

Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675.

D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.584.7400.

Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017.

248.288.0220.

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150.

GreenSpace Cafe: Vegan. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 215. W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.206.7510.

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145.

Inn Season Cafe: Vegetarian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.547.7916.

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500.

KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500.

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459.

Local Kitchen and Bar: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.291.5650.

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227.

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947.

One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220.

248.808.6633.

Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch

DOWNTOWN

& Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900.

Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.850.7420.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073.

248.549.0300.

Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888.

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.1141.

Strada: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday Sunday. Liquor. No reservations. 376 N. Main Street. Royal Oak, 48067.

248.607.3127.

Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444.

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.541.1186.

Town Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.7300.

The Morrie: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112.

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.542.4444.

Twisted Tavern: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.545,6750.

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072.

248.548.7711.

Troy/Rochester Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 176 N. Adams Rd, Rochester Hills, 48309.

248.218.6001.

Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300.

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831.

Chapman House: French-American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations recommended. Liquor. 311 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 48307. 248.759.4406.

Ganbei Chinese Restaurant and Bar: Chinese. Lunch, Monday-Saturday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 227 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307.

248.266.6687.

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307.

248.608.2537.

Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060.

Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400.

Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 5500 Crooks Rd., Troy, 48098. 248.646.7900.

McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084.

248.637.6400.

101

Sundays thru October 29th 9 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 p.m.

Located on N. Old Woodward across from Booth Park Ea[`a_Yf%?jgof Hjg\m[] ;]jlaĂ&#x161;]\ Gj_Yfa[ Hjg\m[] Fresh Prepared Foods â&#x20AC;˘ Garden Plants & Flowers Live Entertainment â&#x20AC;˘ Kids Zone

The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825.

Miguelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 870 S. Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, 48307.

248.453.5371.

Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083.

248.689.2332.

Mortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845.

NM CafĂŠ: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084.

248.816.3424.

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Blvd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200.

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500.

Orchid CafĂŠ: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085.

248.524.1944.

P.F. Changâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000.

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266.

Ruthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424.

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, 48306.

248.652.4500.

Steelhouse Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy, 48085.

248.817.2980.

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307.

248.453.5291.

Tre Monti Ristorante: Italian. Lunch, Thursdays. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 1695 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.680.1100.

West Bloomfield/Southfield

CHEF CLASH SUNDAY - June 25 8/13 Corn Festival

9/17 Harvest Festival

10/29 End of Season Celebration

BirminghamFarmersMarket.org Birmingham Farmers Market

BhamFarmMkt

DOWNTOWN

P U B L I C A T I O N S

102

Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600.

Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680.

Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034.

Mariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323.

248.851.2500.

The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334.

248.626.2982.

The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.851.8782.

The Lark: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6430 Farmington Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.661.4466.

DOWNTOWN

Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081.

Meriwetherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 25485 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, 48034. 248.358.1310.

Pickles & Rye: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890.

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor.

6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500.

Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.626.8585.

Spositaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248. 538.8954.

Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622.

Sweet Lorraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CafĂŠ & Bar: American.

Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield, 48076.

248.559.5985.

Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322.

248.737.8282.

West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner.

Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223.

It's A Matter of Taste: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce, 48390.

248.360.4150.

The Root Restaurant & Bar: American.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48390.

248.698.2400.

Volare Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771.

North Oakland Clarkston Union: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346.

248.620.6100.

Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442.

248.634.5208.

Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346.

248.795.2077.

Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500.

Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346.

248.625.5660

Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.1355.

Antietam: French. Sunday Brunch. Dinner,

06.17

Not to b bee explained. exp explained . To be be exp experienced.

B Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207.

313.782.4378.

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2684 E. Jefferson, Detroit, 48207.

313.965.3111.

Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.961.2543.

Coach Insignia: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243.

313.567.2622.

Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214.

313.469.0976.

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110.

The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 1435 Randolph St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.4180.

El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 3710 Junction St., Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070.

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun.

Breakfast, daily. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600.

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122.

Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.5588.

Jefferson House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4318.

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday- Friday, Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837.

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216.

313.309.7946.

Maccabees at Midtown: Eurasian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202.

313.831.9311.

Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201.

313.832.1616.

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201.

313.974.7669.

Motor City Brewing Works: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700.

1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221.

313.863.1917.

Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226.

313.309.2499.

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.2100.

Roma Café: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

3401 Riopelle St., Detroit, 48207.

313.831.5940.

Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No

downtownpublications.com

reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207. 313.567.2900.

Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226.

313.962.9366.

Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055.

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214.

313.822.8000.

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.9828.

Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702.

St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216. 313.962.2121.

Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234.

Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668.

The Block: American. Sunday Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 3919 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892.

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010.

Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.782.4313.

Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.9470.

24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.964.3821.

Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.3965.

Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857.

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711.

The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, daily. Liquor.

Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700.

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1646.

Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1411.

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.

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06.17

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE Summer for Our Children at The Community House “The building blocks of self-esteem are belonging, learning and contributing.

Camps offer unique opportunities for children to succeed in these three vital areas, and even beyond home and school” – Michael Popkin, Ph.D Since The Community House was established nearly a century ago, children’s classes, programs and services at The Community House have been at the center of our mission, purpose and vision. Our founders envisioned The Community House to be a place where young people from our community and surrounding region would gather for comraderie, learning and enrichment.

It would be a safe place for our children to interact with their peers, in a structured environment where children and positive role models would guide them to “make good choices, develop creative skills, build independence, self-reliance, and gain self-confidence.”

“ I would welcome the opportunity to sit down and discuss all your choices.”

Over the years, The Community House has supplemented our fall, winter and spring children’s classes with a robust selection of summer camps.

We have found “that there are the much more complex challenges of getting along with a new group of peers, learning how to ask for help from others, or taking manageable amount of risks, outside of school, and without a parent following after you.” We believe that summer camps are a place where children get the experiences they need to bolster their range of coping strategies.

LOOKING TO PURCHASE, REFINANCE, RENOVATE, OR BUILD NEW?

Maria Labie Residential Lending Sales Manager 201 West Big Beaver Road, Ste 201, Troy, MI 48084 P: 248.689.9744 | C: 248.952.4914 F: 248.689.0148 | NMLS ID: 697437 mlabie@ibcp.com

Bill Seklar

So it is in that spirit that The Community House is proud to present over 40 summer camps – Summer 2017; half day, full day, morning, afternoon, lunch optional, with before and after-care opportunities camps! Make sure to visit communityhouse.com to see all of our camp offerings and to register. Hurry! There is limited enrollment!

2017 Summer Camps include: Theatre Camps – Is your child a budding comedian? Do they love to act and sing?

Our theatre camps, which take place throughout the summer, have something for every interest and age including: Improv & Sketch Comedy Camp – August 14 - 18 • Junior Division (Grades 3 - 7) Theatre Camps – June 19 - 30, July 10 - 21, and July 24 - August 4 • Senior Division Grades 7 - 12) Theatre Camps – June 19 - 30, July 10 - 21, and July 24 August 4 All Day Camp – Get away from the TV and smartphone! Your child will enjoy a full day of music, cooking, crafts, and more. Lunch provided! Ages 6 - 8, August 7 - 11 Fencing Camp – Focus on fitness, balance, coordination, and analytical skills, Fencing Camp is an introduction to this athletic craft. All fencing equipment is provided! Ages 7+ - August 7 - 11 (Beginning Foil) August 14 - 18 (Beginning Sabre) Chess Camp for Beginners – Has your child ever wanted to learn the 1500 year old game of chess? Learn all the basics as well as some simple strategies to impress your friends. Each student receives a chess set they can take home at the end of the week! Ages 6 - 10, August 14 - 18 Mad Science Flight Academy Camp – Design and build everything from planes and kites to your own hovercraft! From the earliest models to the latest technologies, your child gets to try them all, and take home what you build!

Ages 6 - 12, June 19 - 23 Other Spring/Summer Activities at TCH: Summer Wine Series – Come enjoy our beautiful terrace as you taste wines with Sommelier Joey Lupaka. From Patio Pounders to Italian Whites, learn and have fun tasting and learning about many different wines. Take one class, or save money and buy the entire series. Wine is included!

College Readiness Class – Being ready for college is more than a good ACT/SAT score and a high GPA. Students these days need to know how to navigate college life and social activities. Two workshops will provide students with skills to both improve test scores, but also prepare them for the many new things they will encounter when they leave the nest! Classes are provided by The Tutoring Center of Birmingham, and students and parents are welcome.

Summer is surely a lively time at The Community House! We also offer many classes, and high quality cultural events for everyone. To request a catalog or register for these and other TCH classes, Summer Camps or events, visit communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832.

Apply online www.MortgageMadeSimple.net Equal housing lender. Member FDIC.

KEEP IT Downtown.

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Quality editorial environment.

Produced by local residents from offices in downtown Birmingham.

Join the local business leaders, almost 400 of whom use Downtown on a regular basis, in our July issue.

Ad deadline Friday, June 16.

Contact Mark Grablowski.

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William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House in Birmingham. downtownpublications.com

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Here is the update on the recent social scene. Many more photos from each event appear online each week at downtownpublications.com where readers can sign up for an e-mail notice when the latest social scene column is posted. Past columns and photos are also archived at the website for Downtown.

JVS Trade Secrets “And life goes on,” said Connie Sally Gerak Holzer, honorary chair and keynote speaker at the JVS Trade Secrets fundraising dinner. (It attracted record attendance - 560 @ $150 and up – to the Troy Marriott.)

Holzer’s unique business experience did not even begin until her car dealer husband of 52 years died when she was 70 years old.

Although the economy was in the dumps, she mortgaged the home where she had raised six children, got concessions from their 130 employees, and rebuilt the Tom Holzer Ford dealership. “You are never too old to begin a new life,” she concluded. Women to Work recipient Kimberly Baker, whose fairytale life crashed when her husband went to jail for tax fraud, praised Judy Richmond and the JVS computer program. She attended it on a scholarship. “And now..because of people in this room... I can feed my kids,” Baker said, apologizing for her tears. Last year’s keynote speaker Linda Schlesinger-Wagner and Kristen Gross co-chaired the ninth annual fundraiser. Thanks also to generous sponsors, it raised more than $260,000 for JVS services for women job seekers. Jeffrey Tischler and Randy Ruben are co-chairing the JVS Strictly Business luncheon Tuesday, June 13, at the MotorCity Casino. It will honor Olympia Entertainment president and CEO Tom Wilson, the keynote speaker.

Habitat for Humanity Women Build Kickoff Some steering committees exist merely to give sage advice to administrators and boards. And then there’s Habitat for Humanity Oakland’s Women Build Steering Committee. Its chair Johnna Struck, president of Changing Places Moving, detailed its membership commitments to the 93 potential members gathered for lunch at the Community House. “Steering Committee members donate $500 yearly plus their time promoting, fundraising and working on the construction of the houses,” she said, adding, “Women account for 90 percent of each WB house. We call our men supporters ‘The Lucky Ten’.” Then she introduced the 2016 SC members in attendance. This included Pam Benfield, Brenda Brosnan, Laura Durkin, Kimberly Hosner Kotes, Caron Riha, Elise Lievois, Jane Lowell, Julie McKee, Linda Rea, Hilary Rnnon, Leanne Schuster, Ginger Trevarrow, Sheila Turner and herself. Three owners of Habitat houses also spoke gratefully and glowingly about their participatory experience. They were followed at the podium by UBS’s Beth Curtiss-Phyle and Nuview Nutrition’s Cindy Crandell. Before departing, 17 women committed to joining the WB Steering Committee.

FAR Sing Out 4 Kids Nearly 200 supporters of FAR’s creative and recreational therapies for community residents with special needs convened at The Community House for the non-profit’s annual sing-a-long type fundraiser. They first socialized big time, savored yummy food station cuisine and bid $5,860 for 29 silent auction items, When they settled comfortably into the cabaret-style seating, board president Mike Brennan thanked them for attending and noted that one-third of FAR’s 1,200 clients depend on scholarships. A highlight of a video was a client declaring, “I rocked my school’s talent show.” The show that followed kicked off with client Asia and music therapist Renae Murphy earning a standing ovation for their performance of “Summertime.” It ended with Greg Bator conducting a live auction and pledging that raised $18,300. In downtownpublications.com

JVS Trade Secrets

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7 1. Aaron Chernow (center) of Bloomfield, Connie Holzer (left) and Kimberly Baker of Novi. 2. Kristen Gross (left) of Franklin, Leah Rosenbaum of Southfield, Linda Schlesinger-Wagner of W. Bloomfield. 3. Beth Gotthelf (left) and Hadas Bernard of Birmingham, Naomi Reiter of W. Bloomfield. 4. Trina Scholler Farah (left) of Bloomfield, Emily Scholler of Royal Oak. 5. Molly MacDonald (left) of Beverly Hills, Dorie Shwedel and Carolyn Koblin of Bloomfield. 6. Patricia Rodzik (left) and Suzanne Schmidt of Bloomfield.

7. Sandra Moers of Bloomfield. 8. Missy Spickler (left) and Lori Cohn of Bloomfield, Lucy Henney of W. Bloomfield.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK between generous talents had people clapping, whooping and singing to everything from beat boxing, to country and opera. Karla Sherry and Dale Hollandsworth chaired the fun that grossed $52,874 for the non-profit that was founded in 1951 by 50 enlightened parents.

Habitat for Humanity Women Build Kickoff

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1. Jane Lowell (left) of Bloomfield, Johnna Struck of Waterford and Julie McKee of Birmingham. 2. Mary Jo Wilson (left) of Sterling Hgts., Tammy Campbell of Rochester. 3. Pam Benfield and Deloris Carson of Rochester Hills, Mary Duenow of Lake Orion. 4. Meg Currier (left) of Beverly Hills and Rita Facchini of Rochester Hills. 5. Annabell Wilkinson (left) of Bloomfield, Cindy Randall of Oak Park, Cindy Crandell of Clarkston. 6. Michele Rhodes (left) of Birmingham, Karen Greenwood of Troy, Rickey Busler of Madison Hgts.

FAR Sing Out 4 Kids

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1. Pamela Ayres (left) and Karla Sherry of Bloomfield and Dale Hollandsworth of White Lake. 2. Lou Bitonti (left) of Rochester Hills, Annabel Cohen and Cathie Weisenborn of Bloomfield and Mike Brennan of Birmingham. 3. Ken (left) & Judy Zorn of Rochester Hills, John Ashcraft of Franklin. 4. Don Amalfitano (left) of Troy, Erin DiMarco and Jennifer Doctor of Bloomfield. 5. Cindy (left) & Dom Schiano of Franklin, Maria Harris of Birmingham. 6. Lisa Brennan (left) of Birmingham, Christine Bitonti of Rochester Hills, Jim Weisenborn of Bloomfield. 7. Karla Sherry (left) of Bloomfield, Nick & Anna Giammarco of Northville.

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An Evening of Art + Science Nearly 400 people ($250; $350) gathered at MOCAD April 20 to revel for the sake of the lifesaving medical research that is conducted at the Taubman and Forbes institutes at the University of Michigan. Some sipped signature “scientific” cocktails served in lab beakers with a dry ice chip to create a smoke effect as they considered buying the art on display.

It was created by 25 artists after conferring with U-M scientists about their work. The resulting pieces capture the genius of both worlds.

Instead of an art catalog, guests got a packet of postcards depicting most of the art, the brainchild of Forbes/ Somerset Collection’s Linda McIntosh. A DJ and a Supremes tribute trio provided upbeat music that was interrupted for brief remarks by Dr. Eva Feldman, Bobby and Julie Taubman and Nate Forbes. They thanked Peter and Danialle Karmanos, Edith Briskin and the other generous sponsors, referenced the great friendship of the Taubman and Forbes patriarchs and urged all to “celebrate life.” The fourth annual event will raise well over $300,000 which will go directly to a team working on a vaccine that aims to harness the body’s own immune system to kill deadly cancer cells.

Meadow Brook Theatre Guild Terri Bendes and Sheryl Frabotta chaired the guild fundraiser which was bigger than ever with more vendors, more raffle baskets, more door prizes and a new jewelry raffle. A full house (580 @ $30, $35, $100) attended the 36th annual version.

They crowded the pink-&-green accented hallway where 23 baskets were beautifully displayed to tempt people to buy the $2 raffle tickets. The guild’s Bake Shoppe offered enticing choices wrapped pretty enough for gift-giving. Guests took their box lunches to their seats in the theatre and savored the chicken salad croissants catered by Downtown Café before the chairs drew the names of prize winners. The show “I Love A Piano” featured favorite Irving Berlin music such as “No Business Like Show Business” and MBT Artistic 06.17

Director Travis Walter followed up with his trademark entertaining discourse. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the annual event raised an all-time high of more than $20,000 for the guild’s MBT support and outreach programs. For information about the guild and it’s other big event (October 19) go mbtheatre.com/theatre-guild.

DSO Volunteer Council Musical Feast Lisa Payne not only committed to hosting the second DSO Volunteer Council Musical Feast of the 30th season, she also agreed to accommodate the waiting list when the 30 original slots filled up quickly.

Thus, 50 guests ($150 each) gathered at her Turtle Lake Estates home April 21 for the Spring Fever Soiree. During the pre-concert reception, many sipped the signature champagne cocktail. Past VC president Marjorie Saulson was especially curious to see the home because it was the DSO Show House when she chaired that fundraiser in 2001. Council rep Marlene Bihlmeyer introduced the musicians – pianist Phil Kelly and trumpet player Bill Lucas – who, like the MF hosts, donate their services.

The concert that followed featured jazzy odes to four seasons, including a soulful, original Lucas composition that Lucas played on a flugelhorn.

The last feast of the series will be hosted by Joy and Allan Nachman on June 25 in their art-filled home.

Impact 100 Oakland Members of Impact 100 Oakland County gathered at the Bird and Bread in Birmingham to learn how many women had donated $1,000 each for collective giving grants to non-profits in 2017, the second year of the chapter’s existence. Before the announcement, Oakland County deputy Michelle Francesco, Kelly Shuert and Connie Beckett, representatives from Variety Feeds Kids (last year’s recipient of the $100,000 grant) shared heartwarming descriptions of the program’s impact. To announce the 2017 grant total, board members then lined up with the blank side of flip cards facing out. The women cheered when all were turned and the revealed total was $201,000. This means two non-profits will be given $100,500 in 2017.

MOSAIC, the Auction for Roeper The final celebration of Roeper School’s Diamond Anniversary year attracted 180 ($125 tickets) to Forest Hills Country Club to support scholarships for Roeper students (40 downtownpublications.com

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1. Peter (left) & Danialle Karmanos of Orchard Lake. 2. Dr. Eva Feldman (left) of Ann Arbor, Bobby Taubman of Bloomfield. 3. Nate & Cathy Forbes of Bloomfield. 4. Jim (left) & Stephany Austin and Tom Goldberg of Bloomfield. 5. Graem Whyte (left) of Hamtramck, Keith Pomeroy of Birmingham. 6. Jeffery Miro (left) of Bloomfield, Elyse & David Foltyn of Birmingham. 7. Ed Levy & Linda Dresner of Birmingham. 8. Lauren & Phillip Fisher of Bloomfield. 9. John Rakolta (left), Jenni & JR Rakolta of Bloomfield. 10. Billy Taubman of Birmingham, Julie Taubman of Bloomfield.

Meadow Brook Theatre Guild

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1. Terri Bendes (left) of Clarkston and Sheryl Frabotta of Rochester Hills.

2. Maryann Foxlee (left) of Shelby Twp., Colleen Brnabic of Rochester, Sue Jayroe of Rochester Hills, Sue Steltenkamp of Bloomfield. 3. Karen Calavenna (left) of Rochester Hills, Lynn Jendrezewski of Canton and Corrine Alonso of Troy. 4. Nancy Larco (left) of Shelby Twp., Suzanne Hester of Rochester. 5. Mary Jo Cerget (center) of Shelby Twp., Jan Shotwell (left) and Speedy Bates of Rochester Hills.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK percent) who get financial aid and grants for faculty and staff development. The large silent auction which featured colorful student creations raised $46,450, but that’s short of the brief live auction conducted by Charles Wickens. He got bids that totaled $26,550 before the final Adventures in Havana item assembled by Paul Borja, Steven Silk and John Sznewajs. That trip to Cuba eventually sold to nine bidders for a total of $32,000, bringing the live auction total to $58,550. Compelling remarks by Roeper’s Bob Sims and Dan Jacobs also inspired outright donations for faculty professional development totaling an event record of $41,500. The delightful evening was marked by the camaraderie of the parents who are devoted to the school founded by George and Annemarie Roeper after they fled Hitler in 1941. It netted $150,000.

DSO Volunteer Council Musical Feast

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1. Marjorie Saulson (left) of Franklin, Lisa Payne of Bloomfield. 2. Anne Parsons (center) of Grosse Pointe, Jim Hayes and Denise Abrash of Bloomfield. 3. Bill (Binky) & Susan Harvey of Birmingham. 4. Patricia Mooradian (left) and Dan Quick of Bloomfield, Lisa Bouchard of Birmingham. 5. Judy & Joel Adelman of Birmingham. 6. Bill Lucas (left) of Ann Arbor, pianist Phil Kelly of Rochester.

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MOSAIC, the Auction for Roeper

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1. Delana (left) & Paul Borja of Bloomfield, Beth Vens of White Lake. 2. Rajesh Radhakrishnan (left) & committee member Maria Welborne of Bloomfield.

3. Len & Bonnie Schemm of Bloomfield. 4. Julie Smith (left) and Steven & Tara Grekin of Bloomfield.

5. Steve Silk (left) and John Sznewajs of Birmingham. 6. Darin & Perry Keever of Birmingham.

7. Dipak Shah (left) & Sujana Gundalapalli and Lauren Stein and Jeremy Sandie of Birmingham.

8. Katie Buchman (left) of Clarkston, Denita BanksSims of Bloomfield. 9. Pam (left) & Robb Harner of Waterford, Sue Konst of Rochester.

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Ted Lindsay Foundation Wine Tasting When the 175 guests ($125 ticket) arrived at the San Marino Club they were first offered a sample of French sparkling wine before they warmly greeted host Ted Lindsay. They also supped. The perfectly sauced beef tenderloin, chicken Florentine and pastas paired nicely with the French, California and Italian wines provided

by Jean Jacques Fertal’s Eagle Eye Imports. Celebrity pourers included winemaker /Michigan native Ted Wilson and Dayna Clark, Trevor Thompson, Eddie Mio, Joe Kocur, Karen and Frank Beckmann, Paul W. and Kim Smith, Jay Towers and Chelsea Kivell. Absent and sincerely mourned in a brief address by foundation president Lew LaPaugh were Ted’s wife Joanne, who died weeks before the fundraiser, and Dr. Jack (“Hockeytown Doc”) Finley, who would die the next day following a stroke. He also announced that Dick Scott Automotive Group has donated a 300 Chrysler to be raffled in memory of Joanne and that two Ted Lindsay Foundation/Fedorov Courage Awards are open for nomination until June 2.

Ronald McDonald House Tea Teresa Saputo and Kyla Marcial co-chaired the 8th annual Spring Tea benefiting the Detroit Ronald McDonald House. It attracted 160 guests of all ages ($60, $25 tickets) to the Royal Park Hotel. One of the youngest guests was Camden Manning, whose parents stayed at the House while she was a newborn in Children’s Hospital. During the brief program, her father Andrew 06.17

Manning recalled the medical saga and their two months stay at the House. He concluded, “We now consider everyone at the House our newfound family.” Thanks to a silent auction and a percentage of sales from Saks Fifth Avenue’s onsite Ippolita jewelry sale, the event raised $20,000. This will supplement the $10 charge for Ronald McDonald House rooms. They actually cost $200 to maintain but no family is turned away due to inability to pay.

Women’s Foundation Lights Camera, Action Cynthia Ford, Sandy Pierce, Faye Nelson and Andra Rush chaired Michigan Women’s Foundation’s fundraiser that brought 868 ($175 & up tickets) to the MotorCity Casino the evening of April 24. Before dinner the power brokers gathered in the Sound Board to bid (nearly $40,000) on silent auction items, network and applaud the foundation’s accomplishments as presented by CEO Carolyn Cassin and board chair Pamela Enslen.

Notable in that list would be the remarkable $21-million in economic impact from $1.5-million invested in 85 women-owned businesses. “That is what women call a return on investment,” declared Cassin. Before the evening ended, the spotlight was also placed on the foundation’s many youth programs and women’s issues like the Enough Said rape kit testing.

Regarding the latter, Cassin praised the African American 490 Challenge which raised $650,000 to finish the testing by the third quarter this year.

Thanks also to sponsors and texted gifts ($23,000-plus), the high energy evening raised more than $500,000, which, when combined with the West Michigan luncheon version of Lights, Camera, Auction, exceeds $700,000.

Project 1 Who’s Your Bartender The energy was palpable as more than 500, mostly young philanthropists, flocked to Birmingham’s Bird & Bread the last Tuesday in April for Project 1’s iconic fundraiser chaired by Amy Ordona, Laura Beckeman, Missy Rancilio, Terri Macksoud and Kelley Kennedy. When guests paid ($15 in advance, $20 at the door), they declared one of 12 non-profits whose advocates were tending bar. They bought drink tickets, but B&B provided superb complimentary appetizers and pizza for sustenance.

Many guests wore T-shirts that proclaimed their loyalty. The Angel’s Place bartenders even wore, what downtownpublications.com

Ted Lindsay Foundation Wine Tasting

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4 1. Lew LaPaugh (left) of Rochester Hills, Ted Lindsay of Rochester. 2. Helen Fertal of Rochester. 3. Lynn Lindsay LaPaugh (left) of Rochester Hills, Dave & Jennifer Tindall of Metamora. 4. Kyle (left), Terri & Steve Eick of Birmingham.

5. Frank & Karen Beckmann of Rochester Hills. 6. Paul W & Kim Smith of Bloomfield. 7. Mike Dore (left) of Bloomfield, Eddie Mio of W. Bloomfield, Joe Kocur of Highland.

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1. Event co-chairs Teresa Saputo (left) of Rochester and Kyla Marcial of Rochester Hills. 2. Jessica Saputo (left) of Rochester, Bridgette Hernandez of Belleville and Karen Scott of Novi. 3. Jennifer Litomisky (left) of Ferndale, Vanssa Camden & Andrew Manning of Wixom. 4. Deborah Pringle (left) of Clinton Twp., Mia and Malayna Marcial of Rochester Hills, MaryAnne Campbell of Washington.5. Gavin Fell (left) of Rochester, Eli Whitesel of Novi.

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1. Joelle Mansfield (left) of Bloomfield, Yvon Russell of Rochester Hills, Karla Kish and Reid Southby of Birmingham. 2. Tim Castaneda (left) and Terri Macksoud of Birmingham, Erica Mantina of Washington. 3. Laura Beckeman (left) of Birmingham, Debbie Saro of Royal Oak, Kirsten Mumma of Lake Orion. 4. Sarah Balmer (left) of Pontiac, Amy Ordona and Kelley Kennedy of Birmingham. 5. Peter Arvant (left) of Beverly Hills and Bill Girardot of Bloomfield. 6. Jay Hohauser (left) of Rochester and Todd Hohauser of Ferndale. 7. David Reich and Mary Owen of Birmingham.

8. Jessica Haddad (left) of Livonia, Kathy Spencer of Rochester. 9. Sharon VonBehren (left) of Rochester Hills and Tricia Delude of Clarkston.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK else, halos. The ebullient evening raised more than $75,000 – $45,000 of which will be shared by the nonprofits. Project 1 is an all volunteer organization which donates all net proceeds directly to those in need.

The Village Club Foundation Awards

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The Village Club Foundation Awards TVCF’s reveal of its grant recipients is heartwarming, if not sensational. As foundation president Carol Litka explained at the luncheon, it followed the thorough investigation of all applicant organizations by 11 teams of three club members. Then the grants committee studied their findings and determined that 47 non-profits would get some of the $169,000 total, “...the largest ever in one year,” she noted.

The guest list (171) included 70 grant representatives. Before lunch all socialized and applauded Tyler Bouque’s rich baritone selection from “Tosca”. After lunch, there were more than a few moist eyes as three of the grant recipients told their stories. The presentations were a rewarding conclusion to the foundation’s Hearts Aglow-Giving One to Another fundraising effort.

5 1. Carol Litka (left) of Troy, Linda Lang of Bloomfield. 2. Kathy Hutson (left) and Jenny Davis of Troy, Judy Shagena of Bingham Farms, Sandy Walter of Bloomfield. 3. Sani Dwyer (left), Evelyn Strader and Rose Dirsken of Rochester Hills. 4. Kathy Dalton of Bloomfield, Tyler Bouque of Troy. 5. Beth Hagenlocker (left) of Venice, CA, Sylvia Hagenlocker of Bloomfield, Lou Simpson of Birmingham. 6. Linda Bomberski (right) with Pete Keating of Troy and Barbara Williams of Rochester. 7. Linda Lang (center) of Bloomfield, Lynne Avadenka (left) of Huntington Woods, Lorraine Sherk of Troy.

7

WON Foundation Wonder Woman Awards

1

4 112

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2 1. Judge Colleen O’Brien (left) of Clarkston, Faye Nelson of Grosse Pointe, Tiffany Douglas of Detroit, Eileen Pulker of Franklin, Rev. Faith Fowler of Detroit. 2. Caroline Grech (left) of Livonia, Sue Nine of Bloomfield and Coco Siewert of Birmingham. 3. Kristyn Recchia (left) of Rochester, Pat Hardy of Bloomfield. 4. Judge Wendy Potts (left) of Birmingham, Judge Jim Alexander and Layne Sakwa of Bloomfield, Deb Macon of W. Bloomfield. 5. Beth Talbert (left) of Rochester Hills, Judge Cynthia Walker of Pontiac.

DOWNTOWN

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WON Foundation Wonder Woman Awards Since the Women’s Officials Network established a foundation in 2008, it has presented awards to individuals whose community service is exceptional. This year, the awards banquet attracted 135 ($75 & up) to the San Marino Club. The 2017 awardees represented elected service – Franklin Village Clerk Eileen Pulker; the law – Judge Colleen O’Brien; corporate benevolence – DTE Foundation’s Faye Nelson and Bank of America Michigan’s Tiffany Douglas; and ministry to those in need – Cass Community Services’ Rev. Faith Fowler. From the first presentation – John Pulker’s introduction of his wife as the “woman of my dreams,” to the last speech – Rev. Faith Fowler’s humorous reminder that “...everything has a shelf life, and so do we,” the speeches were splendid and earned standing ovations. Past foundation president Deb Macon also spoke briefly about the initiatives the WON Foundation supports for young women, which had the special attention of the 23 young leader guests.

Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390.

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ENDNOTE

Don’t let education study gather any dust his past year, Governor Snyder assembled a 16-member gubernatorial education commission, known as the 21st Century Education Commission, which studied the state of education in Michigan, currently ranked 48th in the United States, and presented Snyder in February with an exhaustive report called “The Best Education System for Michigan’s Success: A Blueprint for Educating Michigan’s Residents to Build the Best Businesses, Win the Best Jobs, and Achieve the American Dream.” The report is frank in its assessments, that to succeed in today’s world, we as residents must provide not only more comprehensive education to our students, but we must begin educating children earlier and continue to educate them longer. It also emphasizes a reality: educated students are an economic necessity in today’s world, and that by providing appropriate and applicable education for real world jobs, Michigan will reap the economic benefit long term.

Unlike many other education reports in the past, this one is succinct, and spells out exactly how to get to the finish line. The blueprint recommends creating a K-14, rather than the current K-12, education system in Michigan; providing qualified universal access to early education for four-year-olds; determining the developmentally-appropriate readiness of children for kindergarten; focusing on learning to shift towards a student’s progression through the curriculum at their own pace, rather than at grade

T

levels; provide post-secondary access to community colleges and other skill training to all students by providing access to two years of community college or trade school for all students; elevating education as a profession; and investing in an efficient and effective system of public funding to become a world leader in education.

The report spells out in detail – and the Oakland County education experts who met to discuss it for our education roundtable in this issue emphasized – that to improve Michigan’s education success, which will ultimately translate into jobs, everything begins with better, and universal, early education, followed up by the ability of students to easily attend community college or technical school, going in the words of Oakland Schools Superintendent Wanda CookRobinson, “womb to tomb.” Further, there has to be not just adoption of the blueprint, but follow through that lasts, rather than a reaction on the part of the state legislature to jump from ideology to ideology, most recently with Common Core. Ten years ago, the province of Ontario set the education priorities of literacy and numeracy, and left educators alone, with great success. As Doug Ross, former state legislator, cabinet member under former President Clinton, now an education expert and a member of the education commission, said of the state legislature, “As long as they’re changing standards every two years, we have no standards.”

The experts pointed out that the Michigan

Department of Education is currently a test-giving department, which drives the changes in standards. What Michigan students, parents, and educators need is for legislators to step away from their micromanagement of education in order to leave it to the experts, and allow for the innovations and vision that can only come from when creativity is allowed to flourish, and when wisdom is respected.

Likewise, legislators must revere education enough to recognize that it costs money, and rather than pushing silly tax cuts without any thought as to where revenue will be replaced, think about the state of Michigan, rather than their next election. It is expensive to teach our next generation, to prepare teachers – who deserve our respect, rather than denigration – in a world where a high school diploma is just the beginning of advanced education. In a post-World War II world, it was a ticket to the middle class. In our 21st century world, post-secondary education is the admission to economic prosperity. In fact, in Michigan, since 2009, 99 percent of jobs have gone to people with at least some post-secondary education.

Let’s advance from the bottom of the educational and economic heap, both for our children, and for the economic potential of our state. We have the blueprint right in front of us that can help lead us towards success. It’s up to Gov. Snyder, and all of us, to move in the right direction.

Old Woodward project now city debacle o one likes road construction, and there was not a business in downtown Birmingham, ours included, that was not dreading the upcoming reconstruction of Old Woodward between Willits and Brown, which had been scheduled for several years to take place this year, followed in 2019 with the complete reconstruction of Maple between Maple and Woodward. A couple of years later, from Brown south, S. Old Woodward will finish its reconstruction down to approximately Lincoln.

The reason these roads are being completely reconstructed is that these areas have some of the oldest water and sewer lines in Birmingham, as well as a streetscape that is on a different grade than the road. Much of this current infrastructure was installed in the 1940s and has exceeded its useful life – with some sewers dating to the 1890s.

Beginning in 2013, the city of Birmingham began to address the aging infrastructure in the core of the central business district – also known as the downtown area – with portions of Pierce Street from Maple to Merrill and Merrill Street from Pierce to Old Woodward undergoing a complete rebuilding. In 2016, Hamilton Avenue was reconstructed from Old

N

Woodward to Woodward Avenue. These projects included new water lines, sewer lines, new lighting and streetscaping, the addition of ADA-compliant parking and the repaving of roads.

It appeared the city was being proactive in tackling the most major and significant engineering and road construction issues it had ever faced, at least in its modern era. And then it stalled.

The reconstruction of Old Woodward was slated to begin in March 2017, lasting approximately five months. Businesses made preparations, whether it was retailers socking away money in anticipation of a downturn in business, or the Birmingham Shopping District planning promotions, events to encourage shoppers to visit, and developing locations for free valet parking to ease the burden on those coming into downtown Birmingham during the construction period.

First, in January, came word from engineer Paul O’Meara that the construction had been postponed until May. Retailers, restaurateurs and leasing agents were concerned that construction would extend into the busy fall shopping period – and then word came that it would likely begin in July, lasting through fall and into the Christmas shopping

season, until finally, it was cancelled for this construction season in late April after construction bids came back double and triple the original city estimates.

The reconstruction of Old Woodward is now estimated to begin in spring of 2018, with the work on Maple pushed back until 2020, and the remainder of S. Old Woodward pushed pack until 2022.

The reality is, costs were only one reason the Old Woodward construction became a debacle – construction bids didn’t go out until early April for a project that was slated to begin in March, and only two contractors chose to return bids, one for $6.8 million, the other for $10 million, for a project the city had budgeted at $3.3 million. Both city departments and the city commission dragged out the design process, leaving the city in an untenable position, with the commission not approving designs until February. The city should have held extra meetings to have resolved their issues, with bids out in the proper planning time last fall.

The city must make the necessary redesigns now, rapidly, in order to get bids in by this September so the work can begin next March.

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