Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield

GERAK: SOCIAL SCENE • J. MARCH: YARDBIRD IN KEEGO HARBOR

LOBBYISTS SHAPING THE DEBATE ON NEW LEGISLATION

CHALDEANS MIGRATION HISTORY IN METRO DETROIT

OVERFLOW ILLEGAL DISCHARGES INTO LOCAL WATERS

ENDNOTE: GOP PRESERVATION ATTEMPT IN OAKLAND COUNTY

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The fourth branch of government Lobbyists spent over $20.5 million in the first seven months of 2014 trying to make their case on behalf of their clients with lawmakers in Lansing.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

18

GERAK: SOCIAL SCENE â&#x20AC;˘ J. MARCH: YARDBIRD IN KEEGO HARBOR

There is once again a move underway to bring some long-overdue change to how terms limits for representatives and senators are handled at the state level in Michigan.

INCOMING

21

LOBBYISTS SHAPING THE DEBATE ON NEW LEGISLATION

Our readers' opinions on issues facing the Birmingham/Bloomfield communities or their reaction to content in past issues of Downtown.

CRIME LOCATOR

23

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

MUNICIPAL

93

Controversy over fees paid on township bond issue; Bill Seklar new TCH president; Birmingham holiday valet parking; Emagine Theater coming to Birmingham; Bally's site purchased; plus more.

BUSINESS MATTERS

131

Alex and Ani; David Klein Gallery; Crimson Rose; Closet NV; Mills Pharmacy and Apothecary; LaBelle Provence; Pogo.

AT THE TABLE

135

Downtown reviewer J. March visits Jeremy Grandon's Yardbird Smoke Meats restaurant in Keego Harbor, which replaces Jeremy at this Oakland County location.

CHALDEANS MIGRATION HISTORY IN METRO DETROIT

OVERFLOW ILLEGAL DISCHARGES INTO LOCAL WATERS

ENDNOTE: GOP PRESERVATION ATTEMPT IN OAKLAND COUNTY

THE COVER The Pilgrim Congregation Church on North Adams in Bloomfield Hills. Downtown photo: G. Lynn Barnett.

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SPEC IALIST

37 The Chaldean migration Driven by violence from their native lands in northern Iraq, Chaldeans have made metro Detroit, and in particular Oakland County, their new home.

50 Storm water overflow Municipalities continue to fight the battle of preventing or minimizing storm water overflow, especially in a heavy rain year like 2014.

129

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COMMUNITY HOUSE

137

Camille Jayne, President and CEO of The Community House (TCH) in Birmingham writes about the latest developments and events at this important community resource.

SOCIAL LIGHTS

138

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

ENDNOTE

146

Our opinion on the recent recommendation for an investment advisory panel in Bloomfield Township; the attempt to alter when we vote for county executive.

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PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS Allison Batdorff Kevin Elliott | Camille Jayne

STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS | Rachel Bechard | Hillary Brody Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf | J. Marsh | Kathleen Meisner

PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISTING MANAGER Jill Cesarz ADVERTISING SALES Heather Marquis GRAPHICS/DESIGN G. Lynn Barnett WEBSITE/CONTRIBUTOR Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham Mi 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in downtown Birmingham.

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

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

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

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Member of Downtown Publications DOWNTOWN | WESTEND | THE GUIDE

FROM THE PUBLISHER

tarting this January, close to 50 new lawmakers will be entering the Michigan House and Senate, following the November 4 general election in which four dozen lawmakers, term-limited from their current Lansing positions, were replaced.

That’s a considerable number of new legislators when one considers that combined, the state House (110) and the Senate (38) have only 148 members. But it’s a ritual that may well be repeated in some 15 other states that still maintain term limits on lawmakers since the movement first arose in the early 1990’s. I note “still maintain” because term limits existed in another six states but were repealed in two, while courts overturned term limits for legislatures in four other jurisdictions.

The concept of limiting the time spent in government by an official dates back to the 5th Century B.C. in Athens, where leaders first expressed concern about limiting the democratic government. And, as die-hard supporters of term limits today will tell you, the Continental Congress here in 1777 originally approved Articles of Confederation which provided limitations on the number of years someone could spend in congress, although the framers of the U.S. Constitution, supposedly out of concern about the length of the document, failed to codify the maximum number of years a person could serve in congress. Of course, those same supporters fail to note that American government in those days was much simpler than what anyone is dealing with at a national or state level today in terms of issues and services provided.

The move for term limits was a natural outgrowth of the tax limitation movements we witnessed in the 1970’s and early 1980’s as citizens attempted to reign in the growth of government. Then, in 1989, Oklahoma was generally credited with the birth of the term limitation movement, followed by other states, including Michigan where 59 percent of state voters in 1992 opted to limit members of congress and the state legislature through a state constitutional change.

Ironically, the drive for limiting the tenure of government officials was really directed first at members of congress; to supporters, state legislative restrictions seemed a logical extension of the citizen initiatives. However, in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned term limits for congress, ruling that a change to the U.S. Constitution would be necessary to accomplish this task.

As it stands now, Michigan House members are limited to three two-year terms and Senate members to two four-year terms, for a total of 14 years of legislative service, although once again there is

a move afoot in Lansing to at least alter how the limitations are structured.

Senate majority leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe), who is term- limited out at the end of this year, is attempting to talk up a change in how limits are now handled in Michigan. This is not a move to eliminate term limits, which are still supported by a majority of state residents, according to recent polls. It is an effort to allow a representative or senator the option to spend a longer time in one chamber.

The most popular plan for change would allow lawmakers to spend a total of 12 years in either the house or senate, or a total of 12 years in service spread over both chambers, two years less than allowed under the Michigan Constitution now for overall legislative service.

The logic is as follows: a turnover in the house every six years or eight years in the senate prevents less long-term experience and historical perspective to develop on the part of lawmakers. In simple terms, historical perspective, a currency of considerable value in Lansing, is only accumulated under the current system by capitol bureaucrats/staff and lobbyists who outlast term-limited legislative members.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not personally back term limits when first on the ballot and still don’t today. Yes, there were some lawmakers in Michigan’s history that, frankly, were little qualified to be setting pubic policy, although we certainly have that today with term limits. Then there has always been a minority that abused the office for their own personal benefit, something term limits won’t prevent as long as voters continue to send to Lansing and Washington the lowest common denominator among us.

But I have been a student of government – or as some would have it, a policy wonk — for over 40 years, and the lack of historical perspective does not serve us best when it comes to the state or nation.

Unfortunately, making a needed change to Michigan’s term limits will prove an uphill battle. Richardville is already under attack from interests inside and outside of Michigan, among them the U.S. Term Limits group from Florida; it takes a two-thirds majority vote among lawmakers to place it on the ballot; and then the electorate will have to put its stamp of approval on a constitutional change.

Yet there is no better time than the remaining days in this lameduck legislative session to tackle this long overdue issue.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com

OPERA IN CONCERT

Rossini’s sinii’ss William si am T Tell ellll Teatro Regio Torino o Orchestra and an nd d Chorus C Giandrea Noseda, seda, mus music usic director Tuesday, December 9, 7:30 30 pm Hill Auditorium William T Tell ell was Rossini’s final opera, although the composer lived for nearly 40 years after its composition sition. Its premier em e was triumphan umphan phant but the opera’s epic scale and extravagan gan g ant vocal demands have rendered revivals few and far betw t een.

Recognized immediat i ely from its famous, galloping overture, William T Tell ell ll dramatizes the life of the Swiss folk hero whose expert marksmanship p with a crossbow iss the stuff ff of legends.

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Troy Transit Center I have been looking for your article on the new Troy Transit Center.

Did you notice that the old passenger waiting area was an old bus shelter, and that the new platform has a new same-size bus shelter?

Despite a construction cost of +$200,000 per daily boarder, the platform of the new “center” has no heated waiting area or restroom.

The “station” in Troy is opened every few hours, as necessary, but it is not staffed, as promised. Nor is there any visible security.

Who minds the station when a train from Chicago arrives more than an hour late? This farce is a future crime scene waiting to happen.

Seasoned travelers will board in Dearborn.

Richard Rosenbaum Birmingham

Vocation, avocation I am so grateful to Downtown for naming me one of your recent featured Faces (Downtown/October) and highlighting two activities in which I am so passionately involved.

Bringing awareness of Imerman Angels to our area is key as our mission is to offer one-on-one cancer support to even more patients and caregivers. Our unique matching program has allowed us to make over 10,000 connections in over 60 countries since our inception. I am particularly proud of the support we offer to caregivers, a population that is often overlooked in the cancer community. Having been the primary caregiver to my first husband 16 years ago, I know only too well what value this emotional support brings to the caregiver, especially when connected with someone who has “walked the walk”.

It is my hope that Imerman Angels becomes the go-to support organization that people seek when faced with their own cancer or that of a loved one. I know firsthand how much that personalized human connection can mean during the most difficult journey one can face.

As for my miniatures? I cannot tell you how many people have commented on the article and the photo, knowing that I “do miniatures”, but having no idea about the intricacy and beauty of this incredible art form. Whether it be infinitesimal needlework, diminutive dovetailed drawers, a tiny reticulated sterling tray or exquisitely handpainted porcelain, it downtownpublications.com

Available for the Holidays

SPEAK OUT We welcome your opinion on issues facing the Birmingham/Bloomfield communities.

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

While we don’t have a specific word limitation, we reserve the right to edit for length.

is truly a great escape from a world of complex issues, global conflict and even personal discord. Seeing just a few of my treasures in print caused me to reflect about the fast pace and sometimes overwhelming worries that face us every day.

Thank you for that wake-up call - I am now resolved to make time in my workshop, finally completing the wonderful dollhouse that I began several decades ago!

Clearly, both my vocation and my avocation bring such joy to my life.

Thank you for sharing them with your readers.

Duffy Wineman Bloomfield Village

Doubts and hope As they gloat, Republicans should realize the reasons for the (November election) results.

They are: low turnout showing anger, apathy and disgust about Congress and many state legislators; resurgence of Ayn Rand’s philosophy as shown by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan that government should not serve people – people should improve their lives by their own efforts regardless of circumstances.

The burden after November 4 is on Republicans to benefit and improve the lives of all U.S. citizens and to keep our country safe and respected throughout the world. I have doubts, but have hope.

Hannah Provence Donigan Commerce

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J. March reviews I love the J. March articles (At The Table) and was looking for more from this honest critic. Thanks for all you have done.

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CRIME LOCATOR

NORTH

Map key

Sexual assault

Assault

Murder

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Larceny from vehicle

Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through November 14th, 2014.

Placement of codes is approximate.

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Advent Family Fair â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sunday Sunday, y, November 30 at 1 y, 11:30 1:30 AM All are welcome in the Hospitality Center. Please join us directly after church for our annual Advent Family Fairr..

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Saturday, December 6 at 5 PM; Sunday Festival of Gifts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Saturday, Sunday,, December 7 at 10 AM Acolyte Christmas Pageant. Bring an unwrapped gift for the Gift Drive for local charities.

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for women, including hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres, desserts, a special program and the viewing of spectacularly decorated tables by Christ Church Cranbrook hostesses. Reservations required.

appetizers, conversation, and a traditional Christmas day feast with turkey, ham, and all the trimmings.

Blue Christmas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sunday Sunday,, December 14 at 4 PM A service dedicated to all who are challenged by this year â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday season; such as the grieving, the unemployed, and those feeling alone. Reception following service.

Advent Lessons and Carols â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sunday Sunday,, December 14 at 6 PM Traditional Anglican service of Scripture and carols led by the Christ Church Cranbrook Choir. No sermon.

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ichigan high school students must earn at least one halfcredit in civics education as a requirement for graduation, ensuring all those earning diplomas in the state are able to name the three branches of government or describe how a bill becomes a law. While our secondary schools provide a basic understanding of the legislative process, in theory, the majority of our electorate is often clueless to the realities of the political process.

M

The reality is there are more than three branches of government. Beyond the governor (or president), Senate and House of Representatives, there are the influencers, the people behind the legislators, who provide awareness, information, direction, and at times, pressure. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re called lobbyists.

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Case in point: For more than 40 years, a growing number of motorcycle riders in Michigan had complained about the state’s motorcycle helmet laws, which had required all bikers and passengers to wear a helmet when riding. The state law had once been tied to a 1967 federal requirement that attached some transportation funding to state helmet laws. For years, motorcyclists who wanted to change the law protested at the state Capitol in Lansing, with little to no results.

Advice came from Lansing lobbyist and fellow biker Noel LaPorte with Capitol Advocacy Services Group, who Rhoades said volunteered to help the group participate in the political process in a more meaningful way.

“We hired a lobbyist who happened to be a motorcycle rider, which was to our advantage,” Rhoades said. “We hired him more as an advisor because he told us what we should be doing.

In that regard, it was great advice.”

The group was able to rally members to volunteer as precinct delegates at more than 150 polling stations around the state. The group also started working with key legislators, attending and testifying in committee hearings and providing meaningful information lawmakers and their staff.

Two different bills to change the helmet law were passed by the state legislature, but vetoed by former Governor Jennifer Granholm.

A third bill was eventually passed by Governor Rick Snyder and went into effect in 2012. Today, motorcyclists who have had a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years and are over 21 may decide for themselves if they wear a helmet when riding.

“I’ve testified at probably 100 public hearings,” Rhoades said.

“We have been extremely active. When we first started out, we said, ‘what the hell, we’ll go to Lansing and burn a couple of helmets.’

We had to find out how to participate. That’s one of the things that our lobbyist has done to help us in that regard. That’s been a real good experience. Now I’m on a first name basis with probably 80 percent of the legislature.”

While the lobbying of politicians is typically done through registered lobbyist agents that have to report how they influence the state’s key lawmakers, the story behind the state’s helmet law is just one example of the inter-workings of the legislative process that isn’t taught in traditional textbooks.

“The ABATE group, they don’t have a lot of lobbyists. What they have is 10,000 guys on motorcycles,” said state Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake). “That shows you that an interest group on their own can get a hell of a lot done if they do it in an organized fashion, without spending millions.”

At the basic level, lobbying means spending money in an attempt to influence the legislative or administrative actions of public officials. Influence may mean promoting, supporting, modifying, opposing or delaying by any means, including providing or using information, statistics, studies or analysis. It may also include discussions over high-end meals and/or drinks; travel expenses; or loans to a public official and their family.

Under state law, lobbying is defined as any direct communication with a state level public official to influence the official’s legislative or administrative action. That communication may be face-to-face, by telephone, letter, electronic media or other means. And, while any person may communicate directly with a public official at any time, a person must register as a lobbyist or a lobbyist agent once specific monetary thresholds are met.

“Influencing means promoting, supporting, modifying, opposing, delaying by any means, including the providing or use of information, statistics, studies or analysis,” under state law.

Exclusions from the definition of lobbying under state law include: communications between employees and public officials for whom they work; ministerial actions, or those actions that are taken by a public official in obedience to law without their personal discretion as to whether or not to take action; and taking an editorial stance in a newspaper or similar publication intended for

general circulation. Communication with a county, township, city or village level officials isn’t governed by state law, nor is communication with federal level officials.

Additionally, grass roots lobbying, such as contacting members of an organization or the general public and urging them to contact a public official on their own time and at their own expense, isn’t considered lobbying.

Lobbyable public officials are essentially those that may use personal discretion in deciding whether or not to take legislative or administrative action. State law specifically states the positions of lobbyable public officials under the executive and legislative branches of government, as well as public officials at each of the state’s public universities.

Lobbyable public officials under the executive branch in state government include the governor; lieutenant governor; secretary of state; attorney general; an individual who is in the executive branch of government and not under civil service; a classified director; chief deputy director and others. The legislative branch of lobbyable public officials includes all state representatives and senators, as well as the the auditor general.

Under the Michigan Lobby Registration Act, a “lobbyist agent” is the individual, firm or organization that is paid to lobby public officials on behalf of an employer or client. A “lobbyist,” under the act, is the corporation, association or other type of organization that pays the lobbyist agent to conduct lobbying activities. Under the law, lobbyist agents who are paid more than $600 during any 12month period for lobbying must register with the Michigan Secretary of State; a person who spends more than $600 during a 12-month period must register as a lobbyist.

While the definition of a lobbyist may include a wide variety of people and activities, state law provides several exceptions to those who must register as a lobbyist. Those exceptions include: any lobbyable state-level public official who is acting in the scope of the office for no compensation; elected or appointed public officials acting in the scope of the office for no compensation who serve in an autonomous policy making capacity; a publisher, owner or working member of the press, radio or television while disseminating news or editorial comment to the general public in the ordinary course of business; a member of a group if the group is a lobbyist organization; churches and religious institutions; vendors communicating with a public official concerning the purchase of goods and services isn’t considered lobbying if no policy decision is required on the part of the public official; nor is a person considered a lobbyist who voluntarily appears before a legislative committee at the committee’s request.

Spending reported to the Michigan Secretary of State by lobbyists and lobbyists agents for the first seven months of 2014 totaled over $20.5 million, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, which compiled hundreds of thousands of the reports. That amount is up by 2.5 percent compared to the same period in 2013.

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12.14

Rich Robinson, executive director of the non-profit, non-partisan network, said state level spending by lobbyists continues to increase while the economy recovers.

“It dipped during the recession, as did campaign finance spending, but we seem to be out of that now. I suspect that until there is some serious economic disruption, it will continue to increase,” Robinson said. “It seems that I read there has been some leveling off of lobbying spending in (Washington) D.C., but there you are talking about an industry that spends about $300 million a month.”

Of the nearly 1,500 registered lobbyist agents in the state, the most influential, in terms of money spent, tend to be large, multi-client firms.

Such firms often employ more than a handful lobbyist agents with varying backgrounds in governmental work, politics and law. Such multi-client firms are also able to influence both Republican and Democratic lawmakers by utilizing employees from both sides of the aisle.

“Two that I think are most highly regarded, and usually win awards, are Nell Kuhnmuench and Steve Young,” Kowall said. “Both of them, I’ve known for years.”

Both Kuhnmuench and Young are directors for Governmental Consultant Services, a multi-client lobbying firm that is consistently listed as one of the most influential lobbyists in the state.

Kuhnmuench served for eight years as chief of staff to two different Democratic speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives.

Young worked for seven years as a tax lobbyist for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and was an administrative assistant to a former Republican state senator.

The firm has worked with clients such as AT&T, Michigan International Speedway, the Detroit Medical Center, city of Grand Rapids, the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, and many others. The firm was founded in 1983 by former Democratic Speaker of the House Bobby Crim and former Republican Senate Majority Speaker Robert VanderLaan.

“Nell leans a little to the Democratic side, and Steve to the Republican side, but that doesn’t mean anything to anyone, they are both quality people,” Kowall said.

State Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township) said lobbyists play a vital role in the political process by representing specific clients or causes, with lobbyists working on both sides of nearly every issue.

“People always think lobbyists are representing big business, but that is further away from the truth because they represent both sides,” Kesto said, indicating that both liberal and conservative groups, as well as all those in between, have lobbyists working for them to influence lawmakers. “They are also giving you information to allow legislators to make an informed decision. At a minimum, you’re getting a document.” Kesto said the most influential lobbyists seem to work with larger, multi-client firms.

“They have more of an influence only because they have more clients, so they are always able to advocate for more issues, so they get more face time,” he said. “They are all really good people. I don’t know what their perception is like in Washington, but here you have people that are just doing their job.”

Kesto said there are some fair lobbyists, such as Scott Breslin with Public Affairs Associates, which are able to “give both sides of the picture.” While he has only been in Lansing for about two years, Kesto said the perception that special interests dominate the political process isn’t accurate.

“Almost every issue has interests on both sides,” he said. “The public’s perception, and one that I had when I started, was that special interests are coming in and controlling this thing.”

State Rep. Mike McCready (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills) said while he has only been in the legislature for two years, the most influential lobbyists tend to be large firms. As far as individual influence, he said those with experience and a solid understanding of the issues tend to sway more minds.

“You can kind of tell who the predominant lobbyists are, but they

don’t really reveal their true size or volume. They usually keep that close to the vest,” McCready said. “Of course, the large multi-client firms are influential. Then you have companies that employ their own lobbyists, like AT&T and a handful of others.”

McCready said lobbyists are particularly influential with politicians who are seeking fundraising for re-election campaigns, an area where lobbyists may be particularly influential.

“My financial support comes from constituents in my district,” McCready said. “I’m fortunate to come from a wealthy district, but many don’t, and those lobbyists can raise a lot of money.”

The number of lobbyists and lobbyist agents registered in Michigan has continued to grow since 1998. While the number of lobbyists and agents fluctuate on any given day due to new registrations or terminations, the total number of lobbyists and lobbyist agents registered with the state in 2013 was 2,923. That number is up from 2,202 in 1998, and second highest to only 2012, when 2,959 were registered.

Of the some 1,500 lobbyist agents registered in the state, the most influential, in terms of money spent, are multi-client firms such as Governmental Consultant Services, which topped the list.

According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, the 20 most influential lobbyists in the state and the amount they spent in the first seven months of 2014 are: • Governmental Consultant Services, $1,003,005; • Kelly Cawthorne, $771,238; • James H. Karoub Associates, $570,208; • RWC Advocacy, $371,735; • Michigan Health and Hospital Association, $327,244; • Public Affair Associates, $285,460; • Muchmore Harrington Smalley and Associates, $253,323; • Midwest Strategy Group of Michigan, $246,435; • Michigan Education Association, $217,165; • Michigan Credit Union League, $212,570; • National Federation of Independent Business, $202,800; • Kheder Davis and Associates, $200,689; • Michigan Legislative Consultants, $199,327; • Dodak Johnson and Associates, $192,606; • Blue Cross and Blue Shield, $185,930; • Capitol Affairs Inc., $178,941; • Scofes and Associates Consulting, $176,194; • DTE Energy Company, $158,201; • Kandler Reed Khoury and Muchmore, $153,663; • Acuitas, $151,650.

The majority of the money spent by lobbyists, Robinson said, is to pay for the expense of lobbying personnel, and the expenses of the lobbyists themselves. For instance, while more than $20 million was spent by lobbyists in the first seven months of 2014, about $52,000 was spent on food and beverages to individuals, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Politicians (SNAP), which includes alcoholic beverages. Nearly $85,000 was spent by lobbyists to groups during the same time period.

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The top individual recipients of SNAP benefits and the amount they received in food and beverages were: Sen. Randy Richardville, $3,586; Rep. Aric Nesbitt, $2,334; Rep. Scott Dianda, $2,007; Rep. Frank Foster, $1,992; Rep. Harold Haugh, $1,696; Sen. Arlan Meekhof, $1,696; Sen. Tory Rocca, $1,632; Rep. Klint Kesto, $1,423; Rep. Rebekah Warren, $1,408; and Rep. Gail Haines, $1,213.

“I’ve dealt with them a lot because I’ve been in some very, very controversial committees over the years,” Kowall said. “The good guys will come in and say, ‘I’m working for company X’, and they are looking to get legislation or a grant or something, and ‘here is the upside.’ Then they will say, ‘now let me tell you the downside, and what the detractors will say.’

They will want to know what you think and where you are after you read over the materials.

“The good ones don’t twist arms, and don’t offer the sun, the moon and the stars,” Kowall continued. “Then there are the other guys that come in and allude to all kinds of things they are going to do for you. After a while, you can tell who those people are. I’ve never had anyone try to bribe me or offer me cash because that’s illegal and you can’t do that. I have had people in the past who have alluded to that, and you just stop them and let them know they are treading on very thin ice. On the other hand, when I wasn’t in the legislature, I did some consulting work,, and I have had legislators ask me flat out, ‘what’s in it for me?’ I think that used to be the rule of the day.”

Michigan Campaign Finance Network’s Robinson said the function of lobbyists in the political process is extremely important because it is the main way that interest groups make their wants and needs known to lawmakers and those in the executive branch. Still, he said, despite Michigan’s financial reporting requirements, there are areas where disclosure of lobbying spending can be improved.

“There are certainly shortcomings in lobbying disclosure. First, there are thresholds beneath which activity doesn’t need to be reported,” he said. “If an individual lobbyist spends less than $58 (on food and beverages) a month on a lobbyable public official, that doesn’t have to be reported. You can accumulate until you reach $350 in a calendar year. More serious than that is travel accommodations under $750, and financial transactions that don’t have to be reported.”

Financial transactions of $1,175 or more between a registered lobbyist or a lobbyist agent and a public official, a member of the public official’s immediate family or a business with which the individual is associate must be reported. Travel and lodging paid for or reimbursed to a public official in connection with public business in excess of $775 must be reported. Food and beverage expenses for public officials in excess of $58 in any month, or $350 for the year must be reported to the state Bureau of Elections. Gifts, such as a payment, advance, or anything of value which exceeds $58 during any one-month period are prohibited from being given to public officials from lobbyists or lobbyist officials.

“So, if a lobbyist makes a loan to a public official’s wife or son (for less than $1,175), and never asks for it to be repaid, that would never have to be reported,” Robinson said.

Financial report summaries must be filed twice each year by all lobbyist and lobbyist agents, even if they haven’t had any activities or expenditures to disclose for the reporting period. Reporting periods run from Jan. 1 to July 31, and from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 each year. However, Robinson said timing of the information is lacking because the filing deadline for the reports are Aug. 31 and Jan. 31, which means most recent information isn’t available to the public until after the primary and general elections.

Additionally, Robinson said the level of detail of financial reporting by lobbyists is lacking when compared to some other states, as well as federal regulations. While reports require lobbyists to list how much was spent on categorical items for each legislator during a specific time frame, financial statements don’t link spending to specific clients.

“They have to list gross spending for a period, and they have to name clients, but they don’t have to report how much they spent representing those clients,” Robinson said. “That contrasts with federal reporting, or a place like Wisconsin.”

Connecting spending to specific clients, Robinson said, essentially provides how much money was spent on a particular bill, by tracking which clients pursued what issues. “You don’t pick up any of that detail, here,” he pointed out. downtownpublications.com

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FACES Mila Pershyna etite and pregnant, Mila Pershyna searched for a coat to wear to get her through the cold Michigan winter. A clothing designer originally from Belarus, she was chagrined to discover that there wasn't anything beautiful that fit her.

“I couldn't find anything elegant and comfortable, and everything was too big for me. The coats were so ugly, I couldn't even look at them. My husband said, you better do it yourself. I made one coat for myself, and I got a lot of compliments on it, and I thought, why not target mothers-to-be,” Pershyna said of her Bloomfield Hillsbased business MP Fashion.

Pershyna said she began designing and sewing when she was very little, “at three or four, for my baby dolls. At about seven, I started sewing for myself. When I was 12, I got a sewing machine, and then started sewing more for myself, my friends and family. It was always just for fun.”

Living in the former Soviet nation of Belarus, Pershyna originally thought of being a seamstress, and tried to get into the University of Belarus. The four to five hour drive was a deterrent, and she instead went for a linguistics degree. “Languages are easy for me. I speak Russian, Belorussian, German, a little Spanish and French,” Pershyna said. She applied for a visa to come to the United States to practice languages, and moved here.

While she wasn't planning to stay, she traveled around and lived in several states.

“I got into retail and ran some businesses and was a store manager,” she said, including working with DvD in the fashion industry in New York City.

Married, she decided she wanted to attend Wayne State University Law School to study immigration law to help other people. While she loved fashion, “I knew that being an immigrant and not having enough financials and knowledge, it wouldn't work out for me.”

Ultimately, she ended up attending Wayne for fashion design and merchandising, graduating in 2013 with her masters. She Kickstarted her fashion line MP Fashion in 2012 from her home in Bloomfield Hills, focusing on a line of quality outerwear pieces that are fashionable and elegant. All of the fashionable clothing is made locally, and she is proud they are Made in Michigan.

MP Fashion sells at trade shows to buyers as well as online. “Selling online is a great opportunity because I have a lot of experience,” she said.

The outerwear, Pershyna said, “have a lot of colors, but as far as the garments, they are more basic. I have a line of contemporary coats that are selling very well.

They're not thousands of dollars, but under $300. Those coats are selling very well. There is a demand for contemporary and something different in Michigan.”

She is currently selling her Spring/Summer 2015 line.

“I added some more classic chic styles, something that is very basic that I tweaked to look very modern.”

She is on the lookout for more skilled workers, and is eager to move the workroom and showroom out of her home. “We're currently looking for a location. I want to to keep it close to where I live, and keep control of the quality.”

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hey are often confused, in the metro Detroit area, as being part of the over 400,000 Arab or Palestinian American community members located here. Yet Chaldeans, part of a tight-knit community who are neither Arab, nor Muslim, actually have little in common with those who come from a similar part of the world as themselves.

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“Christians have been given 24 hours and three choices,” said Mike Manna, president of the Chaldean Chamber of Commerce in Bingham Farms. “They could convert (to Islam), leave Mosul, or be killed. All of our community fled, and as they fled, all of their belongings, including cars, wedding rings and other valuables, were taken. We currently have about one million Chaldean people outside of Iraq, and about 250,000 are displaced within Iraq.”

If it’s reminiscent of what happened to the Jews in Europe during the 1930s and ‘40s during the Holocaust, the harrowing similarities resonate with Manna, as well. And while the faiths are different, he recognizes other similarities between the Jewish community in metro Detroit and the family-focused Chaldean community. Often, new immigrants from Iraq have settled in similar areas to Jewish immigrants, and as members of the community have become established, their migration pattern throughout Oakland County have paralleled that of the Jews.

“When immigrants come here, we teach them English and get them a job through our Refugee Acculturation program,” Manna said.

“We modeled it after how the Jewish community has done it. With all of our programs, the goal is to get them independent and off government subsidies.”

C

hristians, as we know, have been in the Middle East for 2,014 years. Here in the Detroit area, Chaldeans first arrived in numbers in the early years of the 20th century, following the slaughter of the Armenian, Chaldean and Assyrian people (all Christians) by the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire in 1915-1920.

Like other immigrant groups, they fled to the shores of North and South America, seeking new opportunities following political and social unrest.

“Similar to today, 100 years ago, (Iraqi) Christians were given three choices: they were forced to convert to Islam; to pay a tax for protection; or be killed,” Manna explained.

“Historically, our community has been under a great deal of pressure.”

Today, the largest concentration of Chaldean Americans live in the Detroit metropolitan area, and estimates put their population at between 150,000 and 200,000 and growing, as they continue to absorb displaced immigrants from continued wars and conflicts.

“Some of the people who left Iraq in the early days ended up in New York, Canada, Mexico, and in South America,” said Nabby Yono, vice president of community relations for the Arab American and Chaldean Council.

“People were drawn to Detroit by Henry Ford and the $5 a day job opportunity.”

Early Middle Eastern settlers in the Detroit area, in the 1870s, were primarily Christian Lebanese, who worked as peddlers and shopkeepers. It is known that there were a few Chaldeans scattered in the there as well.

During the first major wave of immigration, in the 1910s, Chaldeans, along with Assyrian, Syriac and some from the Syrian Arabic

community, came for lucrative jobs in the automotive industry. There were approximately 3,000 Chaldeans in metro Detroit working in the auto industry, primarily living in what is now the downtown and midtown areas of Detroit, along with about 6,000 Syrians, who chose Dearborn to reside in, along with a sizable Lebanese population.

In 1943, community sources listed 908 Chaldeans living in the Detroit area. By 1963, the number had tripled to about 3,000 persons.

In the mid-1960s, there was a great influx of Iraqi citizens to the United States due to changes in immigration laws, and the growth in Detroit’s Chaldean American community skyrocketed, to about 45,000 in 1986, and approximately 75,000 by 1992. Other areas of the country also saw an increase of Chaldeans, particularly Chicago, San Diego, El Cajon, San Jose, and Turlock, California, and Oaxaca, Mexico. There are also strong communities in Windsor and Quebec.

Waves of Chaldean immigration have always been caused by economic and religious strife in Iraq. Chaldean historians note that over 95 percent of Chaldeans in the Detroit community can trace themselves back to one single town, Telkaif, which is one of several Christian towns in the northern Iraqi province of Mosul. In the early 1900s, Telkaif was a poor, nonindustrialized village that could have been mistaken for Biblical times. Those who originally left Telkaif went first to nearby Middle Eastern cities like Mosul, Baghdad, Beirut or Basra. Later, primarily as economic need forced their hand, some chose to migrate to the United States, Mexico or Canada. Immigration in those days was primarily something only the men in the family undertook, with the women and children of the family staying behind in the “old country” until the men became established.

When those early immigrants first settled in the U.S., there weren’t restrictions on immigration, which made entry into the country easy. With the $5 a day incentive from Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company, “word spread quickly, and it coincided with a new opportunity during a time of political and social unrest” in Iraq, Yono noted.

Like other ethnic communities which settled in metro Detroit, once Chaldeans settled here and began to prosper, they encouraged and brought over other members of their families and community. According to everyculture.com, “this began the ‘chain migration’ between Telkaif and Detroit that continues to the present. In this process, members of a community who have already established themselves in a new location assist relatives and friends left behind to migrate as well. The assistance can take many forms, including the provision of jobs, a place to stay, information and advisement. Close relatives may even provide money for passage. In a typical chain, a man migrates first; later he sends home for his wife and children, or if he is not married, he may return to find a bride. As he and his wife become citizens, they arrange for the migration of their parents and siblings as well. And these, in turn, arrange to assist their spouses, in-laws and other relatives.”

In the 1920s, as immigration quotas were passed in the U.S., this type of assistance was critical.The National Origins Formula was a system of immigration quotas inaugurated in 1921, which restricted immigration based on existing proportions of the population. The goal of the formula was to maintain the existing ethnic composition of the country, and had the effect of giving low quotas to Eastern and Southern Europe. Under quota restrictions, only 100 immigrants from Iraq were permitted into the country each year. Because of the chain migration, Chaldeans gained preference under the assumption by the U.S. that family members would be less likely to become indigent and need public assistance.

As with other immigrants groups, all migration was halted during World War II. The introduction of the student visa became the means for renewed immigration after the war, as it allowed immigrants to enter the country for educational purposes. The assumption with a student visa is that after finishing their studies, students would return to their home country. Many Chaldeans entered the United States as students; they later married members of the Chaldean American community, which permitted them to remain in the country.

The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, which took effect in 1968, abolished the national origins quota system in place since the 1920s and replaced it with a preference system which focuses on an immigrant’s skills and family relationships already in the U.S. Numerical restrictions were changed to 170,000 per year, with a specific allotment per country, not counting immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens.

The Chaldean community in metro Detroit began to grow, and then rapidly burgeon as the tight-knit, family-oriented community brought over member after member of their extended families.

A

ccording to a 2008 Household Survey of the Chaldeans in Metropolitan Detroit done by the Chaldean Chamber of Commerce, in 2008, they estimated the community in the tri-county area as about 113,000 individuals living in about 27,500 households. Manna and Yono estimate that following the American surge in Iraq in 2007 and now ISIS, there are between 150,000 and 200,000 Chaldeans in the metropolitan area, with the majority living in Oakland County.

“The average Chaldean household was comprised of four persons, with four to fivepersons comprising the most frequent responses. While southeast Michigan has been suffering a loss of young, educated professionals (the so-called brain drain), it is apparent that the Chaldean community has not followed this trend. Educational attainment has been rising, as Chaldean families emphasize the importance of education for their children.

However it is apparent that once they have completed college, the vast majority of young Chaldean professionals are remaining in the area, often continuing to reside in the home of their parents.”

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According to the survey, the Detroit metro area contains the largest single concentration of Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs (which are similar in religion and culture to Chaldeans) in the western hemisphere, and most are immigrants or direct descendants of immigrants from Iraq. Chaldeans are a form of Catholics who uphold Eastern Rite rituals and hold mass in Aramaic, and the church is an essential part of family life. The primary language Chaldeans speak is Aramaic, an ancient language which is believed to be the language that Jesus Christ spoke, and Chaldean Americans take great pride in that fact. According to the household survey, most Detroit-area Chaldeans currently live in the areas nearest to Chaldean churches.

At the time of the survey, there were six in the metro area. Today, six years later, with the population growth, there are now 12.

“The church is absolutely a big part of our life, and the biggest growth is in our churches.

They’re a huge factor in our lives. There is not a church on a Sunday mass where you can find a seat,” Yono said. The St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese is in Southfield.

Chaldean churches are located in Detroit, Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield, Warren, Troy, Shelby Township and Farmington Hills.

The first Chaldean church in the country was founded in Detroit in 1947 at Euclid Street and Second Avenue in midtown Detroit. In 1954, the Mother of God Parish moved a mile north to Hamilton Avenue in the Boston-Edison neighborhood; later it moved to Berg Road in Southfield as the population moved to Southfield. Chaldeans lived near their churches, as they do now, and followed a northern migration as families prospered, following the path of Jewish migration, and often living alongside Jews, as they often still do. St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church on Maple Road, in West Bloomfield, which offers several masses, bible study, youth groups and a 24/7 grotto for Adoration and prayer, sits just up the road from the large Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield.

F

rom Detroit, Chaldeans moved to Oak Park and Southfield, and then north to West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills. Traffic stops along Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills on Saturdays and Sundays when mass lets out and hundreds of cars spill out from Holy Cross Chaldean Church. University of Michigan Dearborn historian Sidney Bolkosky noted, “The move by each community reflected a desire for more status, some economic success and an attraction to more space.”

Today, Chaldeans also live in Birmingham and Bloomfield Township, as well as in Macomb County, Sterling Heights, Warren, and Shelby Township. A new Chaldean church, St. George Chaldean Catholic Parish in Shelby Township, opened in 2005 to meet the needs of the growing east side community, and is now considered the largest Chaldean church in the world.

Focused on family and church, the stereotype of many Chaldeans is one of

shopkeepers and owners of gas stations. Many of their younger descendants are now branching out into the fields of medicine, law, engineering, real estate and politics. “Like any other ethnic group, we just want a better life for our children,” Manna said.

He said that historically, Chaldeans have been businessmen, merchants and entrepreneurs, because they lived in Islamic countries. “Because Islam forbids the sale and consumption of alcohol, Christians owned the liquor stores,” he explained. “So it evolved here, too. In Detroit, Chaldeans owned 80-85 percent of the grocery stores. Previously they bought it from the Jewish community, who bought it from the Italians. Then, as they become more established and assimilated, the next generation becomes educated. Today, the educated generation now owns more than 50 percent of the hotels in southeast Michigan.

They also dominate in franchised pizza ownerships, the wireless industry and dominate in local real estate development.”

Gas stations and party stores remain in the ownership of many Chaldean families, and often new immigrants are given jobs in those establishments. As Manna notes, “We take care of our own.”

State Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township, West Bloomfield), is proud to note that although he only 33, he was just re-elected to his second term as the first Chaldean state legislator in Michigan.

In California, Anna Eshoo, a Chaldean Democrat representing the San Jose/Palo Alto region, has served in the U.S. Congress since 1993.

“As we’re now involved as doctors, lawyers, in the judicial system, we were lacking in the political sphere,” he said. “Now, as I’ve been elected, we’ve accomplished that as a community.”

Note, he did not say that he did it. For Chaldeans, every achievement is a communal achievement rather than a singular one. It is their mindset, stemming from their strong belief in family and church.

“We’re a large, growing community. We’re family-oriented, church-oriented, we’re about community and business,” Kesto said. “We’re constantly in touch with each other, and we are constantly looking at other communities like the Jewish community – from the point of view as merchants, working in the community and with certain individuals, as immigrants, and then to become large property real estate owners. That’s the next step. Their children become doctors, lawyers, engineers, business owners and to become involved with the government.”

As for his election as representative for the 39th District in the state House, and his success in a tough battle for re-election, both in the August primary and in the general election, “As a community, they all felt we were elected and the doors are now open to power,” Kesto said. “It was encouraging to the community.

The sense that ‘we can do it.’ It’s a sense of pride. Just as before, for the Jewish community, the African American community, and the

Hispanic communities in the past. It resonated with the community as a whole. It’s one of our own.”

The Arab American and Chaldean Council’s Yono said, “Kesto is a promising guy. But we need more Klints to represent all of the communities where our taxpayers are and are good corporate citizens. We need them in Lansing and in Washington.”

K

esto said his initial motivation was in seeing so many of his peers leaving the state “not for the glitz and glamour of the big cities like New York or Chicago, but for places like North Carolina or Indiana – for jobs. And they were taking their families with them. And when they’re established there, they’re going to stay.”

The economic impact Chaldeans have upon the communities they live in is significant.

They own businesses, homes, shop, go to restaurants, support their churches, educate their children and are very involved in the overall community.

“Being here, owning businesses and professionals ties, we’re taxpayers,” Yono emphasized. “The economic impact is huge.

They pay taxes on their homes and have very strong spending power. That’s a very strong economic impact on the communities they live in. Because we surround ourselves with our families and our church and our social clubs, we stay within our communities.”

“Chaldeans are now one out of every 20 people in metro Detroit,” Kesto pointed out.

“Seventy percent are business owners. It’s a small business community. And that means it’s an engine for the metro Detroit area. To work with other legislators from around the state, and with the governor’s office, and to help make the Detroit area revitalize helps the Chaldean community as well as the entire state, because they know someone is looking out for their interest. I’m there for the everyday person, the hardworking family person who works 50 to 60 hours a week, who is grinding it out, and knows someone is looking out for his interests.”

Kesto understands and respects that his district is a diverse community, with not only Chaldeans and Jews, Gentiles and African Americans, “higher incomes in the lakes and lower incomes, seniors, and with newer developments, lots of younger people. There are people far to the right and far to the left.” It invigorates him, knowing he represents the melting pot of the American Dream.

But his community is always foremost in his mind, as well as those in his homeland. He recently introduced a bill, called the Genocide Bill, to have Michigan schools teach students about all of the different genocides inflicted upon societies over time, from the Chaldeans, the Holocaust, the Rwandans, and so many others.

“When we say ‘never forget,’ we need to mean it,” he said.

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Jim Ninowski ormer NFL quarterback Jim Ninowski has called Bloomfield Hills home for more than 30 years, including the dozen seasons he played with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints.

"I made Jim Brown famous by giving him the ball and telling him, 'go Jimmy, go,'" Ninowski joked about his time with the Hall of Fame running back and football legend he played with in Cleveland.

Born and raised in Detroit, Ninowski attended Pershing High School in Detroit before going to Michigan State University, where he led the Spartans to four bowl games. In 1958, Ninowski was drafted in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns. His starting salary: about $11,000.

"You had to have another job. You couldn't last a whole year on what they paid," he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were only 12 teams, and 32 players on a team, so it was hard to get a job. You had to do exactly what the owners told you, or you were out."

To make ends meet, Ninowski began working for a Detroit company in the off-season before starting his own business manufacturing windows for the housing industry. He later started a sales company in Birmingham that was involved in the auto industry. It was during that time that he and his family settled in Bloomfield Hills.

Just two years into his NFL career, Ninowski was traded by Cleveland to his hometown where he became the starting quarterback for the Lions.

Finding success in his hometown, the Browns quickly took notice and traded Ninowski back to Cleveland in 1962 and placed him in the starting position. Unfortunately, Ninowski suffered a broken collarbone seven games into the season and was replaced by his back-up quarterback, Frank Ryan.

When the Browns failed to return Ninowski to the starting position, he

F

requested to be traded. However, the Browns refused, keeping Ninowski through their 1964 NFL Championship victory, and until the end of the 1966 season.

"I filed an anti-trust suit against the league because they wouldn't trade me," he said. "They threatened me, so I said I wouldn't return to camp.

Then I got a call from the Redskins."

Ninowski was traded to the New Orleans Saints for the 1969 NFL season, his last in the NFL. After retiring, he returned to Bloomfield Hills full-time, where he owned and operated his businesses, until selling them in retirement. Today, Ninowski is working with an international humanitarian group that strives to provide project funding for distressed locations.

In discussing the changes that have taken place in the NFL since his retirement, including the creation of the player's union, free agency and larger salaries, it's perhaps medical advances that will help players in today's league.

"There are more injuries now. The players are bigger, faster and stronger, so you're bound to have more injuries," Ninowski said. "I had three concussions. When I played with the Lions, I broke three ribs. For treatment, they sent me to the hospital and they were shooting radiation into my ribs because they thought it would make us heal faster."

Still, Ninowski said he, like nearly any player you ask, would "do it over again." That includes any criticism he may have taken.

"If you can't take the criticism, you shouldn't be out there," he said.

"That's the job, and you accept it."

Story: Kevin Elliott

Photo: Laurie Tennent

Bloomfield Hills to all of our Friends, Family & Clients

We Wish you a Wonderful

Holiday Season

with much Happiness, Love, Prosperity, Peace, Laughter & Cheer!

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Pine Lake Victorian retreat! Features 56' of all sports lake frontage. Newer large home with a great floor plan. Grand 2 story foyer with an antique brass chandelier. Elegant living room, dining room and l breakfast room library. Island kitchen with large that opens to a cozy front room with fireplace.

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It's the season to be thankful and I thank you for your support and for another record-breaking sales year!

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Contact me any time for a free home analysis including your home's current market value, and if desired, a room to room evaluation of what to do (and sometimes what not to do) to sell your home for the best price.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

n a n c y. ka ras @ ya h o o.co m | w w w.n a n c y ka ras.co m

4 1 3 0 Te l e g r a p h R o a d

Bloomfield Hills

Michigan

48302

Water and other liquid refuse flowing through the miles of sewers in Oakland County flow downhill. So, when more than five inches of rain fell during a three-hour period in August across southeast Michigan, more than two billion gallons of partially treated sewage also traveled downhill, journeying from southeast Oakland County into the Red Run Drain in Macomb County. It was much more than the system could handle, with all local systems overflowing, flooding sewer systems designed to capture the overflows, as well as roads, highways, and thousands of homes and basements.

The overflow was just one of more than 35 that originated in Oakland County that was recorded by the the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) during 2014. In total, more than 2.4 billion gallons of storm water, sewage or partially treated sewage that originated in communities in Oakland County and later entered area surface land or waters rather than their targeted treatment plants. However, state and county water resource managers say efforts to control the number of sewage overflows, as well as the water quality of them, has vastly improved from years past.

Sewer overflows are a situation where mostly untreated sewage is discharged into the environment before it has been able to reach its appropriate treatment facilities. Wet weather overflow is the reason when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caused by unusually heavy rainfall, either from the infiltration or inflow of excessive storm water into sewer lines during a heavy rainfall; because of a rupture in a sewer line; or the breakdown in a pumping station due to a power failure.

Of the more than 2.4 billion gallons discharged from area sewers, all but about 14 million gallons had been partially treated before being released into the environment during 2014.

While still a tremendous amount of water, compared to the amount of water processed by sewage systems, it was a drop in the proverbial bucket. Of the about 14 million gallons, more than 10 million gallons of the overflows during this year contained diluted sewage from combined sewerage overflows, or a mixture of raw sewage and storm water.

Sewer systems throughout Oakland County primarily funnel both storm water and sewage to their required locations without any hitches. Yet the sewer overflows which do occur throughout Oakland County happen because the designs in the systems, which developed during its earliest years in the southeastern portion of the county, prior to the 1940s, actually

ILLEGAL UNTREATED SEWAGE

BY KEVIN

lend themselves to more overflows during heavy rain events. That’s because the majority of the sewer system in the area are part of a combined sewer system, meaning they carry both storm water from local catch basins, as well as sewage from people’s homes and local industry. After the 1940s, newer communities were developed with separate storm water and sanitary sewer systems.

“Southeast Oakland County was some of the first land developed, and because of that, a lot of that is a combined system,” said Gary Nigro, assistant chief engineer at the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. “A lot of the northeast portion of the county, and other areas, they have separated sewers for storm and sanitary. Things are being looked at in southeast Oakland County, like Birmingham, Troy, Madison Heights, Royal Oak and those areas.”

Raw and inadequately treated sewage that is discharged from municipal systems has been a problem in Michigan for decades. But according to the MDEQ, the state took a more aggressive approach to address discharges in the late 1980s and subsequent years. However, to better understand the issues that lead to overflows, it’s first necessary to understand how sanitary and storm water sewer systems work.

Sanitary sewers are designed to carry only sanitary sewage to a wastewater treatment plant, while storm water is designed to be directed to nearby rivers, lakes or streams through a system of storm sewers.

Sanitary wastewater is treated in several stages, involving primary and secondary treatment states, and a final disinfecting stage. During the primary stage, nearly half of the solids in the wastewater is removed. This removal is often done through screens and grit chambers that utilize sand, grit and other materials.

The secondary stage removes about 85 to 90 percent of the remaining pollutants. One method used includes the use of an aeration tank, followed by a secondary sedimentation tank. In the aeration process, air is mixed in the tank and microorganism concentrations are kept high to speed the consumption of the organic matter. The microorganisms and other solids settle to the bottom of the tank during the sedimentation process and are removed.

After that, a disinfectant such as chlorine is often used to kill disease-causing organisms before the wastewater leaves the treatment plant.

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When sanitary sewers become clogged or malfunction, a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) may occur, resulting in the discharge of raw, untreated sewage “Sanitary sewer overflows are illegal. That’s a discharge of raw sewage,” said Laura Verona, southeast Michigan district supervisor with the MDEQ Water Resources Division. “If you look at communities that have issues with that, they are under an administrative order with us. Typically, they have a problem and they go in and fix it. A corrective action doesn’t necessarily mean enforcement.”

When an SSO occurs, raw sewage may be released into basements, city streets, properties, rivers and streams. Such overflows are illegal, but they may occur during wet weather conditions when sanitary systems receive storm water in-flow or infiltrating ground water. When they do occur, it’s obvious that the system has malfunctioned.

In addition to sanitary sewer systems, many older communities, like Birmingham, operate on a combined sewer system, meaning that the sewers carry both raw sewage and storm water in one pipe. Such combined systems are designed with overflow points because the sewer system can’t handle all the volume of water that is associated with some larger storm water events.

Combined sewer systems are designed to collect snowmelt, rainwater runoff, domestic sewage and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined systems transport all the wastewater to a sewage treatment plant where it is treated and then discharged into a body of water. During heavy rainfall or massive snowmelt, however, the wastewater flow rate in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. Because the combined systems were designed to overflow into local water bodies during significant wet weather events, combined sewer systems have historically been among the major sources for beach closings and other water quality issues.

“A sanitary sewer overflow is raw sewage,” Verona said. “A combined sewage overflow is a combined system, so you have both. It’s diluted sewage, but (it’s) an untreated discharge.”

Both Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) can result in the release of untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, debris, and disease-causing organisms onto the ground or into area rivers, lakes and streams.

About 13.74 million gallons of combined wastewater was released into surface water in Oakland County due to rainfall in 2014, according to records available from the MDEQ. “An untreated CSO is when the system capacity is exceeded and you have a discharge, or it will back up into people’s basements,” Verona said. “With the retention treatment facilities, the water is treated. It goes to these retention basins and it is treated before it is discharged.”

Prior to 2004, only releases from municipalities were required to be reported to the MDEQ. However, the National Resources Protection Act was amended to include the reporting of treated and partially-treated sewage releases from private systems that serve more than a duplex. When raw or partially-treated sewage is released, the responsible party is required to notify the local health department and other entities specified under the law.

To reduce the amount of sewage entering an area’s waterways, engineers design and install retention facilities to hold water during rain events. Retention treatment basins are designed to capture the combined sewage and rain water that would otherwise flow to surface waters untreated. The basins hold the combined sewage long enough to provide treatment and disinfection before the combined sewage is discharged into waters during heavy rainfall. The basins also capture sewer system releases during smaller rainfall events and return all of the captured sewage and rainwater back to the system to be routed to the wastewater treatment plant for treatment.

Retention basin discharges are treated discharges from the retention facilities, which are designed to meet permit requirements and be protective of water quality and public health, according to the MDEQ. The largest overflows originating in Oakland County come from retention treatment basins that become overwhelmed by

Sanitary sewer overflows are illegal.

That’s a discharge of raw sewage.

heavy rain events. The largest contributor to overflows is the George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin, formerly known as the 12 Towns Drain. It serves all or part of 12 communities, encompassing a drainage area of 24,500 acres upstream of the Red Run Drain, which is a tributary of the Clinton River. It is one of the largest screening facilities in America, according to Headworks, a Texas wastewater screening company. During normal, dry weather, all flow is routed to the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant. But, during unusually heavy rainfall, heavy volumes of combined sewage (typically made up of more than 93 percent storm water) exceed the capacity to the Detroit plant, causing the overflow to be diverted to the Kuhn retention basin, where it is stored, screened, and disinfected prior to discharge into the Red Run Drain.

“The intensity of the rain makes a huge difference in how the system reacts,” Verona said. “In August, that was about 5.5 inches of rain, so the George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin ended up discharging about 2 billion gallons of combined sewer overflow. But, a few years ago, we had a rainstorm that was about 5.5 inches, but it came over the course of three days. We discharged about 1.6 billion gallons, but there was no basement flooding because it came over three days. The one we got in August was over three hours. If it’s a slow, steady rain, we will never have an issue.”

In 2014, a total of about 2.419 billion gallons of partially treated wastewater from the Kuhn retention basin was released into the Red Run Drain.

The Beverly Hills/Birmingham retention plant, which receives its flow from a combined wastewater, like the George Kuhn retention basin, discharged millions gallons of water in 2014 due to rain or snowmelt. Each of the discharges fell within the facility’s permit, according to the MDEQ. The largest discharges, outside of those connected to the George Kuhn retention basin, occurred in August in Birmingham and Beverly Hills. On August 11, about 5.46 million gallons of partially treated sewage was released from the Birmingham retention treatment basin to the area of Lincoln and Southfield roads. About 11.43 million gallons of partially treated sewage from a combined treatment facility was released the same day from a retention basin to drains near Cranbrook and 14 Mile roads that lead to the Rouge River. That release came on the heels of a similar discharge of 14.06 million gallons of partially treated sewage at Evergreen and Beverly that also went to the Rouge River.

Separate from the one day catastrophic event on August 11, the majority of sanitary sewerage overflows, or SSOs, that occurred in 2014 in Oakland County happened due to malfunctions or failures in the system. For instance, 22,640 gallons of raw sewage was released on September 1 when a syphon, a tube used to convey liquids upwards from a reservoir, under the Clinton River plugged, causing an upstream manhole cover to overflow, spilling raw sewage onto the banks of the river.

While the Kuhn retention basin is the largest contributor of overflows in the Oakland County system, Nigro said work done to the drain over the years has greatly reduced the number of overflows, as well as improved the quality of water being released. The retention basin consists of a two-mile long drainage system that is 60 feet wide, which runs mainly through Madison Heights. The underground basin holds about 124 million gallons.

Nigro said prior to improvements to the George Kuhn retention basin, which receives its flow through a combined sewer system, there would have been roughly 50 discharges into the Red Run drain each year, or basically each time it would rain in southeast Oakland County. Mandates by the state required the county to take action to reduce the number of discharges, and weir structures were installed to allow water to be stored in the system.

“That took discharges down to about 25 a year,” Nigro said. “A few years later, the state said, ‘you can do better,’ and they built this enormous retention basin in the Red Run Drain,” he said The retention basin runs underground from the area near 12 Mile Road and Stephenson Highway to Dequindre Road, just north of 13 Mile Road.

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Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel (CBWM) is proud to announce that Jen Zachary is the Branch Sales Manager at our flagship office in Birmingham.

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In accepting her new role at CBWM, Jen joins a century-old tradition of strong leadership and innovation in the real estate industry. Coldwell Banker, founded in 1906, is the oldest and most established real estate firm in North America. In fact, it is among the most trusted real estate brands in the world. CBWM offers our clients the power of a preeminent, international brand with the outstanding customer service of a small luxury boutique. With Jen at the helm of our Birmingham office, this commitment to excellence, for both our agents and clients, will continue.

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BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP | $2,250,000 7,000+ sqft of pure elegance. High-end materials in this fabulous masterpiece from top to bottom. Hand chipped fond du lac stone, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths w/International imported marble. Porcelain, stone, granite, and Bisazza tile in kitchen and baths. Hand-scrapped bamboo wood floors flow through the first floor and master bedroom. Master offers a sitting area, his and her closets and her bath w/stand-up shower and air jetted tub.

Three limestone fireplaces t/o home, surround sound system in all rooms. Walnut Lake privileges. (214102007) Presented by Stetson Jarbo 248-792-8833

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP | $2,200,000 This exceptional charming Tudor located on a private fabulous lot. Large country kitchen with Viking stove, double ovens and Sub-Zero refrigerator. Kitchen opens to family room with stone fireplace and built ins. In-ground swimming pool with pool house, complete with kitchenette and full bath. 3 car heated garage with guest house above including bedroom. Newer master bedroom suite with fireplace. (214118468) Presented by Mark Marangon 248-792-8833

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Spotlight on...

Courtney Dunford has been preparing for a career in real estate her entire life. Born and raised in SE Michigan by her entrepreneurial parents, her dad owns a successful construction company, you could say that the entrepreneurial spirit and real estate is in her blood.

Growing up, Courtney loved sports and cars more than anything, and that is what you will find her doing during her free time. Attending car shows with her car designer husband, playing sports and coaching the Marian Mustangs JV Softball team.

When she wants to get away, St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands becomes her paradise home away from home.

honors and earned a bachelors degree in business and marketing.

Whether she is guiding an investor building their real estate portfolio or helping someone to find their dream home, or their first home, Courtney is always focused on fulfilling her clients’ real estate needs. “It has never been about the commission for me, but always about helping others to achieve their dreams.” Honesty, loyalty, hard work and the passion to serve others are the principles upon which her business is built and how she lives her life every day.

Want to learn more about Courtney? Visit her website at cbwm.com/cdunford

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“That took us down to about 12 or 15 discharges a year, and it stayed that way for about 30 years,” Nigro said. “The idea is continual growth. In 2003 or 2004, we added another 30 million gallons of storage, and a big screening facility. We improved the chlorination system to make it more efficient. We are down to about eight or nine discharges a year, so the quality keeps getting better. The MDEQ recently came to us and wants us to cut that number in half, again. I’m not sure what improvements we can make to the facility without a $100-million price tag.”

“The GWK is one of the most impressive facilities of its kind in North America,” Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash said.

“I’m extremely proud of the extraordinary progress GWK has made over the years in reducing combined sewage overflows and maintaining the highest water quality standards possible.”

Nigro said further reducing overflows may be done by implementing “green infrastructure,” rather than building a larger basin. The approach means using more porous pavements that can capture water and allow it to flow through the pavement, rather than allowing it to run off, and other improvements that reduce the amount of water entering the system.

The state of Michigan took a large step forward in 1988 when it initiated a CSO control program, while in 1994, the federal government developed a nationwide CSO control policy. The policy suggests that states use an enforceable mechanism, preferably a permit program that was initiated by the federal Clean Water Act, called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, which required communities to implement new measures to control CSOs. The program included developing long-term control plans using nine minimum controls, according to the MDEQ. Those controls basically included interim measures that could be taken to begin addressing the CSOs before major sewer system construction activities would be undertaken. In Michigan, all municipalities with CSOs have completed the required measures and developed long term control plans.

The long term control plans must assess a range of control options, including costs and benefits, and lead to selection of an alternative that would meet federal and state clean water laws. Since the cause of CSOs is an excess of rain or snowmelt, some municipalities have decided to separate their combined sewers, thereby redirecting the clean water runoff to lakes, rivers and streams via storm sewers. However, storm sewer separation projects are expensive, and often involve extensive utility and road reconstructions.

In Oakland County, a more common way of addressing CSOs has been to build additional treatment or storage basins to contain a portion of the volume and provide treatment of any resulting discharge. Specifically, as part of the final corrective program, many owners of combined sewer systems have installed or are installing Retention Basin Treatment facilities.

Currently, the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office is working on a $46 million project that would add 3.7 million gallons of retention capacity to the Evergreen-Farmington sewer system. The project will consist of a 7,600 foot tunnel, 9-feet in diameter, to provide additional sewage capacity for the existing Farmington gravity sewer interceptor, located on Middlebelt Road between 13 Mile Road and I-696. The tunnel will vary in depth from 40 to 80-feet below the surface of Middlebelt Road.

One of the actions the DEQ has taken to address overflow problems is through the the state’s Stormwater Asset Management and Wastewater (SAW) program, which helps municipalities plan for sewer system maintenance. The program provides grant assistance for developing storm water and wastewater project planning and design, asset management plans for wastewater and storm water systems, storm water management planning and testing, and demonstration of technology.

In October, the MDEQ awarded about $91 million to municipalities throughout the state through the program. The grant awards are the second round of SAW grants, with a total of 207 municipalities across the state receiving grants, totaling about $170 million, including a $1 million grant to Commerce Township.

Commerce will receive funds through January 2017 from the program, with the township matching $109,944 of the total amount. The funds will go to develop an asset management plan for the wastewater collection and treatment system, design and engineering costs related to the abandonment of the Welch Road, Haggerty Road and Commerce Towne Center Pump Stations. The grant will also help to fund the development of a sanitary sewer asset management plan.

Nigro said asset management and plans created through the SAW program will help to identify issues before they become problems.

“I like to think that, as far as asset management, we are already ahead of the curve,” he said.

DOWNTOWN

12.14

MARKET OFFERINGS DECEMBER 2014

skbk.com

248.644.7000

ince our conversion to Sotheby’s eight years ago, SKBK has realized steady growth in our market share throughout the area.

S

Currently SKBK markets and sells significantly more homes over $1.5 million than our competitors. As the price rises so does our market share – we sold 38% of the homes over $3 million so far this year – that is three times our closest competitor.

Luxury real estate is just not local – homes must be marketed to include the global consumer. Nearly half of all the visits to the Sotheby’s International website are from outside the US. Here are a few key points about our marketing – our results demonstrate the success of this approach.

Global Media – Our 2014 global media plan will generate 800 million impressions through handselected media powerhouses whose innovation, experience and international impact help drive awareness for the extraordinary properties our network represents.

Global Reach – Innovation, Experience, International Exposure: With over 14,000 sales associates in approximately 720 offices and 52 countries and territories, our network members utilize all that is current to present a home in a unique way.

SothebysRealty.com – attracts more consumers to search, view and inquire than any other luxury real estate website.

• 10,000,000 visits yearly • 70,000,000 page views yearly • 12 focused minutes per visit • 45% visits from outside US Aerial photography – we provide aerial videos of every home we market over $500,000 – scan the adjacent QR code to see a sample video.

Again – we use all available tools to market our properties and to position them as best possible in the market.

Thank you again –

Douglas H. Hardy, MD Chairman

Market Share | By Dollars SKBK MarKetS More Homes Over $1.5 Million 25.75%

8.60%

7.78% 5.79% 3.65%

SKBK Sotheby’s International

Max Broock Birmingham

Hall & Hunter Birmingham

Higbie Maxon Agney

Cranbrook Realtors

2.89%

2.84%

2.70%

2.67%

2.50%

Max Broock Bloomfield

Shain Park Realtors

Berkshire HWWB

RE/MAX New Trend

CB Weir Manuel Birmingham

*Current Active Listings provided by Realcomp II Ltd. 8.1.14

SKBK SellS More Homes Over $1.5 Million 21.48%

13.70%

13.05% 10.68%

5.87%

5.37% 3.77%

SKBK Sotheby’s International

Max Broock Birmingham

Hall & Hunter Birmingham

CB Weir Manuel Birmingham

Max Broock Bloomfield

Shain Park Realtors

Berkshire HWWB

3.19%

Cranbrook Realtors

2.50%

Keller Williams Troy

1.90% RE/MAX New Trend

*Year to Date Sales provided by Realcomp II Ltd. 8.1.14

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Birmingham $2,795,000 Fabulous nearly 7000 square feet Limestone and Brick home. Large two-story oval Limestone foyer. Opens to great floor plan with fabulous architectural details. Gourmet commercial kitchen with large marble island and separate breakfast room. No stairs to climb as elevator installation is in process. Fabulous master suite with his/her master baths and closets will essentially live like its on the first floor. Elevator will make 10,000 sq ft easily accessible without going up or down a single stair. This is incredibly rare for a home so close to Downtown Birmingham. Four bedrooms with 5.3 baths. 214068494

Wood Lake Frontage $2,350,000 A private retreat on Wood Lake in Bloomfield Hills. This custom built estate features dramatic stone entrance with a hill top setting and panoramic views of the lake.

Featured in Design Magazine for superior quality and unique design. Fabulous. Four bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 213040393

Ronni Keating

downtownpublications.com 47

skbk.com

DOWNTOWN

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Bloomfield Hills $747,000 Raised Ranch nestled in a private, wooded setting. Gourmet kitchen with culinary grade appliances open to the family room with floor to ceiling windows bringing the beauty of nature inside. Upper level office/study is encased in classic dark wood. Separate dining and living room with wet bar is great for entertaining. Recently updated two story elevated deck and three car attached garage. Finished lower level walkout with guest suite and full kitchen. Newer roof and professionally landscaped.

Three bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 214117007

Birmingham $674,900

Birmingham $539,000

This downtown Birmingham home could not be better located, just steps sway from an enviable lifestyle. Walk up to the front porch entry, anchored by beautifully landscaped gardens and discover this home has it all. Transitional in style with a gourmet granite kitchen, hardwood flooring throughout, high ceilings and open floor plan. Large master suite with vaulted ceilings, large bath and walk-in closet. New carpet in all the bedrooms, tastefully finished. Great size lot with large deck for entertaining and relaxing.

Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214088489

This Downtown Birmingham Ranch has been completely renovated top to bottom. Some of the updates of this home include; new kitchen, new appliances, hardwood flooring throughout, new windows, new roof, new furnace, on-demand hot water tank, new bathrooms, covered outdoor brick paver patio, new vinyl fencing, brick and cedar shake exterior and beautifully manicured gardens. Features include two large bedrooms, both suites, 2.1 bathrooms and new laundry. A perfect 10. 214095289

Dan Gutfreund

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Birmingham $1,839,500 Stunning home situated on one of Birmingham's most desired streets. Gourmet kitchen is a showplace with dual islands, coffer ceiling, premium appliances, and walk-in pantry. First floor master suit with spa-like bath and French doors to private backyard. Home also boast: 10 foot ceilings, wide planked hardwoods, over-sized solid doors, three fireplaces and custom millwork. Grand entrance with dome ceiling, and dramatic stairwell with custom iron rail. Upstairs has loft area and back stairwell to the gorgeous two story family room. Finished lower level with second full kitchen, recreation room, fifth and potential sixth bedroom, wine room with fine stone and dance area with ballet bar. Professional landscaping. Six bedrooms with 4.1 baths. 214115891

Birmingham $769,000 Classic Quarton Lake Estates home boasts curb appeal, location and charm galore. Home is spacious with over 3000 sq ft and an attached garage. Sun-filled rooms, open flowing floor plan with hardwoods, built-ins and a cozy fireplace. Yard is huge, fenced and private. Basement is partially finished and offers great storage. Home is easy to show and seller is motivated to sell it. This gem has been loved and it shows. Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214110355

Sara Lipnitz

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Birmingham $959,000 Gorgeous new construction by Great Lakes Custom Builder. Still time to choose your paint colors, granite selections and be in for the Holidays. Open floor plan with all the amenities. Large great room, hardwood floors throughout, beautifully appointed kitchen. Spacious master suite with fireplace. Great closets and second floor laundry.

Finished basement with full bath. Four bedrooms with 4.1 baths. 214115877

Birmingham $1,549,000 Exquisite details and craftsmanship throughout. Another fine new construction by Great Lakes Custom Builder. Everything your buyer could want and ask for with open generous floor plan with impeccable finishes and quality. Beautifully appointed kitchen, luxurious master suite with spacious master bath, generous high end dual closets, additional three bedroom suites and second floor laundry. Command center, plenty of storage, hardwood flooring, extensive trim work. Details won't disappoint. Four bedrooms with 4.2 baths. 214115648

Christine Drinkwater

Equal Housing Opportunity

47

skbk.com

downtownpublications.com

248.644.7000

DOWNTOWN

Lake Angelus Frontage $2,975,000 Fabulous Lake Angelus Estate on 8+ acres. Custom built with over 10,000 sq ft of living space. Spectacular views of pristine Lake Angelus from every room. Eleven foot ceilings, hardwood floors, custom cabinetry and custom granite throughout. Mature trees, orchard and gardens. One of four vintage boathouses with full plumbing and electrical (one bedroom apartment) a truly unique property reminiscent of the older estates on the East Coast. Five bedrooms with 4.2 baths. 214008650

Metamora $1,599,900

Lake Oakland Frontage $895,000

Fabulous 18 Acre Private Estate Home. Newer Construction in the Heart of the Metamora Hunt area. Almost 8500 sq ft of immaculately designed perfection throughout. All electronics and wired in the last two years. New furnaces, hot water heaters, additions/$100,000 lighted sports court. Fishing pond and river, beautiful views, and professional landscaping. If this home does not have it then it does not exist. Ten wall mounted TV's. Upper and lower kitchens. Top end appliances, hardwoods, granite and marble. Six bedrooms with 5.2 baths.

214093798

Beautiful Lake Oakland lakefront with all the updates and amenities 210 ft lake frontage. First floor master bedroom. Beautifully finished walkout lower level with fabulous in-ground private swimming pool with fiber optic lighting.

Fabulous stone fireplaces. All updated and ready to move in.

Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214007621

Lee Embrey

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Birmingham $1,895,000 Beautifully nestled on one of Birmingham’s “tree” streets is this magnificent Limestone country French home. Recently built with exacting details and premium everything.

The home features a spacious and open floor plan with four bedroom suites, a private library, a fifth bedroom in the finished daylight lower level, large family room, formal living room with stone fireplace, formal dining room, nook, fabulous French country kitchen, beautiful Walnut floors, and a beautifully appointed lower level with kitchen, recreation room, exercise room, and abundant storage. The back patio, Bluestone patio, overlooks the beautifully manicured grounds. Just a short walk to Linden Park and the magic of downtown Birmingham. Four bedrooms with 5.2 baths. 214044763

Bloomfield $565,000

Bloomfield Hills $579,900

Beautiful lot with mature trees and lovely gardens on a tree-lined street. Spacious and updated with a great room addition. Great room has cathedral ceiling and opens to the back patio. Large living room with fireplace, crown molding, French doors to great room. Hardwood floors. Updated kitchen with newer stainless steel appliances, granite counters and eating space with cathedral ceiling. The master suite has a updated bath with heated floors, tube skylight, open walk-in shower, walk-in closet and closet organizer. Lower level is partially finished with bedroom, full bath and cedar closet. Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214030890

The City of Bloomfield hosts this truly up to date home set on large well groomed site with wooded back drop. A brand new kitchen, three updated baths both large living room with 32 ft family room. Included is a three car garage. Finished walkout lower level and wonderful privacy. Immediate occupancy.

Five bedrooms with three baths. 214114342

Mike Cotter

Paula Law

skbk.com Equal Housing Opportunity

248.644.7000

Oakland Township $599,000

Rochester $569,000

Welcome to prestigious Century Oaks in Oakland Township. Your new home features Pella windows, cherry kitchen cabinetry with granite counters, Sub-Zero fridge, Thermador range top, and Viking double ovens. The keeping room off the kitchen has soaring cathedral ceilings and palladium windows. Abundance of hardwood flooring and natural light as well as large master suite on the main level, a princess suite with full bath and two additional bedrooms that share a full bath.

All bedrooms feature full walk in closets. Featuring a Waterguard foundation waterproofing system which includes a lifetime transferable warranty against foundation leaks. Located on a cul-de-sac with a rear yard backing to a wetland area providing privacy. Rochester school district. Four bedrooms with 3.2 baths.

214076179

This is an incredibly beautiful two story colonial home on a premium wooded lot in the desirable Stony Creek Ridge Subdivision offering an abundance of privacy and scenic views. Featuring a wood paneled study, two-story ceiling and windows in the family room, bay window in dining room, butler's pantry, breakfast nook off kitchen with see-through fireplace shared with family room, three car garage, and walkout basement that leads out to a brick paver patio.

Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214100781

Oakland Township $555,000

Rochester Hills $299,000

Beautiful Oakland Township home with nearly 5800 sq ft of living space. The spacious kitchen boasts cherry kitchen cabinetry and high end appliances, granite counter tops and an abundance of hardwood flooring. Two-story family room offers a tremendous amount of natural sunlight, and the corner study features double French doors and judges paneling. Open floor plan is perfect for entertaining or relaxing and the finished lower level has a convenient open floor plan with an ample amount of storage area. The exterior of the home is in the process of being re-painted, the landscape refreshed, and it has a brand new dimensional roof. This home is in the Rochester school district.

Four bedrooms with 3.3 baths. 214073788

Great opportunity to live in Rochester Hills. "One of America's ten best small cities" and "ranked 1st in Michigan" by Money magazine. Located in wonderful Spring Hill Neighborhood. Spacious, clean, well maintained, and ready for the new owners to move right in. There have been some updates over the years and most recently the master bathroom in 2007 and the roof replaced with a complete tear off in 2009. Over a half an acre and is serviced by award wining Rochester Schools. This property is conveniently located near excellent shopping and restaurants, Crittenton Hospital, Chrysler Tech Center, and Oakland University, and access to freeways. Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214106119

Lisa and Tony Scaccia

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Bloomfield $704,900

Birmingham $649,900

Updated village Colonial, on a huge corner tree lined lot. This four bedroom, 2.1 bath home is approximately 3000 sq ft, updated, designer decorated and beautifully landscaped. Enjoy a large and sun filled white kitchen with granite and Jenn-Air appliances with a breakfast nook overlooking a manicured yard. Open floor plan with hardwood floors flowing into den, living room and dining room.

Master suite with make-up area and updated bath with granite. Finished basement with additional laundry. Updated mechanicals, newer windows and a whole house gas-fed generator. 214114551

Charming Newer Built Colonial walking distance to Downtown Birmingham.

Extensive use of crown moldings, solid six-panel doors and hardwood floors.

Open and airy white kitchen with granite tops, over looking a huge family room facing the backyard. Enjoy this wide open floor plan, great for entertaining.

Master Suite boasts a huge private bath with marble counters, jacuzzi tub, custom his and her walk-in closets and a crown filled tray ceiling. Nice basement finished with the same quality as the main floor. Pella windows and many upgrades throughout. Good sized two car garage. Relax on a wonderful brick paver patio overlooking a manicured yard. This home is quality built and the location is super with great views to the park. Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214116728

Birmingham $374,900

Beverly Hills Village $299,000

Super sharp home, boasts a wonderful white kitchen with granite tops, stainless appliances and classic hardwood floors. Beautiful master bedroom with wonderfully appointed full bath and nice closet space. Living room, dining room and kitchen all flowing together make this the perfect family home. Cozy family room with gas fireplace for all season enjoyment over looking a manicured backyard. All new mechanicals, windows, roof and much more. Plus newly built 1.5 garage. Relax in a very tastefully finished basement. Surrounded by million dollar homes and just a short walk to downtown Birmingham and Pierce School.

Three bedrooms with two baths. 214114025

Great opportunity to remodel, a solid home on almost one acre in the heart Beverly Hills. Original owner and condition. Super location with Birmingham schools. Full basement. Priced to sell, bring all offers.

Four bedrooms with 2.2 baths. 214112154

Mike Sbrocca

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Lake Michigan Frontage $795,000 Great opportunity to build your dream home or getaway on this magnificent Lake Michigan frontage. Over three acres filled with red pines. Breathtaking views of the lake with 150 feet of frontage. Beautiful soft sandy beach with a gentle slope to the water. Close to golf and shopping. 214099036

Rochester Hills $349,900

Novi $214,900

Colonial with large walk-out basement in private sub. Updated kitchen with granite, matching stainless steel appliances, large ceramic sink and gorgeous backsplash. Generous eat-in area that opens to charming deck with stairway access to backyard. Large family room with cathedral ceiling, fireplace and wood floors.

Updated first floor laundry/mud room area. Finished walkout basement with high ceilings. Large windows bring in abundant daylight. Patio off walk-out. Master bedroom with updated large walk-in closet, private bath with jetted tub. Beautiful crown and wainscoting. Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214091809

Fantastic Carlton Forest. Enjoy the tranquil private setting of this wonderful condo. Bright and airy with neutral colors throughout. Lovely cathedral ceilings in the spacious great room. Beautiful new engineered hardwood through great room, and hall to bedrooms. Attention to detail with crown moldings in bath and bedrooms. Plenty of storage with an abundance of closet space in master bedroom. Master bath features a huge soaking tub. Enjoy the nice views with gorgeous landscape surrounding. Fabulous Novi schools, very close to shopping and freeway access. Two bedrooms with two baths. 214101807

Audrey Faust

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Grass Lake $999,500 Wonderful retreat only 20 minutes west of Ann Arbor with unlimited potential, 98.5 acres of mixed hardwoods, rolling hills, farmland along with two barns with horse stables and fencing. Home is nestled on the property with panoramic views of two large ponds stocked for fishing. Enjoy over 8500 square feet of livable space with an open floor plan, perfect for entertaining. This home has everything from an indoor pool, spa and sauna to an indoor shooting range and wine cellar. Great investment opportunity as acreage could be divided for residential or commercial. 214112515

Birmingham $739,900

Southfield $99,500

Walk to town from this beautiful custom built four bedroom with 4.1 baths brick home. Dramatic two story entryway flows well into this open floor plan. Dark hardwood floors throughout, gourmet kitchen, large bedrooms with Jack-n-Jill bath, lovely master bedroom with walk-in closet and spa bathroom. Copper gutters, brick paver driveway lead up to a heated two+ car garage with 500 square foot guest house above with cork floors and full bathroom. MUST SEE. 214104390

Brick Ranch in a quiet neighborhood. Two car garage. Private fenced in backyard with plenty of trees. Hardwood floors underneath carpets. Cedar closets. Close to freeways. Lots of potential. Three bedrooms with one bath. 214081015

Brian Dimmer

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Rochester $1,750,000

Clinton Township $1,297,500

Seller Motivated. Unique 16+ acre Oakland Township property, in Rochester school district, five minutes from downtown Rochester. This spectacular property is ready to build/develop a private retreat and/or recreation area of your own design. A perfect time to see the newly cleared area of property that shows the boundless areas for home sites and views of pond, dam and creek running through the property during the fall months. The property has privacy as well, two ponds, Stoney Creek (bisects property), rolling hills, meadows, woods and borders Stoney Creek Park on two sides. Home on property is considered a tear down, but is livable. Wildlife and nature at its fullest. 214115543

A style all it's own on almost three acres sits a beautiful hidden home that is elegantly appointed plus offers a gated property for your privacy. Located in Clinton Township close to I94, I75 and 696. This home offers five bedrooms with the master suite on the first floor. Remaining four bedrooms upstairs all suites.

Seven full baths and two half baths. Marble floors, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, custom granite gourmet kitchen, formal dining room, library and great room with 22 foot ceiling. Hot tub and enclosed year round pool house with a tunnel to pool from home. Finished lower level, two car attached garage, four car tandem garage detached. 214083909

Square Lake Frontage $399,000

Troy $264,500

Beautifully renovated and all new construction 2007 waterfront home in Lake Orion. Private non-sports lake with electric motors allowed. This home has polished concrete floors on first level with radiant heat. Kitchen has cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances and walk-in pantry. There is a bedroom suite on first floor that could be used as a first floor master suite. First floor and second floor laundry rooms. Second level has all hardwood floors. Large master suite with sitting room and balcony off of second level. Bonus room above garage unfinished. Front of home is a wall of windows looking onto lake. Metal roof and James Hardie Fiber cement exterior siding. Three bedrooms with 2.1 baths.

214093439

Looking for that large family home in Troy look no further. This lovely home offers a neutral interior with all hardwoods, living room, dining room, family room and eat in kitchen. Fireplace in family room. First floor laundry and attached two car garage. Family room has door-wall to patio and large rear yard with lots of room to roam. Close to expressways and shopping. Lake Charnwood privileges. A must see. Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214111310

Donna Barlow

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Rochester Hills $1,395,000

Oakland Township $959,900

Magnificent and Grand Estate located in gated Oak Pointe subdivision, this home exudes superb master craftsmanship with customized updates on three levels of luxurious living space. Newly added brick pavers for outside entertaining. Open floor plan, kitchen exudes warmth and style with cozy hearth fireplace, granite, and opens to spectacular view of nature's best. Five fireplaces throughout, spectacular master suite with his and her walk-in closets, jacuzzi, skylights.

Finished lower level walk-out with fireplace, entertainers' bar, game room area, fitness area and extensive room for storage. Five bedrooms with 5.2 baths.

214048750

Majestic Estate loaded with distinction and eminence. Spectacular view overlooking Wellwood Park. Circular drive entrance into home with two-story Foyer and curved floating staircase. Dining room/living room connected for great entertaining. Expansive kitchen views the rolling hills of the park and opens to two-story family room. Loft overlooks family room with four bedrooms upstairs and optional fifth in lower level, Jack-n-Jill set up along with full suite. Immense master suite with jetted tub-bright and open. Finished lower level walk-out with wine cellar, full kitchen, bar, recreation room, work-out area. Four car garage.

Moceri built with attention to detail - unsurpassed. Four bedrooms with 4.2 baths.

214098793

Oakland Township $675,000

Rochester $815,000

Scenic Winkler Mill, cul de sac. Build the home of your dreams or remodel/renovate. Gated entrance with property overlooking Stony Creek Metropark Golf Course. Home is set back far from the road with complete privacy.

Existing home is a walk-out. Great features that make this a stand out for complete seclusion. 214066138

Extraordinary and sophisticated newer construction home within walking distance to downtown Rochester. Open floor plan with spacious rooms. Custom gourmet kitchen opens to family room with fireplace. Lovely formal dining room with fireplace, luxurious first floor master suite with fireplace, second master suite upstairs, third bedroom and huge fourth bedroom/bonus/home office, loft seating area with balcony deck. Finished lower level with possible fifth bedroom, full bath, second family room and media room. Four bedrooms with 4.2 baths. 214117601

Susan Johnson

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

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skbk.com

248.644.7000

Bloomfield $1,799,000 Everything in this totally remodeled home is spectacular. Large gourmet kitchen with premium appliances and many luxury amenities. Opens to breakfast area and cozy hearth room with fireplace and windows overlooking private patio and backyard. Spectacular master suite has fireplace, large, luxurious bath and over-sized walk-in closet with island. All five bedrooms are suites. Four fireplaces. Other features are: gorgeous family room, formal living and dining rooms, spectacularly private .65 acre fenced, professionally landscaped yard and cedar shake roof. Finished basement has second designer kitchen, work out room, a sixth full bath and possible sixth bedroom.

Outstanding opportunity to live in the desirable Indian Mound area of Bloomfield Village. One of a kind family home. Six bedrooms with 6.2 baths. 214037780

Bloomfield $494,500

Sterling Heights $214,900

Bloomfield rare ranch home in the sought-after Way Elementary School. Over 4000 square feet of total living space. Three bedrooms, including a luxurious master suite, two full baths and a powder room on the main floor. Gourmet kitchen with Cherry cabinets. Large dining/living room with fireplace and large picture window.

Main floor laundry, 2+car garage and three seasons room. Two more bedrooms, a full bath and fireplace in the lower level walk-out with all-new flooring and carpet.

Newer windows and roof. Situated on a nicely landscaped and wooded .74 acre lot.

Bloomfield Hills Schools. Five bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214105700

Well maintained and updated Colonial in family-friendly Fairfield Village. Large colonial and a rare office/library. Newer kitchen with granite, ceramic backsplash and new bamboo floor. Kitchen eating space with door wall to raised patio and fenced backyard. Cozy family room with gas fireplace and new carpet opens to kitchen. Formal living and dining rooms with new bamboo floor. Master suite with full bath, double sinks and walk-in closet. High EFF furnace (2005), air conditioning (2014). Newer triple pane windows. Gas BBQ hook up on patio.

Warren Consolidated Schools. Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214116073

Bill Tracy

skbk.com

248.644.7000 Equal Housing Opportunity

Birmingham $899,900

Wood Lake Frontage $2,599,000

Stunning newer custom-built colonial in wonderful neighborhood close to Pierce Elementary, Barnum Park andAdowntown Birmingham.

Custom windows, doors, private retreat in the city of Bloomfield Hills.

Thismolding and beautiful hardwood floors extending throughout the entire home. Spectacular chef 's kitchen opens into family roombuilt andestate is adjoined by dramatic full butler's pantry which, in custom features stone entrance with turn, is connected with formal dining room. Library with French doors and built-ins. Beautifully designed master suitetop features bedroom withoftray a hill settingspacious and panoramic views theceiling lake. and built-ins, huge walk-in closet, sophisticated master bath and en-suite laundry. Three full baths upstairs. Finished lower level features full bath, workout room with daylight window (potentially fifth bedroom) and another large bonus room. Mud room with its own half bath. Beautiful covered back porch with steps to cozy patio.

Fenced backyard. Two car garage. 214079868

Bloomfield Hills $800,000 A true slice of heaven in the city of Bloomfield Hills on 1.45 acres. Updated walk-out ranch with a cedar shake roof and open floor plan that takes full advantage of the views of the treed park-like yard. Magnificent landscape includes ornamental pond and pathways. Hardwood floors on first floor. Spacious first floor owner's suite. Newer island kitchen features white cabinetry and black granite counters. Charming sky-lit breakfast room has cathedral ceiling and a fireplace. Very special great room offers magnificent views from its walls of windows. Great room opens onto a spacious deck. Beautifully finished walk-out lower level offers a family room and bedrooms or office space. Close to Cranbrook. Five bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 214107236

Maureen Francis

skbk.com

Dmitry Koublitsky

248.644.7000 Equal Housing Opportunity

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Susan Bailey susan.bailey@sothebysrealty.com f nf s@s bsc800.458.7356 m m 1mt14 14 46 415 S. Old8Woodward Ave. RoBirmingham, o d r r i Michigan i ha ga 48009 M i hi hai ag

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Troy $910,000 Gorgeous brick and stone newer construction home located in desirable western Troy. This gracious home offers a light filled open entry level floor plan with gorgeous two story foyer, sophisticated office with direct access to patio area, large kitchen with granite counters and high end stainless appliances that opens to light filled large family room with fireplace, two-story formal living room with fireplace, spacious back foyer with powder room and large entry level laundry. The upper level of this home offers a wonderfully appointed master suite with dressing area and magnificent two story bath, a private suite and two spacious rooms with Jack-n-Jill bath. This home is situated on a large manicured lot with beautiful landscaping featuring extensive formal plantings, paver walkways and gorgeous back terrace. The lower level is filled with natural light and ready to finish, generous three car attached and heated garage. Four bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 214101645

Chris Johnson

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Bloomfield $1,299,000 A classic 1890 lakefront farmhouse takes on a colorful new exuberance and spirit. Renovated top to bottom in 2005, this artist's home is splashed with color, surface texture, and detailed moldings. It is contemporary mixed with traditional. The restaurant grade kitchen is the hub of the home with a huge bay window seating area overlooking Lower Long Lake. The sunny living room adjoins the kitchen surrounded by built-in book cases and floor to ceiling windows. The original sun porch complete with fireplace functions as the cozy family room. The additional private lakefront lot allows one to enjoy beautiful sunsets year round. No detail has been overlooked in this outstanding home. Come experience it and feel the charm yourself. Four bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214101614. Co-listor Cindy Obron Kahn

Jenny Turner

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Bloomfield Hills $1,199,000 Extraordinary. Showcasing a 2009 award winning Architect Rob Clark, conservatory/dining room opening to a cooking terrace with built in stainless grill, a fire pit and pergola covered hot tub terrace all on a wooded ravine setting. Interiors timeless designer kitchen/keeping room, library with cherry built-ins, master with his/her closets and the most gorgeous powder room. Exudes quality details. Three bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 214094064

Sue Lozano

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Bloomfield Hills $2,659,000 Hear the bells from Christ Church Cranbrook. Gracious, outstanding family home located in the City of Bloomfield Hills on 1.5 acres surrounded by majestic, mature trees and located at the end of a cul-de-sac. Over 6000 square feet with six bedrooms and 6.1 baths. This home lends itself to entertaining with the large kitchen, family room addition overlooking magnificent grounds, formal living room with bay window adjoins a 22 x 11 foot sunroom, gracious formal dining room for family gatherings (18 x 15 + bay), gourmet kitchen with AGA STOVE and paneled first floor library. Master bedroom has updated bath, his and hers closets and a balcony overlooking an English garden. First floor laundry. Four-Car garage. Beautifully landscaped in-ground pool with brick paver surround. Short walk to the Cranbrook Community.

214100891

Bev McCotter

skbk.com

248.644.7000

Equal Housing Opportunity

Wood Lake Frontage $2,599,000

Bloomfield Hills $990,000

A private trim retreat in the city of Bloomfield Hills. This Exquisite 2014 total renovation on two acre wooded lot. Extensive use of wood, granite, limestone along with magnificent detail.

Beautifully updated kitchen with custom built Second estate features dramatic with Viking appliances and sunlit breakfast room. Lovely living room with French doors opening to paver patio and lush grounds. floor master suitestone withentrance new closet, a hill toplevel. setting and right panoramic views of the lake. private balcony and state of the art master bath. Two new air conditioning units, furnaces, Pella windows. Finished lower Move into this incredible home.

Five bedrooms with 3.2 baths. 214109680

Royal Oak $335,000 Expanded and renovated Royal Oak home. Move in ready. Three bedrooms and three full baths. Beautifully updated kitchen with granite and stainless steel appliances.

Huge great room with gas fireplace opens to dining room. Hardwood and ceramic on first floor, master bedroom suite with private bath and walk-in closet. Second floor laundry. Two car garage, fenced yard and close to town. The list goes on. Three bedrooms with three baths. 214106274

Heather Salesin

Equal Housing Opportunity

skbk.com

248.644.7000

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Main Electrical Panel

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Repair: $92 Replacement: $761

ON

Heating w/Ductwork

Repair: $311 Replacement: $605

Dishwasher

Built-in Microwave

Repair: $127 Replacement: $515

Repair: $97 Replacement: $429

Ranges/ Ovens/ /Cooktops

Garbage Disposal

D-B-GONE FOO

Repair: $47 Replacement: $182

Repair: $114 Replacement: $782

For For more more inf information, ormation, please call 800 735 735 466 4663 3 or visit ahshome ahshome.com. .com. † As reported reported in the national national surv survey ey A S Study tudy o off Homeo Homeowners’ Appliance System Service e Experienc Experiences, es, Decision Analy Analyst st (20 (2011 3) and rreprinted wners’ Applianc e and Home S Sy ystem Servic eprinted ohibited. R ememberr, a with their written written permis permission. sion. Further rreproduction eproduction is e expressly xpressly pr prohibited.

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131308

Bloomfield $729,000 Superb location in Bloomfield Village. Great family home on a large lot. Total of 3102 square feet with partially finished 1200 square foot lower level. Huge master suite with vaulted ceiling and large walk-in closet plus three other generous sized bedrooms. The large kitchen with walk in pantry and breakfast nook was totally updated 2011 with top of the line appliances and finishes. Formal dining room and front facing extra large living room. Family room and library both have French doors to the patio and the beautifully landscaped back yard. Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214094318 Presented by Gerald Etue

Washington Township $675,000

West Bloomfield $547,700

A beautiful country estate set on a sprawling 2.5 acres, professionally landscaped.

Four bedrooms and four bath, an additional 1000 square feet separate in-law suite. Main floor boasts an open floor plan concept, with newly installed carpet in the great room and a gourmet kitchen that is great for entertaining! Basement is scheduled to be finished October 2014 for an additional 1800 total finished square feet! 1500 square feet composite, maintenance free deck that was added in 2009. A short drive to downtown Rochester. Home was pre-inspected on 9/2/14 and approved. 214092004 Presented by Liz Bandstra

Don't miss the opportunity to own this custom built walk-out home, remodeled 2014. Home offers new driveway and landscaping, beautiful walkways and patio off the family room and deck from the master suite that overlooks beautifully treed property. Two acres of fabulous views overlooking the Franklin River.

Granite counters, new appliances, built-ins, parquet floors and large bay windows.

Brand new carpeting and hardwood flooring. First floor laundry. Breathtaking lighting throughout home. This sprawling ranch is loaded with fine details.

Five bedrooms with 3.1 baths. 214110875 Presented by Sandra Treboldi

skbk.com Equal Housing Opportunity

248.644.7000

Waterford $515,000 One of Oakland county's best kept secrets, gated Forest Bay. Imagine living in a gorgeous development with stunning homes, and a private beach and park in the neighborhood. This is truly one of the finest waterfront communities with a private marina, playground, and tennis courts in the neighborhood. Gorgeous red brick ranch has soaring ceilings and stunning dark hardwoods. A true gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, cherry cabinets, and granite counters is open to the great room. A full finished walk-out basement with stone fireplace, bar, sound system, fourth bedroom, full bath and sauna walks out to the water. New roof in 2014 Four bedrooms with three baths. 214080103 Presented by Kathy Manoogian

Bloomfield $499,000

Huntington Woods $359,900

Situated on just under half acre, this home has been updated from top to bottom.

New slate entryway. Hardwood floors throughout. Inviting natural fireplace updated with new stone and tile from mantel to hearth. New iron stair railings, new interior three-panel solid core doors, new hardware, new crown, shoe and toe moldings throughout, new recessed lighting and window treatments. Kitchen with stainless appliances including a new refrigerator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Village Livingâ&#x20AC;? within the coveted Quarton Elementary, Derby Middle and Seaholm High School trifecta.

Four bedrooms with 2.1 baths. 214115036 Presented by Lorraine Yalman

Seller says "Bring me an offer." Spacious raised ranch with large open spaces all on an extra wide lot. Formal living room has marble fireplace and bay window overlooking the golf course, nice office/library can be used as a den, and updated white kitchen has light filled breakfast room that leads to family room with French doors. First floor master bedroom with updated bath. Partially finished basement (currently being newly remodeled) with large recreation room, half bath and finished laundry room with ceramic tile. Newer windows.

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Farmington Hills $339,900 Updated four bedroom, 2.5 bath home in desirable Independence Hills Subdivision. Large family room with fireplace, spacious dining room and living room. Corner lot with mature landscaping wrapped around the beautiful brick dwelling. Newly updated kitchen with beautiful cabinets, granite, hardwood floor, stainless steel appliances and side bar for entertaining. Master bath is new with granite and tile and custom shower. Additional updates include carpeting 2012, furnace 2013, roof 2012, driveway 2006, newer windows 1995. The yard is private and fenced. Walking distance to Heritage Park. 214095930 Presented by Dee Brooks

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Royal Oak $212,000 A meticulously maintained bungalow with home automation amenities including Wi-Fi enabled light switches and receptacles to control your lights, or appliances, while away from home. Newer roof and thermal pane energy efficient, windows including transferable lifetime warranty. Upgrades also include a modernized kitchen with high-end stainless steel Fisher and Paykel refrigerator, bath with updated, stylish fixtures that feature a waterfall faucet. Newly remodeled upstairs beautiful hardwood floors with lots of storage and closet space. Newer patio with cafĂŠ lights. Newer, premium Cedar wood fence and Arborvitae privacy screening completes this backyard. Too many amenities to list. Three bedrooms with one bath. 214116029 Presented by Joanne McGuire

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FACES Penn Greene loomfield Hills native Penn Greene is trying to take his love for woodworking to a new level by finding a way to help metro Detroit's homeless population restore abandoned houses through a low-cost system to restore homes.

"I've been examining organizations in the area, and how they assist people into moving into homes," Greene said, describing the idea that has become his master's thesis at Detroit's College of Creative Studies. "A lot of the homes people move into when facing homelessness are restored or built from the ground up. I am looking at the restoration process, and seeing if there is a way to simplify it so the end user could restore their home without any experience. It's kind of a daunting task."

Greene, who was first introduced to woodworking by his father, has crafted wooden boats, a bicycle, furniture and other personal projects that utilize reclaimed wood while studying design at the University of Michigan.

"I have helped my parents restore three houses, and each is a big task and a lot of learning," he said.

It was only natural then that Greene, a 2007 graduate of Cranbrook Kingswood High School, decided to design and donate a bench to the school to honor the memory of his former classmate Miles Levin, who died of cancer just days before his 19th birthday. For Greene, who grew up on the school campus as the son of a Cranbrook teacher, the bench was intended to be more than a piece of furniture.

"I wanted to make it more than just an object, but rather something that people can interact with on another level," Greene said. "It has a container underneath the seat, so you can place thoughts that will be anonymous and never be read. You are putting thoughts into this bench, then they get burned and the ashes go to a tree that was planted in his honor."

In addition to the bench, an offering of Greene's works can be viewed in the lower gallery at Kingswood.

Besides his passion for woodworking, Greene has shown his athletic endurance skills in recent years. In March, Greene ran and won the Ann Arbor Marathon. In October, he ran the Detroit Free Press Marathon for the seventh time. Additionally, he has run the Boston Marathon twice, and ran a 50-mile race in Hell, Michigan. Perhaps most impressive was a 37-day bicycle trip Greene made last year when he rode his bicycle from Detroit to San Francisco.

"It's really a cool way to travel, especially on long distances," he said. "You get to see a lot more and interact with people on another level."

The solo trip was spent partially sleeping in hotels and partially camping. Along the way, Greene said he encountered tornadoes and high winds, as well as cold and rain. He rode anywhere from 30 to 150 miles each day.

"It's one of those things where your mindset kind of changes," he said, describing how he overcame challenges on the trip. "Stopping wasn't an option. You kind of say, 'this is what I'm doing, and this is my entire life right now."

With marathon and biking success behind him, it would seem a given that Greene's next athletic challenge would be a triathlon. However, he said that's doubtful.

"I'm actually a terrible swimmer," he said.

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MUNICIPAL Questions on bond investment fees

By Lisa Brody

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees is considering a proposal to create an investment advisory committee to make recommendations on future township investments following a concern by some officials that investment fees on the 2013 $80million pension obligation bond issue came in nearly $300,000 more than some officials thought would be paid to an outside advisor.

The question about fees paid to Gregory J. Schwartz & Company, the investment advisor the township used on the $80-million bond issue, was first brought to the attention of some township officials several months ago by at least one local resident with investment knowledge. While original estimates of fees to be paid on the pension obligation bond issue were suggested to be about $160,000, or 20 basis points in investment industry jargon, the actual fees were over $490,000 based on the nature of investments that were recommended to the board by the township treasurer and the investment advisory firm, in large part due to a clause in the contract with the investment advisory firm that allowed commissions, or concessions, to be paid beyond the flat fee schedule if class A shares of stocks were selected rather than what is referred to as institutional shares which many government investors select and generally bear a lower cost.

The issue of the fees, and whether township treasurer Dan Devine and the investment advisory firm took the time to make sure township board members understood the nuances of the fees for the recommended investments, which were unanimously approved by the township board, has created a controversy in the township.

The township board unanimously approved a resolution to issue pension obligation bonds, not to exceed $85 million, to fully fund the township pension fund on July 22, 2013, after a change in state law allowed the township to borrow money to sell bonds to cover pension obligations. Under the pension obligation bond proposal, which had been used earlier by Oakland County to fully fund its pensions, the township would rely on investment returns to offset payments for the bonds and ultimately would save the community considerable funds. Only downtownpublications.com

Emagine Theaters sign with Palladium ordan Jonna, of A.F. Jonna Development and Management Co. in Bloomfield Hills, announced the company has signed a lease with Emagine Entertainment of Troy to operate the five-screen theater in the Palladium Building in Birmingham when it reopens after an extensive remodeling.

A.F. Jonna Development purchased the Palladium Building in March 2014 with the intention of completely renovating and modifying the existing building. The 140,000 square foot mixed use retail and entertainment development had been owned by Related Real Estate in New York City.

Renovation plans, approved by the city of Birmingham, include maintaining the first floor as retail and restaurants, but changing the two floors of the former movie theater, which closed in September, into two floors of office space, and creating a fourth floor which will be a movie theater. A fifth floor will feature rental apartment units.

Paul Glantz, co-founder and chairman of Emagine, said “We’re going to make it a lovely venue. It will be substantially smaller than the former theaters. We will have five auditoriums with about 500 to 600 seats total. It will be a very intimate setting.”

Glantz said they are considering incorporating a subscriber or member model for the theaters rather than a traditional theater open to the public.

“It would limit access to members who want to be members, rather than servicing the entire area,” Glantz said, noting Emagine hasn’t fleshed out all of the details. Early prototypes have members using a password to log on to a website to view movies and show times.

“There will be 100 percent assigned seats. Moviegoers enjoy that,” he said.

In the current concept, if a movie isn’t sold out, two hours before a showtime, “unsold seats would become available to guests dining at white tablecloth restaurants in Birmingham,” Glantz said. “We would extend the courtesy to them. It’s one of the reasons we want to come to Birmingham, to have them come to our Emagine Theater. There are a lot of synergies between the dining in Birmingham and the movies. It’s the old ‘dinner and a movie.’ We want to partner with the restaurants.”

A high priority to Glantz is to create a priority membership, he said, “and we want to operate in a manner consistent with the expectations of the local community. I want this to be a place where area residents can send their kids, but we want them to act appropriately,” noting children would be admitted under their parents’ memberships.

Glantz said he is partnering at the Palladium with Jon Goldstein owner of Cloud Nine Theater Partners in the venture. Goldstein, who owns and operates the Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township, briefly operated the Palladium 12 Theaters for Jonna, from late April 2014 through September 1.

At the time of the operations change, Goldstein said he had a short term deal with Jonna, “at least through the summer. I have a short term deal until we get a long term deal,” he said in April.

When Jonna purchased the building, Uptown Entertainment , which had run the theaters since its opening, sold its ownership interest in the theater.

“It’ll be a winning combination between our Emagine Theater expertise and Jon’s niche operations at the Maple,” Glantz said. They will show a mixture of popular wide release movies and art films.

Glantz anticipates opening sometime in the spring of 2015, “to be open for the big moviegoing season next summer.”

J

a municipality or county with a bond rating of at least AA and a closed defined benefit benefit plan can issue pension obligation bonds.

Both Devine and now-retired township finance director Ray Perkins had told trustees early in 2013 that by fully funding the pensions, the township’s annual outgo of $10 million for pensions would be reduced to $6 million in bond payments, thereby saving Bloomfield Township $60 million over the 20-year life of the

bonds. Perkins had projected in February 2013 that a 6.25 percent rate of return on investments with the bond money and existing investments at the time of $130 million would “completely satisfy our liabilities and we will no longer need to make any contributions to our pension fund.”

At the July 2013 meeting, Devine responded to questions from residents that the township was not going out for a millage to finance the debt, “We are currently capped at our millage,

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we can’t go out to our voters for more money. We are taking an obligation we already have and refinancing it, in essence saving the taxpayers money.”

On November 11, 2013, trustees unanimously approved $80 million in investments recommended by Gregory J. Schwartz & Company following sale of the bonds in October. Schwartz & Company, a Bloomfield Township investment advisory company, operates with the township under an investment advisory agreement dated from June 1, 2006, and signed by Edward A. Schwartz and Devine.

Some members of the township board have stated that they believed Schwartz & Company would be paid $160,000 for investing the township’s bond proceeds, based on statements made regarding “20 basis points” when the firm acted as an investment advisor. A basis point equals $8,000, according to a number of investment sources. However, the compensation agreement reportedly provides that if the investments involved class A shares, rather than institutional shares which many government units favor, then the investment advisor relationship with a set fee changes to that of a broker/investor relationship, which provides for commissions or concessions.

The compensation language of the agreement reads: “The investment cost will be limited to the costs that are detailed in the respective mutual fund prospectuses and supplements.

Investment return information provided by Advisor or by respective mutual fund companies will be net of all investment cost. Advisor’s compensation shall be paid directly from the mutual fund companies in which Plan assets are invested.”

While Devine, when questioned in recent weeks, insisted that the fees paid to the investment company were paid by the respective mutual fund prospectuses, there seems to be some debate on whether those fees ultimately are derived from the township funds. Devine issued a “Cost and Compensation Analysis” to the board on January 30, 2014, with a footnote saying that Gregory J. Schwartz & Company had been “compensated $491,153 in Year 1.

This concession paid to Schwartz & Company was paid directly from the resources of the respective investment management firms, not from the specific expense ratios of the respective mutual funds, nor from plan assets.” However, some township officials have questioned whether ultimately the returns from 93

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the various investments are impacted by these fees. In consulting with several current and past municipal investment officials, all of whom ask to not be named out of concern for being pulled into the Bloomfield Township debate, there does seem to be a split opinion over the fees paid to the township’s investment company. While one former municipal treasurer said that it could be feasible that an investment firm would gladly pay fees to an investment advisory firm that brought a considerable investment portfolio to the table, another municipal treasurer in the county said township returns on investments would be impacted and, when asked to react to the analysis footnote, said that the “definition seems like a purposely cloudy answer that is splitting hairs.”

Several board members stated they never understood the contract language changing the terms of the relationship with Schwartz & Company and it was never explained to them by Devine or the investment firm.

“I cannot speak on behalf of the board, but a number of the members of the board, when they asked about it (at the November 11, 2013 meeting) thought we had a relationship where we would be paying $160,000, and were very upset,” said township supervisor Leo Savoie. “I will tell you that each board member has its own area of expertise. There are several attorneys, a CPA, some in real estate, and when we left the table we believed the annual investment fee for Schwartz & Company was roughly $160,000 a year.”

During a morning study session with four investment advisors and principals from Schwartz & Company before the trustees on November 11, 2013, Ed Schwartz, firm president, stated, “the compensation to Schwartz & Company will be .20, 20 basis points of that .85, is an accurate assessment of Schwartz & Company’s compensation received on an ongoing forward basis paid directly to us, so any data we’ve got on a performance data going forward would be entirely net returns.”

Devine said that while that was a correct statement, “the money was put into a new contract, since in 2006 it stated they could be paid according to the prospectus and paid concessions. It’s how broker/dealer arrangements work.”

“We have a written service agreement with the township, which has been effective since May 2006.

We have executed our services in downtownpublications.com

exact accordance with the agreement and the investment prospectuses which we have routinely and repeatedly provided to the township,” said Ed Schwartz. “Prior to the November 2013 investment of bond offering proceeds, the treasurer had full awareness of our compensation, consistent with our service agreement of seven-plus years and the provided prospectuses. Upon our learning in late November 2013 that board members were unaware of our compensation, we immediately requested a meeting with the supervisor, clerk and treasurer to review our existing service agreement, the prospectuses, and our compensation in detail. In January 2014, a public study session with the entire board was held to review all cost and compensation in detail. This process, in coordination with the township officers, was intended to ensure that the full board would have the same complete understanding of our compensation that the treasurer has had, both prior to the November 2013 transaction, and in previous years.”

In clarifying Schwartz & Company’s legitimacy in its dealings with the township, Schwartz said, “Schwartz & Co. is both a brokerdealer and a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). Under our current contract with the township, we have served the pension plan in a brokerdealer capacity since 2006.

Historically, we have carefully analyzed both approaches to determine which model allows for the most competitive total cost structure, in order to enable the best possible net return, and we will continue to do so.”

When questioned, Devine said he understood the payment structure, and did not feel he needed to educate the board as township treasurer, an elective position he has held since first being appointed in 1999, “because we have a sophisticated board.”

“Most lay people have experience with owning a mutual fund and with investment advisors,” he said. “I have always believed our board understood our financial agreement with Schwartz & Company. When I learned there were questions about compensation, I brought forward information. My role is not as a soothsayer. I can’t read minds. If people don’t ask questions, I don’t know what they don’t understand. I assume they understand.”

Deputy Oakland County Executive Robert Daddow disagreed with

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LiNk WacHLer DeSigNS Devine on this issue. “It is the role of the treasurer to keep the board educated. He would be responsible for bringing the board up to speed,” Daddow said. He also said it’s important to take proposals from more than one investment firm, as the treasurer is the supervisor above that investment advisor firm, although Devine said he would only agree to bidding out the investment services if all professional services in the township were put out for bid on a regular basis.

“If an investor falls behind and doesn’t meet the guidelines or charges more than is expected, they’re gone. When the people here don’t do the job right, they’re gone.

And we do that regularly. And they have to do periodic presentations to our board. We churn these folks out to beat the market,” Daddow said.

“We made a change recently where we were able to reduce our costs,” said Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner. “When you have these mutual funds, you have a choice between active or passive management. With active, a money manager is actively managing the account. We’ve gone to the more passive form of management. There are a lot of cost cutting measures Bloomfield Township could follow and explore, just as we have.”

Oakland County, with $450 million in a defined contribution plan for retirees, has invested almost entirely in institutional investment vehicles, with some class A shares. Judy Fandale, county retirement administrator, said the county pays 6.5 basis points annually. She said, and Meisner concurred, that a good average basis point fee for a municipality with $80 million in investments is probably 11 basis points annually.

Bloomfield Township does have some current investments handled by Prudential and some sources have suggested that Prudential would charge less basis points than Schwartz & Company, although other sources said that the actual costs of Prudential services exceeds that of the Schwartz firm.

Some sources also said that while investment fee costs were an “important consideration” when awarding a contract for services, the return on investments was the most important consideration and may minimize concerns about fees charged.

Ed Schwartz responded that in its first year, the township’s pension fund investments have outperformed downtownpublications.com

expectations, as have the portfolio as a whole. “Since the inception of our existing service agreement with the township over eight years ago, the annualized net return of the township pension equities portfolio handled by Schwartz & Co. has outpaced the township’s Investment Policy Statement benchmark, and also outpaced the S&P 500 stock index and the Morgan Stanley EAFE Index (foreign stocks), as reported in the latest briefing to the township board in August 2014,” Schwartz said. “For 2013, the township pension equities portfolio achieved a 31.5 percent net return. Since the November 2013 investment of the bond offering proceeds, the one-year net return is 11.1 percent for a one-year increase in value of over $8.8 million.”

Savoie still feels he and the board were misled and misinformed. “The treasurer owed us a responsibility when the question of compensation came up to make sure we all clearly understood it, and that clearly did not happen. I would say that I did not understand the compensation package prior to approving investments. He did not meet that threshold,” Savoie emphasized.

There was enough concern about the fee discrepancy that an outside law firm, Miller Canfield, was reportedly hired to examine the situation, and they in turn hired a New England consultant to further research whether there were any financial improprieties. Miller Canfield’s report was referenced at a September 15, 2014 board study session. Sources who have seen the document report that the bottom line was that the treasurer may not have handled the situation appropriately.

Both Savoie and Devine declined to release the contents of the report, citing attorney/client privilege, and release of the document was denied by the township’s law firm, also citing attorney/client privilege, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Downtown Publications.

Trustee Corinne Khederian stated at the October 13, 2014 meeting, in reference to a request by Savoie to create an investment advisory committee comprised of private sector individuals from the township to review, recommend and advise the board on pensions and other financial matters, “I will admit tonight that I am not an expert in finance. I would appreciate having experts advising us and informing us. I believe we were misled on financial information, and I am uncomfortable with that, and with

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keeping things as they are.”

Trustee Brian Kepes concurred.

“We are the fiduciaries of the township’s money. We need more than just asking you, Dan. We need you to provide the information.”

Devine strongly fought the recommendation of an investment advisory committee at the October meeting, and at a September 15, 2014 study session when it was first mentioned. At the October 13 meeting, he stated he had prepared a memorandum from a pension attorney on basic investment policies.

Devine said, “I am at the top of my profession. The law does not provide for an advisory board. I could only find three communities in Michigan with any, and two, Berkley and Wyandotte, were short-term, to study millages. In Hamburg Township, the treasurer was not sharing information with his board and resigned in shame. To do that would abrogate our responsibility. To say now all of a sudden that no one understands anything, I think it’s political. It’s why there’s a separation of duties among administrators. To be the only community in Michigan to have an advisory board construes a problem. I believe we are elected by the residents of the township and I will not agree to push my responsibilities on someone else.”

Catherine Mullhaupt of the Michigan Township Association (MTA) said, “Any township can have an investment advisory board.

Because it’s an advisory board and not required and has no authority, the board of trustees can authorize it. It’s not a statutory body, and the committee wouldn’t do what a treasurer does. Nowadays, it’s such a tricky thing to deal with investments.

You can see why a township with a large portfolio would have an advisory board or an investment committee made up from members of the community, stakeholders.” The MTA, Mullhaupt said, does not keep record of townships that may have an investment advisory committee.

Devine in recent weeks has issued to the board a legal opinion from the Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton law firm on a number of issues surrounding municipal investments, including setting up an advisory board on investments. The opinion in part says that “establishing an advisory board ...would not be considered a standard practice employed by municipalities in as much as the investment fiduciary retains fiduciary responsibility and liability for the investment decisions.” downtownpublications.com

The opinion also said, “An advisory board does not protect the Township Board from its investment decisions and possibly exposes the advisory board to personal liability for investment decisions.”

Township supervisor Savoie indicated he plans to bring the topic of an investment advisory council before the board again, likely in the first quarter of 2015, after township attorney Bill Hampton provides counsel on its makeup, duties and other recommendations.

Brownfield plan approved by city

By Lisa Brody

A brownfield plan for a new threestory building to be built on the site of the former Green’s Art Supply was approved by the Birmingham City Commission on Monday, October 27.

The building, to be built by Jonna Luxury Homes, is at 400 S. Old Woodward at the corner of Daines.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker explained to commissioners that the first floor of the building, fronting on Daines and S. Old Woodward, will have retail and some parking in the back under the building on the first floor. She said that while the building was initially approved for office on the second floor and residential for the third, it came back and was amended to have residential on the second and third floors. Plans project the building to have 11 residential condominium units available for individual custom design. Information from the building stated that two of the units have been sold.

Ecker said that there is contamination from various chemicals on the site, particularly on the eastern portion of the property, which is contained on the brownfield.

“It also appears to be an orphan underground storage tank on the site,” Ecker said. “There were previously storage tanks on the location. Given the historical uses of the site, which included everything from a gas station to pipe fitters, the chemicals located there are PCEs, and there are also concentrations of lead, which are identified above the acceptable levels, as well as cadmium and chromium, and an unidentified substance which I believe is an orphan storage site underground.”

She said the developer proposed, under the brownfield plan, to clean up the site, and requested DOWNTOWN

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MUNICIPAL Birmingham’s assistance, of $316,000, in a tax increment financing (TIF) plan to assist them in getting reimbursed for their clean up costs. “We established this brownfield redevelopment authority strictly for this purpose,” she said. “The authority did take out $35,900 that was in here for the request for demolition costs. The brownfield redevelopment authority has always been of the position in that you were going to do the demolition anyways, regardless of whether it’s a clean or dirty site, they’re not going to pay you back.”

A request from the developer to set aside a separate financial capture for future brownfield sites by taking money out of the city’s general fund for the recapture of environmental costs was not included in the plan by Birmingham’s brownfield redevelopment authority, Ecker said.

The city’s environmental attorney, Jeff Haines of Beier Howlett, inserted a clause into the resolution, stating, “except that the local site remediation revolving fund is not included.”

At that point, commissioners approved the brownfield plan for 400 S. Old Woodward, voting 6-0, with commissioner Gordon Rinschler not in attendance.

Sherman chosen as new mayor for city Birmingham City Commissioner Stuart Sherman was elected the new mayor of the city by his fellow commissioners at the city commission meeting on Monday, November 10, succeeding mayor Scott Moore, and commissioner Rackeline Hoff was elected mayor pro-tem.

Their terms commenced at the meeting, and will last for one year. In Birmingham, the mayor position rotates among the elected commissioners, and is an honorary position, with no additional pay.

Commissioners are paid $5 per meeting. The mayor helps the city manager set the agenda, can perform weddings and other ceremonial functions.

Sherman, 49, is a tax attorney with degrees from Indiana University, Wayne State University Law School and New York University. He has been a member of the city commission for nine years, since 2005, and served as mayor in 2009.

He previously was a member of Birmingham’s Board of Review and downtownpublications.com

sat on the Ad Hoc Sewer Committee.

Sherman currently sits on the Joint Senior Services Committee and the Triangle District Corridor Improvement Authority, and is a member of the Birmingham Sewer Lateral and Water Line Replacement Community Group. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School.

Hoff, 72, has served as a city commissioner for the last 14 years, with stints as mayor of Birmingham in 2005 and 2010. A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, she has served as a mediator for the Oakland Mediation Center, as well as the district courts, and was appointed by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to be on the Friend of Court Citizen Advisory Committee.

Hoff was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to serve on the Michigan State Collection Practices Board, and serves as a trustee for the Foundation of Birmingham Senior Residents.

Sherman, in his speech, said he began “to look at our community with a fresh set of eyes; at what makes us special. For starters, our neighbors, we look out for each other and we take care of our homes; our wellcared for downtown with our merchants that support this city. Our parks and green spaces where kids play and adults walk and relax...Our schools and library, we pride ourselves on being educated and learned.

“These things did not just happen,” Sherman continued. “We didn’t go to sleep one night and wake up to this great city. This was the result of planning, vision, and then, implementation.”

He thanked the DPW crews who repair the water mains in the dead of winter; the snow plow drivers; fireman and police; volunteers who fill boards to help create the vision of the city; the PSD who make the downtown beautiful and attract new merchants. Sherman noted that Birmingham currently has a 97 percent retail occupancy and a 89 percent office occupancy rate.

“Each and every one of us together make this city what it is,” he noted.

Sherman said he was honored and humbled by the trust his fellow commissioners have placed in him, and he feels privileged to work with them. He noted they are also fortunate to have new city manager Joe Valentine at the helm, who has worked for the city for the last 18 years.

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Mixed use planned for Bally’s location Businessman Jim Bellinson has purchased the former Bally’s site on Telegraph in Bloomfield Township and intends to redevelop it into a mixed use building with office and retail, along with common areas that include outdoor seating.

The location, at 6420 Telegraph Road, has been vacant since late 2011 or early 2012. Bellinson said he purchased the property a couple of months ago from the Lucci family, and has been working with Bloomfield Township officials on the redevelopment of the southwest Maple/Telegraph corner, which he said he believes is one of the premier areas of Oakland County.

“The demographics of the area are stunning. I want to put in businesses that are important and fun,” he said.

Bellinson said he plans to maintain some of the original Bally’s structure while renovating it and adding to the building. “There may be more than one building. It will be a mixed use building of office and

retail, and I’m going to move my offices there,” he said. Bellinson is the managing director of Riverstone Communities and Riverstone Growth Equities, with about 25 employees.

The companies are currently located in Farmington Hills.

In addition, he is a partner in Peas & Carrots Hospitality with Chef Zack Sklar. Together, they own and operate Social Kitchen & Bar in Birmingham, and MEX and Beau’s Grillery in Bloomfield Township.

The need to have enough parking for Beau’s, in the former Beau Jack’s restaurant location on Maple, was actually the reason Bellinson purchased the Bally’s property, he said.

“I want to leave parking for Beau’s. No matter what I end up doing with the building, I will leave the back parking for Beau’s. It’s the main reason I bought it,” Bellinson said. Access to the parking area is also available from Maple Road.

While still in the early stages of planning and development, “I want to turn it into a cool retail area and make it into a cool spot,” he said. “I’d like to put a yoga studio in, an

approachable, affordable food place and an anchor retail place in there.”

He said as he begins work on the location, he’s open to being approached about business ideas for the site.

Bill Seklar to be new president of TCH

By Lisa Brody

Camille Jayne, president and CEO of the Community House (TCH) in Birmingham, announced that William (Bill) Seklar of Birmingham has been named the new president of the local institution, following an extensive search for a president with considerable development experience to help transition the non-profit to sustainability.

Jayne had announced in the last month that she would be stepping down as president but will stay on as chair of

the board of directors. Seklar will begin his duties following the holidays, on January 5, 2015.

The Community House is a 91year-old non-profit located in downtown Birmingham with the mission of impacting the lives of those it serves through education, and social and outreach experiences. It receives no public monies and is completely self-sustaining through fundraising, development partnerships and classes to the community.

Seklar, a lifelong resident of the Birmingham area, most recently held the position of president and CEO of the Children’s Leukemia Foundation (CLF) of Michigan, managing the overall operations, programs and services, after beginning there as chief development officer. At CLF, he secured the foundations’ first eightfigure endowment pledge, created and led its first Endowment Fund campaigns, as well as opened their first regional office in west Michigan in 2013.

Prior to working at CLF, Seklar was chief development officer at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, overseeing the growth and management of their first

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Endowment Fund, as well as supervising their Annual Fund Appeal, donor cultivation initiatives and annual gala. His local roots also lead back to the Birmingham/Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, where he was director of development. He also worked for 20 years in management, purchasing and development at The Beaumont Foundation and Beaumont Hospitals.

“I am honored and extremely excited to join The Community House team as president,” said Seklar.

“Being a native of Birmingham, I greatly value the importance of this critical community education and human services non-profit. I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of outgoing president, Camille Jayne.

Over the last few years, Camille and her team have worked tirelessly to take The Community House to an exciting new level. Fortunately for us, Camille’s astute leadership, business acumen, passion and dedication will forever leave a lasting imprint on one of this region’s most important and cherished non-profit organizations. I look forward to adding to the great work that Camille and her team has

achieved, and helping to raise awareness and support in the community for all the programs and services TCH provides for so many – but most importantly leading the way to getting this historic community asset the long-term sustainability it deserves.”

When Jayne announced she was stepping down, she also revealed that TCH was seeking long-term development assistance after rebounding from a near-catastrophic financial state.

In 2011, TCH had an operating loss of $217,000, following negative losses from the previous 10 years. “In 12 months, we got them into the black with a $284,000 swing. We rebranded, re-marketed, had new targets. We retooled every business, but we didn’t shut down. In 2012, we had a $3.2 million budget. Today, our budget is $4 million, which is significant growth in three years,” Jayne noted. “We brought in corporate partners, started new events and programs. We analyzed which classes were and weren’t working. We’ve grown our Annual Fund Drive by 20 percent. We’re

maxed out at how many classes we can offer, with 15,500 class registrations. Every year, 210,000 people come through our doors.

That’s how many people go through Beaumont Hospital’s doors each year.”

Development and fundraising remains a constant challenge, she said, because people think TCH is part of the city of Birmingham, receiving taxes and millage revenue, which is incorrect. In addition to all of her other duties, Jayne has been acting as development officer, but with investments and the endowment fund drained after years of recession, “We need to replenish our endowment fund and our investments by $2.5 million to $3 million.”

Jayne emphasized, “I really respect people whose careers are in development. They know how to do it. We’re a nice, medium-size nonprofit. They’ll be the president (of TCH), and doing development. They must have development expertise. I will become chairman. You cannot be both president and CEO in the nonprofit world. But I’ll be an active chairman.”

Seklar lives with his family in the Birmingham area. He received his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Police joins force to combat crime rings Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt came before the Birmingham City Commission on Monday, October 27, which unanimously approved a request he made to enter into an inter-local agreement with Troy, Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township for a special investigative unit that will specialize in investigating serial crime rings.

“Every year during our budget process, I promise you that I will seek more efficient processes in agreements in combined operations,” Studt told commissioners. “We have done that in our combined dispatch and EMS with Beverly Hills. We have that with an officer in the narcotics in Oakland County, and the major case assistance team with various members in Oakland County, and the Oakland County Tactical Support Team.”

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Bloomfield Hills Beautiful home in coveted Bloomfield Hills location. With 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths, this well maintained home has an open and flowing floor plan, a new gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite, new windows, two natural fireplaces, updated baths and walkout lower level to private, wooded yard. $459,000

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Studt said that this special investigations unit is another one of those inter-local agreements. One of the department’s 30 officers would be appointed as a full-time, dedicated member of the unit.

“The deputy chief and I have spent a lot of time researching this, talking to lieutenants and sergeants in the department, as well as our investigators,” Studt said. “This unit specializes in serial type crimes, burglary rings, larceny rings, credit card fraud rings, which cross jurisdictional boundaries. We think assigning an officer there would greatly enhance our efficiency in investigating those types of crimes.”

Commissioner Rackeline Hoff asked Studt why the department needed a specific agreement. “The police departments do cooperate,” she said.

“We absolutely do cooperate, but this is a special unit that operates on a daily basis,” he responded. “It’s not an extraordinary type thing, and we’d like to codify that.”

Hoff asked if there was any

additional cost to being part of the unit. Studt said no, only the personnel cost. City manager Joe Valentine noted, “We’re actually gaining resources this way.”

Commissioners voted 6-0, with commissioner Gordon Rinschler absent, to approve a resolution amending the current inter-local agreement to allow Birmingham police to participate in the special investigations unit.

No winter upkeep for safety paths A preliminary proposal to consider bidding out winter maintenance on Bloomfield Township’s safety paths for snowfalls greater than four inches failed for lack of interest at the board of trustee meeting on Monday, October 27.

Bloomfield Township Director of Public Works Tom Trice presented a proposal to trustees for the winter of 2015, noting that “the ultimate goal is to make the safety paths usable and

safe during the winter months. Based on the large size of the township, the total miles to be cleared and special conditions where snow will have to be removed by hand or hauled away, it is estimated the cost for this service will vary between $300,000 and $500,000/year based on the total snow fall and the number of snow events.”

The snow removal would need to be outsourced to a private contractor and the work was recommended to be bid out.

About a half dozen residents spoke at the meeting, informing trustees that they were opposed to snow removal on safety paths due to the expense as well as potential liability issues. Trice told trustees and the public that in order to pay for the winter maintenance, funding would be taken from future construction of new paths.

Township supervisor Leo Savoie asked trustees if there was any interest in pursuing a motion to consider the winter maintenance of the safety paths, but the proposal died for lack of interest.

Single waste hauler timeline determined

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Hills commissioners determined the timeline for the implementation of the single waste hauler program on Wednesday, November 12, following voter approval authorizing them to move forward.

On November 4, Bloomfield Hills residents overwhelmingly voted to permit city commissioners to adopt an ordinance to competitively bid and hire a single waste hauler for the city.

Currently, Bloomfield Hills residents hire their own solid waste and recyclable haulers, at their own cost.

While residents would still pay for the removal of all waste and recyclables, and pay the waste hauler directly, having numerous different waste haulers with their large trucks on city roads every day has become a problem, causing significant wear and tear to the roads, whether they are main roads or side streets, city manager Jay Cravens had pointed out.

Beca Because Becau ca aus a use us e you you ou sa said aid ““Ye a “Yes Yes st to oT TC TCH” CH” H” TCH TC T CH H cou could c oul ld d sa say s ay ““Yes” ay Yes” es” t to o so so m ma many an any ny more more e

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Academy of the Sacred Heart Alcott Elementary School Beaumont Hospital Berkshire Middle School Birmingham Covington School )SVVTÄLSK /PSSZ 4PKKSL :JOVVS Boys and Girls Club City Camp Cranbrook Kingswood Derby Middle School

Thanks to all the support TCH had from so many individual donors, businesses, foundations and volunteers, in 2014 we were able to say “yes” to providing free Outreach Impact Programs that touched over 24,000 children in need, at-risk youth and low income parents of pre-school yT Tellers ellers children. We did this through our iCountTM Childhood Childhood Obesity Obesity Prev Prevention program, StoryT .\PSK 3P[LYHJ` WYVNYHT -LLK @V\Y -HTPS`»Z -\[\YL ÄUHUJPHS SP[LYHJ` HUK QVI WYLWHYLKULZZ WYVNYHT 21st Century Leadership & Entrepreneurship, and Student Art Town free art workshops.

Detroit Innovation Academy Detroit Leadership Academy Detroit Public School’s Munger Elementary BoscoHall Hall Don Bosco East Hills Middle Sc hool Einstein Elementary Sc hool Eton Academy Ferndale Middle School Grant Early Childhood Center Havel Elementary School

Herrington Elementary School Holden Elementary School Horizons Upward Bound ElementaryScSchool Kennedy Elementary Matrix Human Services Miami Academy Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Our Shepherd Luther an Peace Academy Pepper Elementary School

Pinewood Elementary School Plymouth Educational Center Pontiac Academy for Excellence Royal Oak Middle School Salina Elementary School The Baldwin Center Webb Elementary School West Hills Middle School Westwood Elementary School WHRC Elementary School

Thank T hank you you for helping us in our goal of “Building Vibrant Vibrant Community T Together” ogether”

380 South Bates Street, Birmingham, MI 48009 • 248.644.5832 • www.tchserves.org downtownpublications.com

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SKBK Sotheby's International Realty welcomes

Christine Drinkwater Christine has just joined SKBK Sotheby's International Realty. As a client favorite, Christine provides excellent communication and negotiating skills; honesty, integrity and a keen eye for detail. "SKBK Sotheby's was a natural evolution in my quest to offer my clients the best marketing, tools and technology in the market" says Christine. "My clients, without exception, welcomed my change to Sotheby's. I truly can offer them exposure and marketing that no other brokerage offers."

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In order for the city commission to adopt an ordinance for the city to engage in competitive bidding with a single waste hauler to provide garbage and recycling services for the entire city, voters in the city had to approve a ballot proposal, which they did, approving it with 57 percent of the vote.

Commissioners determined at the November 12 meeting they would like to have the single waste hauler in place by April 1, 2015 for residents.

“An RFP (request for proposal) will be going out by November 24,” Cravens said. “We will give it out to all licensed waste haulers in the city right now, as well as any other companies who request it.”

He said that right now, there are no preferred companies.

Commissioners will make a decision at their January meeting based on recommendations from a subcommittee that is currently in formation. At this point, it is made up of Cravens, the city attorney, which is either Bill Hampton or Derk Beckerleg, depending up their availability, and a city commissioner and a resident, both of whom have yet to be named.

A letter to residents will be sent out shortly with a question and answer format to assure them of all the details. Cravens said it will be in the FAQ format that is typically done in the city’s newsletter, which will come out after the holidays.

Micheal Dul chosen as new city mayor Bloomfield Hills City Commissioner Michael Dul was appointed mayor of the city by his fellow commissioners at the city commission meeting on Wednesday, November 12, and fellow commissioner Stuart Sherr was appointed mayor pro-tem.

Terms for mayor and mayor pro tem are for one year, and like their fellow commissioners, are paid $5 per month. Bloomfield Hills appoints its mayor from the commission as a whole following nominations from a fellow commissioner.

Dul is a noted landscape architect with a company based in Birmingham who is serving his first term as commissioner after having been on the city’s planning commission.

Sherr is vice president of Sherr Development Corporation and holds downtownpublications.com

an accounting degree from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Wayne State University School of Law.

Celebrate an evening to remember!

December 3rd @ 6:30-9pm

Township renews garbage contract

By Lisa Brody

A proposal to consider extending the solid waste contract for eight years with Rizzo Services was approved by a vote of 6-1, with trustee Brian Kepes dissenting, at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, November 10.

Tom Trice, director of public works for Bloomfield Township, informed trustees that the current solid waste contract with Rizzo Services was approved by the board on March 26, 2007, for a term of eight years. It is set to expire on June 30, 2015. He noted that in the contract is an option to extend the contract for any period of time with 180 day advance written notice by the township.

“Township and Rizzo officials have met over the past several months to explore proposals that would benefit the township residents in lieu of going through the bid process. Rizzo Services has proposed extending the township’s current solid waste contract with two possible extension options,” Trice said.

One option would be to renew the contract with Rizzo for another eight years, providing them with an 8 percent increase in the first year, and no rate increase in the following seven years. The second option would be a two-year contract extension with no increase to the current rates.

“The question is, should we bid things out, or is it in the best interest of our residents to handle it as a board,” asked township supervisor Leo Savoie. He said the second option would allow the township see where bidding would take the contract.

Currently, township residents pay $45.98 a year for curbside solid waste and recycling services with Rizzo. If they stayed with Rizzo under a new eight-year contract, rates would increase to $49.66 per household a year for eight years.

Ultimately, trustees decided to not bid the solid waste and recycling services out, and to keep Rizzo Services as their provider for another eight years by a vote of 6-1.

Shop & Champagne happens only once a year, and it's a fabulous evening to enjoy an artistic night out with friends and colleagues. This special party provides a preview of the BBAC's annual Holiday Shop with 10% off all purchases that night on gift items made by more than 100 artists. Plus a gourmet strolling supper by some of the region’s finest restaurants, and delicious champagne and wine.

Tickets start at $75

SIGNATURE SPONSOR

Visit BBArtCenter.org or phone 248.644.0866 Event proceeds benefit the BBAC's ArtAccess & education programs.

The BBAC’s Holiday Shop Your one-stop shopping destination for one-of-a-kind items that will please everyone on every list.

Jewelry Gloves & Hats Scarves Ceramics Glass Soaps & Lotions Garden Sculptures

Wood Candles Paintings Prints Cards Ornaments & More!

December 4-20, open daily Dec. 4, Noon-6pm; after that Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm Sundays, Noon-4pm 1516 S. Cranbrook Rd., Birmingham 48009 celebrating art for all since 1957

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his year has marked a special time in our company’s history as we celebrated the 60th anniversary of Hall & Hunter Realtors. Over the last six decades, our team of now 90+ real estate professionals has continued to build the Hall & Hunter brand, which has become synonymous with our commitment to providing our clients with knowledge, integrity and personalized attention.

T

As a company, we have seen much change over the past 60 years. And yet, our goals have remained the same: To provide exceptional client service while bringing positive change to the communities in which we work and live.

As our record-breaking year of 2014 comes to a close, we look ahead to many more years of success in the real estate market. Of course, we could not have achieved these heights without the support of our clients—both past and present—and we appreciate them greatly.

Moving toward our 61st year in business, we are excited about the journey and truly believe that the best years for Birmingham, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills and surrounding areas are yet to come.

Best Wishes for Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year!

248.644.3500 HALLANDHUNTER.COM ®

®

442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

T The hee F Forefront Forefron orefront | 400 S.S. Old Old W Woodward Wood oo od dwarrd A Ave. ve. | B Birmingham irmingham ((formerly formerly Green’s Green’s A Art rt SSupply Supply) upplyy) 10 Total Total ota U Units nits ffeaturing eaturing 4 P Penthouses enthouses from 2500-5200 Square ffeet eet • $1, $1,750,000 750,000 and up

State-of-the-art, custom designed boutique condominium devel State-of-the-art, development opment uxury and lif lifestyle ocated in the hear heartt of down downtown town B Birmingham. irmingham. boasts both lluxury festy estyyle llocated

M More ore P Properties roperties A Available vailable from

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1073 Pleasant Pleasant Street Street B Birmingham irmingham | $1,750,000 $1,750,000

488 H Harmon armon SStreet treet Birmingham B irmingham | $1, $1,750,000 750,000

55 Orchar Orchard rd Lane (Also VVacant acant Land) Bloomfield B loomfield Hills | $3, $3,500,000 500,000

Cranbrook Road 51 C ranbrook R oad Bloomfield Bloomfield Hills | $2,950,000

Oak SStreet treet Birmingham B irmingham | $1, $1,599,000 599,000

187 S. G Glenhurst lenhurst Birmingham B irmingham | $1,499,000

View Renee’s listings at

ReneeAcho.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Renee Lossia Acho realtor

248.310.1414 renee@reneeacho.com

Experience E x rience the Difference bet xper between tween ween an A Agent gent and an nE Exper Expert xpert Birmingham’s B irmingham’s top-selling agen agentt 2014 YTD

BLOOMFIELD HILLS $5,795,000 4 Bedrooms 6F Fu ull, 3 Half Baths 17 000 T 17,000 Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214084027

Modern masterpiece on 3 Bedrooms 4.5 acres. Spa retreat master. 4 Full, 1 Half Baths Pool & cabana. W Waalkout LL 4,500 Square F Feeet oga & billiard with theater, yyoga MLS# 214101803 rooms. 8-car garage.

WEST BLOOMFIELD $589,000 4 Bedrooms 3F Fu ull, 1 Half Bath hs 4,569 T Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214084275

BLOOMFIELD HILLS $1,699,000

BLOOMFIELD HILLS $1,995,000

Dramatic contemporary 4 Bedrooms built in 2009 set on 1+ acre. 4 F Fu ull, 2 Half Baths Open floor plan with warm 9 638 T 9,638 Tootal Sq. Ft. woods & clean lines. StateMLS# 214098662 of-the-art kitchen.

Almost 2 acres with lake views ffrrom nearly every room. Cutting edge design.

Stylish chef ’s kitchen.

Master retreat. W Waalkout LL.

- MOTIV MOTIVATED VA ATED T TRANSFEREE -

- NEW LISTING -

BIRMINGHAM $ $497,500 497,500

BIRMINGHAM $499,000

Cul-de-sac with privaate 3 Bedrooms beach, lake and boat 2F Fu ull, 1 Half Baths docking privileges. Eat-in 2,000 Square F Feeet kitchen opens to balcony.

MLS# 214116672 Walkout LL with bed/bath.

Large corner lot with views overlooking Birmingham CC. Kitchen with breakkfa fast bar.. Family room opens to deck with pergola. Sleek LL.

4 Bedrooms 2F Fu ull Baths 2,000 Square F Feeet MLS# 214115166

Completely renovated colonial close to town.

Great open floor plan.

Stylish sunlit granite white kitchen. Finished lower level.

T TOP OP PR PRODUCER RO ODUCER | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013

4684 KIFTSGA KIFTSGATE TE BEND | BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $1,000,000 5 Bedrooms 7 Fu Full, 1 H Haalf Baths 9,580 T Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214104872

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Extraordinary Hills of Lone Pine detached contemporary condo on a private corner lot. The barrier-ffree, light-filled home off ffer ers many unique amenities such as 2nd floor apartment, soaring ceilings, several walls of windows and a solarium with builtin swimming pool. Second kitchen in lower level, 2 private patio areas and 2 elevated decks. Entry level master suite off ffer ers a private den, dual bathrooms, doorwall to a private patio and custom built-in cabinetry. Beautifful, private location.

View Cindy’s listings at

CindyKahn.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Cindy O Obron bron Kahn realtor

248.568.7309 cindy@cindykahn.com

An Extraordinar Extraordinary y Agent... y Results Providing Extraordinar Extraordinary

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $1,395,000 Wonderful 4500 sq. ft. new construction on a beautifful 1+ acre lot with mature trees & Birmingham Schools. Outstanding craftsmanship, high-end finishes & materials. 4 bedrooms, including 1st floor master suite with spa-like bath, 2 huge walk-in closets & dressing area. Stunning chef ’s kitchen with premium appliances, custom cabinetry & pantry flows to large family room. 3-car attached garage. Opportunity to make your own selections.

BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE | $1,399,000 New construction by Mark Richard Homes. Outstanding craftsmanship & high-end materials throughout. Stunning chef ’s kitchen with custom cabinetry, granite counters, high-end stainless appliances & butler’s pantry opens to spectacular family room. Private 1st floor master retreat with spa for plans. bath. Flexible loft space and laundry on 2nd floor. Private treed yard. Opportunity to make your own selections. Contact listing agent fo

TOP PR PRODUCER RODUCER 20082008-2014 2014

T Top op 1% of Realtors Realtors N Nationally ationally

Top Agent Agent 2012-13 2012-13 Top

2011-2013 2011-2013

Million $37+ Million Sold YTD Sold 2014

Nanci Rands associate broker

248.701.9000 248.701.90 00 nrands@hallandhunter.com

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $2,495,000 6 Bedrooms 7F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 6,758 Square F Feeet MLS# 214096401

Spectacular estate property on 3.73 lushly landscaped private acres just off Va Vaughan Road. Refined living and entertaining spaces complete with large pool, spa, tennis court and all-sports court. Gracious entry ffo oyer leads to herringbone woodfloored living and dining rooms. U Up pdated island kitchen is open to spacious inffo ormal dining. Exercise room and large sunroom overlook back lawn and pool. Master suite with cathedral ceiling and updated bath. 1500 sq. ft. guest house off ffer ers living room, studio kitchen, laundry, loft bedroom and expansive deck. 3-car garage. Fabulous opportunity!

BIRMINGHAM | $589,000 3 Bedrooms 2F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 2,413 Square Fe Feet MLS# 214104093

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Charming Cap pe Cod on an incredible, expansive lot in Quarrton Lake Estates. Harrdwood floors, coved ceilings and in nvviting living spaces throughout. Master suite is a private retreat with a sitting alcove, sky lights, and recessed lighting. Living Room fe features built-ins bookshelves, natural fireplace with fluted wood man ntle and surround sound speakers. Beau utifful dining room with artisan pendant light fixture and sconces. White kitchen with ceramic tile back splash. Heated, enclosed 4-seasons sun room. Finished lower level adds considera derab ble living space to the home, with a rec room and temperat erature-controlled wine cellar. Quarton Elementarry.

The real difference in Real Estate

RandsColburn.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Meredith Colburn associate broker

248.762.5319 248.762.531 9 mcolburn@hallandhunter.com

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $2,000,000 6 Bedrooms 5 Fu Full, 2 H Haalf Baths 9,446 To Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 214104096

Tremendous value! Extraordinary 2000-built soft contemporary on nearly 2 private acres. Michael Willoughby architectural design with Jerusalem limestone and stucco exterior. Brazilian cherry wood floors. Elegant living room with panoramic views of lush grounds. Sophisticated 1st floor master suite with private sitting room and Italian glass tiled bath. State-of-the-art Poggenpohl kitchen opens to family room. Fabulous ffu ully finished walkout lower level adds over 3,000 square ffeeet of living space. 4-car heated garage. Outdoor spa. Generator.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $1,599,000 5 Bedrooms 5F Fu ull, 2 H Haalf Baths 7,657 T Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214109827

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Phenomenal 2005 brick and stone stunner on a private landscaped site with saltwater pool. Brazilian cherry wood floors accent the entry level. Family room has floor-to-ceiling windows and 2-story fieldstone gas fireplace. Gourmet kitchen.

Master suite with luxurious stone bath, gas fireplace and private Tr Trek deck. Additional bedrooms are suites with private baths. ull bath, kitchen/bar, movie theatre, exercise and rec rooms. 4-car garage.

Finished walkout lower level has a 5th bedroom, ffu

The real difference in Real Estate

RandsColburn.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Adam W Waechter aechter associate broker

313.801.8018 akwhallandhunter@gmail.com

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $3,349,000 5 Bedrooms 6 Fu Full, 2 Half Baths 12,845 T Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214105129

Extraordinary 3.93 acre estate built by Mosher Dolan and designed by Art-Harrison. Meticulous attention to details, custom-milled wood work/carpentry and 4 fireplaces. The gourmet granite kitchen with premium appliances accesses a blue stone terrace. All en suite bedrooms. A master retreat off ffer ers a stunning marble/mosaic shower,, Bain Ultra T Tu ub and private blue stone balcony. Wa Walkout 4400+ sq. ft. lower level includes spacious family room, game area, ffu ull-service wet bar overlooking billiard space, 5th bedroom suite and exercise room with steam shower. 6+ car garage(s).

BIRMINGHAM $624,000 4 Bedrooms 2F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 2,565 Square Fe Feet MLS# 214091137

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BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE $599,000

Desirable area with Quarton 3 Bedrooms Elementary School. Kitchen 3 Fu Full, 1 H Haalf Baths opens to family room. Large 2,652 Square F Feeet master with updated bath.

MLS# 214097113 Walkk to Quarton Lakke.

BEVERLY BEVERL LY HILLS $379,000

Meticulous Colonial with 3 Bedrooms Birmingham schools.

2F Fu ull, 1 Half Bath hs Large cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen opens 1,999 Square F Feeet to family room and cozy MLS# 214108689 fireplace. Finished LL.

Superb location on Riverside Waalk to Birmingham Drive. W CC & Beverly Park. 3-season Florida room. 1st floor office/ libraary. Birmingham schools.

View these and other listings at

AdamWaechter.com AdamWaechter.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Amy Zimmer and Tiffany Glime 248.469.6430 azimmer@hallandhunter.com

CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

248.930.5656 tglime@hallandhunter.com

- NEW PRICE -

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $449,000 | 5068vanness.eProper 5068vanness.ePropertySites.com tySites.com 5 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Ha Half Baths 2,429 Square F Feeet MLS# 214093890

BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $659,900

BIRMINGHAM | $4,400/month

3924lincoln.ePropertySites.com 3924lincoln.eProper tySites.com

877bennaville.eProper 877bennaville.ePropertySites.com tySites.com

3 Bedrooms 3 Fu Full Baths Feet 2,736 Square Fe MLS# 214110348

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Tucked on a hilltop acre amidst a serene wooded setting, is this beautiffully remodeled ranch. An entertainer’s delight with open floor plan, elevated ceilings, detailed woodwork and hardwood floors. Finished lower level.

4 Bedrooms 4F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 2,691 Square F Feeet MLS# 214118452

Outstanding short or long-term lease close to town!

Gorgeous 2006 build with quality throughout.

Extensive crown molding, high ceilings and bay windows. Gourmet kitchen. 3rd floor loft. Finished lower level. Private studio apt. above garage.

View Amy and Tiffany’s listings at facebook.com/ZimmerGlimeRealEstate

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Move right into this impeccable and meticulously maintained colonial on a beautifful elevated setting! Elegant living room e patio. Fantastic renovated kitchen and inffo ormal dining area (2010) with granite with built-in bookcases overlooks large paver counters and peninsula. Formal dining room. Family room with fireplace and new door to large wood deck (2012). Powder room (2007). 2nd upper fu full bath (updated 2014). Partially finished lower level with rec room (updated 2014). Additional updates include: roof, siding, tuck pointing, exterior trim (2013), retaining wall and hot water heater (2014).

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward Avenue Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Kevin Conway realtor

248.330.3324 kconway@hallandhunter.com

BIRMINGHAM | $1,225,000 4 Bedrooms 3F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 3,983 Square F Feeet MLS# 214118341

Custom built in 2000 on spacious lot in prime location close to Birmingham Countr y Club Golf Course. Cook’s kitchen with great room and fireplace has direct access to terrace and privaate yard. Dramatic living room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Attached 3-car garage. First floor laundr y with ser vice entrance. A Awa ward-winning Birmingham Schools.

BIRMINGHAM | $750,000 4 Bedrooms 2F Fu ull, 1 Half Baths 2,910 Square F Feeet MLS# 214117453

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hallandhunter.com

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En njoy classic charm with today’ y’ss amenities in this landmark English Cottage in prime Poppleton Park location.

Spacious cook’s kitchen with W Wo olf Range and fireplace. Grand 2-story vaau ulted living room with French doors leading to terrace and large privaate yard. Expansive master suiite with luxurious bath and walk-in closet. Climate controlled wine cellar holds 500 bottles. A Awa ward-winnin inn g Birmingham Schools.

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Lynn Baker and Deby Gannes 248.379.3000 lbaker@hallandhunter.com

CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

248.379.3003 dgannes@hallandhunter.com

Realtors for every season of yourLife May your home be filled with all the joy of the holidays!

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP $3,250,000 44-acre compound Guest Home Horse barn MLS# 214109665

Authentic replica of 200year-old Connecticut Salt Box Colonial with ravine & bridge over Paint Creek.

Too many details to list!

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP NEW LISTING | $784,900 4 Bedrooms 4 Full, 2 Half Baths 7,156 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 214117686

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4 Bedrooms 5 Full, 2 Half Baths 7,672 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 214068444

FRANKLIN VILLAGE $924,900

Goodison Place backing 4 Bedrooms to woods & Wyngate Golf 4 Full, 1 Half Baths Club. 1st floor master suite.

3,794 Square Feet Finished walkout LL. Blue MLS# 214114918 stone decks & water feature.

ROCHESTER $725,000 5 Bedrooms 4 Full, 2 Half Baths 6,265 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 214106106

Former model home with 1st floor master. Gourmet kitchen with hearth room overlooks 2 ponds. Walkout LL. Raised stone deck.

Cul-de-sac backing to woods.

2-story living room. 1st floor master. Finished LL with kitchen, bedroom & family room with 106” screen.

ROYAL OAK NEW LISTING | $699,900 4 Bedrooms 2 Full, 2 Half Baths 3,400 Square Feet MLS# 214113084

One-of-a-kind 1925 built English Tudor Revival home. Oak floors throughout. New kitchen.

Finished LL. 4+ car garage.

View Lynn and Deby’s listings at

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Popular Kingsridge sub built

by Moceri. 1st floor master.

2-story great room. Kitchen with hearth room. Walkout LL has kitchen, theatre room.

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP $1,199,900

LynnandDeby.com

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442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Holly Geyer realtor

248.506.7345 hgeyer@hallandhunter.com

Thank Tha Th aannnkk you yyoou to to my m y cli cclients liiee n t s ffo for o r a ssu succe uuccccce sssful s fu l 2 2014 014!

Best Wishes ffor or a W Wonderful onderful H Holiday olidaay Season and a Happy New New Year!

Year!

LD O S

LD O S

OAKLAND ND TWP TWP. P.. | $849,000

BIRMINGHAM | $1,400,000

LD O S

LD O S

WEST BLOOMFIELD | $514,000

WEST BLOOMFIELD | $495,000

LD O S

LD O S

ROCHESTER | $393,000

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BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE | $530,000

BLOOMFIELD ELD TWP TWP. P.. | $324,200

LD O S

BIRMINGHAM | $480,000

LD O S

BIRMINGHAM | $289,000

View holly’s listings at

hollygeyer.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Ginny Fisher realtor

248.593.05 248.593.0518 18 gfisher@hallandhunter.com

- NEW LISTING -

BIRMINGHAM | $2,200,000 5 Bedrooms 6F Fu ull, 1 H Haalf Baths 4,913 Square F Feeet MLS# 214117258

Sophisticated French Manor home in the heart oyer with breathtaking of downtown. Dramatic ffo elliptical staircase. 1st floor master with spacious Italian glass-tiled bath. Beautiffully detailed lower level. Fenced & gated yard with paver stone patio.

BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE $1,099,000 4 Bedrooms 4 Fu Full, 1 Half Baths 3,809 Square Fe Feet MLS# 214066515

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BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE | $1,699,000 4 Bedrooms 4F Fu ull, 2 H Haalf Baths 7,385 T Tootal Sq. Ft. MLS# 214050438

Pristine executive retreat in private gated enclave on raavvine setting. Renovated Millennium cherry kitchen opens to family room. Finished walkout lower level with possible 5th bedroom. Lower paver terraces and expansive decks. 4-car garage.

- RESIDENTIAL AL OR V VACANT ACANT LAND -

- ALSO FOR LEASE A T $4900/MONTH AT

FRANKLIN VILLAGE $799,000

BLOOMFIELD HILLS $775,000

Beautiffully renovated 3 Bedrooms home on 3/4 acre setting.

3F Fu ull Baths Island kitchen with marble 2,791 Square F Feeet counters. 1st floor master.

MLS# 214101479 Expansive patio.

Renovate or build your dream 5 Bedrooms home on 3+ private acres.

4 Fu Full, 2 Half Baths River at far back, pond & 3,848 Square F Feeet barn. Existing home is solid MLS# 214071595 mid-century modern.

Privvate setting deep in sub.

Great room opens to patio with stone amphitheaterstyle seating. Expansive master suite. Finished LL.

View Ginny’s listings at

ginnyfisherhomes.com

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442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

442 South Old W Woodward oodward A Avenue venue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

248.644.3500

Tammy T a am ammy m mmy Herndandez Herndand dez

Susan Hil Susan Hill Hill ll

realtor rea altor

realtor realto or

248. 633.6 633.6654 6654

248 225.139 248.

225 139 225.1399 99

thernandez@hallandhunter.com therna andez@hallandhunte er.com

shill@hallandhunter.com shill@ @hallandhunter.com @hallandhunter.co om

BIRMINGHAM | $3 $369,900 69,900 3 Bedrooms 3F Fu ull Baths 1,785 Square F Feeet MLS# 214101823

- NEW LISTING -

- NEW PRICE -

BIRMINGHAM | $1,200,000

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS | $299,000

3 Bedrooms 3 Fu Full, 2 H Haalf Baths 4,136 Square F Feeet MLS# 214115370

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Sophisticated Quarton Lake Estates home with 1st floor master suite fe featuring new bath with heated floors. Gorgeous kitchen.

Open spaces ideal fo for entertaining. LL off ffer ers personal gym, & wine storage. Heated garage.

3 Bedrooms 3 Fu Full Baths 1,289 Square Fe Feet MLS# 214100690

Beautiffully renovated ranch condo in desirable Cranbrook Manor. U Up pdated granite kitchen.

Views of spacious, very private backyard with Trex deck. Partially finished daylight lower level with 3rd/possible 4th bedroom.

View these and other listings at

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Top-of-the-line renovation in 2013! Family room with fireplace, living room and finished basement with high ceilings. Kitchen & baths beautiffully appointed with granite, stainless, new cabinets and tile. Private, ffen enced yard.

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FACES Will Jones any families go on vacation to a beach in Florida.

Not Will Jones' family. They came to Detroit.

It was obviously prophetic. The Cincinnati native, now a general assignment reporter for WDIV Local 4, always had a lot of family in the metro Detroit area.

Jones, who just celebrated his two-year anniversary with the station, recalls doing a job search while working at his last job, in Greenville, South Carolina, and saw that an opportunity had opened up in Detroit at channel 4.

“I have a lot of family here, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to come here,” Jones said. “I have an uncle who retired from Ford. I knew some of the struggles the city was going through and I wanted to be part of the community where I could make a lot of change.”

Jones is the son of a man named Will Jones who is a Cincinnati firefighter. “That Will Jones is a great guy,” said the son. When Jones was six or eight years old, the local Cincinnati NBC station did a profile on his father.

“They had on my whole family. I remember seeing my dad on TV that evening, and I was so excited. That started my love with TV news,” Jones recalled.

He attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, and did an internship as a reporter at a local station one quarter.

His first on-air job out of college was at a station in Charleston, West Virginia. Jones admits it was a difficult time. “I didn't know anyone, and I had to start my life in a small town on a small salary. I didn't have any friends or family. But the people there were extremely wonderful and I learned a lot of lessons about life. The economy there was terrible. For a lot of people, they were neglected and struggling with the coal industry in decline. I wasn't used to that kind of poverty. I was used to seeing inner city poverty, but never rural poverty. That has stuck with me.”

Detroit, he emphasizes, is a busy news town. It also has a key requirement for him: an NBA team, which he attends with with regularity.

“Sometimes I feel like what else could happen in a day. Sometimes I have to take a deep breath. You have to kind of let the crime stories go because they will stick with you,” he said. “I also do a lot of human interest stories that people feel some kind of connection.”

Recently, he highlighted his work at Freedom House, where he volunteers a couple hours a week.

“It's a place where people come from all around the world, who are seeking freedom and asylum for political, religious or other reasons, and they live in this house.”

The Bloomfield Hills resident loves trees, and enjoys running in his down time to downtown Birmingham, a favorite place to hang out. “It reminds me of the town I went to school in; a nice suburban community with an urban feel.”

M

Story: Kevin Elliott

Photo: Laurie Tennent

BUSINESS MATTERS Antique store anniversary It all began for Sandra McElroy, owner of the antique boutique Crimson Rose, 205 Pierce Street, in downtown Birmingham, when she took an educational leave from her job at Ford Motor Company to earn a graduate degree from the University of Michigan. “One day, I happened to go to a mall where they were having an antique show. I saw a beautiful old beaded purse and the dealer was very knowledgeable and helpful with the history and making of the purse. I was instantly addicted to the world of antiques. I started to read reference books on everything I could and started acquiring antiques I was interested in,” McElroy said. That was 20 years ago. She’s now celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Crimson Rose. “After doing a few antique shows, I opened my first store in Franklin, November 18, 1994.” She moved to Birmingham in 1997. “After having the business for five years and I was confident that it was successful and growing, I quit my full time job after 21 years in finance to pursue what I loved, antiques. I’ve never looked back; it was one of the best moves I made in my life,” McElroy said. McElroy is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the store with a special sale on December 4, 5 and 6.

Ten years of yoga Yoga Shelter, located at 379 S. Old Woodward in Birmingham, with locations in West Bloomfield, Southfield, Royal Oak, Grosse Pointe, Midtown Detroit, Rochester Hills,and Los Angeles, is celebrating 10 years of downward dogs. Yoga Shelter is a metro Detroit-based yoga studio offering yoga classes, teacher training, mind-body events, affiliate programs, and a slew of other yoga activities. Yoga Shelter’s philosophy is to practice yoga and have fun with it.

Yoga is for anybody and “every-body” creating a welcoming place where yoga is accessible and affordable for everyone. Begun by Eric Paskel in 2004, it has served more than 1 million students and counting. Paskel continues with Yoga Shelter as guru and founder, but sold the studios to local businessman Hannan Lis of Lis Ventures. “Yoga Shelter was created to help create a coming together of like-minded people, to create a real community for people, so as we grow with our studio locations we continue downtownpublications.com

to fulfill that intention,” commented Lis. “We will be opening new franchises in the new year continuing to grow Yoga Shelter in multiple cities.”

Second gallery location The David Klein Gallery, a Birmingham fixture for almost 25 years, is venturing out to downtown Detroit with its second location, according to David Klein. The gallery, located at 163 Townsend Street, specializes in modern and contemporary art, with its focus on post-war American art, including painting, sculpture and work on paper from established, mid-career, and emerging artists. The second location will be located at 1520 Washington Boulevard in Detroit, in a 4,000 square feet storefront that was formerly a bookstore, starting in March of 2015. “That’s huge for us,” Klein said. “We have 1,200 square feet in Birmingham.” Klein said he is very excited about joining the burgeoning art scene in Detroit. “I can’t wait. It’s something we’ve been looking at for a few years. Over the last two years, Christine (Schefman, gallery director) and I have been looking in midtown and downtown for the right space. I liked midtown, but we couldn’t find a big enough space. I’m friendly with Matt Lester, who owns the building, and I told him what we were looking for.”

Alex and Ani open Alex and Ani, a youthful and cheerful handcrafted line of jewelry which uses sustainable materials, opened in downtown Birmingham at 150 W. Maple Road on November 24, just in time for holiday shopping. The line of lifestyle jewelry was launched in 2004 by designer Carolyn Rafaelian, who comes from a family of jewelers. Alex and Ani, named for her first two daughters, was launched “with the desire to spread positive energy across the globe,” she said.

Her values and charitable focus is expressed through eco-friendly and made in America products that feature powerfully-symbolic, signature expandable wire bangles with charms that connect the wearer to different and meaningful categories. Up to date and trendoriented, each charm has three words connected to it, with energy and positive vibes associated, making them personal to each wearer’s life.

Mills goes digital Mills Pharmacy and Apothecary, 1744 W. Maple, at the corner of Chesterfield, in Birmingham, has expanded its customer reach, as the store has begun taking online orders and prescription refills through its website, millspharmacy.com. “It’s wonderful to have a brick and mortar store, and seeing and knowing our customers, but having an eCommerce store is probably the future of shopping,” said Rita Sayegh, retail director for Mills Pharmacy and Apothecary. “Some of our products would probably be loved by people in Los Angeles or other places all over the country. We have enough local products that we could probably even do international orders.” Sayegh said the eCommerce portion of the business was in the works for about six months before launching in early November. While she said the store has offered online prescription refills for quite a while, the relaunch of the site has made it more user friendly.

However, the ability to order additional products online is new for customers. Mills originally opened in 1946, but was redesigned and relaunched in 2011 to reflect the style and sophistication of the specialty pharmacies in New York and Paris.

Reimagining Pogo Birmingham sneaker and skateboard shop, Pogo, 381 Hamilton Row, will be expanding offerings in a new location that is scheduled to open this month at the former Olga’s location at 138 S. Old Woodward, in Birmingham. “The main reason for the move is because we couldn’t carry enough product, premium apparel, accessories and footwear,” said co-owner Jake Bishop, who purchased the store with his brother Adam. “We have hard-to-find footwear that not a lot of other people have. Vendors like Nike, Jordan, Asics and Puma. They make a lot of limited edition and artists products that have a story behind them.” Pogo started about 19 years ago. Bishop and his brother bought the store from the original owner almost two years ago, about the time he returned from operating a chain of boutique stores in Florida.

La Belle Provence While some French country decor styles may have evolved since La Belle Provence, 185 W. Maple, in

DOWNTOWN

downtown Birmingham, first opened its doors 25 years ago, the store’s owner has continued to stay true to herself and customers over the years, said owner Liz Fallart. “I’ve owned the store for nine years, and have worked here for about eight years before that,” Fallart said. “We don’t carry as much French Provincial items, but we have tried to keep the same feel. We just keep trying to keep up with what people are buying.”

Originally opened in Northville, the shop moved to its Birmingham location about two decades ago. The store specializes in French country decor, design and gifts, with MacKenzie-Childs offerings being the main product line in the shop today, which is limited to a few stores in the area. She said while some aspects of the store change, including the everchanging tastes of customers, service and honesty with shoppers has remained true. “I love Birmingham,” she said. “I live here, and it’s a great place and a great town.”

Designer resale opens Folks familiar with the upscale consignment store, Closet NV in West Bloomfield, at 6889 Orchard Lake Road, will be pleased to learn of a new location that opened in November at 745 E. Maple, in Birmingham. The new location offers the same type of boutique and designer items that has earned the West Bloomfield location the honor of being voted the the Best Consignment Store in the metroDetroit area by Hour Magazine, said Lisa Rosenberg, who opened the first location in 2010 with her sister in-law, Robin Bloom. “My sister inlaw lived in Scottsdale, and I would buy some of the most beautiful things I owned at the consignment store there,” Rosenberg said about how the business came to exist. “You can go to almost any large city and find a consignment store, but there was no place to shop like that here. It was a niche we wanted to fill and people love it.” The shop specializes in the resale of “pristine, pre-owned women’s contemporary designer clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories.”

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

Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

131

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PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.

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

248.646.2220.

5th Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner daily.

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

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

248.865.9300.

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

248.792.3579.

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

248.499.6867.

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

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

167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110.

Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7078.

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

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

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

39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000.

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

248.593.8880.

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984.

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

248.645.6879.

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily.

Liquor.

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

248.642.4000.

Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

248.644.8800.

Cameron’s Steakhouse: American.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.723.1700.

China Village: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1655 Opdyke, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.758.1221.

Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555.

downtownpublications.com

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

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

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766.

Cosi: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 101 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.9200.

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

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

248.642.1135.

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

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 176 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.9888. Also 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.258.9939.

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

248.647.2420.

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

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

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

Forest Grill: American. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9400.

Fuddrucker’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Beer & wine.

42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.333.2400.

Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek.

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

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American.

Liquor. Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050.

Hogan’s Restaurant: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6450 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.626.1800.

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American.

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

Hunter House Hamburgers: American.

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

248.646.7121.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American.

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

248.594.4369.

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

Kerby’s Koney Island: American.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.333.1166.

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

248.858.5800.

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast,

$28 PRICE FIXED HOLIDAY LUNCH MENU December 1, 2014 through December 26, 2014 Starter - Choice of One Butternut Squash Soup Hazelnut Crème Fraiche ~or~ Caesar Salad Main Course - Choice of One Short Ribs Swiss Chard, Shallot Confit, Mashed Fingerlings, Chives, Plum Tomatoes ~or~ Seared Tuna Shitake Mushrooms, Snow Peas, Miso, Basmati Rice, Wasabi Aioli ~or~ Chicken Paillard Gnocchi, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Rosemary Garlic Cream Dessert - Choice of One Fig Chestnut Cream in Tart Shell With Pudding Sauce ~or~ Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Executive Chef Matthew Fitchett, C.E.C.

Recipient of the 2014 A.C.F. Award of Excellence

Enjoy a bottle of house wine with lunch for only $25.00: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Available for any size party. Counts on each entrée will need to be provided for groups of 30 or more, 3 days prior to event. An automatic service charge of 20% and 6% sales tax will be added.

Beverages not included.

245 S. Eton St., Birmingham • 248.647.7774 bigrockchophouse.com

DOWNTOWN

Executive Pastry Chef Eric Voigt

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PEABODY’S Dining & Spirits Est. 1975

34965 Woodward Ave Birmingham 248 644 5222 peabodysrestaurant.com 133

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The Birmingham/Bloomfield area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publication—Downtown.

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134

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.

Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.647.3400.

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing.

No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6051.

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

185 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.540.0000 Market North End: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

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

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

248.723.0800.

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

248.646.3663.

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

248.644.2913.

New Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Breakfast, Monday-Thursday; Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. No reservations.

183 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.2181.

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor 2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581.

Nosh & Rye Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily.

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

248.646.7923.

Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500.

Original Pancake House: American.

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

248.642.5775.

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

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

Peabody’s: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 34965 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.5222.

Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.3122.

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

248.645.6999.

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

Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304.

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

1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield

DOWNTOWN

Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270.

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

248.792.6200.

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

Sanders: American. Lunch, daily. No reservations. 167 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.3215.

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

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

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

248.932.0800.

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

Reservations. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123.

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

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

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

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

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American.

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

248.731.7066.

The Corner Bar: American. Dinner.

Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2958.

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

248.203.6600.

The Gallery Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313.

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688.

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

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

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

34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.220.4237.

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

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

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

248.593.7881.

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

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

653 S. Adams. Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.7964.

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

248.566.3566.

12.14

AT THE TABLE Jeremy’s reincarnation as Yardbird in Keego Harbor

that it paled simply because of the acid and fat, we ordered the Smoked then Fried BBQ Wings with Green Chili Ranch. The wings were meaty, delicately smoked and fried just right. The green chiles in the ranch were undetectable amidst what

ketchup. Mucho Buenero was thick but mildly smokey and had zero spice. Similarly, the Harbor Heat not only had no spice but completely lacked of the vinegar bite I love in a BBQ sauce. Old Yeller

By J. March had the sweet it claimed but not a hint of tang that I have always been impressed by restaurants a mustard based sauce should have. that thrive in what seem to be less than desirWe steered away from the roasted chicken able locations. Anyone can open a place in a and went with the Buttermilk fried Yardbird to booming metropolis heavy with foot traffic accompany the Chili Dog we were dying to try. and population alone. Places like Ferndale, Colonel who? This chicken was what every Royal Oak and Ann Arbor host tons of choices fried chicken should be. Perfectly coated, fried for dining, most of which exist simply because and unbelievably juicy, it was my second of their proximity to an area that is rich with favorite dish of the night only because, once night life, locals, shops and visitors. again, sage reared its ugly head. The coney It is the “destination restaurants” that dog is glorious in its presentation. Huge, chili renew my faith in savvy diners who appreciate laden and covered in onions it was the stuff of quality and are willing to make the drive for dreams for those seeking food at about 2:20 the chefs who operate establishments ripe a.m. Though they don’t make the dogs in with integrity, talent and the ability to grow house, they again showed some Michigan love based on nothing other than great food and and use Dearborn brand. Good call considering service. Douglas Hewitt of Terry B’s in Dexter, the dog was the highlight of the dish. The James Rigato of The Root in White Lake and chuck roast chili was long on peppers, tomaJody Brunori of The Laundry in Fenton all toes and onions but short on weight and heat.

Pork, brisket and sausage sampler, plus 1/4 rack galzed ribs with slaw and beans. come to mind. These chefs succeed in small All entrees come with two sides, most of Downtown photo: Jean Lannen communities and have the ability to cater to which are happily predictable for the concept. locals yet impress the most discerning of diners seemed like a huge overdose of sage and again the We had the classics – beans, cornbread and mac who make the trek. This is no easy feat and I am BBQ sauce was less than impressive. and cheese. The Bacon Dog Pit Beans were a tad enamored of their success. Jeremy Grandon is With every intention of ordering the Chili Dog past al dente and texturally perfect. Sadly the doing exactly that in the sleepy town of Keego later, we skipped over the Smoke Pit Chili listed sauce they came in was watery and lacking the Harbor with Yardbird Smoked Meats. under soups and tried the Real Gumbo. Andouille, sweet molasses salty back fat I anticipate from After graduating from the CIA and working with shrimp and smoked chicken in a creamy broth that “baked beans”. The cornbread was dry and had James Beard Award winning chef Takashi would have been ideal had in not been again, zero sweetness to it. What saved the day was the Yakihashi at Tribute, Grandon opened Jeremy. Four overly seasoned with sage. Salads are represented mac and cheese. Mac and cheese is to menus what months later it was named Restaurant of the Year with mixed greens, various other vegetables and Kim Kardashian is to the public. Thick, rich and

by Hour Magazine. Ten lucrative years later, proteins in the way of chicken, salmon and pork. appealing, but for the love of god, enough already. I Grandon took hold of his demographic and partAlthough they all sounded amazing, we opted to rarely order it but it seemed appropriate for where I nered up with junior high friend (and Chicago skip them all and get to the heart of the menu. was and, oh brother, was I glad that I did. Capatavi bar/grill owner) Brad Cousens to put together a Sandwiches were listed next and we ordered the pasta cooked to perfection with a creamy, slightly place that could cater to the Cass Lake community Bo Dip with smoked brisket, caramelized peppers spicy, rich, velvety cheese sauce topped with a that was eager for a more casual concept. The and onions, Swiss cheese and brisket jus. The sprinkle of crackers. To say it was my favorite of the chandeliers, murals and formal tables were brisket was clearly a labor of love. Tender, flavorful night is not easy considering how great most replaced with assorted mirrors, exposed wood, aluand juicy on its own, it took on an iconic state with everything else was, but I can not tell a lie, that the onions and peppers that were text book minum and cast iron frying pans. Yes, frying pans dish alone will prompt the long drive to Keego caramelized and the creamy, melted Swiss cheese. eclectically hung in the main dining room to coinagain and again.

Thankfully the trio of ingredients held their own cide with the theme of simple, delicious comfort Moist carrot cake with a hint of spice and cream and didn’t need the bland, watery jus that came on cheese frosting brought this most delicious dinner food. the side.

Five seconds out of my car and the smell of the to an end. True BBQ aficionados are wondering Smoked meats are listed as being made with Southern Pride Smoker drifted my way as I walked how I could poo poo the sauces and still love a pure Michigan apple, cherry, maple and oak. towards the entrance. I grabbed a seat at the bar BBQ joint. To this I say, get over it. Yardbird has the Mitten love makes me happy and the smell that and ordered the usual (if you don’t know by now, core of what matters down. The meats are smoked permeates the building sang of all things local. At you’re a first time reader, so welcome), which with love to the perfect point of flavor. The menu is pleasantly came in an huge mason jar, but unpleas- the suggestion of Josh, we ordered the ribs with a affordable, true to the concept a text book example dry rub so we could add whatever sauce we preantly was made with dry vermouth rather than of simple done right. The space is warm and comferred. The fall-off-the-bone ribs with a perfectly sweet. This was quickly overlooked as the barfortable with parallel service. Sauce be damned – seasoned rub provided us the best opportunity to tender Josh won me over with his ability to enterthe rest is good enough. try the four sauces presented in squeeze bottles. tain a single girl with pleasant conversation and Northern red listed as sticky and sweet, Mucho his sincere approach to service.

Yardbird Smoked Meats, 1978 Cass Lake Road, Buenero that touted flavors of coffee and chipotle, Once my dining partner arrived, we delved into Keego Harbor 48320. 248-681-2124. Open daily, Harbor Heat with beer, vinegar and chili and Old the Pig Griddle Cakes, described as crispy pulled 4 p.m. ($6 – $19). Reservations for parties of six Yeller made up of mustard and brown sugar. One pork, tangy buttermilk slaw and BBQ sauce. The or more. Lot parking. Handicapped access. Patio by one we tasted the sauces with the ribs and were available in the summer. pork was indeed perfectly crisp on the outside and mouth watering moist on the inside. This combina- underwhelmed. Sure that our palates must be satiated with the ribs alone, we tried them on our fintion created the perfect vehicle for the appropriateJ. March has 25 years experience in the restaurant industry in southeast Michigan, including certification as a sommelily described crunchy, tangy slaw. Luckily these two gertips. Nope. Nada. Nothing. Every single sauce er. If you have short restaurant items for our Quick Bites components made up for what was the biggest dis- failed to live up to its description. The Northern section, e-mail to QuickBites@downtownpublications.com. was neither sticky nor sweet yet reminiscent of appointment of the night, the BBQ sauce. Hoping

-New York Times

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE If Not For All of Youâ&#x20AC;Ś As I reflect on what The Community House (TCH) has been able to accomplish in 2014 to deliver on our nonprofit mission of impacting lives through exceptional educational, social and outreach experiences, I was especially struck by how many children and families in need we reached with our free Outreach Impact programs. Our five programs impacted approximately 4,245 individuals, more than ever before. We could not have done that without the increased support of so many people in our community.

Because of you: including individuals, businesses and foundation donors who responded to our need for help, we impacted 4,245 worthy individuals with exceptional educational experiences. Because you gave us more, we could reach more. This is especially critical, considering 75 percent of our outreach recipients were at the lowest income levels.

Camille Jayne

By Peter Gethers & Daniel Okrent Based on the Book & Website by

Our free Outreach Impact programs center around TCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three Pillars of Vibrancy in Education, Wellness and Culture that we feel are important to help people get on a better life path. The five programs are: one, our 10-week iCountâ&#x201E;˘ Childhood Obesity Prevention program that engages 500 teenagers each summer; two, our nine month 21st Century Leaders/Entrepreneur program teaching 45 seventh graders how to be better leaders; three, our three-month Feed Your Familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Futureâ&#x201E;˘ family budgeting, job preparedness and family wellness program helping 300 families of pre-school children; four, our Student Art Townâ&#x201E;˘ and ParkArtâ&#x201E;˘ art workshops reaching 1,100 children and teens; and last, our StoryTellers Guild Literacy program where our volunteers read to, and leave books for, 2,300 elementary school children in low income area elementary schools across the Metro Detroit area.

Sam Hoffman & Eric Spiegelman

Directed by Kayla Gordon

Jam-packed with Jewish jokes both old and new, it began as a website, became a best-selling book, then a hit play in New York. A brilliant, hilarious approach to Jewish humor for pure entertainment and laughter!

SPECIAL EVENT! ONE NIGHT ONLY! Celebrate New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve with Patty, Maxine & Laverne at JET

Because of you: please see the very long list of non-profit agencies and schools with whom TCH engaged throughout 2014 with our educational, wellness and cultural programs: Academy of the Sacred Heart Alcott Elementary School Beaumont Hospital Berkshire Middle School Birmingham Covington School Bloomfield Hills Middle School Boys and Girls Club City Camp Cranbrook Kingswood Derby Middle School Detroit Innovation Academy Detroit Leadership Academy Detroit Public Munger Elementary Don Bosco Hall East Hills Middle School Einstein Elementary School Eton Academy Ferndale Middle School Grant Early Childhood Center Havel Elementary School

Herrington Elementary School Holden Elementary School Horizons Upward Bound Kennedy Elementary School Matrix Human Services Miami Academy Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Our Shepherd Lutheran Peace Academy Pepper Elementary School Pinewood Elementary School Plymouth Educational Center Pontiac Academy for Excellence Royal Oak Middle School Salina Elementary School The Baldwin Center Webb Elementary School West Hills Middle School Westwood Elementary School WHRC Elementary School

An Evening with the Andrews Sisters

Starring Company B

Two performances: 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. (Season subscriptions do not include this show.)

You may see the 6 p.m. show and stay for a gala dinner or dine first and enjoy the 9 p.m. production. Thenâ&#x20AC;Śenjoy an afterglow with dancing, dessert and a champagne toast at midnight.

7LFNHW IRU HLWKHU WKH S P RU S P VKRZ Â&#x2021; 7LFNHW IRU WKH SP GLQQHU 7LFNHW IRU WKH SP DIWHUJORZ SDUW\ 'LQQHU VKRZ DIWHUJORZ SDFNDJH

For more information visit our website at www.JetTheatre.org

Our thanks for being part of TCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nonprofit â&#x20AC;&#x153;family,â&#x20AC;? not only helping us serve the 210,000 people who come through our doors in Birmingham, but also giving us the ability to go out into the surrounding communities to impact so many in need. It is an honor to serve you and all of them.

TICKETS: 248.788.2900 www.JetTheatre.org

Camille Jayne is President and CEO of TCH.

JET performs in the Aaron DeRoy Theatre :HVW 0DSOH 5RDG Â&#x2021; :HVW %ORRPILHOG

downtownpublications.com

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Yatooma’s Foundation for the Kids “Night at the Oscars”

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7 1. Van & Lori Conway of Franklin 2. Luke Gyomory (left) of Lincoln Park, Norman Yatooma of Bloomfield 3. Nicole Yatooma (center) of Bloomfield with Doris & Fredrick Holman of Detroit 4. Rich & Valerie Leebove of Bloomfield 5. Faiz & Nadia Simon of Bloomfield 6. Dan Felstow (left) of Macomb, Jennie & Bill Cook of Birmingham 7. Renee & Michael Acho of Birmingham 8. Jerry Timmis (left) & Almaz Araya of Birmingham, Vikki Lew of Beverly Hills, former Birminghamer Margie Chin Christopher of Austin, TX 9. Natalie Guisinger (left) of Troy, Sophie and Paul W. Smith of Bloomfield

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Here is the update on the recent social scene.

Many more photos from each event appear online each week at downtownpublications.com where readers can sign up for an e-mail notice when the latest social scene column is posted. Past columns and photos are also archived at the website for Downtown.

Yatooma’s Foundation Two Day Event The Academy Awards theme for the two-part Yatooma’s Foundation For The Kids fundraiser made the gathering of nearly 350 at The Townsend Sally Gerak a sea of glam. And during the cocktail hour, as guests were checking out the silent auction (it raised nearly nearly $50K), we spotted at least one celebrity lookalike couple, the Rich Leeboves. In the ballroom, supersized Oscars guarded the stage where Simone Vitale’s music makers held sway. But the theme really shined during the program Paul W. Smith emceed preceding the live auction (which raised more than $70K). First there were “Oscars” presented to 15-year-old Luke Gyomory, who raised $17,000 for the foundation because he knows personally what it’s like to lose one’s mother, and to Frederick Holman and his grandmother, survivors of the emotional and financial hardships occurring when a parent dies. Then Norman Yatooma introduced “Lifetime Achievement” awardees event co-chairs Lori and Van Conway. “They sold seven tables and raised $100,000 all by themselves… Lori made all the centerpieces…Van is an awesome arm twister,” said he. During his acceptance speech, Van left no doubt about what motivates him. “We really have to help kids who didn’t grow up in Birmingham…they will listen if you love them,” he concluded. In the crowd giving him a standing ovation were some event VIPs like Elizabeth and Syd Ross (who donated the wine for the event), and Detroit Lions superstar Rob Sims and Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay with their spouses, to name a few. The following Monday, nearly 100 golfers teed off at the Detroit Golf Club. When play concluded, the Primerica team of Asaad Faraj, Matt Montgomery, Bill Peterson and Ray Rabban had the best score.

But the real winners are the families whose loss is turned into tender triumph with the support of Yatooma’s Foundation For the Kids.

Purple Trails Cattle Baron’s Ball More than 800 guys and gals sashayed to the 12th annual American Cancer Society Detroit Cattle Baron’s Ball at Cobo Center. Some, about 250, came early for the VIP reception outside the Grand Ballroom while the others were perusing the silent auction goodies displayed in the atrium. Riding herd on that scene from an overhead bridge were some purple cows, symbols of Chevrolet‘s American Cancer Society Purple Roads $1 million support initiative. Mechanical bull riding, the program emceed by Paul W. Smith, live auction, music and dinner were in the Grand Ballroom. The food was donated by some of the area’s most respected chefs and restaurants. A panel of judges selected Top of the Pontch as Best Savory and Forte Belanger as both Best Sweet and Best Presentation. A new-this-year fashion contest was won by Alicia McKeand.

Both the silent and live auctions set records – $60,000 and $460,000 respectively – with the 2015 Corvette Z06 Coupe & a driving school experience garnering $105,000 of the latter. Presenting sponsor Chevrolet’s Tim Mahoney chaired the ball that raised $1.5 million. Additionally, the GM Foundation made a $100,000 gift directly to the mission of the American Cancer Society.

CRUSH Birmingham Nearly 300 wined and dined at The Townsend in the name of the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan charity. The 11 food stations, all with properly paired, superb wines, included splendid cuisine. During the plated dessert service, Dan Stall conducted a live auction, attorney Brett Rendeiro told a compelling personal leukemia story, and two people received awards. The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Dr. Eric Earon was honored for his pioneering research and nonagenarian Marie Abick Saviak and her family were honored for fundraising leadership. They do this via an annual dart tournament at Detroit’s oldest family owned saloon – Abick’s Bar Detroit. Proceeds from the event, when combined with CRUSH Grand Rapids held in the spring, totaled more than $150,000 to provide information, financial assistance and DOWNTOWN

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compassionate support to Michigan children and adults affected by leukemia, lymphoma and related blood disorders.

Cultural Council Awards Reception The Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Council has been presenting an award to a local supporter of the arts for 19 years. Under the leadership of BBCC co-chairs Anita DeMarco Goor and Marcy Heller Fisher, this year, in addition to the annual Arts Award, the council also made a Lifetime Achievement Award. Friends of both awardees gathered at a reception at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center to applaud them. Art historian, lecturer and teacher Wendy Evans, who was nominated

by Pailine Mengebuer, received the annual award for her 30 years of enlightening audiences with extremely stimulating lectures.

Joyce LaBan, who was nominated by Annie VanGelderen and Judy Adelman, received the lifetime award for her hands on support of art at such places at the People Mover Stations, Beaumont Hospital, Cranbrook Art Museum and the BBAC. The reception occurred in the Dr. Myron and Joyce LaBan Gallery at the art center. The award is sponsored by the BBAC, The Community House and the Birmingham Eccentric.

Hospice Crystal Rose Celebration The annual celebration dubbed Sheds + Chandeliers attracted more than 400 supporters ($100 ticket) to one of the most unique venues in the 29-year history of the Hospice of Michigan event – the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant. The oldest auto plant open to the public anywhere in the world, it was the home of Ford from 1904 –1910, when the popularity of the Model T necessitated the move to the new Highland Park complex.

The old plank floors in the three-story, New England style mill brick building are worn smooth by the men who worked there. The shed-like structure, lighted overhead by hundreds of small bulbs, gave a rustic elegance to the socializing, dining on the stroll (Forte Belanger cuisine), and studying the fascinating displays of very early automobiles.

Ben Sharkey and his musicians took a break for the program introduced by new HOM chief Bob Cahill. It included an expression of gratitude, a video, patient testimony, remarks from chair Jeffrey Schostak and HOM Foundation chair Rhonda Davenport-Johnson’s presentation of three awards. These were crystal roses to outstanding HOM community partners: Gilda’s Club, Hiller’s Market and Kids Kicking Cancer. The evening raised more than $100,000 for HOM, which provides end of life care regardless of ability to pay. The soiree also made new friends for the museum. Go to fordpiquetteavenueplant.org for more information about it. downtownpublications.com

The Cattle Baron’s Ball

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Children’s Leukemia Foundation’s CRUSH

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1. Dr. Rob & Kris Kornas of Bloomfield 2. Denice Richmond (left) Bruce & Joanne Butzier of Bloomfield 3. Dr. Chuck & Rhonda Main of Beverly Hills, Deb & Jim Berline of Bloomfield 4. Tina Turner (left) of Troy, Kristin Turner of Birmingham 5. Jonathan Rosenthal (left) and Kevin Desmond of Birmingham, Danny Fons of Royal Oak, Corey Dolik of Boston, MA 6. Nidal Daher (left) of Bloomfield, Matt Richter of Birmingham 7. Katrina Desmond (left) and Jenny Rosenthal of Birmingham 8. Greg Richmond (left) of Bloomfield and James Turner of Troy 9. Ron Edwards of Charlevoix, Dan Stall of Birmingham

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Council Awards Reception

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1. Laurie Tennent (left), Wendy Evans and Joyce LeBan of Bloomfield, Anita DeMarco Goor of Troy 2. Joyce LaBan (left) of Bloomfield, BBAC director Annie Van Gelderen of Commerce 3. Wendy Evans of Bloomfield, Link Wachler of Troy

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Hospice of Michigan’s Crystal Rose Celebration

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1. Jeff & Rachel Schostak of Birmingham 2. Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg (left) of Southfield, Tom Callan and Justin Hiller of Bloomfield 3. Maggie Allesee (left) and Andrew Broder of Bloomfield, Dr. Mike Paletta of Northville 4. Dave (left) & Christine Provost and Larry & Linda Juracek-Lipa of Birmingham 5. Kari & Rob Gillette of Beverly Hills, Dan & Patti Padilla of Birmingham 6. Larry (left) & Rusty Raymond and Ed & Sylvia Hagenlocker of Bloomfield 7. Lodia (left) & Robert Runco of Birmingham, Mark & Shirin Bellissimo of Beverly Hills 8. Nancy Gershenson (left) of Franklin, Billy Gershenson and Tedi Falvo of White Lake 9. Jane McNamara (left) of Harrison Twp, Kim Zazula of Birmingham, Kate Nagy of Farmington Hills

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Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Friends The 10th anniversary of this fundraiser for breast care and cancer services at Henry Ford hospitals witnessed a roaring change from the previous versions. Thanks to a new and natural partnership with the Detroit Lions, the Pink Out Brunch attracted nearly 200 event sponsors to the rooftop suite at Ford Field and included tickets to the Lions game that followed brunch. Two days later, more than 300 attended the luncheon in the Atrium at Ford Field. It featured a choice raffle of 22 packages ($3,200) and vendor stations like Birmingham’s Coqueta boutique and the Angel Pillow Project founded by breast cancer survivor Sabrina Mayhew. Check it out at angelpillow.org. Before lunch there was also an L.K. Bennett fashion show narrated by Cheryl Hall Lindsay spotlighting five Lions’ wives. However, the keynote luncheon speaker, NBC’s Anne Thompson, was the playmaker of the day. The breast cancer survivor likened her cancer battle to playing football as she detailed three rules: “Know your enemy…it’s a team effort…use every second that’s on the clock.” Local references from her years at WDIV-TV highlighted her talk. She also donated her speaker’s fee to the cause, bringing the event net to more than $100,000 and the 10year total to more than $3 million.

Spirit of Manresa Gala Nearly 200 friends of Manresa Jesuit Retreat House trekked to the Troy Marriott for the 11th annual Spirit of Manresa Gala. Many of them arrived early for the Mass of Thanksgiving for the 88 years Manresa has been enriching the spiritual life of people of all faiths Bishop Donald Hanchon celebrated. The festivities that followed included lots of socializing, a silent auction ($27,500), dinner and the awards program. It spotlighted the contributions of Patricia and Paul Seibold, Janene Ternes, Sandy Fisher and, posthumously, Larry Dargan. Christopher Aslanian then conducted a spirited live auction that raised $32,000.

Music by the Rick Lieder Band concluded the soiree that netted nearly $90,000 for the upkeep of the historic Bloomfield Hills house and grounds.

OUR TOWN Opening Night Party A celebration party always kicks off the OUR TOWN Art Show and Sale at The Community House and the 12.14

29th annual was a stellar, spirited example. The Art in Vogue Opening Party was sponsored by Raymond James and attracted 400 ($75 and up, way up), including old time Bloominghamers, some of the 153 artists and models wearing fashions created by CCS fabric major Jenna VanFleteren to pair with five pieces of art in the exhibition. Fittingly, jewelry artist and nonagenarian Jeanne Hackett was the honoree of the 2014 OUR TOWN, which was chaired by Janice Degen, Robert Dempster and Barbara Heller. Folks paused their serious socializing, splendid dining on the stroll, and art shopping to see the artists that received the $10,000 award money sponsored by the DeRoy Testamentary Foundation.

The foundation also sponsored the Student OUR TOWN which preceded the main event. When the show closed on Saturday, 40 pieces of art had been sold and Jodi Page-Lee’s monotype print received the People’s Choice Award voted by show visitors.

Guest House’s Detroit Bishop’s Dinner A record-setting crowd of 360 ($150 & up) trekked to The Townsend for the 56th annual Guest House benefit. Some had first gathered at Holy Name Church for the Mass preceding the festive reception and dinner (filet mignon & grilled salmon). Brad Galli emceed the program that featured Terry and Betty Desmond presenting a leadership award to Msgr. Anthony Tocco and Bishop Donald Hanchon’s support award to Ray and Marie Weingartz. But, as in the past, when an alumnus of Guest House’s program tells his story, attention is riveted. Fr. Philip Feltman’s story of his recovery from addiction was no exception. The evening raised more than $105,000 for the treatment, education and care programs at the Lake Orion facility.

Benefit for Life Charity Reception An event that David Honigman launched 19 years ago in his home continues to attract supporters of the Right to Life Educational Fund. This year, 165 attended the cocktail and strolling dinner event at Petruzzello’s Banquet Center in Troy. There were politicians and elected officials in the crowd that heard celebrity guest actor Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules” & “God’s Not Dead”) tell how his life was changed by three strokes. Now a devout Christian, a rarity in Hollywood, he speaks out about batdowntownpublications.com

Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Friends Luncheon

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1. Francee Ford (left) of Bloomfield, Micki Klein of W. Bloomfield and Florine Mark of Farmington Hills. 2. Anne Thompson (left) of NYC and Angel Pillow Project founder Sabrina Mayhew of Birmingham 3. Andrew Hogg (left) of Waterford with HFHS doctors Marianne Franco of Birmingham and Robert Elkus and David Nathanson of Bloomfield 4. Sue Marx (left) of Birmingham, Dr. Rick and Kim Chesbrough of Bloomfield 5. Molly MacDonald (left) of Beverly Hills, Jennifer Harmon of Bloomfield 6. Judy Jonna (left) of Bloomfield, Rosemary Sarafa of Farmington Hills, Terry Leutze of W. Bloomfield

Spirit of Manresa Gala

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1. Fr. Peter Fennessy, Bloomfield, Paul & Patricia Seibold of Birmingham 2. Ron & Maria Hewson and Suzanne & Tony Rea of Bloomfield 3. Diane (left) & Phil Neville of Birmingham, Patty Ward of Bloomfield 4. Judy & Jim Berlucchi of Birmingham 5. AnnMarie Ciceri (left) and Grace Seroka of Bloomfield 6. Beth & Chris Mergel of Bloomfield 7. Lee & Bob Kendell of Bloomfield

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK tles that must be fought. He likened the 56 million victims of abortion to the 600 thousand Civil War soldiers who died because “…slavery did not honor God.” The $25,000–plus that the reception raised will support production of videos that take a stand for life.

OUR TOWN Opening Night Party

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1. Jeanne Hackett (left) and Mary Lou Maybee of Bloomfield 2. Robert Dempster of Bloomfield and Barbara Heller of Birmingham 3. Janice Degen (left) of Bloomfield, Julie Rodecker of W. Bloomfield and Julie Rattner Hollingshead of Birmingham 4. Liz DuMouchelle (left) of Bloomfield, Patti Tapper of Orchard Lake 5. Mort (left) & Brigitte Harris of Bloomfield, Laurie and Rob Farr of Beverly Hills 6. Weatherly Stroh and Jay Risk of Birmingham 7. Jan Dailey of Bloomfield and “Desert Wit” by Connie McEwan 8. Ed (left) Proctor with Mollie, Carrie Proctor and Linda Proctor Stewart of Bloomfield 9. Gene Spanski (left), TCH CEO Camille Jayne and Joe Caserio of Bloomfield 10. Tory Smith Sawula (left) and Barbara Smith of Bloomfield, Akshay & Shweta Shah of W. Bloomfield

Guest House’s Detroit Bishop’s Dinner

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1. Event co-chair Andrew Fisher (left) of Grosse Pointe, Msgr. Tony Tocco of Bloomfield 2. Andrew Pflaum & Sarah Clarkson of Grosse Pointe with Katie Nienstedt of Birmingham 3. Connie Woods (left) of Troy, Terry & Betty Desmond of Bloomfield 4. Kim (left) & Mike McInerney, Jim & Cindy Graham of Bloomfield 5. Mike Fontana of Shelby Twp. with Sister Bridget Bearss of Bloomfield 6. Deborah Shindler (left) of Birmingham, Doug & Shirley Reaume of Bloomfield

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Variety’s Lights, Camera, Auction Variety, The Children’s Charity’s 24th annual theatre event attracted 375 supporters to Paul Glantz’s Novi Emagine Theatre to bid in a silent auction and sample savories and sweets graciously served up by area restaurants before they went to a movie of their choice. Leslie Miller and Bob Golding chaired the popular fundraiser that netted $35,000 and 20 bikes for Variety’s Bikes for Kids program. Others interested in buying one ($182.50) for a deserving child and presenting it at the Dec. 10 Bike Party may call Variety at (248) 258-5511.

Woll & Woll Empowerment Plan Benefit The family law attorneys at Woll & Woll celebrated their news digs in Birmingham by staging a fundraiser for The Empowerment Plan. The nonprofit gives homeless women jobs making coats that convert into sleeping bags. This enables them to earn money, find a place to live and regain independence for themselves and their families. Some 300 well wishers attended the party and heard from TEP founder and CEO Veronika Scott and three employees who described the positive impact the organization has had on their lives.

Guests also sipped, supped and viewed the graffiti art of Shades and bought art by Aimee Cameron and Jaime Sanchez. The event raised $30,000 for TEP, to the great satisfaction of the Woll & Woll legal beagles.

MOCAD GALA + Art Auction “This night would not be possible without GM,” John Rakolta told the 145 supporters ($1,000 & up) of the contemporary art museum who were seated for dinner. Co-chair of the fundraiser with his wife, three daughters and their husbands, he was not referring to the fact that the museum is in a former GM car dealership.

Rather, he noted GM’s important 50K gift to MOCAD and GM global design chief Ed Welburn’s donation of the new Corvette which three GM designers were turning into a work of art during the cocktail hour. Watching them paint and bidding on the 156 12.14

works created by artists from all over the country had been serious competition before dinner conversation.

More than 50 mostly younger art lovers ($250 & $35 ticket) arrived post dinner for the Afterparty and danced until nearly 2 a.m. When the auction bidding closed, 142 lots had been sold, many in online bidding, for nearly $250K. This brought the event total proceeds to nearly $400K. Six days after the gala, fashion retailing legend Linda Dresner presented the kickoff event for MOCAD’s New Audience Development Committee - Lecture + Icons + Lunch. It attracted 133 guests ($100 ticket) and featured two Brits - iconic milliner Stephen Jones, favorite of the Royal family, and “Vogue” International editor Hamish Bowles, plus jewelry designer Vicki Sarge, a Motown native who now lives in London. They conversed about working methods, inspirations and craftsmanship flanked by a display of Sarge’s jewelry and 12 of Jones’ museum quality, one-of-a-kind hats.

(Check out his creations at stephenjonesmillinery.com.) Hamish also signed copies of his latest tell all book, “Vogue & The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: Parties, Exhibitions, People.” Dresner, whose conversation style is as polished as her Birmingham designer boutique, helped make the one-and-a-half hours fly by. Phil Bator, Lynn Crawford, Matthew Ferrel, and Marsha Miro comprise the new committee. They plan another cutting edge presentation next spring with visionaries from a different genre. Proceeds directly support the museum’s projects for youth.

The Wright Gala Some 500 supporters of the Wright Museum of African American History gathered in ball finery for the 2014 Wright Gala. The cocktail reception was in the Rotunda. It was encircled with intriguing, life-size, living replicas of black and white “Playbill” programs. When the dinner bell sounded, guests strolled a path strewn with white feathers to “the crystal ballroom” (aka a white festival tent).

Speeches and thank yous followed a savory fourcourse dinner. Then auctioneer Charles Wickins got guests to ante up more than $35,000 in a brief live auction and to pledge $23,200 to send children to Camp Africa for one week. A show featuring Tony Award winner Jayna Brown as Dorothy from downtownpublications.com

Benefit for Life

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1. Committee member Dr. Augie Perrotta (center) with Bryan Becker & Colleen Burcar of Bloomfield 2. Mia (standing) & Dr. Stan Materka of W. Bloomfield with Dorothy Perrotta (left) and Carol Shaya of Bloomfield 3. Kevin (left) & Betsy Laboe with Dr. Luisa DiLorenzo & Dr. Joe Skoney of Birmingham 4. Dannielle Rendzipeis (center) with Joan & John Reddy of Bloomfield 5. Dave Trott (left) of Birmingham, Amy and Doug Tietz of Troy

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Variety’s Lights, Camera, Auction

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1. Event co-chairs Leslie Miller and Bob Golding of Farmington Hills 2. Jon (left) and Lauren Goldstein of W. Bloomfield with Paul Glantz of Lake Angelus 3. Nancy Kulish (left) of Southfield, Penny Persiani of Bingham Farms 4. Lois & Mark Shaevsky of Bloomfield

The Wright Gala

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1. Betty Brooks (left) of Detroit, Roy & Maureen Roberts of Bloomfield 2. Teresa Rodges (left) and Barbara Whittaker of Bloomfield 3. Eva (left) and Jim Cunningham with Rick & Karen Williams of Bloomfield 4. Edmond Douglas (standing) of Canton, Petra Douglas Hurt of Rochester Hills, (seated) Retha & Walt Douglas of Bloomfield 5. Ed Welburn with Jessie Elliottt of Bloomfield 6. Sean (left) & Suzanne Werdlow of Bloomfield, Priscilla Perkins of Troy, Linda and Rod Gillum of Bloomfield 7. Joumana Kayrouz of Bloomfield, Reggie Hartsfield of Detroit

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK “The Wiz” and Jennifer Holliday as Effie White from “Dreamgirls” preceded the afterparty. It was staged a la Studio 54 with DJ John Collins spinning dance hits old and new into the wee hours. The exhibition that inspired Curb Gardner’s production of the event - “A Theatre of Color: Costume Design for the Black Theatre

by Myrna Colley-Lee”- is sponsored

by General Motors Foundation and will be on display until January 4, 2015. It is free with museum admission.

MOCAD 2014 Gala

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1. Event co-chair John Rakolta (left) of Bloomfield, Ed Levy & Linda Dresner of Birmingham 2. Ed Welburn and Jessie Elliott of Bloomfield 3. Marsha Miro (left) of Bloomfield, Lauren Rakolta Fitzgerald of Birmingham and Terry Rakolta of Bloomfield 4. (Standing) Paige Rakolta & Nick Frisch of Birmingham with (seated) Jennifer Knight of Royal Oak and JR Rakolta of Birmingham 5. David & Elyse Foltyn of Birmingham 6. Alexis & Quinn Kiriluk of Bloomfield 7. Teckla Rhoads (left) of Shelby Twp. and Vivian Pickard of Bloomfield 8. Scott (left) & Roz Jacobson of Birmingham, Pernilla Ammann of Bloomfield 9. Jim (left) and Cathy Rosenthal of Bloomfield, Michael Fitzgerald of Birmingham, Stephen Eisenberg of Bloomfield

HAVEN’s Tailgate Benefit

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1. Greg Erne (left) of Beverly Hills, Randy Kummer of Birmingham, Shari Burgess of Beverly Hills 2. Chuck Moore (left) of Birmingham, Andrea Jonnesee of Commerce, Jaime Witten and Monique Legris of Novi 3. Beth Morrison (left) of Bloomfield, Craig Wolanin of Rochester, Jaime Edmonds of Troy 4. Kelly Hall (right) of Bloomfield and her friend Erika Hammond (left) of Los Angeles, CA, 5. Jill & Rick Lohr of Bloomfield 6. Harriet Shakir (left) and Marja Norris of Bloomfield 7. Julie & Bill Nelson of Bloomfield

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HAVEN’s Tailgate Benefit The people at HAVEN succor victims of domestic and sexual violence every day. To put a spotlight on how healthy masculinity can help tackle the problem, they staged a tailgate party that attracted 155 people to Birmingham Country Club on a Sunday afternoon to watch the Detroit Lions play football. They also sipped beer, wine and Valentine vodka; savored fare from a scrumptious BBQ buffet and Smoky’s Fine Cigars stand; perused a silent auction ($2,400); and engaged in a putting contest. But at halftime, guests paused to hear abuse prevention educator Kole Wyckhuys and retired Lions kicker Eddie Murray speak about how real men can empower other men to be good role models. They also dropped $4,400 in a three-item silent auction conducted by WDIV sports anchor Jamie Edmonds. It was a good afternoon.

The event raised $48,000 for HAVEN and the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings.

Santa Society For 22 years a crew of Santa helpers have been hosting a party to which people bring unwrapped toys for the Marines to distribute to needy children. This year, some 250 attended the Nov. 7 soiree at the Troy Marriott.

They brought great toys, socialized big time and danced to the music of the popular Royce & Jenn band. Santa Society members on hand to welcome them were: Ray Dallavecchia, Jack Bourget, Robert Bloom, Mark Boswell, Robert Bloom, Kevin Brown, Keith Butler, Steven Dempsey, Hillary Heacock, Mario Apruzzes, Michael Obloy, Joan Oliver, Harry Radtke and Tim Turner.

Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; call 248.646.6390 or email samgerak@aol.com.

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B UILDER ’ S OWN C USTOM HOME LOADED W/ U PGRADES .

F INISHED WALKOUT.

S PACIOUS C ONTEMPORARY W/ FINISHED WALKOUT IN D ESIRABLE R OYAL P OINTE S UB .

FABULOUS P INE L AKEFRONT C ONTEMPORARY C APE C OD NEWLY R ENOVATED IN 2010.

S PACIOUS C USTOM HOME IN D ESIRABLE WABEEK FINISHED WALKOUT LOWER L EVEL .

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ENDNOTE

Township advisory panel makes sense he old adage that you can’t get anything for free isn’t always true. Take the case of Bloomfield Township, which has an opportunity to receive and benefit from the wisdom of some of its well-educated and professionally successful residents who work, or have worked in, the financial services industries, and are willing to volunteer their time to sit on an investment advisory committee which would work with the treasurer to review, recommend and advise the township board of trustees on pension investments.

Surprisingly, township treasurer Dan Devine doesn’t want the advice, knowledge and varied perspectives available to him, and the other members of the board of trustees even though Bloomfield Township currently has over $210 million in pension and other investments. In fact, at a recent Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting he vociferously fought the suggestion from supervisor Leo Savoie, asserting that a non-binding, strictly advisory committee was an assault upon his credibility and sovereignty as township treasurer.

Devine said at the October 13 township board meeting, “I am at the top of my profession. The law does not provide for an advisory board...To do that would abrogate our responsibility...I believe we are elected by the residents of the township and I will not agree to push my responsibilities on someone else.”

Savoie introduced the idea of an investment advisory committee in light of concern by some officials that investment fees on the 2013 $80-

T

million pension obligation bond issue came in nearly $300,000 more than several board members thought would be paid to the investment advisory firm hired by the township, Gregory Schwartz & Company. We think Devine’s penchant for creating a contentious situation with members of the board has helped fuel the situation even more.

As background, the township board unanimously approved a resolution to issue pension obligation bonds, not to exceed $85 million, to fully fund the township pension fund on July 22, 2013, after a change in state law allowed the township to borrow money to sell bonds to cover pension obligations.

Under the pension obligation bond proposal, the township would rely on investment returns to offset payments for the bonds and ultimately would save the community considerable funds, estimated at $60 million over 20 years. Only a municipality or county with a bond rating of at least AA and a closed defined benefit benefit plan can issue pension obligation bonds.

Board members have said they understood, from a presentation in November 2013, that Schwartz would earn $160,000 for investing the pension bonds; instead, they later learned Schwartz earned about $490,000, which the firm justifiably earned under the prospectuses proposed and approved.

Devine said he understood the payment structure for Schwartz and did not feel he needed to educate the board as township treasurer.

We disagree. It is incumbent upon Devine, or any municipal treasurer, to make sure his board

completely comprehends the intricate details of any and all investment plans that come before them in order for them to exercise their full and complete fiduciary obligations as representatives of the citizens of the township.

Devine’s position has been that most lay people have investments and have worked with investment advisors. That may be true, but that doesn’t mean they comprehend all of the intricacies of their investments. Further, most lay people do not invest $80 million or more without the assistance and advice of knowledgable and well-versed financial advisors. Plain and simple, Devine did not fulfill his full duty as township treasurer in making sure those he had responsibility for – his fellow trustees, and therefor the residents of Bloomfield Township – had a complete and thorough comprehension of the financial information before them.

Devine’s concern that he is the treasurer, and the responsibility of the investments reside with him, would not be abrogated with the appointment of an investment advisory committee. The committee would be purely advisory. The ultimate authority for financial matters would still be the province of the treasurer, with the final decision resting with the board of trustees. Hopefully it would add another dimension of knowledge and circumspection that could benefit the township given the fact that the investment portfolio has grown by some $80 million.

But Devine would also still be responsible for making sure the township board understood all the nuances of any investment plan.

More election games by county GOP group of four Oakland County Republican House members have signed onto a bill recently introduced by state Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township) intended to keep the county’s executive office in the hands of the GOP. While that isn’t the stated purpose of the proposed legislation, we’ve watched too many political games by the GOP in Lansing (most recently the attempt to alter how presidential electoral votes are counted) to buy the pitch that Kesto introduced his bill purely as a way to “create uniformity for county government elections.”

If approved, HB 5953 would allow for Oakland County to change the timing of the Oakland County Executive elections to make them occur the same time as the state’s gubernatorial elections. Currently, all of the county’s elected offices — which includes the executive, prosecutor, sheriff, clerk, treasurer and water resources commissioner — are elected during presidential elections. The change, Kesto points out in the announcement of his bill, would mean that Oakland County is electing its executive at the same time that the electorate in Macomb and Wayne counties are determining their executives.

The logic behind the bill, according to Kesto, is that it would put all elected county executives on equal footing, allowing voters to be better able to focus on issues of local and regional significance.

Sounds nice but we are not even sure what this means – so we have to discard the logic as pure bunk.

A

The most obvious reason for this bill has to do with voter trends — a gradual erosion of the Republican party’s grip on Oakland County. While candidates in the most recent governor’s race spent more than $40 million to get voters to come out to the polls, presidential elections have traditionally had higher turnout compared to gubernatorial elections. And voters that tend to sway those numbers have in the past been overwhelmingly Democrats.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson isn’t about to be unseated by a Democrat challenger anytime soon; remember, he won his last re-election bid from a hospital bed without any real campaign.

Yet there’s no doubt a Democrat would have a better chance of winning during a presidential election if, and when, Patterson decides to call it quits.

Democrats, as part of a growing trend here in Oakland, have already taken over several key fulltime positions (clerk, prosecutor, treasurer, water resources commissioner) in the county, which has traditionally been a stronghold for the GOP. Kesto and his fellow Oakland County Republicans must be aware, as are we, that moving the county executive election to the midterm would benefit any Republican candidate whom Brooks and company decide to groom for the position.

When Oakland County’s governmental structure was formed, it was done so under a 1973 state law that mandates the county executive be elected during the same election period as the prosecuting

attorney, clerk, register of deeds, treasurer, sheriff and drain commissioner (since renamed water resources commissioner). Oakland is only one of two county governments in the state established as an “optional unified government” under the law, the other being Bay County. Wayne and Macomb counties, however, were established as charter counties, meaning they are granted home rule.

Wayne County, in 1982, and Macomb, in 2009, opted to adopt the state’s constitution regarding elections that require charter counties to hold their executive elections at the same time as the gubernatorial election, while elections for other county offices are held in the midterms.

We think it is more of a smoke screen to say the bill would allow for county executives in the region to be on equal footing. Despite Patterson’s strong personality, his real power has come from those with whom he surrounds himself. Despite claims of equal footing, Oakland County’s structure of government, unlike Wayne and Macomb counties, wasn’t created by a charter, and therefore falls under the guidelines of state law. That means executives in Wayne and Macomb, by nature of their charters, are granted far more executive powers than their Oakland counterpart.

Kesto’s bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and we advise legislators to reject it for what it is: a political play by Oakland County Republicans to hold onto power in a waning GOP stronghold.

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