Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield by Downtown Publications Inc.

DOWNTOWN

16 21

FROM THE PUBLISHER

There are a variety of state-wide proposals jockeying to find a place on the Michigan 2026 election ballot that will be seeking petition signatures in the months ahead, so get familiar now before lending your support

CRIME MAP

A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format, plus a reminder about our online interactive map with story details on public safety incidents.

22 OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

Race for U.S. Senate campaign dollars; Duggan’s bipartisan fundraisers; John Jame blowback; Donni Steele run for state Senate; Shadia Martini on the campaign trail; plus more.

MUNICIPAL

Birmingham’s Day On The town; Wimbleton road SAD; 2024 police report; Birmingham Towers postponement; township/county election pact; Belle Bistro and MEX changes; plus more

31

AGRICULTURE GAINS POSE AQUATIC LIFE CONCERNS

While improvements in precise insecticides are a benefit to agriculture, scientists are now realizing that there are downsides with impacts on the surface waters and aquatic life

Photo by Laurie Tennent

F

Aside from a growing shake-up in the political landscape in Oakland County for 2026, thanks to the decision by U S Senator Gar y Peters (D -Bloomfield Township) to retire from public office at the end of his ter m next year, voters may well be facing a number of statewide ballot issues based on the activity level of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers of late

Established in 1850, the four-person bipar tisan board, appointed to four-year ter ms by the gover nor, is responsible for approving language for statewide ballot issues, beginning with what summar y language appears on petitions seeking citizen signatures to allow an issue to go before voters

Once language is approved, and the issue has been registered with the office of the Secretar y of State, citizen initiative effor ts have 180 days to gather sufficient signatures to get on the ballot

In ter ms of signature requirements, a constitutional amendment requires registered voter signatures of at least 10 percent of the number of votes cast for gover nor in the last election For legislative initiative issues, eight percent of the votes last cast for gover nor, and for veto referendums, five percent is the requirement In 2020, approximately 4 5 million votes were cast for the office of gover nor

Not requiring any signatures to make the ballot next year will be the question of whether voters think it is time to hold a Constitutional Convention, of ten refer red to as a Con- Con

Michigan is one of 14 states that automatically puts the question of a Con- Con before voters periodically The cur rent Michigan Constitution, adopted in 1963, provides in Ar ticle XII that a Con- Con question should be put before voters ever y 16 years State voters here in 1978, 1994 and 2010 were wise enough to reject the question when asked if they suppor ted a Con- Con I say wise enough because because opening up the constitution is a major under taking that puts ever ything in our cur rent gover ning document on the table for possible changes or elimination Think protection of women ’ s health options, rights of the LGBTQ+ community, taxes, education, including how to fund it, the death penalty, for star ters All issues that have already been deter mined by Michigan voters at the ballot box could be over tur ned, so why risk losing the progress that has been made?

Should voters next year actually suppor t a Con- Con, here’s what would take place

First, within six months there would have to be special primar y and general elections called to select delegates for the convention Each state House district – all 110 of them – would get one delegate, as would each of the 38 state Senate districts, who would be selected by voters Those 148 delegates, each paid what state lawmakers now draw annually, about $71,000, would first convene in October of 2027

It would be strictly up to the delegates how long the process would take to either make changes to the cur rent constitution or write a completely new document Some estimate that the process could take one-two years at a roughly estimated cost of $45 million Then the final document would be put before state voters for possible approval

But more on that when we get closer to the 2026 election cycle Right now, the concer n should be the multiple petition effor t to place issues on the ballot for next year

So far the Board of State Canvassers has approved petition wording for several proposals

Fair Share Surcharge: This amendment to the Michigan Constitution would basically introduce graduated income tax by imposing a five percent surcharge on those making more than $500,000 per year Suppor ters say the added tax revenue would help fund public ser vices, including schools Critics are objecting to both the graduated income tax and say that there is no specific guarantee the added monies would go to schools Others argue that adding even more money into the education of children in the past has not improved the results

Rank My Vote: Another amendment to the constitution, this proposal would introduce ranked voting for state and federal elections Suppor ters say this would be an “upgrade” to the election process because it allows voters to rank candidates on the ballot Candidates drawing the least votes in an election would be eliminated and votes cast for them would be redistributed to other candidates on the ballot Instead of voters casting a ballot for just one candidate, voters would rank all other candidates on the ballot If no one candidate gets an outright majority of votes, then those getting the least number of votes would be eliminated and their votes redistributed to candidates who were voters’ second choice The process would continue until there are only two candidates remaining and the one with the most votes would be declared the winner It is a complex voting system that is being used in a some local communities and several states A complex change to the voting process may prove hard to sell to petition signers A recent poll showed that 65 percent of those polled in Michigan do not suppor t this change to the voting proess

Stop Pay Cuts: This proposal is a citizen-initiated legislative referendum to repeal Public Act 1 of 2025 which had devised a schedule for raising the minimum wage, including the wages for tipped workers If approved, the state act would be halted and in its place would be higher wage standards set by the cour ts

Citizenship Voting: Also a constitutional amendment, if approved on the ballot voters would have to provide documentation proving citizenship The Secretar y of State would be required to review the voter rolls and remove non-citizens Critics note that federal law already requires only citizens can vote and this proposal is one in search of a problem that rarely exists There is also concer n that mar ried women may have a tough time proving citizenship because of name changes

There are several other petition requests that will sur face in coming months, along them those dealing with elimination of proper ty taxes, restrictions on lobbying, and a second voter proposal that could conflict with the one outlined earlier

My advice for the time being – think twice or even longer before signing to help get any of these on the ballot Some are severely flawed or simply are addressing issues that are much more complicated than the proposals would suggest to voters

For tunately Michigan is one of the states that allows citizen petition drives to put issues on the ballot but that does not mean ever y petition you are presented is wor th signing

David Hohendor f Publisher DavidHohendor f@DowntownPublications

com

PUBLISHER

David Hohendorf

NEWS EDITOR

Lisa Brody

NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS

Laurie Tennent | Matthew Cromwell | Theodore Michael | Mackenzie O'Brien

Laurie Tennent Studio

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

David Hohendorf

ADVERTISING SALES

Mark Grablowski

GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER

Chris Grammer

OFFICE

970 E Maple Road / Ste 3, Birmingham MI 48009 248 792 6464

MAILING PO Box 1630 Birmingham MI 48012-1630

DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE GOALS/MISSION

The personnel at Downtown Newsmagazine bring a special commitment to the publishing effort, reinvesting in the local communities and working to make sure the Birmingham/Bloomfield area reaches its highest potential Our mission dictates that we strive each month to provide a solid news and advertising product that local residents look forward to reading Our goal is to build a community of informed citizens through the efforts of our passionate team We are innovators producing products that go well beyond what others offer

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 Birmingham/Bloomfield

For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order 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 Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications com or mailed to Downtown Publications, PO Box 1630 Birmingham MI 48012-1630 If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes

MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNER FROM SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

C R I M E M A P

L a r c e n y V e h i c l e t h e f t L a r c e n y f r o m v e h i c l e V a n d a l i s m D r u g o f f e n s e s A r s o n M a p k e y N O R T H

Oakland Confidential is a column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-therecord We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications com All sources are kept strictly confidential

MONEY GAME: Financial disclosures for money raised in the second quar ter of the year have just been released, with some senatorial candidates crowing in joy, and others not quite blasting their hor n On the Democratic side, state Senator Mallor y McMor row (D -Royal Oak, Bir mingham, Detroit) announced in a video, along with her preschoolaged daughter, grinning and wearing hear t-shaped sunglasses, “ This is unbelievable We just closed the first quar ter of our campaign since launching in April and we have raised more than $2 1 million And you know what I’m most proud of? We got donations from all 83 counties in Michigan ” She said she received over 28,000 donations from all 50 states, with 97 percent less than $100 Fur ther, her communications director Andrew Mamo said a recent Brewer y Tour, designed for McMor row to “sit down and have a beer with people because Mallor y is really a policy person at hear t,” had 500 people tur n out over two days, and 2,000 people over the four stops A second Brewer y Tour is planned For mer Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed said he raised $1 8 million, with 95 percent of his donations less than $100 In a direct dig at Oakland County Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D -Bir mingham), he claimed that “ groups like AIPAC are waiting for us to release these stats,” as Stevens has received the backing of the pro -Israel PAC over several cycles, including in this race Stevens, who raised $2 5 million this quar ter, also said the majority of her contributions – 93 percent –were less than $100 However, of the amount raised, $1 2 million is a transfer from her U S House campaign account, revealing she actually raised $1 3 million this quar ter since she announced her candidacy “I’m honored to have received the suppor t of so many Michiganders to win this Senate seat,” she said in a statement “I will continue to stand against the Tr ump administration’s chaos and reckless policies and do what I have always done: fight for Michigan and win for Michigan ”

MONEY GAME 2 0: The second quar ter campaign fundraising numbers for Republican Senate candidate for mer Congressman Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) were $745,000, although he tried to say it was $1 5 million by including numbers from another account Meanwhile the pro -Rogers Great Lakes Conser vative Fund super PAC has just announced it has raised $5 million toward a $25 million goal to elect the Republican in 2026 While Rogers does not cur rently have any primar y competition, tea leaves are increasingly pointing to Congressman Bill Huizenga (R- Kalamazoo) jumping into the race –much to the annoyance of Republican and Senate leaders, who have all endorsed Rogers Huizenga raised $747,000 in the second quar ter Rogers was the man of the hour in 2024 against now Senator Elissa Slotkin (D -Holly), who he came this close to beating To shore up his campaign this cycle, Punchbowl revealed that Rogers has hired Tr ump pollster Tony Fabrizio and Chris LaCivita, Tr ump ’ s co -campaign manager in 2024, as a senior adviser to Rogers While President Donald Tr ump has not yet endorsed Rogers this go -round, according to Punchbowl, “top Tr ump campaign aides like Fabrizio and LaCivita r un their 2026 clients by the White House before they for mally commit Fabrizio’s hire is a good sign for Rogers ”

DUGGAN EFFORT: Another pol looking for a new job, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, long a Democrat but r unning for Michigan gover nor in 2026 as an independent, was feted at a bipar tisan fundraiser in early July, first at a home in Oakland County, and then at another at the Detroit Athletic Club One host, a longtime Republican, said while some suppor ters were out of town, “ a lot of people wrote checks because of the holiday weekend ” He said there was still a sizable

DUGGAN

tur nout at both “He’s going to need the money because the par ties’ (Democrat and Republican) are going to go af ter him hard af ter the primaries He isn’t known outside southeast Michigan, so his job until the primaries (August 2026) is to get people to know him,” the politico said “Duggan says, ‘Nobody hates me, nobody likes me – nobody knows me ’”

HAMMER TIME: One guber natorial candidate who is getting more heavily swatted than a fly in summer is U S Rep John James (R-Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, much of Macomb County), with numerous Republicans calling on him to drop his campaign and retur n to holding his congressional seat In June, President Donald Tr ump told him he wasn’t happy with him leaving his seat – which has the potential to be flipped – and repor tedly Tr ump and other top Republicans had told him not to r un for gover nor But James, who has r un for something ever y cycle since 2018, finally winning his cur rent job in 2022, is ravenous for more At a bill signing in June, Tr ump took a dig at the congressman for leaving the seat vulnerable “John James I don’t know You know, he’s r unning for gover nor, but I’m not sure I’m happy about that, John,” Tr ump said Now Mike Rogers, r unning to be the Republican candidate for Senate, said James “would get a lot of suppor t” if he “didn’t r un for gover nor ” Fellow Republican guber natorial candidate Mike Cox has called James “Job Jumping John James,” and Republican Senate Leader Aric Nesbitt, also r unning for gover nor, said a “lot of folks were disappointed” with James due to “how much work they did to get the Congressman elected to Congress ” Even last cycle’s Republican nominee, Tudor Dixon, who announced she’s not r unning in 2026 for gover nor or senate, said, “ The idea of having people step out of the House to r un for other offices and then ultimately Donald Tr ump doesn’t actually get those last two years will be a nightmare ” While we are at it, word is now solid that Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard’s son Michael Bouchard, Jr , is a definite go to r un as a Republican for James’ 10th Congressional seat

MORE 2026 SHIFTING: The early announcement of candidates for the U S Senate seat held by Democrat Gar y Peters, who is not r unning for reelection next year, has already scrambled a number of state House and Senate races as candidates line up for likely 2026 openings Then add to that the impact of a federal cour t order in 2024 to have the state redistricting commission redraw six state Senate districts, which also impacted another eight districts once the commission effor t was approved in July of 2024, all of which will be decided for the first time next year Now comes incumbent Republican state Representative Donni Steele from the 54th district who, word has it, will be announcing at some point for one of the new Senate districts – the 23rd to be exact The district, which has no sitting incumbent, will encompass Clarkston, a par t of Water ford Township, and all of the following townships: Addison, Almont, Atlas, Brandon, Dr yden, Hadley, Highland, Independence, Metamora Oakland, Orion, Oxford and Rose Steele was first elected to the state House in 2022 and again in 2024, beating Bloomfield Township Democrat Shadia Mar tini by just 48 votes in 2022 and 661 votes in 2024 Before Lansing, Steele spent time as a tr ustee and six years as treasurer in Orion Township She has made her bones in the state House, establishing her rep as a hard-working conser vative who is not afraid to break with the par ty on a vote when logic dictates Once it becomes official, watch for jockeying to fill her House seat which includes par t of nor th Oakland, along with Bloomfield Township, Aubur n Hills and Bloomfield Hills

JAMES

COX

NESBIT

STEELE

SPEAKING OF MARTINI: For those thinking that Shadia Mar tini would most likely make a third r un for the 54th district House seat with Steele seeking the Senate, think again Democrat Mar tini has decided to seek the “ new ” Senate district 7 which includes most of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Bir mingham, par t of Water ford, and all of Lake Angelus, Lathr up Village, Pontiac, Southfield, Southfield Township, Franklin, Bingham Far ms and Beverly Hills The incumbent in the district, Democrat Jeremy Moss, has already announced he is r unning in 2026 for the U S House seat held by Democrat Haley Stevens, an announced candidate for Gar y Peters U S Senate seat Mar tini, who moved to Oakland County 30 years ago from Syria, has r un a small business in Southfield for the past 20 years The Senate candidate held a kickoff event for the race on July 14

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND: Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who was reelected to a second ter m in 2024, has announced she is seeking the Democratic nomination for Michigan attor ney general in 2026 McDonald, of Bir mingham, joins a growing field of candidates to fill cur rent Attor ney General Dana Nessel’s shoes – Nessel is ter m-limited –along with Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit and for mer U S Attor ney Mark Totten of Kalamazoo Cur rently, the only Republican seeking their par ty ’ s nomination is defense attor ney Kevin Kijewski of Bir mingham GOP and DEM par ty r ules provide that candidates do not r un in the August primar y but are appointed by the par ty at their convention McDonald, who was an Oakland County Circuit judge prior to r unning for county prosecutor, may have a leg up over her competitors having gotten a load of state – and national – press while successfully prosecuting the Oxford school shooter and, in a first for the countr y, his parents for involuntar y manslaughter In her video announcement, McDonald said she is a “fighter ” for the rights of Michigan residents

LOCAL DEPORTATION: The adage that it can’t happen here seems fitting in this case Although details are scarce, we lear ned in late April that a graduating student, a woman from India, at the renown Cranbrook Academy of Ar t in Bloomfield Hills, was depor ted as par t of the federal immigrant push taking place nation-wide School officials were reluctant to speak about the issue, with one official responding by email, “Please understand that we cannot comment on any student matters for privacy reasons, in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) ” Unofficially, from multiple sources, including others graduating at the end of the school year, we were told that the depor ted student had ar tworks on display at an annual event the academy hosts and was assured that if any of her works sold at the event, proceeds would be for warded to her Our attempt to gather fur ther infor mation from federal officials proved fr uitless

NO COMMENT: We share the following from WIRED magazine’s June 17 politics column, written by Vittoria Elliotta and Leah Feiger, about a farright flag with the popular symbol for Christian nationalists and other fringeright ideologies that was car ried by Januar y 6 rioters and was raised in early June over the Small Business Administration building in Washington, DC According to the magazine, “On June 11, Kelly Loeffler, the for mer senator from Georgia and cur rent administrator of the SBA, par ticipated in a ceremony where a new flag of the United States was raised over the agency ’ s headquar ters Just beneath that flag, on what appeared to be the same halyard, was an APPEAL TO HEAVEN flag, which was of ten flown during the American Revolution” but has since been adopted by Christian nationalists, the Proud Boys, and some factions of the QAnon crowd Sources told WIRED that the APPEAL TO HEAVEN flag was raised for less than a day

SAVIT

MCDONALD

TOT TEN

MARTINI

FA C E S

R yan Wooley

The Detroit Tigers are the first MLB team to earn 50 wins this season, and professional DJ and announcer Ryan Wooley is adding his magic up in the booth inside Comerica Park while living out his childhood dream.

As the secondary public address announcer for the Tigers, his new job this season is responsible for providing colorful player introductions and creating variety in game presentations ”It’s an ambition I’ve had since I was a kid, standing in front of the mirror practicing for hours to get this right, and I have to pinch myself now that I’m actually doing it,” said the 40-year-old Wooley. “Trying out for the position was a lot of stress but I knew I had a good chance when one of the judges said they got chills during my audition ”

No stranger to energizing a crowd, he got his start as the backyard announcer for wrestling matches his neighborhood friends held when they were young He then went on to the DJ booth at a roller skating rink in Westland, Michigan, before branching out and taking his show on the road for weddings, graduation parties, corporate events and more His entertainment company, Mammoth Entertainment, has been packing dance floors at special events for over 10 years with professional DJ services

Wooley is also a pro on the broadcast microphone, as he is a former local radio sportscaster for both 97.1 “The Ticket” and WWJ Newsradio 950, and handles play-by-play for Eastern Michigan University’s men's and women's basketball, as well as volleyball on ESPN+

“I know it sounds cliché, but I really believe you are a sum of all of your parts, and I have worked so hard at learning every aspect of my craft and put in the hours so I think it has all paid off,” said Wooley, who studied electronic media at Eastern Michigan University. The broadcaster, with nearly two decades in both sports radio and television, has been awarded "Best Sportscast" six times by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, and four times by the Associated Press

Wooley may earn the title of 'hardest working broadcaster in metro Detroit, working in so many facets of the business, and says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “My wife and I have worked out schedules so that I can pursue my dreams and so can she, and we still have a work-life balance for our family that is our number one priority,’ said the father of three His latest project is a sports show for Bloomfield Community Television (B CTV) that he writes, produces, edits and anchors

’We cover local events like 'Duel in the D, the charity hockey game between U of M and Michigan State,” he said. “I’m also very excited about the Sports Broadcasting Camp we are running at B CTV August 11-14 and 18-20, for area residents to learn hands-on experience to cover live sports – something never offered before,” he said

Getting to his “office” at Comerica Park – the same booth broadcast giant Ernie Harwell worked in, is still surreal for Wooley. “Other than things like my marriage and the birth of my children, the biggest thrill in life was when my family heard my first announcements broadcast at the Tigers game I still put everything I have into each game, just like I did in my original audition ”

Wooley said he’s keeping an eye out for another broadcasting job now that it’s been stated the WNBA will be returning back to Detroit in 2029 with an expansion team.

”I would absolutely love to be a part of that organization if I’m given the chance ”

Story: Susan Peck

Photo: Laurie Tennent

NEONIC S

WHILE PROVING A BENEFIT TO AGRICULTURE, THE IMPACT ON AQUATIC LIFE A CONCERN

B Y MARK H. STOWERS

Land and water har monize to compose Michigan into an outdoorsman’s paradise with lakes and streams and rivers bordered by four of the Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Erie and Michigan Much like a Lennon and McCar tney masterpiece, land and water create the paradise but contaminants from residential, industr y and agriculture threaten to break up that har mony

For generations, insecticides and pesticides have been used to control and manage the wilds of Mother Nature, her creatures, and the diseases that threaten crops Scientists have studied and produced mass insecticides that, in the early years, were as simple as elemental sulfur, arsenic compounds, and plant-derived substances like tobacco, herbs, and pyrethr um Later, synthetic organic compounds such as DDT and 2,4-D were introduced Each one represented a step for ward as being better, more targeted, and used in much smaller, more specific doses. In the 1990s, neonics (pronounced "Nee- oh-nicks"), also known as neonicotinoids, were developed as insecticides and seed coatings for crops such as cor n and soybeans. As science created more precise insecticides, their popularity and usage increased The neonic chemical Clothianidin is used as a coating on cor n seeds, and Imidacloprid is applied on soybeans. Thiamethoxam is used in both.

While improvements in precise insecticides are a benefit to agriculture, scientists are now realizing that there are downsides with impacts on the sur face waters – lakes and tributaries – and aquatic life.

While improvements in precise insecticides are a benefit to agriculture, scientists are now realizing that there are downsides with impacts on the surface waters –lakes and tributaries – and aquatic life.

Neonics inter fere with the ner vous system of insects by binding to and overstimulating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in ner ve cells This overstimulation causes uncontrollable shaking, twitching, paralysis, and ultimately death in insects

A Trout Unlimited magazine ar ticle stated, “Neonicotinoids quickly became the most widely used group of insecticides in the world, and their popularity is only increasing Similar to nicotine but synthetic in composition, they were developed as a safer alter native to the previously used organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, which were known to have har mful side effects on humans and other mammals They are applied directly to plants or use as seed coatings, allowing absorption into the plant tissues, targeting pest species that could infect the crop ”

These new insecticides are made to har m and kill insects like sap feeders – such as aphids, whiteflies, and planthoppers Neonics also target beetles (including white gr ubs), fleas (found in both cat and dog flea/tick collars), wood-boring insects, and cer tain flies that can invade and damage Michigan row crops

Neonics have other broad-reaching and unintended effects Most of ten they are associated with the decline in pollinators and birds The insecticide isn’t selective in its target when it spreads beyond the tur nrow Inver tebrate insects, which fish feed on, are affected by neonics, including mayflies and midges The insecticide can become a twoedged sword to aquatic life by first eliminating a cr ucial level of the food chain for fish and other aquatic organisms and could possibly stunt growth Second, if these insects have ingested neonics and are then eaten by fish, it could pose a problem, although scientists have concluded that most mammals and many ver tebrates are not sensitive to neonics because they lack the same receptors

The Trout Unlimited ar ticle also highlighted a case that demonstrates this Near Lake Shinji in Japan, far mers star ted using neonicotinoids on their rice fields in 1993 Within a year, the food web made up of ar thropods like cr ustaceans and zooplankton collapsed By 1994, two commercial fisheries aquaculture for eel and smelt also fell apar t Neither has recovered In 2015, a nationwide review of 48 streams, both urban and r ural across the U S , detected at least one neonicotinoid in 53 percent of the samples Positive detections were most common in heavily far med areas, especially in the Midwest, but were also found in small streams in Califor nia and large urban regions

Another issue of ten seen in risk evaluation is that the organisms used for testing effects may not have been the best choice for understanding ecosystem impacts When the EPA approved

tests in the early 1990s, they primarily used water fleas (Daphnia) to measure the toxicity of neonicotinoids, but we now know these are much less sensitive to toxicity than many aquatic insects, sometimes by hundreds of times This means that the limits set by the EPA do not protect many aquatic insects

Recent findings have detected the presence of the chemical in Michigan sur face waters

“For aquatic insects, par ticularly impor tant trout foods like most mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies, just the presence of neonics in the par ts-per-billion range is lethal,” said Jack Williams, the for mer director of the Trout Unlimited science team, who has been reviewing the impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides on aquatic insects and their effects on trout

Emily Smith is a policy manager for the Michigan Environmental Council The nor ther n Michigan native has been there three years

“In Michigan, we've got 20 percent of the fresh water in the world My understanding is that neonics are ver y per vasive,” Smith said “A lot of research needs to be done on the total effects for human health ” Michigan far mers, who grow various crops like potatoes, wheat, cor n, and soybeans, know that crop loss caused by insects or weeds can be just as damaging Lost profits can lead to unpaid mor tgages, far m loans for planting, equipment, and crop inputs However, far mers have limited options Cor n and soybean seeds are treated with neonicotinoids and coated with fungicides and insecticides to protect against pests and diseases Seed companies are responsible for providing treated seeds The seeds available to far mers come already coated with these treatments

Calls to Bayer Crop Science and messages seeking more infor mation have not been retur ned at press time

According to the Trout Unlimited stor y, “From 2009 to 2011, the EPA estimated that 3 5 million pounds of the insecticide in various for ms –acetamiprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam –were applied to 127 million acres of agricultural crops each year, not counting the rapidly increasing use of seeds coated with neonicotinoids, which far mers use to proactively prevent pests When you include neonicotinoidcoated seeds, the Xerces Society estimates that more than five million pounds of these chemicals were used in 2011 alone ”

The two main producers of neonicotinoid products are Syngenta, based in Switzerland and Chicago and Bayer, based in Ger many and New Jersey

Recent studies have shown the presence of neonics in Michigan water ways, par ticularly those near large agricultural businesses where cor n and soybeans are cultivated Michigan

The insecticide can become a two-edged sword to aquatic life by first eliminating a crucial level of the food chain for fish and other aquatic organisms and could possibly stunt growth.

State Extension field crops exper t Chris DiFonzo explained more about neonics in cor n and soybeans

“Almost ever y acre of cor n seed is treated It comes that way The grower does not have a choice Unless it’s an organic grower, but regular field cor n is 99 9 percent treated at the company level,” DiFonzo said

Soybean growers do get more of a choice according to DiFonzo

“ We're 50-50 Fif ty percent are treated with a neonic and a fungicide There's always a fungicide along for the ride And then maybe 50 percent of the acres are probably the fungicide alone,” she said

In 2025 in Michigan, there were 2 25 million acres of cor n planted and 2 2 million acres of soybeans She noted that there aren’t many aerial applications of neonics in Michigan It’s almost all at the seed level DiFonzo also explained that each new chemical created and tested replaces a much harsher and more dangerous one

“ When it was introduced, it replaced organophosphate insecticides, which were originally developed from ner ve gas –essentially, World War II ner ve gas – and were extremely toxic to humans They especially affected the developing brains of children So, they were introduced just at the right time People of ten forget this was to replace a class of insecticides that was widely used on fr uits and vegetables Organophosphates are mostly phased out now We replaced a ver y large human health problem, a group of insecticides that was responsible for that, with neonics,” DiFonzo said

But with each replacement, nothing is per fect and not without impact

“ The way that the older genophosphates were used, they were sprayed on or just dribbled into the ground With cor n and soybeans, the neonics are placed right on the seed It's a ver y targeted kind of application,” DiFonzo explained

“In Michigan, the cor n far mer has no choice,” she said “It is put on with fungicides and nematicides and other products as a package And par t of it is for pest control, and par t of it is for convenience Because if I had just paid $350 for a bag of seed and then something ate it, I would come back to the company and complain, and then the company would have to pay out again It's insurance in cor n There would be times where you would judiciously, you probably do need it You're planting early when the seed sits in the ground for a while You're planting into soil that's kind of wet and maybe you think you might have pathogens and some other insect issues, or you have gr ubs, or you have wirewor m There are those kinds of cases ”

With fewer insects in Michigan for soybeans,

entomologists have agreed that there is less need for seed-treated soybeans, according to DiFonzo

“ We have ver y few insects in soybeans at planting The insects we do have, we recommend spraying for them if they are present And there'd be ver y limited cases where you would need seed-treated soybeans It's more of a choice at that point The grower can get their seed treated or not in soybeans We have recommended that for the average far mer with good ground and no pest pressure, they not have the neonic on their seed, that they don't need it, mostly But that's not how seed is sold Seed is sold as package deals, where far mers get deals from companies or, they get a package seed treatment It's easier for the company to put the five things on the seed than to have you want only the four The far mer is at the mercy of how seed is produced There's a convenience of scale that we have in almost ever y industr y ”

With seed costs being one of the most expensive purchases, far mers have to accept the coatings, especially with cor n A bag of treated and coated seed that will plant two acres costs up to $350 Spread that cost over 1,000 acres, and a far mer has a $175,000 planting bill right out of the gate to star t the growing season before any fer tilization or other crop inputs The cur rent cor n price is $4 15 per bushel and last year ’ s average yield was 181 bushels per acre That’s $751 per acre and those 1,000 acres would gross $751,150 But when equipment costs, fuel, insurance and employee costs are deducted that number can quickly change to a deficit A natural disaster of rain or other weather can cause a far mer to replant some acreage, cutting deeper into the projected retur n on investment

“Cor n is an untested system because it all comes treated A grower can't even order an untreated seed or non-neonic seed to see what would happen,” she said

And even as data and testing is coming out in the past 10 years showing neonics in water samples, prior chemicals would have had a much higher showing in decades past

“If you looked at what was in water 30 years ago, you would have picked up organophosphates and carbamates, which is what we used to use If you put stuff into the soil, the soil moves, and water moves Once it gets to the aquatic system, what does that mean? That I don't know But they don't bioaccumulate DDT bioaccumulated But neonics, the pyrethroids that we use, none of those things bioaccumulate They can't move up the food chain and get larger amounts, like we did with the old organochlorines That's another old one we phased out Organochlorines were replaced by organophosphates and organophosphates were replaced by

28,000 OFFICES 1,115 COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES

In Michigan, we've got 20 percent of the fresh water in the world. My understanding is that neonics are very pervasive. A lot of research needs to be done on the total effects for human health.

neonicotinoids We're always doing better,” DiFonzo said

The science of the insecticide is “If there's residue on a crop and you ate that, you would be exposed to that residue, and then you'd probably break it down in your body and pee it out or however it breaks down in the body But it wouldn't stay long-ter m in there,” DiFonzo said “ That’s par t of the EPA registration package If something bioaccumulated, it doesn't get registered ”

With the millions of acres planted, neonicotinoids go in the ground in March, April, May on all those acres just in those two crops “ There will be off movement through water for a period of time that could be detected,” And according to DiFonzo, “Michigan is the biggest cor n seed producer in the world Southwest Michigan and Nor thwest Indiana are the largest seed production areas for cor n in the world There are 60 growers producing 25,000 female acres ”

Looking at the aquatic impact of neonics, there is neonic contamination in Michigan waters, according to a June 2025 National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) repor t Michigan sur face waters – including tributaries – are of ten contaminated with neonics yearround at levels above safety thresholds for aquatic ecosystems Also, a US Geological Sur vey data shows 75 percent of samples from major tributaries contain detectable neonicotinoids The Saginaw River had 12 samples taken and 100 percent of them detected clothianidin Of the 24 samples taken for imidacloprid, 33 percent detected it The 12 samples for thiamethoxam only had 25 percent of the samples showing the chemical

The Clinton River sampling recorded findings of imidacloprid only but had some of the highest levels recorded in 2001 with 985 nanograms per liter The numbers decreased in 2018 to 809 and 723 in 2021 The nearly 82 mile river that ends in Lake St Clair also includes the upstream tributar y Paint Creek, the only designated coldwater trout stream in the state No tests for neonic residues were conducted at Paint Creek though

In 2023, Michigan’s Depar tment of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) collaborated with the Depar tment of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to test for neonics in state sur face waters The USGS repor t explained that neonics were detected at exactly half of the sites and the bulk of detections were from the three neonic active ingredients in seed treatments The sampling dates of May, July, September and November cor relate with the agriculture season Optimal planting is early to mid-May for cor n and soybeans Peak residues are expected af ter the first rainfall af ter planting and then in July and in November during har vest af ter rain

Kevin Cox, super visor for the Water Toxins Unit with EGLE and Dawn Roush, a super visor of the Lake Superior, Huron and Erie Unit, have been investigating emerging contaminants Roush has more than 24 years of experience, while Cox is picking up the work first begun by Dr Sarah Nedrick, for merly with EGLE The initial USGS sur vey kickstar ted their work

“ We saw that there were some detections of some of these, par ticularly in the Saginaw Watershed where the USGS did a few sample sites there,” Cox said “Seeing some of the infor mation from that study and reviewing a bit on just the overall use of these neonicotinoids and concer ns about par ticular pollinators, how much would we see in our sur face waters?”

EGLE conducted a comprehensive study r unning from August of 2021 to October of 2021; then restar ted it in April through July of 2022 With 14 sites sampled with both single time water grabs and passive sampler devices that collect chemicals over a 28-day period

“ We tested for six different neonicotinoids, both in the passive samplers and in the grab samples And we found really the big three that we were anticipating seeing fairly frequently That's imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam,” Cox said

His unit also set out to deter mine what an appropriate level of contaminant would be “ We wanted to see what value or concentration would impact aquatic life in our sur face waters and so these values end up coming out pretty low,” he said “Imidacloprid was 29 nanograms per liter That's a pretty low number while clothianidin was 81 nanograms per liter for the chronic value and thiamethoxam was 280 nanograms per liter Again, each compound has slightly different toxicities And what we found was that in seven of the 14 sites, imidacloprid at one time would exceed that chronic number It’s exceeding the value that could show impacts So, in this situation, mayflies and midges are the most sensitive, and that's how we based our number for all three of them ”

The EGLE repor t states that seven sites out of the 14 that have exceedances for imidacloprid as a pollutant, as an emerging contaminant in sur face water

“It was a little dishear tening to have half the sites with a number above We do also at times look at human health data But in this circumstance, the pesticide, the imidacloprid, is really targeting insect species Insects are much more sensitive than people If you look at some human health values in other states and locations and EPA, they're orders of magnitude are above where you're seeing impacts on the aquatic inver tebrates,” Cox said

The sur vey showed the cloth and maximum concentrations were also two to five times higher than what was seen previously Roush pointed out there is an agriculture presence in

There is neonic contamination in Michigan waters and tributaries, says the NRDC, often contaminated with neonics year around at levels above safety thresholds for aquatic ecosystems

the watershed and the pesticide impact was anticipated

“It gets into the water from r unoff, and it can be impactful to the macroinver tebrate communities in those waters if there's high enough concentrations,” she said

Roush also works with Region 5 EPA and other states in the Great Lakes region looking at emerging issues and neonics have been par t of that discussion

“ We primarily monitor waters that go to those three Great Lakes, but we also have some statewide effor ts, too One thing we have is the Water Chemistr y Monitoring Program, which is super vised within my unit We have 250 sites that were chosen randomly throughout the state in rivers and streams And we look at the 50 of those a year over a five-year period And so, each year, that's a random snapshot of the state Ever y year there are 50 across the state That way, ever y year we can get a snapshot of what's going on ”

With 26 routine parameters including phosphor us and nitrates, chloride, mercur y and lead are looked at ever y year

“ The sixth year, we go back and look at those 250 again and we also get trends over time Because this is a statewide effor t ever y year, it's nimble, and it's ver y easy to add an emerging issue to it We've done it for E coli We've done it for selenium And then we decided this was a great oppor tunity to investigate neonics Neonics, because while we hear a lot about agriculture, my question comes back to, what are neonics typically looking like through the state and our rivers and streams?”

She explained: “Anecdotally, I feel like you hear that they're definitely used in agriculture So, we look in agriculture area We conduct these targeted studies, and I think that's ver y impor tant But it's also impor tant to say, what do they typically look like in the state? Where are we typically finding them? How of ten are they exceeding a threshold? Is har mful to aquatic life? So that's where I come in The group that's in my unit oversees the study We have contractors who collect the data The first year we collected neonics was in 2023 ”

It took some time to figure out how to conduct the study per taining to who would conduct the lab analysis, what costs would be and where to find the money The study has 105 sites each year The study is looking at neonics but has focuses on such contaminants as PFAS, e-coli and microplastics and selenium

The sites in Oakland County included Kearsley Creek where dinotefuran was found in 2023, Sashabaw Creek where fipronil1 was found in 2024, the Huron River where imidacloprid was found in 2024 and Trout Creek where acetamidprid, dinotefuran and imidacloprid were all found in both 2023 and 2024

“ The sites are visited four times the year they

are sampled, once in May, July, September, and November All four Oakland County sites had at least one pesticide detected at least one time Of the pesticides in this analysis, Michigan has water quality standards for Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, and Thiamethoxam Of those three, Imidacloprid was found at two of the four sites in Oakland County,” Roush said “And while it was detected, Imidacloprid was not found higher than the acute value in any samples at either site At Trout Creek, Imidacloprid was found above the chronic value during one visit; however, two or more detections above the chronic value are required to be considered exceeding Michigan's chronic water quality standards that protect fish community and other indigenous aquatic life and wildlife designated uses ”

Cox noted that “while we can point out and with our repor ts, like we generated for the Saginaw, and then as Dawn’s group continues to gather data, we want to raise awareness in ter ms of making changes to that effor t across multi-agency multi-gover nment and public tr ying to move the needle ”

There is enough evidence in the 105 sites study, according to Cox, “where we've seen at least one of the pesticides we're looking at 46 times, so almost 50 percent of the time, That, to me, shows that there's an issue out there And then a total of nine sites, so almost 10 percent of the sites, you're seeing either Clothianidin or Imidacloprid or both exceeding that threshold ”

The duo can only pass their findings up the gover nment ladder, but EGLE doesn’t have the authority to change pesticide labels Only the United States Depar tment of Agriculture and the EPA can make those deter minations when they approve pesticides And the infor mation used to make deter minations is largely supplied by the manufacturer of the neonics

“Even if they're following the uses, we're still seeing these compounds exceeding our water quality values Maybe those labels need to be adjusted, but again, we don't have the authority to dictate what's approved and gets put on those differently And again, the far mers are just following the instr uctions and planting those seeds and those seeds and uses have been approved by the labeling for that pesticide use

Our job is to look for it because you can't manage something if you don't monitor for it ”

According to Cox, the half-life of the neonics used in Michigan are up to a year

“It s not an immediate breakdown when it gets released in the environment, like some chemicals It sticks around for a little while, but not like the level of PFOS where PFOS sticks around in the environment for a real long time,” he said “It's really impor tant for a state agency to target studies like we did in Saginaw And then also ask those statewide big-picture questions ”

LOCAL ISSUES CAN'T BE TACKLED WITHOUT LOCAL JOURNALISM

Thanks to the generosity of those listed on this page and the support from our partners in the local business community, Downtown Newsmagazine has been able to withstand a number of challenges in recent years to remain the dominant news source for the BirminghamBloomfield area.

We are an independent, multi-platform news operation Aside from our monthly newsmagazine, we post regularly to our website (downtownpublications com) and we send out a Weekly News Update newsletter every Friday along with special email alerts when there is breaking news of interest During the month we also send out our political gossip newsletter (Oakland Confidential) and each month we also email our restaurant newsletter (Metro Intelligencer) On a bi-weekly schedule we send out our Threatened Planet newsletter with aggregated environment stories from publications around the world

We remain strong, but to continue offering our products at no charge, and continue to grow in terms of what we offer to readers, we ask local residents for community support in the form of donations.

Our thanks to those listed below who donated to support local journalism, and to donors who asked to remain anonymous.

Alan T. Ackerman

Michael Alberts

Linda Aviv

Nolen Barnes

Kristy Barrett

Eugenie Beall

Corey Beaubien

Michael Beauregard

Christine Beck

Ann Bieneman

Roselyn Blanck

Gregg Bloomfield

Richard Blumenstein

Patricia Bordman

Carolyn Borman

Christine Braun

David Bridge

Thomas Brookover

Gerald Brody

Jacob Brody

Joshua Brody

Frank Brzenk

James Callaghan

Robert Citrin

Janice Cohen

Karen Couf- Cohen

Susan Cooper

Peggy Daitch

John DeAngelis

Terrence Desmond

George Dilgard

Christopher Dolan

John Dorsey

Alan Ducatman

Mark Elliott

Ilene Emmer

Elaine S. Fieldman

Allison Friedman

Reida Gardiner

Cheryl Germeroth

Marilyn M Goldberg

Deborah Gordon

Maureen/Lawrence Grady

Ned Greenberg

Marc Greenlee

Pat Hardy

Jack Harned

Jill Harris

Arnold Hirsch

Amy Hochkammer

Garrett Hohendorf

Steven Howell

Sally Ingold

Steven Jacob

David Joswick

Judith Keefer

Brian Kepes

Gerd H Keuffel

Patricia Klimek

Barbara Kratchman

David Lanciault

Arthur (Bud) Liebler

Cynthia Link

Karen Linnell

Joseph/Linda LoDuca

Eleanor Luedtke

Maria Marcotte

Melissa Mark

Sheri L Mark

Debra Markus

Joseph Mazeika

Michael McGillivray

Lynn Medow

Stuart Michaelson

Artis/Justine Noel

Peggy Peterson

Michael Pettibone

Connie Pierce

Susan Post

Annis Pratt

Gail Rapson

Barb Ritsema

Peter Robinson

Cynthia Rose

Peter Ruseckas

Dan Schechter

William Seklar

Ronald Sheffield

Larry Sherman

Keith Sirlin

Andrew Siudara

Jean Steed

Emily Tobias

David J. Underdown Jr.

Annie VanGelderen

Stef VanHellemont

Wendy Wagenheim

Gail Whitty

Andrea Wilkins

Randi Yaffa

Stephani Yates

Publicity City PR

The Health Nut

The JAYNE Group

Walker Professional Writing Services

Neonics are likely some of the most potent insecticides ever created and used on the largest scale annually… you have some of the most ecologically destructive pesticides since DDT.

Dan Raichel, director of Pollinators and Pesticides for the Natural Resources Defense Council, is an attor ney by training and has been involved with neonic since becoming aware of the chemical’s endanger ment to bees

“ There's only one factor that maps with that sudden spike of losses, and that's the sudden uptick in use, the massive uptick in use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics for shor t, which are likely some of the most potent insecticides ever created and used on the largest scale annually in American histor y, ” Raichel said “And so, you add that together and you have some of the most ecologically destr uctive pesticides since DDT ”

He fur ther stated, “it's not just the seed, but it's the plant as well Neonics were the first systemic insecticides And what that means is they are designed to per meate plants They get into the leaves, the roots, the pollen, the nectar, ever ything, with the idea being they make the plant itself pesticidal So that allows people to paint them, literally paint them on crop seeds, with the idea being as that seed is growing into a plant it soaks up the poison or the toxin, the active ingredient, through its roots and makes the plant toxic The issue is only two to five percent of that active ingredient gets into the target plant The other 95 plus percent stays in the soil where it persists for years and years and years And the issue with neonics is that systemic activity Basically, what allows them to get sucked up into the plant is that they are ver y watersoluble ”

When the rains come, according to Raichel, “those neonics are moving through the soil, they're contaminating new soil If that new soil has wild plants in it, they soak up the pesticides, they become toxic If there is a water supply nearby, that sur face water, ground water, that water supply becomes polluted And because they're persistent for several years, what happens is year af ter year use of these seed treatments, you get a buildup of toxicity in the soil Again, that's expanding into ever y nook and cranny of the ecosystem ever y time it rains ”

Quoting research from a Cor nell University study, Raichel noted, “In climates like Michigan, the data shows that these seed treatments provide no net income benefits for far mers So ver y rarely are you getting a yield benefit from using a seed coating, and even in those rare cases that you do, that additional cost of having treatment on the seed versus the benefit, economically, it's a wash This is research that's come out all across the United States, across the Midwest that Cor nell actually put together ”

He also explained the inter national significance of neonics and what other countries are doing

“Europe did prohibit the three main neonics, the ones used as seed treatments, in 2013 they expanded the ban to just about ever ything in 2018 Other jurisdictions have been a little bit more surgical The Canadian gover nment enacted a policy in Ontario, too, whereby far mers, if they wanted to use a neonic coating on their crop seed for a field crop seed – cor n, soybean, wheat, other small grains – would need to get a prescription from their agronomist stating it was going to treat a legitimate pest problem Because, again, what the research was showing is that these were not providing economic benefits, they were being used on all crops, basically prophylactically That would be like taking an antibiotic now, just in case you might get sick in December With the prescription requirement, we saw neonic use rates drop in Quebec from 100 percent on cor n, 50 percent in soybean, to less than 0 3 percent in cor n and zero percent in soybean in a matter of years without any switching to more har mful alter natives or associated crop loss In fact, crop production has been either flat or up since those r ules went into place And so that model has also been copied in the United States ”

Even with the research, the Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources “boots on the ground” with fisheries have not seen damage to Michigan fish wor th noting according to Cleyo Har ris, a DNR fisheries technician

“It's not something that's on our radar as far as sampling it If we did anything, it would just be collecting fish for EGLE to test,” he said

The 2025 Michigan Health and Human Ser vices Eat Fish Safe Guide doesn’t list neonics as a contaminant found in any fish across the state The guide lists mercur y (usually a r unoff chemical from golf courses and lawns), PFOS, and PCBs MDHHS tests filet samples of fish taken from Michigan’s lakes and rivers to find out which fish are safer to eat The Eat Safe Fish Guide lists the fish that have been tested, along with the safe amount to eat

“ The histor y of pesticide use shows that we keep replacing pesticides with better options That’s really the tr uth We used to use arsenic as our first pesticide We continue to replace, replace, replace And now we have neonics, which don't have many of the health effects on humans However, they cause pollinator issues and may enter water, affecting non-target insects due to their widespread use And why are they so broadly used? Because they replaced many har mful substances on large areas of land So, we need to keep that perspective in mind We do our best to replace bad with better but better isn't always best We're always working toward that,” DiFonzo said

FA C E S

Ananya Singla

Arising senior at Detroit Country Day School, Ananya Singla from Bloomfield Hills recently published her first book: Drive Through Diaries: A Lesson in Life and Fries (FriesenPress) inspired by her professional reflections. Yet, the teen author did not plan to pursue this path

“I never really considered myself a proper writer,” she said “But I worked at McDonald’s and it was such a big learning curve for me I matured in that job and learned how to properly interact with others and fiscal responsibilities ”

Her mom encouraged her to document the lessons she learned. “There were funny stories, so I thought it would be fun to write a book to help other people like me who haven’t entered the workforce yet and could use it as a guide,” said Singla “It was a really fun process ”

On the lighter side, Singla shares a memorable moment “I was making a smoothie in a blender and there is a cleaner that is highly pressurized and sprouts up water. The lid of the blender fell onto the washing system and the smoothie drenched the entire kitchen in water and smoothie bits,” she recalled “It was on the floor and the ceiling and my uniform and my manager In the end, it was something to laugh about ” She also never made the same mistake again

The observations and interactions had a lasting impact “Everybody knows everybody has their own independent life, but I had a co-worker who was working at a slower pace and a fast food restaurant can get a little hectic,” said Singla “I was getting really frustrated, but I thought, let me ask her, ‘Are you okay?’ She said she was a little tired because she goes to night school and then has to come to work That made me take a step back and appreciate her I was a 15year-old teen doing this job for fun and to get some pocket money It made me stop and think that you should give people some leniency and work as a team and think about where people are coming from ”

Singla, who currently works at a pediatric clinic and as an SAT tutor, plans to pursue the healthcare profession and hopes to attend medical school “I really do love helping people,” she said The young author also hopes to help teens with her book and give them a laugh.

“I hope that people take away one lesson It sounds like a cliché, but it really is all about mindset I went into that job with an open mind and I learned from my manager and co-workers and customers,” said Singla, who also had the opportunity to interview a McDonald’s franchise owner for her book

Writing a book taught her many valuable skills “I have so much respect for authors. It was definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It took about a year-and-a-half to get to the finish line for about 120 pages,” she said “I reached out to publishing companies and then sent the manuscript back and forth to the publisher for editing We finally got the manuscript done and then came the illustrations I had to describe scenarios to an illustrator, which also taught me how to write and be super descriptive. I love the illustrations and I hope the reader does too.”

The cover design, chapter layout and font would follow Singla has then reached out to local media, libraries and bookstores to share her experiences

“No matter where you are working – it can be fast food or a hospital – it doesn’t matter what you do, all the lessons I learned, like how to interact with others and handle money, are applicable to many different situations.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Laurie Tennent

Photo:

C I PA L

Birmingham Towers project postponed

By Grace Lovins

Following the Bir mingham planning board s decision to postpone a recommendation regarding the Bir mingham Towers project, to be located at 479 S Old Woodward, city commissioners voted to postpone their decision on the project during the Monday, July 14, meeting until mid-August

Bir mingham Towers, a development having been in the works for about five years, is set to replace what was an existing building on S Old Woodward with five levels: two levels of underground parking, one level of retail, two levels of office and two levels of residential Original plans for the development were approved in September of 2020 Both the city ’ s planning board and commission have reviewed Bir mingham Towers’ applications a number of times over the last five years

Following a contentious discussion between Bir mingham’s Planning

Board, members of the public and a private developer, the special land use per mit application for Bir mingham Towers was postponed for the second time during the Wednesday, June 25, meeting Bir mingham Towers, a proposed five-stor y mixed-use building, has come before the planning board a number of times in the last five years The original plans received final site plan approval from the board in September of 2020 but has undergone several adjustments sending the item before both the planning board and board of zoning appeals several times since

At the June 25 planning board meeting the owners of Bir mingham Tower were hoping for final approval of a modified site plan and design as well as a special land use per mit Planning director Nick Dupuis wrote in the meeting packet that the modified plans caused considerable change to the on-site parking Per city ordinance, approving the special land use per mit request would waive the parking requirements for the site Board chair Scott Clein noted during the meeting that the

applicants, Bir mingham Tower Par tners LLC, submitted a parking analysis to the city ’ s planning depar tment just a few hours before the star t of the meeting He said the submission was not only “ ver y disrespectful to the time and effor t” the city puts into the process but also inconsiderate to the members of the public who came out

“In my opinion you have lef t us no choice,” Clein said “It is our duty as a board representing the city of Bir mingham and indeed the city of Bir mingham to provide due process to your application so this board cannot in my mind take any action on your proposal tonight because we have a significant submittal from you that has not been vetted and the reason it has not been vetted is because that it was submitted late af ter noon today ” Bir mingham Towers LLC ’ s attor ney Patrick Howe, of JP Howe PLLC, said that the repor t was sent to the board as a cour tesy and wasn’t meant to “slip under the door ” Doraid Markus, one of the owners of Bir mingham Towers, offered to withdraw the repor t and

submit it at a later date before the city commission reviews the application To that, Clein asked how commissioners could analyze the board’s recommendation if the commission was receiving brand new infor mation

Only one planning board member, Daniel Share, disagreed with Clein, saying that he would not suppor t a motion to postpone the item without giving Bir mingham Tower par tners the oppor tunity to completely withdraw the repor t

While things heated up during public comment when residents expressed their fr ustrations with attending a meeting only to have the item postponed again, the board ultimately voted 5-1 to postpone the application until the Wednesday, July 23, meeting Share was the lone vote against postponement

At the meeting, planning board chair Scott Clein said that the applicant’s submission of a parking analysis to the city ’ s planning depar tment a few hours before the star t of the meeting was not only “ ver y disrespectful to the time and effor t” the city puts into the process

but also inconsiderate to the members of the public who came out to speak on the item

At the city commission meeting on July 14, city manager Jana Ecker said that since the planning board has not made a recommendation on the project, the commission can’t make a decision and the city is therefore requesting to postpone the item until the first meeting in August Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the postponement until the Monday, August 11, meeting Katie Schafer and Clinton Baller were absent from the meeting

Annual service report by township police

By Dana Casadei

During this year ’ s 2024 annual police repor t presentation to the township board on Monday, June 23, James Gallagher, Bloomfield Township Police Chief, highlighted all the work they ’ ve accomplished this past year to keep the township safe and continue their strong involvement in the community “ We’re hoping we ’ re making an impact in the neighborhoods,” he said at the board of tr ustees meeting

Through the depar tment’s Ser vice Oriented Policing, there were 1,633 vacation house checks, 104 school security checks, 501 citizen assists, and 244 vehicle lockouts Gallagher noted that the Bloomfield Township police depar tment is one of the few municipalities that still do vehicle lockouts, where they are able to help motorists who have locked their keys in their cars

In total, there were roughly 24,905 calls for ser vice, down about five percent from 2023 Gallagher said that decline is because they ’ re still down officers and were down 13 at one point in 2024 There’s high hopes that they will be back to being fully staffed by next May

Due to the depar tment, being down officers Gallagher said he believes that was par t of the cause for a slight increase in par t B crimes, which totaled 244 in 2024 Par t B crimes are typically misdemeanors that car r y a penalty of less than one year in prison and range from a hit

and r un accident to liquor law violations and driving while under the influence

Even though there was a slight increase with par t B crimes there was a massive decrease – 16 percent – for par t A crimes, which are the most serious offenses, such as robberies, stalking, assault, and fraud and ID thef t

The last two years there were increases in par t A crimes, primarily due to fraud and ID thef ts, robberies, and automobile thef ts

Out of the nearly 25,000 calls for ser vice, nearly 800 resulted in ar rests, the repor t showed “ We’re ver y transparent with these numbers,” Gallagher said

While calls for ser vice were a little low compared to last year, numbers for the year were nearly double that, with 42,564 non-emergency calls, 736 texts to 911, and 16,199 for 911

The dispatch unit is staffed by 12 dispatchers and one dispatch super visor

Another unit within the police depar tment with high numbers for 2024 was the proper ty and records depar tment Throughout the year

there were 1,139 pieces of proper ty brought into evidence, 690 Freedom of Infor mation Act (FOIA) requests processed, and 322 dog tags issued

Outside of all the work completed inside the building was the work the Bloomfield Township police did out in the community

The police depar tment has had a large focus on community involvement for years, and continued to do so this last year, the chief said In 2024, they hosted town hall meetings, brought back the Youth Police Academy, and held women ’ s self-defense classes

They raised over $20,000 for the Special Olympics, gave tours for local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and even built a ramp for a local resident who needed wheelchair assistance to get into their home

Gallagher said they also spent some time in the pediatrics section at Beaumont Hospital, where they went to ever y room and handed out gif t cards to the families with loved ones in the hospital

The full repor t can be found at bloomfieldtwp org/police/policeannual-repor ts/

MEX Restaurant patio expansion approved

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield township Board of Tr ustees voted unanimously for MEX Restaurant to move for ward with its proposed patio expansion, which will add an additional 890 5-square-feet to its cur rent patio

new 5-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk will be installed between the patio and access drive for easy access to the restaurant’s front door, and one parking lot tree will have to be relocated

Bell Bistro expanded outdoor dining okayed

The addition will allow for 55 patrons to sit outside when the weather is nice next year, hopefully by next summer The project work to the existing restaurant will star t in Januar y 2026 , and is being considered a seasonal outdoor area rather than an addition to the space because this expansion isn’t going to be a fully enclosed building

Prior to its remodel a few years ago MEX Restaurant had large opening garage doors that lead to the patio, but during their remodel they switched to sliding glass doors, which was not a successful plan

“ We did sliding glass doors and we failed It feels like an alley on the patio now, ” said Josh Humphrey, par t owner of MEX Restaurant and chief operating officer for Peas & Car rots Hospitality “ This plan just opens it up and makes for a better patio season for our guests There’s a finite amount of days to sit on a patio so we ’ re tr ying to capitalize on that ”

The proposed space will have an exterior that’s predominately stucco with a Santa Barbara finish on the bottom por tion, with cement breeze block above, and a composite decking parapet There will also be shading elements made of bamboo material to block some of the sun

“It looks ver y attractive, it looks a lot more appealing and yet you don’t feel like you ’ re sitting on the edge of the parking lot,” said tr ustee Valerie Mur ray “I think it looks ver y nice ”

The site plan and special land use request has already gone before the design review board and planning commission, both of which voted unanimously to have the plan come before the board of tr ustees

The last time MEX Restaurant, located at 6675 Telegraph Road went before any township board, was nearly 13 years ago

In 2012, they were approved for a Class C Liquor license and extended hours of operation The restaurant was later approved for the south patio and year-round for the west patio With this patio expansion the hours of MEX Restaurant will not change from what they cur rently are

Due to the changes to the patio, a

By Grace Lovins

A unique outdoor dining area proposed by Bell Bistro, 185 N Old Woodward, that would blend the bistro’s dining area with a neighboring business, Paris Baguette, was approved by the Bir mingham City Commission during the Monday June 23, meeting, allowing Bell Bistro to expand its outdoor dining from its previous four seats to 22 seats

Planning director Nick Dupuis explained that the proposal takes advantage of a bump- out that was created during the recent reconstr uction of Nor th Old Woodward Bell Bistro’s neighbor, Paris Baguette, has already been taking advantage of the space for their outdoor dining area, he said Per the plans, Bell Bistro would have outdoor dining next to, and nearly blended with, Paris Baguette’s cur rent outdoor dining set up and par tially in front of Paris Baguette’s storefront The bistro’s por tion of the seating would be enclosed a requirement for restaurants that ser ve alcohol and consist of 22 seats The city ’ s ordinance allows restaurants to expand their outdoor dining past their own storefront as long as written per mission from the adjacent proper ty owner is submitted

Randy Dickow, owner of Bell Bistro said the plans resulted from months of discussion and collaboration with city staff as well as Paris Baguette He said the reconstr uction put the bistro in a tight spot when it came to expanding their outdoor dining, but he feels the bump- out was meant for something like their proposal

Commissioner Jason Emerine said this plan suits the vision that the city had before the outdoor dining ordinance “ This is exactly what the planning board wanted when we craf ted the ordinance This is exactly what we want as a commission ” he said

The commission ultimately voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve the plans Paris Baguette will also have to amend the site plan with the city to reflect the change, which Dupuis said could be handled administratively

City dumpster issues outlined in report

By Grace Lovins

Bir mingham’s city commission

may look to add dumpster regulations to an agenda given a recent repor t on the issue included in the Monday, July 14, commission meeting

City staff provided a detailed repor t on what sur rounding communities are doing to address dumpster related issues as well as potential solutions for the city

Back in May of 2024, the city discussed handling garbage downtown and the potential for bringing it to a meeting as a for mal agenda item Since then, the planning depar tment provided commissioners with a repor t on how the city cur rently handled dumpsters Commissioners wanted to lear n more about what other communities were doing to address dumpster related issues and what oppor tunities the city may pursue

The repor t in Monday night’s was written by planning director Nick

Dupuis and included community insights from Royal Oak, Fer ndale and Rochester Per Dupuis’ repor t, each city described experiencing the same challenges with the number of dumpsters, types of waste, enforcement of city code and ordinances as well as managing the human side of things

For Bir mingham, Dupuis explained, some of the key issues the city experiences but has difficulty solving include the high volume of dumpsters and frequency of pick-up ser vice, spatial limitations, abuse and improper disposal, operational costs, and aesthetics and nuisance

Dupuis suggests that the city would benefit from a multi-faceted approach to address these issues

Dupuis detailed five different approaches the commission could consider: centralized compactor systems, which he writes would reduce the quantity of solid waste containers downtown but could be more complicated to manage; containerized waste collection, an approach the city already takes, could improve with standardized container options in a modified

program; public-private par tnerships may help offset the cost of a solid waste program; smar t bins and sensors could help maximize efficiency of collection; and policy and enforcement which Dupuis said would take more dedicated resources to maintain consistent enforcement Commissioners did not discuss the dumpster repor t during the meeting but noted that it was included in the packet and reviewed by the commission No for mal action was taken on the item

Annual Birmingham Day On The Town

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 26, for the annual Day On The Town sale event scheduled for downtown Bir mingham

This popular event, which r uns from 9 a m to 5 p m is considered the biggest and most exciting retail event of the year at which visitors can find deeply discounted merchandise from over 60 retailers, food tr ucks, and more in stores and throughout the streets and

sidewalks of downtown Bir mingham

Discounts up to 70 percent will be available at premium retailers, including those offering clothing and accessories, jewelr y, fur niture and personal care items

Adding to the festivities, food tr ucks will be on site ser ving up sweet treats and other food items for purchase From 12 – 2 p m , head to the Channel 955 Ice Cream Tr uck for complimentar y ice cream (while supplies last)

From 10 a m – 1 p m , the Bir mingham Police Depar tment will host its annual Open House event along Pierce and Mar tin Streets, with enter tainment for all ages, including a variety of hands- on activities and demonstrations

Parking is free in municipal str uctures during the event For convenient parking locations, visit downtownbir mingham com/park

Old Woodward Avenue will be closed to vehicles from Willits Street to Brown Street; Maple Road will be closed from Bates Street to Peabody Street for retail displays and pedestrian traffic

Potential city-private partnership deals

By Grace Lovins

Following the Monday, June 23, Bir mingham City Commission meeting the city will begin looking into complex par tnerships between the city and private entities on public proper ty The commission expressed an interest in lear ning more about potential oppor tunities for working with private developers to develop or utilize city proper ty in a way that benefits the city

The question was raised by city attor ney Mar y Kucharek who said during discussions that the city was approached by a private developer asking to dive into a combined public and private project She said the question to the commission was to deter mine if they had an interest in looking at such projects

Kucharek fur ther explained in a memorandum included in the meeting packet that par tnerships between public and private entities would involve exploring the types of par tnerships and developments that

the city would be interested in These par tnerships or developments would involve development on public proper ty with a financial benefit to the city

Most commissioners agreed that there was an interest in pursuing such par tnerships on behalf of the city

“ We have things that we need and want We have infrastr ucture requirements beyond our ability to fund them We would love a $40 million community center We’re not crazy about the police station we got

So, we have things that we want and need and we can’t afford,” said commissioner Clinton Baller

Mayor Therese Longe built off Baller ’ s sentiment, saying it begs the question if the commission would be remiss to not enter tain any potential ideas that would benefit the city and its residents

No for mal action was taken by the commission as the item was a city staff repor t, but the commission communicated an interest in looking fur ther into potential par tnerships between the city and private entities to address community wants and needs

Special assessment for W imbleton project

By Grace Lovins

The Bir mingham City Commission voted unanimously during the Monday June 23 meeting to confir m a revised special assessment roll for phase I of the Wimbleton Road improvement project, clearing the way for proper ty owners to begin paying their share of the $131,381 paving project over the next decade

The special assessment district will fund road improvements to Wimbleton Drive between Woodward Avenue and Oxford Road as well as segments of Abbey Street and Twin Oaks However, following the last confir mation of the roll for the special assessment during the Monday, May 5, meeting, the city altered the cost split for the calculations of proper ty owners with frontage on the street

Originally, the assessment used an 85/15 split, where homeowners would be responsible for 85 percent of the project cost and the city would

pay 15 percent Residents argued during the previous public hearing that the split was not equitable, which prompted the commission to alter the split to a 50/50 sharing between the city and some affected proper ty owners

That does not mean that the number they were going to be [paying] at the last public hearing before the 50/50 split decision gets divided in half,” city manager Jana Ecker said “ What the commission decided at the last meeting was that the 85/15 split for the front was not propor tional and changed that to a 50/50 split ”

Ecker stated that the 50/50 split applies to the front of the proper ty, but does not include side yards or rear yards For instance, houses that have frontage on the road as well as a side yard on the road will see the 50/50 split on the assessment for the frontage of the proper ty but will still have an 85/15 split for the side yard por tion of their assessment

Deputy treasurer Ryan Kats noted that the cost to proper ty owners will be spread over 10 years with an annual interest rate of 8 5 percent

which will be applied to unpaid balances

The commission voted unanimously, 7-0, to confir m the roll for the special assessment

Liquor license criteria updated in township

By Dana Casadei

Multiple updates within the criteria to obtain a Class C or taver n liquor license were approved at the Bloomfield Township Board of Tr ustees meeting on Monday, June 23

Clerk Mar tin Brook noted that this was being brought to the board as a housekeeping item to update some outdated aspects in the original 2015 resolution

“ Thank you for presenting that and updating it,” said tr ustee Neal Bar nett, who has been on the board of tr ustees since 2004 “Going through those minutes was like going through memor y lane ”

Par t of the resolution’s focus was to update the criteria’s monetar y figures tied to license approval to be more in line with cur rent inflation

Monetar y amounts that changed within the resolution include an increase from $250,000 to $333,000 for

the prefer red minimum past capital investment during the past five years by the applicant; and the same increase was made for the amount expended for the rehabilitation or restoration of the building that houses the licensee over the preceding five years or a commitment for a capital investment of at least that amount shall be $330,000 in the building that houses the licensed premises That must be expended before the issuance of the license

The minimum prefer red capital investment for the new development or redevelopment by the applicant will now be $2 million compared to the original $1 5 million to reflect inflation rates in 2025

Since gambling is per mitted under state law, the resolution will allow for omitting an amendment in the 2015 license that required applicants tr ying to get a Class C or taver n liquor license to demonstrate that they would not allow or per mit gambling on the premises

Another item that will be removed discussed applicants needing to receive a favorable recommendation from the Bloomfield Township Police Depar tment af ter a completed background check This is no longer needed since the Michigan Liquor

Control Commission conducts background investigations

The resolution was approved 7-0

New voting precincts for city of Birmingham

The city of Bir mingham has consolidated its nine existing election precincts into five election precincts, a measure that increases efficiency, reduces costs and changes precinct numbers and/or polling places for most of the city ’ s registered voters, according to city clerk Alexandria Bi ngham

The Bir mingham City Commission approved the consolidation, which takes effect immediately, by a unanimous vote in June Voters will receive voter identification cards confir ming their new precinct and polling location assignments by mail this summer The infor mation is also available immediately online at mi gov/vote by clicking the “Am I registered?” option \The City Clerk’s Office encourages voters to become familiar with their new voting infor mation before the city ’ s next election on November 4

The new precinct boundaries were drawn to be as compact and contiguous as practical, using major roads as borders while staying within the legal

limits of no more than 4,999 active voters per precinct, according to Bingham

Voters can see a map of the new precincts and polling places at bhamgov org/votinglocations, at the clerk’s office in city hall, and on postcards mailed to each Bir mingham household

Five of the previous polling place locations remain the same in the new configuration: Baldwin Public Librar y, Derby Middle School, NEXT/Midvale School, Pierce School and Fire Station No 1 on Adams Road Holy Name Catholic Church, First Presbyterian Church and the Bir mingham Ice Arena will no longer ser ve as polling places

In-person voters on Election Day should experience no difference in wait time at polling places because the majority of Bir mingham voters now cast ballots by mail or during early voting, greatly reducing the number of people voting at the polls on Election Day, according to Bingham In Bir mingham’s November 2024 election, slightly less than 35 percent of the votes were cast in person on Election Day, compared to 48 percent in November 2022 (before early in-person voting was an option), and 66 percent in November 2018 (before the implementation of noexcuse-necessar y absentee ballots)

THE RIGHT HOMES THE RIGHT REALTORS THE RIGHT

PUBLICATION

More real estate than any other publication in all of Oakland County, and for a good reason.

Quality editorial content for a loyal readership that appreciates a strong news product, so your ad gets read.

Make sure your home is listed in the right place.

DOLLARS– LET US HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.

FA C E S

Grant Haefner

The dream of every golfer is to one day play pro golf's U S Open For Bloomfield Hill's Grant Haefner, the dream was realized this year, when he qualified for the U.S. Open in June at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania

“It's the first time I've played in the U S Open or a PGA-sanctioned event,” Haefner, 27, said “It felt like a dream I didn't want to wake up from ”

Haefner played the first two days of the Open, but unfortunately didn't make the final cut for the final two days,ending up with a plus-18. Yet no one can ever take the experience away from him

Haefner grew up attending Bloomfield Hills Schools and Orchard Lake Country Club, where his father played golf, “but he didn't force it on my sister and I I had more success in soccer and tennis ”

An injury at 14 which meant no more contact sports led to him taking golf lessons, and “I barely made the varsity team my junior year” at Bloomfield Hills High School Clearly a model of perseverance, Haefner played every match and ended up in the number one position

“I call myself a late bloomer – or others do – so I missed the college recruiting process,” he recalled, and decided to attend Wayne State University, “where I begged my way on to the golf team.” W ith COVID, he played for five years, then attended Jacksonville University for his MBA “I got an extra year of eligibility and took it down to Jacksonville, and I found myself playing against some really talented, notable players They were fun players and it was fun to test my game against

“The dream wasn't to be a pro golfer,” Haefner said “I was fortunate to have a lot of individuals tell me I had put too much effort in to not test out the pro circuit I found myself turning pro ”

His career as a working golf circuit pro began in the fall of 2022, and it is not all glamour, he emphasized He noted it takes about $100,000 a year in equipment, nutrition, entry fees, playing time and costs for mini tours – with the goal to win back the cost of the entry fees, an opportunity to test his game and improve, noting that he's won some of the Korn Ferry Tournaments he's played Two were qualifiers which allowed him to play in the U S Open

He had the support of quite a few Orchard Lake Country Club and Wayne State University friends and colleagues at the U S Open

“I don't know if it's hit yet I've never been in an environment like this before,” he reflected, noting it was the test of his life so far.

“If you're going to make it in this game you have to dedicate every minute to it,” Haefner explained

His home club in Michigan is Orchard Lake Country Club, “and through the club and the people there, I have gotten enough sponsorship opportunities that allows me to not worry about the costs,” he said, with John E. Green Co. his primary sponsor.

After the U S Open, Haefner is next trying to qualify for the Canadian golf tour, which would help him gain status He said he's currently sitting at a tie for 22nd – which would gain status

“I've never had status before I hope to play golf in Canada all summer,” he said. “I look forward to continuing playing this game.”

Story: Lisa Brody

Laurie Tennent

Photo:

B U S I N E S S M AT T E R S

Brightmont Academy

Brightmont Academy has outgrown its campus at 14 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue and has relocated to 746 E Maple Road, Bir mingham The move reflects the school’s continued growth, with the Bir mingham campus cur rently ser ving 75 students The Academy, which offers one-to - one instr uction, was founded in 1999 Since then, the organization has grown to offer instr uction in 20 campuses in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington “ We are a private oneto - one school and what that means is that ever y student has one teacher We have mini classrooms, with one teacher and one student in each classroom,” said Bir mingham Campus Director Annette Losser “ We can graduate kids all the way from grade one through high school We send kids to college ever y year We also provide tutoring ser vices as well as SAT prep af ter school ” Another unique feature of Brightmont Academy is that it offers flexibility in scheduling around the student’s needs “Some students star t in the mor ning, some star t in the af ter noon, some kids come three days a week and some come five days a week Ever ybody is different based on what they need,” said Losser To date, Brightmont Academy has helped more than 4,000 students become more confident and successful lear ners

Banya wellness studio

Banya, a new holistic wellness and recover y studio, has officially opened its doors at 555 S Old Woodward Avenue, Suite 27L in Bir mingham Founded by Minna Shar rak of Bir mingham and Andrea Weatherly of West Bloomfield, the studio offers a moder n take on ancient wellness practices, blending infrared heat, cold plunges, and lymphatic detoxification in a serene, spa-like environment Named af ter the Russian word for “ sauna, ” Banya is rooted in the tradition of contrast therapy, which alter nates between hot and cold treatments to promote muscle recover y and overall wellbeing Shar rak and Weatherly were inspired to launch the studio af ter traveling the globe and experiencing recover y-focused wellness firsthand One of Banya’s standout features is its lymphatic body rollers, making it one of the only studios in the Midwest to offer this ser vice Body roll machines

suppor t deep lymphatic drainage and post-workout recover y The rollers combine the healing effects of slimming and lymphatic drainage massages to relieve muscle tension and lose inches from the body, by eliminating unnecessar y toxins and reducing cellulite The studio also hosts curated private events, complete with personalized wellness experiences and optional food and beverage offerings

The Village Club

The Village Club of Bloomfield Hills is kicking off its 70th anniversar y with a variety of events planned for 2025-26 to officially commemorate this milestone The Club, located at 190 E Long Lake Road, has ser ved as a home away from home since 1956 for thousands of metro Detroit women who have found connection, camaraderie, philanthropy and purpose there “ The strong sense of sisterhood that has nourished the hear ts, minds and lives of our members for almost 70 years is woven into the historic fabric of The Village Club,” said Joan Primo, president of The Village Club “Seeing members spanning seven decades come together to share memories, renew relationships and toast our proud past and bright future will be a once in a lifetime oppor tunity ” Originally a private home owned by the Charles Winningham family, The Village Club (first named The Village Woman’s Club) was founded in 1956 as a charitable and educational organization with 30 char ter members Located on lush, rolling grounds with for mal manicured gardens, valued members (who have included Matilda Dodge Wilson and Frances Kresge) enjoy casual and fine dining, empowering classes and lectures, unique programs, ongoing social activities, domestic and inter national group travel oppor tunities, networking, musical and theatrical per for mances, and more In 1983, The Village Club Foundation was for med as a separate philanthropic 501(c)(3) organization and has awarded approximately $4 million in grants to nonprofits in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties over four decades

Business Matters for the BirminghamBloomfield area are reported by Gigi Nichols Send items for consideration to GigiNichols@downtownpublications.com Items should be received three weeks prior to publication

Whether you’re looking for a construction mortgage or a vacant lot loan, you can count on us for competitive products and experienced, trusted support. Choose from fixed- or adjustable-rate construction loans. Plus, get financing that includes your construction and permanent loans all in one closing — with one set of fees.

Call today to learn more.

N E X T N O T E B O O K

When Next Becomes a Lifeline

The profound transitions we experience as we age was something I did not tr uly appreciate until I began working at Next

In our younger years, we celebrate impor tant milestones; new jobs, mar riages or a growing family There are also plenty of events to celebrate as we age, but there are also significant life-altering experiences that are ver y difficult to navigate

These profound transitions retirement's identity shif t, a spouse's death, close friends relocating to war mer climates or the first serious diagnosis that changes ever ything create a unique for m of isolation Many outsiders of ten str uggle to grasp the magnitude of these changes They see physical needs but miss the deeper upheaval of reimagining life's purpose when familiar roles disappear

Next provides a safe place where these new challenges are met with understanding Being in the company of others who share similar experiences, allows us to process major life changes on our own time-line with suppor t

When we retire, we leave behind a decade’s long career One that filled your days with str ucture, meaning and purpose Retirement is what most strive for, but it also is a tremendous shif t and can of ten mean losing your identity

That thought echoes through the experiences of many who find their way to Next The challenges that ar rive with aging aren't just physical they cut to the core of identity and belonging

When Lynn’s husband of for ty-seven years suddenly passed away, people meant well when they suggest she "just keep busy " But grief isn't cured by staying busy It requires understanding from people who know that losing a life par tner means relear ning how to be yourself

This is where Next becomes more than a senior center It becomes a bridge to a new nor mal

When Carol joined Next, she complained of chronic pain and wor ried about losing her independence She joined a Tai Chi class at the suggestion of her doctor, and discovered others who understood her wor ries because they too had similar stories The group welcomed her, offering friendship that provided strength

Peter, discovered he has a gif t for teaching others computer skills His patient explanations and genuine enthusiasm help novices navigate technology they once found intimidating Peter even surprised himself at how much he enjoyed teaching, giving meaning to his days

Next understands that these life transitions require more than activities they require community built on shared understanding

Here, no one questions why some days are harder than others or why star ting over at seventy feels both ter rif ying and exciting Members recognize the courage it takes to walk through these doors when ever ything familiar has shif ted

What emerges isn't a replacement for what was lost, but something entirely new

Next provides the foundation a place where profound life changes are met with understanding, where new identities can emerge, and where the future holds promise rather than just memories

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next

Fall into Fun, Lear ning, and Community at The Community House

This autumn let curiosity lead the way with hands- on classes and engaging activities for all ages Whether you're looking to spark creativity in your child, develop new skills as a teen, or explore a lifelong interest as an adult, The Community House is your go to destination for enrichment that inspires

Our activities and enrichment are grounded in educational, wellness, and cultural experiences; ever y class is a chance to grow, connect, and thrive Join us this season and make The Community House your home for creativity, community, and enriching lear ning oppor tunities

Stop by The Community House to pick up the Fall Catalog - or view the cur rent menu of activity and enrichment oppor tunities at communityhousehelps org

Join us for a special evening at The Community House Monday, September 16, 5:30-7 p m : The Community House invites you to a special community gathering welcoming Alison Gaudreau, the new president of The Community House, hosted by Board Chair Camille Jayne “Alison brings visionar y leadership, a deep commitment to nonprofit ser vice, and a strong belief in the power of connection to help shape the next chapter of The Community House,” Jayne remarks “As par t of the evening, Alison will share reflections on building a strong future for The Community House A vision that draws on our historic strengths, centers on community impact, and is grounded in a spirit of growing with gratitude,” Jayne adds

This gathering is an oppor tunity to connect with fellow suppor ters, look ahead to the work to come, and reaffir m our shared commitment to the mission: To impact lives through exceptional educational, cultural and social experiences that provide the means to fund programs that help others

We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful occasion Complimentar y appetizers and beverages Please register at: communityhousehelps org

Calling all Michigan ar tists! Submit your work for OUR TOWN Ar t Show & Sale by August 25th to take advantage of the early bird discount on entr y fees This beloved annual event at The Community House celebrates creativity and showcases a diverse range of ar twork from talented ar tists across Michigan Don't miss the chance to have your work seen and bought by ar t lovers and collectors in our community

Whether you're an emerging or established ar tist, OUR TOWN is your oppor tunity to shine Submit now and save For entr y guidelines and submission details visit communityhousehelps org/our town entr y

Calling all ar t enthusiasts! The OUR TOWN Ar t Show & Sale is free and open to the public October 31 – November 1, featuring hundreds of pieces available for purchase For an exclusive first look, save the date for the VIP Par ty on October 30, a festive evening of ar t, conversation, and community celebration

Cris Braun

Alison Gaudreau is President of The Community House in Birmingham

Alison Gaudreau

P L A C E S T O E AT

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.

Birmingham/Bloomfield

220: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 220 E Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 646 2220 220restaurant com

5th Tavern: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily No reservations Liquor 2262 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302 248 481 9607 5thtavern com

Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor. Reservations 325 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009 248 540 5900 adachirestaurant com

Andiamo: Italian Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248 865 9300 andiamoitalia com

Beau’s: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 4108 W Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 248 626 2630 beausbloomfield com

Bella Piatti: Italian Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 494 7110 bellapiattirestaurant com

48302 248 540 7220 cityscapedeli com

Commonwealth: American Breakfast & Lunch, daily No reservations 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009 248 792 9766 gocommonwealth com

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 642 1135 dickodowspub com

Eddie Merlot’s: Steak & seafood Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 712 4095 eddiemerlots com

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli Breakfast & Lunch, daily No reservations 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 248 258 9939 einsteinbros com

Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar : Mediterranean Lunch, Thursday-Saturday, Dinner, MondaySaturday No reservations Liquor 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 647 2420 eliesgrill com

EM: Mexican Lunch, Saturday, Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 470 N Old Woodward Ave, Birmingham, 48009 947 234 0819 embirmingham com

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday Dinner, TuesdayFriday No reservations 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 248 645 1033 embersdeli1 com

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & W ine Bar : American Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 323 N Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 723 0134 flemingssteakhouse com

Bell Bistro: American Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Liquor Reservations 185 N Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 829 7900 bellbirmingham com

Beverly Hills Grill: American Lunch, TuesdaySunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Liquor No reservations 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill com

Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 270 W Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 beyondjuiceryeatery com

Bill’s: American Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 646 9000 billsbloomfieldhills com

Birmingham Pub: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 555 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 885 8108 thebirminghampub com

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248 593 8880 birminghamsushi com

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Liquor Reservations 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 594 0984 bistrojoeskitchen com

Bloomfield Deli: Deli Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday No reservations 71 W Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 645 6879 bloomfielddeli com

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza Lunch & Dinner, daily Liquor No reservations 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 258 6690 thebrooklynpizza com

Café Dax: American Breakfast, daily, Lunch, daily No reservations Liquor 298 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com

Café ML: New American Dinner, daily Liquor Reservations 3607 W Maple Road, Bloomfield Township 248 642 4000 cafeml com

Café Origins: Global Breakfast and Lunch, daily, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 163 W Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009 248 742 4040 originsbirmingham com

Casa Pernoi: Italian Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 310 E Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009 248 940 0000 casapernoi com

Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar : Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 116 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 647 4555 churchillscigarbar com

Cityscape Deli: Deli Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Monday-Saturday No reservations 877 W Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills,

Forest: Continental cuisine Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 258 9400 forestbirmingham com

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009 248 646 1222 greekislandsconey com

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday No Reservations Liquor 575 S Eton Street, Birmingham 248 712 4050 griffinclawbrewingcompany com

Hazel’s: Seafood Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham 248 671 1714 eatathazels com

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily No reservations 3633 W Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301 248 203 9111 honeytreegrille com

Hudson’s Place: Pizza/Coffee/Takeout Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations 1087 W Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302 248 540 2266 hudsonsplacepizzeria com

Hunter House Hamburgers: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 646 7121 hunterhousehamburgers com Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 201 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 594 4369 hydeparkrestaurants com

IHOP: American Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily No reservations 2187 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 248 333 7522 Ihop com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood Brunch, Sunday, Dinner daily Reservations Liquor 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 792 9609 joemuer com

Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily No reservations 869 W Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302 248 480 4785, and 126 S Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009 248 885 8631 kakusushipoke com

Kerby’s Koney Island: American Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 2160 N Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 333 1166 kerbyskoneyisland com

La Marsa: Mediterranean Lunch & Dinner daily Reservations 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 248 858 5800 lamarsacuisine com

La Pecora Nera: Italian deli. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations 135 Pierce St Birmingham, 48009 248 940 5613 lapecoraneradetroit com

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar : Italian Dinner, Monday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 243 E Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 480 0492 lastradaitaliankitchen com

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 154 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham,

48009 248 593 9707 Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 248 646 8568 leosconeyisland com

Lincoln Yard and Little Yard: American Little Yard take-out hours: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily Lincoln Yard hours: Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2159 E Lincoln Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 653 5353 eatlincolnyard com

Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 647 3400 littledaddys com

Luxe Bar & Grill: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 525 N Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248 792 6051 luxebarandgrill com

Madam: American Brunch, weekends Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily Reservations Liquor 298 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 283 4200 daxtonhotel com

Mare Mediterranean: Seafood Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 115 W illets Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 940 5525 maremediterranean com

Market North End: American Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 712 4953 marketnorthend com

Marrow: American Butcher shop and eatery Breakfast and Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations 283 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 734.410.0405 marrowdetroit com/restaurant

MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar : Mexican Brunch, weekends Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301 248 723 0800 mexbloomfield com

Middle Eats: Mediterranean Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield, 48093 248 274 328 middleeats com

Nippon Sushi Bar : Japanese Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner daily No reservations Liquor 2079 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302 248 481 9581 nipponsushibar com

Olga’s Kitchen: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 2075 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 248 451 0500 olgas.com

Original Pancake House: American Breakfast & Lunch, daily No reservations 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 642 5775 oph-mi com

Phoenicia: Lebanese Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, 48009 phoeniciabirmingham com

Roadside B & G: American Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1727 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48302 248 858 7270 roadsidebandg com

Salvatore Scallopini: Italian Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Beer & W ine 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 644 8977 salsbirmingham com

Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 W illits Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 792 2380 shiftbirmingham com

Sidecar : American Lunch and Dinner, daily Liquor 117 W illits Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 792 2380 sidecarsliderbar com

Slice Pizza Kitchen: Pizza. Lunch and Dinner, daily Liquor 117 W illits Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 792 3475 slicepizzakitchen com

Social Kitchen & Bar : American Lunch & Dinner, daily Brunch, Saturday & Sunday Reservations Liquor 225 E Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009 248 594 4200 socialkitchenandbar com

Steve’s Deli: Deli Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday Breakfast and Lunch, Sunday No reservations 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301 248 932 0800 stevesdeli com

Streetside Seafood: Seafood Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, daily Liquor 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 645 9123 streetsideseafood com

Sushi Hana: Japanese Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304 248 333 3887 sushihanabloomfield com

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily No reservations 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009 248 258 9830

sythaibirmingham com

Sylvan Table: American Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320 248 369 3360

sylvantable.com

Tallulah W ine Bar and Bistro: American Dinner, Monday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 55 S Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 731 7066 tallulahwine com

Terra Kitchen & Cocktails: New American Lunch and Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 260 N Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 556 5640 dineterra com

Teuta: Diner Breakfast and Lunch, daily No reservations 168 W Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009 248 590 2113

teutabirmingham com

Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday No reservations 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304 248 499 6867

thaistreetkitchen com

The French Lady: French Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations 768 N Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248 480 0571 zefrenchlady com

The Gallery Restaurant: American Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Beer & wine 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301 248 851 0313

galleryrestaurant2 com

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 2395 S Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 248 858 7688 moosepreserve com

The Rugby Grille: American Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 642 5999 rugbygrille com

Toast: American Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations Liquor 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 258 6278 eatattoast com

Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza Lunch & Dinner daily Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009 248 258 0500 tomatoesapizza com

Touch of India: Lunch, Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday & Sunday Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations 297 E Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009 248 593 7881 thetouchofindia.com

Townhouse: American Brunch, weekends Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 792 5241 eatattownhouse com

Whistle Stop Diner : American Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor No reservations 501 S Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009 248 566 3566 whistlestopdiners com

W ilder’s: American Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 458 N Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 771 0900 wildersbirmingham com

ZANA : Modern American Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 210 S Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009 248 800 6568 zanabham com

Zao Jun: Asian Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com

Royal Oak/Fer ndale

Ale Mary’s: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 316 South Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 268 1917 alemarysbeer com

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 22651 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220

248 548 0680 anitaskitchen com

Beppé: New American Lunch, Saturday and Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations Liquor 703 N Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 607 7030 eatbeppe com

Bigalora: Italian Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 711 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 544 2442 bigalora.com

Blind Owl: International/American comfort

Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 511 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 216 1112 blindowlrestaurant com

Cafe Muse: French Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Monday Reservations Liquor 418 S Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067 248 544 4749 cafemuseroyaloak com

Coeur : New American Small Plates Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 330 W Nine Mile Road,

Ferndale, 48220 248 466 3010 coeurferndale com

Como’s: Pizza Brunch, weekends Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 22812 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220 248 677 4439 comosrestaurant com

Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria: Italian Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 28939 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072 248 591 3300 crispellis com

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday No reservations 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale 48220 248 399 5150 theflytrapferndale com

Grand River Brewery: American Brunch, Saturday & Sunday Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations. Liquor. 1 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017 248 607-3631 grandriverbrewer

Gus’ Snug: Irish Lunch and Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 38 S Main Street, Clawson, 48017 248 607 3631 gussnug com

HopCat: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 430 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 744 2544 HopCat com

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday No reservations Liquor 22949 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220 248.691.7145. howesbayouferndale.net

Imperial: Mexican Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220 248 691 7145 imperialferndale com

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations Liquor 22871 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220 248 543 9500 inyorestaurant com

Kacha Thai Market: Thai Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations 205 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 942-4246

KouZina: Greek Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations 121 N Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 629 6500 gokouzina com

Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067 248 965 2101 kruseandmuerrestaurants com

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 410 S Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067 248 591 5459 lilysseafood com

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 202 E Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 584 422 lockhartsbbq com

Masala: Indian Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations 106 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.850.8284. food orders co/royaloakmasala

Mezcal: Mexican Bruch, Sunday Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 201 E Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 248 268 3915 mezcalferndale com

Noori Pocha: Korean Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday No reservations Liquor 1 S Main Street, Clawson, 48017 248 850 7512 nooripocha com

Oak City Grille: American Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 212 W 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 556 0947 oakcitygrille.com

Oak Parker : American Lunch and Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 13621 W Eleven Mile Road, Oak Park, 48327 oakparkerbar com

One-Eyed Betty’s: American Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248 808 6633 oneeyedbettys com

Pastaio: Italian Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 208 W 5th Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 565 8722 eatpastaio com/royal-oak

Pop’s for Italian: Italian Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 280 W 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220 248 268 4806 popsforitalian com

Redcoat Tavern: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073 248 549 0300 redcoat-tavern com

Ronin: Japanese Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 326 W 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 546 0888 roninsushi com

Rosita’s Cocina: Columbian Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. Inside Café Muse, 418 S Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067 586 354 0929 rositastreats com

Royal Oak Brewery: American Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations Liquor 215 E 4th Street, Royal Oak,

48067 248 544 1141 royaloakbrewery com

Sozai: Japanese Dinner, WednesdaySaturday Reservations 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017 248 677-3232 sozairestaurant com

The Modern Vegan: Vegan Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations 304 N Main St, Royal Oak, 48067 248 206-7041 tmvrestaurants com

Three Cats Café: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 116 W 14 Mile Road, Clawson threecatscafe com

Tigerlily: Japanese Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 231 W Nine Mile Road Suite A, Ferndale, 48220 248 733 4905 tigerlilyferndale com

Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American Breakfast & Lunch, daily No reservations 23144 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220 248 398 0444 eatattoast com

Tom’s Oyster Bar : Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 318 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067 248 541 1186 tomsoysterbar com

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067 248 542 4444 trattoriadaluigi business site com

Vinsetta Garage: American Lunch and Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 7799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072 248 548 7711 vinsettagarage com

Voyager : Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations Liquor 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220 248 658 4999 voyagerferndale com

Troy/Rochester

Antica Nova: Italian Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 1695 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48083 248 422 6521 anticanova.com

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 1933 W Maple Road, Troy, 48084 248 280 1831 cafesushimi com

Capital Grill: Steak & Seafood Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2800 W Big Beaver Road, Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084 248 649 5300

CK Diggs: American & Italian Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 2010 W Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309 248 853 6600 ckdiggs com

The Dime Store: American. Breakfast and Lunch, daily No reservations Liquor 6920 N Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306 248 963 0941 eatdimestore com

Ernie’s on the Creek: Modern Mediterranean Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 543 N Main St #201, Rochester, 48307 248 710 8808 erniesonthecreek com

Firebird Tavern: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 4845 Rochester Road, Troy, 48085 248 289 9650 firebirdtaverntroy com Grand Castor : Latin American Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083 248 278 7777 grancastor com

The Jackson: Modern American Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 184 N Adams Road, Rochester Hills, 48309 248 709 9453 thejacksonrestaurant com

Kona Grille: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 30 E Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083 248 619 9060 konagrill com

Kruse & Muer on Main: American Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307 248 652 9400 kruseandmuerrestaurants com

Loccino Italian Grill and Bar : Italian Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily Liquor Reservations 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098 248 813 0700 loccino com

The Meeting House: American Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations Liquor 301 S Main Street, Rochester, 48307 248 759 4825 themeetinghouserochester com

Mon Jin Lau: Nu Asian Dinner, daily Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy, 48083 248 689 2332 monjinlau com

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 888 W Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084 248 404 9845 mortons com

M E T R O I N T E L L I G E N C E R

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what s happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Gigi Nichols who can be reached at GigiNichols@DowntownPublications com with news items or tips, on or off the record

A witch’s feast: unlimited topokki

Witch Topokki has deemed itself to be “America’s first all-you-can-eat topokki ” With one location in New York City, the eater y has recently opened a second location in Troy So, what exactly is topokki? According to Witch Topokki’s website, “ Topokki, a traditional Korean dish, is of ten refer red to as ‘spicy rice cakes’ and considered a national treasure While simple to recreate, older generations of Koreans have fond memories of enjoying it as a comfor t food with family and friends in the food market streets Today, topokki has evolved into a high-quality restaurant dish, yet we want to recreate that nostalgic street food experience in our restaurant with a buffet-style ser vice for ever yone to create and share their own versions of this delicious dish ” Witch Topokki’s self-ser ve bar allows customers to be the curator of their own signature dishes, using a variety of fresh ingredients, and adding their own preference of sauces including sweet and spicy, medium spicy and extreme spicy The eater y offers a selection of soju and sakes, Asahi Japanese beer on draf t as well as domestic bottles

Some things to note regarding the all-you-can-eat topokki: there is a 90-minute dining time limit and an additional 20 percent charge for ever y 30 minutes beyond the limit and any lef tover food exceeding 16 oz will incur an additional charge and cannot be taken home Witch Topokki is open seven days a week, Monday-Sunday, 11:30 a m to 11 p m 300 John R Road, Suite A, Troy witchtopokki com

New owner for iconic restaurant

Af ter nearly 100 years, the Kurz family will pass the baton at the Dakota Inn, Detroit The historic Dakota Inn Rathskeller, the traditional Ger man restaurant and beer hall on John R at 6 Mile, has been owned and operated by the Kurz family since 1933 Last week, third generation owner Karl Kurz handed the keys to Paddy Lynch A funeral director by trade, Lynch has become known for historical restoration projects around Detroit, including The Schvitz, Convent Detroit, and most recently, Dutch Girl Donuts For the Dakota Inn, two industr y veterans will ser ve as Lynch’s managing par tners and oversee operations Les Molnar (Johnny Noodle King, Green Dot Stables) will ser ve as Culinar y Director and Jar red Gild (Wester n Market, Pash & Glou, The Schvitz) will ser ve as Beverage Director and Special Programs Manager Lynch, Molnar and Gild have all frequented the historic spot for years and are thrilled to car r y on the Kurz family legacy According to Lynch, “Little to nothing will change in the main dining room, ” where generations of patrons have enjoyed affordable food and drink, familiar faces, singalongs and other festive activities That said, the par tners see major room for growth in the downstairs Rathskeller, a traditional Ger man bar room with vintage murals and decor that has been used ver y little in recent years This is where Gild’s Ger man and Central European wine programming will take center stage along with the oppor tunity to book private par ties, wine tastings, and other special events Gild explains, “I’ve loved the wines of Ger many and Central Europe for years and local wine drinkers have shown they do too This will be the best place to explore the diverse styles of the region, from centuries old traditional estates all the way to the hippest natural wine upstar ts There is going to be something for ever yone here, and so many cool wines that you can hang out with us ever y week Being a regular here is going to be really rewarding ” 17324 John R Street, Detroit dakota-inn com

Food truck lands permanent location

One of Metro Detroit’s favorite food tr ucks, The Pita Post, is putting down roots in Royal Oak Af ter years of ser ving loyal fans from the road, The Pita Post is shif ting gears and expanding into a fixed location designed exclusively for car r yout, deliver y and catering With the new space comes an expanded menu, extended hours, and a year-round presence no more winter breaks “ We’re beyond excited to take this next step,” said Tal Sasson, owner of The Pita Post “ What star ted as a mobile dream has grown into something tr uly special, thanks to the suppor t of our incredible community This storefront gives us the chance to offer more of what people love fast flavor ful food with even more convenience ” Menu favorites making their way from the tr uck to the storefront include The Chicken Shawar ma Pita, Falafel Bowl, Beef Cheesesteak Pita, and the ever-popular Cauliflower Salad New additions will feature house-made sauces, loaded salad bowls, and seasonal rotating specials While the storefront

NM Café: American Lunch, Monday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 2705 W Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084 248 816 3424 neimanmarcus com/restaurants

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations Liquor The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309 248 375 9200 oceaniainnrochesterhills com

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248 458 0500 ocean-prime com

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 324 S Main Street, Rochester, 48307 248 608 2537 oconnorsrochester com

Orchid Café: Thai Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road , Troy, 48085 248 524 1944 orchid-cafe com

P F Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor Somerset Collection, 2801 W Big Beaver Rd , Troy, 48084 248 816 8000 pfchangs com

Recipes: American/Brunch Breakfast & Lunch, daily No reservations Liquor 134 W University Drive, Rochester, 48037 248 659 8267 Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084 248 614 5390 recipesinc com

RH House: American Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309 No reservations Liquor 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309 248 586 1000 rh house com

RH Social: Pizza/Sports Bar Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 6870 N Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306 248 759 4858 rochesterhillssocial com

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 306 S Main St , Rochester, 48307 248 651 2266 kruseandmuerrestaurants com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 755 W Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084 248 269 8424 ruthschris com

Sedona Taphouse: American Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083 248 422 6167 sedonataphouse co

Silver Spoon: Italian Dinner, Monday-Saturday Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306 248 652 4500 silverspoonristorante com

Stumblebum Beer Co : American Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations Beer 1965 W Maple Road, Troy, 48084 248 307 7204 stumblebumbeer.com

Too Ra Loo: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 139 S Main Street, Rochester, 48307 248 453 5291 tooraloorochester com

West Bloomfield/Southfield

Aurora Italiana: Italian Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 6199 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Twp., 48322. 248.782.3000. auroraitaliana com

Aurora on the Lake: Italian Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce Township, 48382 248 360 6650 auroraitaliana com

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar : Southern Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday Reservations Liquor 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034 248 208 1680 cornbreadsoulfood com

Bigalora: Italian Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034 248 544 2442 bigalora com

The Fiddler : Russian Sunday, Dinner, ThursdaySunday Reservations Liquor 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 851 8782 fiddlerrestaurant com

Mene Sushi: Japanese Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Beer & W ine 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 538 7081 menesususi com

Nonna Maria’s: Italian Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248 851 2500 nonamariasbistro com

Pickles & Rye: Deli Lunch, & Dinner, daily No reservations 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 737 3890 picklesandryedeli com

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322 248 737 7463 prime29steakhouse com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday No reservations Liquor 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 865 0500 redcoattavern com

Shangri-La: Chinese Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Monday Reservations Liquor Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 626 8585 dinesangrila com

Stage Deli: Deli Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday No reservations Liquor 6873 Orchard Lake Rd , West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 855 6622 stagedeli com

Vive: American Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 33080 Northwestern Hwy, West Bloomfield Township, 48322 248 406 8065 viverestaurantmi com

Yotsuba: Japanese Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322 248 737 8282 yotsuba-restaurant com

West Oakland

Volare Ristorante: Italian Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393 248 960 7771 ristorantevolare com

North Oakland

Clarkston Union: American Breakfast, Sunday, Lunch, & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 54 S Main Street, Clarkston, 48346 248 620 6100 clarkstonunion com

Kruse s Deer Lake Inn: Seafood Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346 248 795 2077 kruseandmuerrestaurants com

The Fed: American Brunch, Saturday & Sunday Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 15 S Main Street, Clarkston, 48346 248 297 5833 thefedcommunity com

Rudy’s Steakhouse: Steak Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 9 S Main Street, Village of Clarkston, 48346 248 625 3033 rudysprimesteakhouse com

Via Bologna: Italian Dinner, Monday-Saturday No reservations Liquor 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346 248 620 8500 joebologna com

Union Woodshop: BBQ Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 18 S Main Street, Clarkston, 48346 248 625 5660 unionwoodshop com

Detroit

Adelina: Italian Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 1040 Woodward Ave, Detroit,48226 313 246 8811 adelinadetroit com

Alpino: Alpine cuisine Brunch, Sunday Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1426 Bagley Street, Detroit, 48216 313 524 0888 alpinodetroit com

Ash-Bar : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1509 Broadway Street, Detroit, 48226 313 277 4736 ash.world/hotels/the-siren.com

Bar Pigalle: French Brunch, Sundays Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201 313 497 9200 barpigalle com

Barda: Argentinian Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit com

Basan: Asian Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 481 2703 basandetroit com

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 2684 E Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207. 313 965 3111 bucharestgrill com

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American Lunch, Friday, Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 15 E Kirby Street, D, Detroit 48202 313 818 3915 chartreusekc com

Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226 313 961 2543 cliffbells com

Coriander Kitchen and Farm: Farm to table Brunch, Sunday, Lunch & Dinner, Monday and Thursday-Saturday Reservations Liquor

14601 Riverside Boulevard, Detroit, 48215 313 338 9466 corianderkitchenandfarm com

Corktown Taphouse: American and Mexican No reservations Lunch & Dinner, daily Liquor 1611 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313 362 8184 corktowntaphouse com

Cuisine: French Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202 313 872 5110 cuisinerestaurantdetroit com

The Eagle: The Eagle: American Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 3461 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 334 4530 eaglerestaurant com

El Barzon: Mexican Lunch, Tuesday-Friday Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210 313 894 2070 elbarzonrestaurant com

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun Lunch and Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226 313 965 4600 fishbonesusa com

Freya: Price fixed Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations, Liquor 2929 E Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202 313 351 5544 freyadetroit com

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 330 S Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217 313 841 0122 giovannisrestaurante com

Green Dot Stables: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 2200 W Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables com

HIROKI-SAN: Japanese Dinner, TuesdaySaturday Reservations Liquor 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226 313 597 8344 hirokisandetroit com

Javier’s Downtown: Steakhouse Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 1452 Brush St, Detroit, 48226 313 816 0007 javiersdowntown com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243 313 567 6837 joemuer com

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 2601 W Fort Street, Detroit, 48216 313 309 7946 johnnynoodleking com

Lady of the House: New American Brunch, Weekends, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 4884 Grand River Ave Unit 1C, Detroit, 48208 313 230 4678 ladyofthehousedetroit com

Leila: Lebanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor 1245 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226 313 816 8100 leiladetroit com

Lena: Dinner, Wednesday-Monday Reservations Liquor 2720 Brush Street, Detroit, 48201 313 262 6082 lenadetroit com

Le Supreme: French Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226 313 597-7734 lesupremedetroit com

Lone Goat: British Pub Lunch, MondaySaturday, Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 33 John R Street, Detroit, 48226 thelonegoat com

Mad Nice: Coastal Italian/American Breakfast, Coffee Shop, daily, Brunch, Weekends, Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4120 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 558 8000 madnicedetroit com

Mario’s: Italian Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com

Mezcal: Mexican Brunch, Weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 51 W Forest Avenue, Detroit, 48202 313 974 7441 mezcaldetroit com

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 974 7669 midtownshangril-la com

Motor City Brewing Works: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Beer & W ine 470 W Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201 313 832 2700 motorcitybeer com

Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood Dinner, Wednesday-Monday Reservations Liquor 2921 E Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202 313 270 9600 oakandreel com

Ostrea: Seafood. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations Liquor 536 Shelby Street, Detroit, 48226 313 403 2111 ostreadetroit com

PAO Detroit: Asian Fusion/Pan Asian Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 114

W Adams Avenue, Suite 200, Detroit, 48226 313 816 0000 paodetroit com

Parc: New American Brunch, Saturday & Sunday Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48226 313 922 7272 parcdetroit com

Prime + Proper : Steak House Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1145 Griswold St, Detroit, 48226 313 636 3100 primeandproperdetroit com

Prism: Steak & Seafood Dinner, WednesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 555 E Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226 313 309 2499 hollywoodgreektown com

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave , Detroit, 48226 313 962 2100

Selden Standard: American Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 3921 Second Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 438 5055 seldenstandard com

Sexy Steak: Steakhouse Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1942 Grand River Avenue, Detroit,48226 313 403 1000 sexysteakdetroit com

SheWolf Pastifico & Bar : Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201 313 315 3992 shewolfdetroit com

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations Liquor 100 St Clair Street, Detroit, 48214 313 822 8000 sindbads com

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations Liquor 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216 313 962 9828 slowsbarbq com/locations/corktown

Soraya: Japanese Lunch, Tuesday-Thursday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 160 W Fort St, Detroit, 48226 313 262 6078 sorayadetroit com

Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Steakhouse Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 1128 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226 313 591 2495 sullivanssteakhouse com

Supergeil: Berlin Doner Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday No reservations Liquor 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216 313 462 4133 supergeildetroit com

Tap at MGM Grand: American Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226 313 465 1234 mgmgranddetroit com

The Apparatus Room: New American Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 250 W Larned Street, Detroit, 48226 313 800 5600 detroitfoundationhotel com

The Block: American Brunch, Weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 3919 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 832 0892 theblockdet com

The Dime Store: American Breakfast & Lunch, Thursday-Tuesday No reservations Liquor 719 Griswold Street #180, Detroit, 48226 313 962 9106 eatdimestore com

The Peterboro: Chinese American Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201 313 462 8106 thepeterboro com

The Statler : French Brunch, Dinner, TuesdaySunday Reservations Liquor 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226 313 463 7111 statlerdetroit.com

Townhouse Detroit: American Lunch & Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201 48226 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com

Vecino: Mexican Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday Reservations Liquor 4100 3rd Ave, Detroit, 48201 313 500 1615 vecinodetroit com

Vertical Detroit: Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday Reservations Liquor 1538 Center Street, Detroit, 48226 313 732 WINE verticaldetroit com

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American Lunch & Dinner, daily No reservations Liquor 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207 313 393 1711 viviosdetroit net

The Whitney: American Brunch, Sunday Wednesday-Friday, Tea Service, Friday & Saturday, Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201 313 832 5700 thewhitney com

Wright & Co.: American Dinner, TuesdaySaturday No reservations Liquor 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226 313 962 7711 wrightdetroit com

Zuzu: Asian Fusion Dinner, daily Reservations Liquor 511 Woodward Ave suite 100, Detroit, 48226 313 464 7777 experiencezuzu com

offers a per manent home base, The Pita Post isn’t giving up its wheels just yet Fans can still find the tr uck this summer at top local spots like Detroit Fleat, Fer ndale and the Bir mingham Far mers Market, continuing to bring the flavor to festivals and events across Metro Detroit 2520 W 14 Mile Road, Royal Oak thepitapost com

Local restaurants honored by W ine Spectator

Wine Spectator, a leading authority on wine, has unveiled the winners of the 2025 Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards are judged on three levels the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award Of local interest, 19 area restaurants ear ned honors in two different levels Wine Spectator’s criterion for the “Award of Excellence” goes to restaurants which offer at least 90 selections and feature a well-chosen assor tment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style The Best of Award of Excellence” is given to restaurants with wine lists that display excellent breadth across multiple wine-growing regions and/or significant ver tical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their ser vice team The Best of Award of Excellence award was given to: Prime + Proper, Detroit; San Morello, Detroit; The Capital Grille, Troy; and Ver tical Detroit, Detroit The Award of Excellence was presented to Alpino, Detroit; Brentwood Grille, Novi; Cantoro Trattoria, Plymouth; Coeur, Fer ndale; Eddie Merlot’s, Bloomfield Hills; Eddie’s V ’s Prime Seafood, Troy; Five Steakhouse, Plymouth; Fogo de Chao, Troy; Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse, Nor thville; Highlands, Detroit; Mor ton’s Steakhouse, Troy; Seasons 52, Troy; Streetside Seafood, Bir mingham; Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Detroit; and The Wine Grotto, Plymouth

Street Beet plans for Birmingham

Meghan Shaw, founder of popular Detroit vegan eater y Street Beet, has announced plans to expand to Bir mingham with a walk-up location at 233 N Old Woodward Avenue A press release states the concept will operate out of the rear of a new bodega-style market with alley access and a quick-ser vice setup for lunch, snacks and late-night bites Shaw described the expansion as a “ no -brainer,” calling it “the per fect next step in the Street Beet world takeover ” The Bir mingham location will offer car r y- out ser vice, grab-and-go items, plantbased lattes and sof t ser ve, and exclusive menu items alongside fan favorites like their signature fried “chicken” sandwich However, Nicholas Dupuis, Bir mingham Planning Director, noted that the bodega project has not yet come to the city for per mits or occupancy requests related to the bodega, raising questions about where the concept stands in the city ’ s approval process “Street Beet Coming Soon” signage is cur rently posted in the windows signaling momentum toward opening despite the lack of for mal filings 233 N Old Woodward Avenue, Bir mingham

Healthy and fast

Mediter ranean fast-casual restaurant CAVA is set to bring its healthful fare to downtown Detroit The new location, the first in Michigan, is slated to open this summer in Bedrock’s building at 636 Woodward Avenue “ The addition of CAVA to downtown Detroit will bring a fresh, moder n concept to the city,” Bedrock’s Senior Vice President of Leasing Naumann Idrees said “ Their commitment to bold healthy food and vibrant community experiences aligns per fectly with the energy that defines Detroit We’re delighted to introduce high-quality brands like CAVA to the hear t of the city ” Childhood friends Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos cared deeply about creating restaurants that paid homage to the Mediter ranean traditions they grew up with, where food equals connection, and what’s good for you is also what tastes good too They, along with co -founder Brett Schulman, opened the first CAVA in Mar yland in 2010 to share the food they loved in an accessible fast-casual for mat CAVA’s menu centers around bowls and pitas with selections such as the Falafel Cr unch Bowl featuring falafel, hummus, and black lentils, feta, Persian cucumber, pickled onions, cabbage slaw, romaine, tomato, onion, and basmati rice topped with pita crisps and spicy-herby skhug; and the Spicy Chicken + Avocado Pita with harissa honey chicken, hot harissa vinaigrette, hummus, avocado, pickles, fire-roasted cor n, cr umbled feta, and pickled onions 636 Woodward Avenue, Detroit

One last reminder on a city home for Next

The long-r unning saga over how to redevelop the YMCA building, purchased as a new home for NEXT, the city's senior ser vices organization, persists, with what is believed to be another discussion before the Bir mingham City Commission in late July/early August to deter mine if they should put before voters a completely redesigned new building which would combine NEXT and the YMCA, with a price tag around $30$32 million

Once again, we remind Bir mingham City Commissioners, staff and other city leaders to take a step back and remember why the city purchased the YMCA building in mid-2023, and then recollect that goal: It was to find and create a per manent home for the community's seniors, embodied in the non-profit Next

From the beginning that city officials dealt with them, the YMCA, which was financially challenged, had deter mined it was leaving its longtime Bir mingham location to move south to 11 Mile in Royal Oak It was only with seller ’ s remorse

and a view of a possible new building – did the Y change its mind and decide that maybe they'd like back in and share space with the senior group We don't believe that is in the best interest of Bir mingham, its residents, its financial ledger, and especially its older population, which is growing exponentially, according to statisticians We think the best recourse is to go back to the beginning and renovate the building for Next

As a refresher course, two years ago, in June 2023, the city of Bir mingham purchased the YMCA building and its land for the future home of Next, at

400 E Lincoln, for $2 million Next contributed $500,000 towards the purchase price, with Bir mingham paying the remaining $1 5 million A memorandum of understanding was agreed to by the city and Next

The YMCA had wanted to remain for a shor t period of time at which point it would combine with the Royal Oak YMCA in a new building but that project fell apar t due to financial concer ns Residents resoundingly approved a 33-mill tax for three years to provide funding for building improvements to house Next

The commission then hired building advisors and architects, who suggested a new building would be a better approach, rather than improving what already existed at the site That's when the YMCA expressed an interest in remaining in Bir mingham and wanted to be par t of the new building project, all at no cost to their organization Somehow, some city leaders thought this was a good idea and the plans morphed and grew, with the Y's space considerations dominating those of Next s Not counting shared space in the new building, Next would be lef t with somewhere around 3,000 square feet, or less, as opposed to the 10,000 square feet it now has at the school building the group has occupied for many years We also think that a mixed use building will mean that seniors coming to Next will have to navigate mixed age groups which is not a great situation

In addition, special interests associated with a pool seem to have trampled over other needs and requirements Yet, the pool has never been a priority or on a wish list from Next It's also a

massive liability waiting to happen, as well as a hole that someone will be throwing money into for decades to come Close the pool and find another desirable and affordable activity, like pickleball cour ts, to take its place

Also, do not fall prey to what we hear in recent weeks is one last effor t by the YMCA to stay in Bir mingham by hiring an architect to draw up plans to rehab the cur rent building so the Y can remain here Forget about it, to put it bluntly The city needs to move ahead without the YMCA which can go two miles down the road to its facility in Royal Oak

Go back to the beginning and remember what the buyer's agreement was and what the goal is: a per manent, comfor table, safe space for our 50-plus population As we have said before, the voters have already decided when they agreed to tax themselves to fund the original plan for Next, which is what city leaders must retur n to immediately Do not put the expanded building proposal on the ballot

Lastly, the Next administration has supplied enough financial infor mation to justif y that the group is capable of holding up its end of the bargain on managing this building as its new home

It’s time to thoughtfully move for ward with careful and judicious renovations Three million is a lot of money and can do much more than all the necessar y ADA-modifications

Let’s get going on the home for Next

Invite world of pollinators into open spaces

Moder n suburbia has long been a paean to our European forefathers, with lush green lawns, per fectly manicured boxwood hedges, and a variety of other bushes and plantings impor ted from someplace else, as homeowners mowed and planted their way into their own versions of “castles on a hill ”

But there is a dangerous and enduring result of our preoccupation with per fect lush lawns: the rapid decline of insects, such as honeybees and butter flies, which nur ture our environment – and are the canaries in the coal mine for what has been done to our ecosystems

In a longfor m piece we did in a recent issue we lear n that there is a staggering decline in nearly 4,000 species of wild native bees, and these losses for m par t of a larger across-the-board trend that has been considered an insect apocalypse Since the mid2010s monarch butter fly populations shr unk up to 72 percent and several native bumblebee species declined nearly 96 percent

The key reasons for the massive declines, according to researchers? Habitat loss climate change and the over use of pesticides

A study by Michigan State University published in 2024 explained that the main culprit of butter fly, bee, and insect decline are pesticides that are broadly applied in agriculture

Needless to say, if they are har mful to butter flies and bumblebees, they re likely just as deadly to our children, our pets, our elderly, and ourselves

There are no regulations in the United States as to how we chemically treat our lawns, and there are no measurements or data sets on how chemically treated lawns and gardens impact pollinators But we know we should wear masks to apply insecticides to plants and lawns, and to keep young children and pets inside That is a definite flashing war ning that they are unsafe – and we should all take heed

There are options – and oppor tunities – we can each take While front yards in our communities must be mowed so they do not get higher than eight inches high, many communities, including neighboring Royal Oak and Fer ndale, and Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, have adopted 'No Mow May,' an annual initiative that discourages residents in Michigan and around the globe from mowing their lawns to promote a diverse habitat for bees, butter flies and other pollinators The initiative, which began in par ts of Great Britain in 2019 as a way to “provide a feast for pollinators tackle pollution reduce urban heat extremes and lock away atmospheric carbon below ground ”

Landscaping sustainability can be encouraged in local communities, according to Michigan State University Professor of Ecology Nick Haddad, by

shrinking the square footage of their lawns and increasing the size of gardens to host native grasses, plants, and flowers

“It can star t with a patch of garden that contains milkweed, black-eyed Susans, and Echinacea (purple coneflower),” he said “ You can pick up simple pollinator mixes at any hardware store ”

The city of Bir mingham moved for ward with some of these initiatives with the redevelopment of Bar num Park, an eight-acre park on the site of the for mer Bar num School which was redeveloped utilizing naturalized landscaping, including wild grasses, and stor m drainage There are other parks, medians and other areas where naturalized plantings have been planted, adding both beauty and inviting birds, bees and butter flies to repopulate

It would be a welcome addition to have the city's sustainability committee, as well as Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, create ordinances that would allow homeowners to have full landscapes without lawns – cer tainly in the rear, if not both in their front and back – which are environmentally sustainable and create a new definition of beautiful And an increased sensitivity about this issue should be an over riding concer n when it comes to how we handle open public spaces in all communities