Downtown July 2015

GERAK: SOCIAL SCENE • J. MARCH: THE LAUNDRY IN FENTON

CK CHE EW N OUT CK A B / NT OLUMN FRO NG C DINI GE 112 PA

FACE OF PUBLIC SAFETY DIVERSITY STATS FOR LOCAL POLICE

NEPOTISM IN GOVERNMENT WHERE REGULATIONS EXIST AND ARE ABSENT

INDICATORS FOR ENVIRONMENT TRACKING QUALITY OF LIFE IN OAKLAND COUNTY

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DOWNTOWN07.15

45

Reflecting the community: police force diversity Efforts are underway to make sure public safety forces in Oakland represent the ethnic and gender make up of the community but progress has remained slow for a variety of reasons.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

20

If Michigan’s economic revival is to have any staying power, state leaders must start to seriously address how to keep/attract the knowledge class of workers who don’t necessarily view the state as a very welcoming place thanks to messages lawmakers are sending.

INCOMING

22

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

CRIME LOCATOR

29

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

MUNICIPAL

91

A new Starbucks, changes at Beau’s; opting out again from mass transit in Bloomfield Hills; Quarton Lake chemicals treatments; West Maple trial run decision and possible ballot issue; iconic theater changes hands; debating marijuana grow operations; plus more.

BUSINESS MATTERS

107

A Touch of Lace; Allstate insurance; Planet Fitness; Art Loft; Naturepedic Organic Mattress Gallery; Joseph DuMouchelle; plus more.

FRONT/BACK

112

With this issue, Downtown adds a new feature focusing on what’s happening in the front and the back of the house in metro Detroit area restaurants with a series of short takes on the latest news and gossip for the industry.

THE COVER Poetry & Truth, steel sculpture by John Sauvé, in front of Pierce Street Parking Structure in Birmingham. Downtown photo: G. Lynn Barnett.

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55 Environmental indicators Like a canary in a coal mine, there are a number of natural features we can monitor to determine the overall health of the environment here in Oakland County.

NEPOTISM

81 Government nepotism Most local governments have addressed the issue of hiring and favoritism before it becomes a problem in town hall.

105

Jake Neher

AT THE TABLE

114

The (French) Laundry in Fenton started with humble beginnings but has caught fire, and J. March says that with breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, along with a bakery and brewery, it’s worth the trip to this restaurant.

SOCIAL LIGHTS

121

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

ENDNOTE

130

Oakland officials cheated the public by being part of secret meetings on regional water authority; time for local governments to be pro-active on the issue of regulating medical marijuana grow operations in local communities.

FACES

53 79 89 103 105 109

Lisa Farris David Furlong Bruce Campbell Paul Marviin Jake Neher Lori Simon

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

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

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

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

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Bloomfield Hills

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1379 Dorstone

Stately Bloomfield Village home on gorgeous 3/4 acre lot .Beautiful kitchen with white marble top counters. Large 1st floor master suite. 4 bedrooms, 4.1 baths.

Nice stone patio on wonderfully landscaped lot.

Charming Cape Cod on a beautiful 1.26 acre fenced lot. Open floor plan. Spacious kitchen leads to a large great room with fireplace. 4 bedrooms. 3.1 baths. 1st floor laundry. Finished walkout lower level includes rec rom, exercise room and full bath. 3 car side entrance garage.

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Birmingham

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602 riverside

Birmingham

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Bloomfield Hills

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

e will all remember the Great Recession here in Michigan, which we are still digging ourselves out of in 2015. And, yes, despite the whispered concern that our comeback cannot really be placed in the class of a solid, assured recovery, there are some positive signs.

W

For one, unemployment is down and expected to continue inching lower. The Research Seminar of Quantitative Economics at the University of Michigan projects the decline to continue, ever so slightly, and says 6.4 percent will be the rate in Michigan when we hit 2016.

Don't forget the growth of the Michigan Real Gross Domestic Product, a gauge of the monetary values of goods and services produced within the state's borders, no matter where the product was purchased. From 2012 to 2013 there was a two percent growth rate.

And property values appear to be climbing along with the sales price of homes on the market.

Thank heaven, some state and locals officials have even started to address issues beyond just a short-term improvement in economic indicators, chief among them the continued brain drain in Michigan – you know, the net loss each year of the knowledge population, defined as the younger generation ages 22 to 34, with a Bachelor's degree or higher. Of course, most are also well aware of the leaders from the business community and their efforts to draw the young Millennials back into rebounding metropolitan areas, where three-quarters of Michigan's in-migration takes place each year.

The fact of the matter remains, however, Michigan is still a net exporter of the knowledge population each year.

A 2008 study by think tank Michigan Future Inc. showed that one-half of Michigan college grads left here within one year of getting a degree.

The State Board of Labor just released a report showing that despite current efforts, the brain drain continues. In 2010, the state had a 4.4 percent net migration loss in the knowledge class, followed by a 2 per cent loss in 2011; 2.2 percent drop in 2012; and a net migration decline of 3.5 percent in 2013.

State officials already know that 37 percent of the knowledge population in-migration comprises former Michigan residents moving home and there are some who say we need to focus more of our effort and direct more state policy at luring this group.

All of these efforts will ultimately prove fruitless unless we also address the perception, deservedly so, that Michigan is an unwelcoming place – which is certainly the view among the knowledge class members I know of who have left the state as I randomly conduct a windshield survey of their thoughts.

My youngest son, now residing in Manhattan, probably captured it best a few months ago when he offered that Michigan was regressive,

(i.e. – dominated by a far right agenda in Lansing) and not some place he would choose to move.

For my oldest son, also in New York City and a professional in the film industry, a return is out of the question. The message has been loud and clear in the last few years that the film industry incentives were, at a minimum, going to be reduced. This year they have been cut to $25 million, and from that $19 million goes to the bail out of a Pontiac film studio debt to a state pension fund that helped finance its start up by members of the Oakland County well-to-do class. Then we have the proposal in Lansing that come 2017, all funding will be cut, possibly including closure of the state film office.

But back to the viewpoint that Michigan has developed a reputation as not an inclusive state. The most recent example of a negative signal sent to those looking to move here from the knowledge group is the passage of legislation in Lansing to allow state religionbased adoption agencies to refuse service to those who don't pass audition under the groups' faith-based tenets. These groups get slightly over half ($10 million) of available state and federal budget funds (our tax money) each year to run their operations.

This legislation has been criticized as discriminatory against not only just same-sex couples, but also unmarried couples, those whose faith differs from the religious adoption agency's beliefs and those with no faith at all.

It's just one more step in a slow march by the majority (Republicans) in Lansing to tighten up control on personal rights advocated by a vocal religious and conservative minority which exercises inordinate power in the House and Senate.

If we are going to bring the state back to an even keel, now, while we build a foundation for the future by keeping our talented college graduates, bringing native Millennials back and those who have yet to even visit our state, then public policy must take into consideration what the next generation seeks rather than a knee jerk, short-sighted reaction to a special interest group that wields influence in Lansing or marching to the drumbeat of either political party. We already apply this logic as we design public services, such as mass transit and future infrastructure needs, based on changing demands and desires.

It is only fitting that we apply the same planning principles to social issues of concern.

I think that probably captures it best.

Have a good, and meaningful, Independence Day (Fourth of July) holiday.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@downtownpublications.com P.S. Take a minute to view our new dining gossip/news feature, Front/Back, starting on page 112, written and reported by Katie Deska.

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First and last time This is the first and last time I will ever read an article written by J. March. While it is nicely written, it was crude, irresponsible and inaccurate. While your taste and experience with your fellow diners was poor, I have been to the Triple Nickel no less than 10 times and continue to have a wonderful experience.

The staff is friendly when they meet you at the door, the service is fast and the food is very tasty. Not sure where you and your group get your taste buds, but they must be burnt out after all your dining experiences. To slam the restaurant so badly and be so critical is pathetic.

There must be some sort of underlying issue with someone to be so slanderous and negative. I personally feel the decor is interesting, tasteful and unique. I believe the theme is genuine and well done. The only thing I agree with is the room upstairs is a bit dark and somewhat loud, but that certainly can be easily addressed with a tweak by Ron. You must have missed the open air bar upstairs and the private room overlooking Woodward. You must have missed the delicious chicken dishes, the filet and the salmon that were tasteful and nicely prepared.

You must have missed the interesting wine list that is well priced. You must have missed the beet salad (that we had last night) that was quite flavorful.

I guess in your line of work you must create interest so people continue to follow you and be entertained by your terrible attitude.

It is too bad the media has to sensationalize things to get individuals to follow them. This is yet another example of an irresponsible article with nothing good to say, which is again pathetic.

Gary S. Jackson, President, SunTel Services, Troy

Triple Nickel cool place I just read the review in your paper of the Triple Nickel restaurant written by J. March (June/Downtown).

I have been to the 555 with friends during happy hours and family for dinners. I was just there last night with my wife and daughter and had the perch and it was excellent. My daughter loves DOWNTOWN

the crab cakes. At happy hour, I regularly get the buffalo balls, scallops, escargot and frog legs. The burger will give Red Coat a run for the money. I did have fries that were too salty once (but) that was fixed.

Upstairs on a nice night is fantastic with all the open windows and open air atmosphere. In addition, my service has always been great. 555 is a cool place.

Keep it up, Triple Nickel.

Dan O’Hara Bloomfield Hills

Kudos to food critic Kudos to your food critic, J. March (June/Downtown). I have never read a more scathing review of a restaurant. No pussyfooting around, just the unvarnished truth.

The forthrightness of the column should prompt the restaurant to quickly up its game and in this regard the writer has provided a valuable service to both the Triple Nickel and the restaurant’s future diners.

Marvin Lee Bloomfield Township

Review complete garbage I am writing to say I think that the Triple Nickel restaurant review

by J. March in your June issue is complete garbage. J March must be a person full of anger, jealousy, and/or resentment to write a review like this one. It was just nasty.

I have lived in Birmingham for 50 years and have had a business located in the 555 Building since it was built in 1974. I can tell you that the building has been called the "Triple Nickel" by some people around here since the beginning; it was not named by the construction crew as Ms. March states.

I don't understand the comment about "it's all about the money."

Prices at the Triple Nickel are very, very reasonable, especially compared to other Birmingham restaurants. I have eaten there numerous times and the food is very good. My sister is an excellent Italian cook, she has been there with me and had the pasta and the liked it very much. The review says the sauce is "5 parts butter." We knew that was not true, and I even checked with the chef. He also said all their vegetables are fresh daily.

Where does the Jolly Green Giant comment come from? Just from a hateful person.

07­.15

Find a new reviewer

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.

The steak I had melted in my mouth and the perch was exquisite and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and the manager Zoran is first class all the way.

There are so many revolting, low class comments in this article that I just have to wonder, what is wrong with this writer? The Triple Nickel is the best thing to happen to south Birmingham in many years. I have heard many good reviews; I hear people talking every day, they have been there, and everyone is excited about it. J. March sounds like a very jealous and resentful person. Even if you feel you have to write a negative review, no respectable critic writes like this.

The fact that you allowed this to be published as is completely changes my opinion of your magazine.

Saverio Bitonti Birmingham

Thanks for honesty J. March — thank you for your honesty in the 555 review (June/Downtown).

I live in Birmingham and am so sick of fluffy reviews of anything new when a lot of the new fare is utterly disappointing. With four kids and a busy job, I don't get to go out to dinner that often.

I will put the 555 on the back burner until I hear that they've turned it around.

By the way, any thoughts on Bird and the Bread? My first experience was pretty terrible, but it was a long time ago.

Keep up the good work and honest reporting.

Mark Carroll Birmingham downtownpublications.com

In regard to the "review" of the new Triple Nickel Restaurant in Birmingham (June/Downtown), your publication should feel embarrassed that went to print.

Anyone who would refer to food as "maggots" is clearly trying to defame the new restaurant and its owners/operators.

I have been to the restaurant several times and have had wonderful experiences with everything from the fun comfortable atmosphere, to the upbeat staff and patrons and especially, the excellent food.

Maybe your publication should look for a new restaurant critic, one who actually has a clue about what they are doing.

Lisa Obee Bloomfield Hills

Triple Nickel review Sadly, I have to agree with the (Triple Nickel) reviewer (June/Downtown).

As a recent guest on a Saturday night, I had the misfortune of sitting in the "echo chamber" that was mentioned in the review. There were six of us and it was so loud we could communicate by shouting at the person closest to us. The chairs were cheap and uncomfortable, the ceiling too low, the service slow and the food cold.

We did manage to find our way over to the other side of the upstairs restaurant open to old Woodward Ave. and it was much quieter and more comfortable over there.

I understand the great challenge the architects had in making this fantastic location work and I am hoping the owners can get this turned around. Like a lot of new restaurants, it was place to been seen because it is new and trendy, but if they want repeat customers, they will need to make some improvements.

I wish them the best.

Name withheld upon request Birmingham

• Free covered parking • Couples services • Wet room • Free wi-fi • Online gift certificates • Private parties

Disagree with review We strongly disagree with J.March’s evaluation of Triple Nickel restaurant (June/Downtown).

My wife and I are in our 80’s and have dined at fine restaurants in most of our 50 states. We have dined at Triple Nickel three times, DOWNTOWN

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including once with our two grand children, ages 17 and 21. Each time we had excellent service by well trained staff and the food was superb.

Triple Nickel is our favorite Birmingham restaurant.

Rose & Ralph Boyll Birmingham

Sublime reviews J. March's restaurant reviews are sublime. Consistently the first thing I turn to.

Theo Nittis Bloomfield Village

Food, service spot on

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After reading your review of this restaurant, I sat back and wondered what your intentions were. I have never read such a hostile, negative and potentially damaging review of a new restaurant. I re-read the article and only found one positive note in the entire article, which was you liked the Indian chili!

My wife and I went to the Triple Nickel for dinner on a weeknight.

We were seated promptly in a wonderful booth on the first floor.

We ordered a bottle of wine and began to look through the menu and check out the decor. We felt the decor reflected the restaurant theme. We ordered the chopped salad split and it was plenty for the two of us. My wife had the perch and I had the frog legs, both excellent. The service was spot on.

We will definitely be going back.

The prices reflect the need for a medium priced neighborhood restaurant in Birmingham. I would like to see more medium price choices on their wine list.

Other than that, your ten cents worth of advice would be better spent redirecting your intentions.

By the way, I like Sinbad's also.

John Turner Bloomfield Hills

Call today, and put my knowledge to work for you.

Agree with review

CIRCLE 2014

24

Enjoyed your (Triple Nickel) review (June/Downtown) and could not agree more.

The only place else where one can be treated poorly and have bad food is Beau's. Bad layout, overpriced drinks, way too salty food and poorly cooked. It is even worse than Mex. The owners should have stopped at Social which is nice.

John Morrison Bloomfield Township DOWNTOWN

No safe disposal Per a 2015 report by the US GAO, at Hanford WA, $19 billion has been spent so far on forward thinking about ways to handle radioactive waste (June/Downtown), and no working scale model exists or has been created to learn from.

In 25 years there has been no radioactive waste treated for safe permanent disposal at Hanford or anywhere else.

Jeannie Presler Vancouver, Washington

Nuclear waste storage You have written a very in-depth story on the Ontario Power Generation DGR (Nucler waste/May). It is unfortunate, however, that we did not have an opportunity to answer any questions or provide some facts.

We would welcome the opportunity to do so in the future.

We always seek to respectfully inform the fears of those who oppose this project.

We all live on these Great Lakes and the waters are as much ours as the people of Michigan. We take issues of the environment quite seriously and believe our environmental approval processes in Canada are among the most rigorous in the world.

Jerry Keto Vice President Ontario Power Generation

Environmentalist drivel I would be interested to hear if Mr. (Jim) Nash (June/Downtown) has any new thoughts on the subject of fracking upon the release of the 1,400-page report from the EPA stating that "We find no evidence that these mechanisms have led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States."

Mr. Nash quotes the usual liberal environmentalist drivel from nonscientific sources, and finishes with, "Unless you have real proof, I wouldn't chance it..."

Of course, he needed no proof whatsoever to arrive at his own negative conclusion. The EPA and Obama administration have made it clear for years that they wanted control of these state-managed "mechanisms" and have been searching for that one smoking gun from state neglect. It didn't exist.

If this is the level of open-minded, fact-based thought going into other decisions by Mr. Nash and his department, a new (water resources) commissioner should be sought for next year.

Richard Hayes Birmingham 07­.15

BUILDER • DEVELOPER • COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR

AWARD-WINNING SHOW HOME AT PINNACLE

GRAND FINALE AT KINGSRIDGE RESERVE

GRAND OPENING FINAL PHASE AT CLAREMONT

VILLA CORTILE

LUXURY HOMES IN PROGRESS FOR EARLY MOVE-IN

ELEGANT PAIRED CONDOMINIUM HOMES

The last of the finest and final phase of Kingsridge is a whirl of luxury construction activity.

Only a handful of prime wooded and walkout lots remain available with exceptional homes from Michigan’s Legendary Dream Builder.

The final release of The Oakland’s only paired condominium homes is ready for you to personalize with custom touches from Moceri’s cutting-edge design center. These homes offer optional finished lower levels, including premium walkout sites.

Priced from the $850s

Priced from the $475s

— OAKLAND TOWNSHIP —

Approximately 8,817 sf Including Walkout Lower Level A unique fusion of Old World French design with influences from Palm Beach’s manor homes. All living spaces revolve around the courtyard, wraparound terrace and stunning pool with its infinity edge and spa.

Priced at $3.5 million Other homes priced from $1.1 million

— OAKLAND TOWNSHIP —

Spectacular Models and Sales Salon are located at Pinnacle, north off Silverbell Road, east of Adams Road.

Open daily from Noon to 6 pm 4911 Pinnacle Blvd., Oakland Township, MI 48306 For more information call 248-373-6200 or email sales@moceri.com MoceriHomes.com

— OAKLAND TOWNSHIP —

ONLY MOCERI OFFERS HOMES FROM THE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED TRUST IN OUR BROKERAGE.

JON SW ORDS MANAGER / ASSOCIATE BROKER MAX BROOCK BIRMINGHAM

600

578

550 500 450 400

349

350

316

300

254

221

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HWWB Market share: 1.81% Total: $77,892,734

SKBK SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Market share: 1.57% Total: $92,033,485

250 200 150 100

MAX BROOCK BIRMINGHAM Market share: 4.12% Total: $212,472,396

HALL & HUNTER Market Share: 2.49% Total: $173,704,876

COLDWELL BANKER WEIR MANUEL - BIRM Market Share: 2.25% Total: $112,171,355

REAL NUMBERS IN REAL TIME ( TOTAL HOMES SOLD IN OAKLAND COUNTY YEAR TO DATE )

All data provided by Broker Metrics as of 6/9/15

01

275 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, Michigan 48009

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Produced by local residents from offices in downtown Birmingham.

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248-639-4748

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DOWNTOWN

MATTERS 07.15

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 June 12, 2015.

Placement of codes is approximate.

Lynn Baker and Deby Gannes

$4,125,000 | MLS# 215055394

$4,100,000 | MLS# 215028534

$1,195,000 | MLS# 214093656

$1,100,000 | MLS# 215049972

$849,000 | MLS# 215059718

$617,000 | MLS# 215031246

Let us help you find a new place to “land” this

s

Š!

$835,000 | MLS# 215047646

$544,900 | MLS# 215030301

For more information, visit LynnandDeby.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Deby Gannes

Lynn Baker

Realtor

Realtor

248.379.3003

248.379.3000

DGannes@HallandHunter.com

LBaker@HallandHunter.com

$3,250,000 | MLS# 214109665

$1,799,999 | MLS# 215055349

$1,225,000 | MLS# 215021446

$1,099,000 | MLS# 215021446

$949,000 | MLS# 215024130

$869,900 | MLS# 215042333

759,000 | MLS# 215024114

$699,900 | MLS# 215055296

$629,900 | MLS# 215051613

$449,999 | MLS# 214072366

$224,900 | MLS# 215058986

$154,900 | MLS# 215056149

From Cottage to Castles

Meredith Colburn Associate Broker

248.762.5319

BLOOMFIELD 4710 Ardmore Drive | $1,950,000 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. Formal dining room has cathedral ceiling and custom buffet. 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 fully finished walkout lower level has 6th bedroom, bath, office, rec areas and French doors leading to Tennessee flagstone patio. 4-car heated garage. Outdoor spa. Generator.

For more information, visit RandsColburn.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

-

6 Bedrooms 5 Full, 2 Half Baths 9,446 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215050292

Meredith Colburn Associate Broker

248.762.5319 MColburn@HallandHunter.com

BLOOMFIELD 1390 Kirkway Road | $4,500,000 Luxurious Tobocman contemporary on nearly 2 acres overlooking Lower Long Lake. Hardwood floors, domed skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.

Gourmet kitchen. Master suite with travertine bath. Walkout LL with indoor pool. 230’ lake frontage. 3-car garage.

FRANKLIN VILLAGE 31600 Briarcliff Road | $895,000 Build Site 3.37 Acres MLS# 215054758

Fantastic opportunity to build the home of your dreams on this incredible 3.37 acre site in the heart of Franklin Village.

Architectural plans available.

5 Bedrooms 4 Full, 2 Half Baths 6,208 Square Feet MLS# 215043961

BIRMINGHAM - NEW PRICE 698 Southfield Road | $799,000 3 Bedrooms 3 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,791 Square Feet MLS# 215055326

Exquisite French Normandy home in Quarton Lake Estates. Remodeled in 2010, with luxurious custom finishes. Spectacular master suite with spa-like bath.

Fully finished lower level. Elevator. Beautifully landscaped with aggregate patio, outdoor fireplace & fountain.

BLOOMFIELD - JUST LISTED 1624 Apple Lane | $675,000

Ideal walk-to-town condo 3 Bedrooms alternative. 1st floor master.

2 Full, 2 Half Baths Gourmet kitchen. Finished 2,851 Square Feet LL. Perennial Zen garden MLS# 215061279 with patio.

Outstanding remodeled ranch home is perfect condo alternative. New kitchen. Master suite with oversized walk-in closet. 3-car garage. Pool.

The Real Difference in Real Estate -

4 Bedrooms 4 Full, 1 Half Baths 9,544 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215051925

BIRMINGHAM 1016 Lake Park Drive | $2,600,000

Nanci J. Rands Associate Broker

248.701.9000 NRands@HallandHunter.com

METAMORA TOWNSHIP - JUST LISTED 3211 Wilder Road | $1,850,000 3 Bedrooms 3 Full, 3 Half Baths 4,275 Square Feet MLS# 215053788

This magnificent 55 acre estate in the Heart of Metamora Hunt Country features a 1994 home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple John Vinci. Light and nature are seamlessly incorporated throughout. A 2.5 acre pond is set amongst native prairie grasses. The interior features hickory and oak hardwoods and a lofty cupula-crowned light well. The entrance foyer opens to the multi-windowed living room and dining room. The kitchen includes an informal dining area. The master suite has a Pewabic tile fireplace and large walk-in closet.

Full basement. Hunt, ride or hike and enjoy the tranquility & charm of Metamora. It is within easy reach of metropolitan Detroit!

For more information, visit RandsColburn.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Nanci J. Rands

Meredith Colburn

Associate Broker

Associate Broker

248.701.9000

248.762.5319

NRands@ HallandHunter.com

MColburn@ HallandHunter.com

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 675 Hillcrest Drive | $2,495,000 6 Bedrooms 7 Full, 1 Half Baths 6,758 Square Feet MLS# 215054762

Spectacular estate property on 3.73 lushly landscaped private acres just off Vaughan Road. Refined living and entertaining spaces complete with large pool, spa, tennis court and all-sports court. Gracious entry foyer leads to herringbone wood-floored living and dining rooms. Updated island kitchen is open to spacious informal dining. Exercise room and large sunroom overlook back lawn and pool.

Master suite with cathedral ceiling and updated bath. 1500 sq. ft. guest house offers living room, studio kitchen, laundry, loft bedroom and expansive deck. 3-car garage. Fabulous opportunity!

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 5635 Wing Lake Road | $2,895,000 4 Bedrooms 5 Full, 2 Half Baths 6,065 Square Feet MLS# 215033670

Perfectly situated on a hilltop overlooking Wing Lake, this historic property was restored and expanded in 2001 to create a breathtaking combination of old world and contemporary design. Decorative elements from the 1920s merge seamlessly with modern architectural details. The grand foyer has a soaring rotunda and leads to the original living room with fireplace, beamed ceiling, and decorative frieze that depicts the first transcontinental Model T journey. The chef’s kitchen offers a large octagonal granite island and top-of-the-line appliances.

Master suite on entry level has spa-like bath. Wine cellar. Finished lower level. Rare opportunity to purchase a piece of history.

For more information, visit RandsColburn.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Lynda Schrenk Realtor

248.760.6026 LSchrenk@HallandHunter.com

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 3755 Lahser Road | $3,200,000 5 Bedrooms 6 Full, 2 Half Baths 7,806 Square Feet MLS# 214101406

Exquisite country estate offers sweeping views of Bloomfield Hills Country Club. Gated private yard includes pool, sport court & fire pit. Chef’s kitchen opens to family room & pool. Master suite retreat.

Stunning LL features gym, steam bath and bar.

NEW PRICE

4 Bedrooms 3 Full, 3 Half Baths 4,039 Square Feet MLS# 215036281

BIRMINGHAM 987 Floyd Street | $649,000

Completely renovated vintage 3 Bedrooms home. Gourmet DeGuilio 2 Full, 1 Half Baths kitchen. Master with fireplace.

2,223 Square Feet New studio garage apartment with kitchenette and full bath. MLS# 215017451

Quarton Lake Estates 2014 renovation, including kitchen with Carrara marble counters & stainless appliances opening to 2-story great room and blue stone patio. Finished basement with fireplace, daylight window, kitchen & half bath. Extra large private yard.

NEW LISTING

SOLD

BIRMINGHAM 820 Hazelwood Street | $899,000 4 Bedrooms 3 Full, 2 Half Baths 3,400 Square Feet MLS# 215044739

BIRMINGHAM 1480 Suffield Avenue | $1,200,000

BIRMINGHAM 862 S. Glenhurst Drive | $419,000

Two blocks from downtown 4 Bedrooms & across from Barnum Park. 2 Full, 1 Half Baths Modern open floor plan with 2,745 Square Feet custom kitchen. Master suite MLS# 215059110 has fireplace & luxury bath.

Open, spacious floor plan with St. Charles kitchen & stainless appliances. Lovely private backyard and beautifully maintained in-ground pool.

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Cheryl Riback Associate Broker, ABR, SRES

248.808.3112 CRiback@HallandHunter.com

NEW PRICE

LAKEFRONT

ORCHARD LAKE 3819 LaPlaya Lane | $3,300,000 4 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 6,148 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 214079844

Prime estate on 2.53 acres with 150’ frontage on Upper Straits Lake. Finished boat/guest house. Beautiful views from the new open cook’s kitchen and family room that leads into a sun room. Amazing master suite. Art studio and walkout LL with 2nd sun room. 3-car garage.

BIRMINGHAM 657 Greenwood Street | $1,249,000 4 Bedrooms 5 Full, 1 Half Baths 4,375 Square Feet MLS# 215022344

Gorgeous in-town home features grand foyer with marble floors & winding staircase. Paneled library with wet bar & fireplace. Spacious master with luxurious bath and sitting area by fireplace. Beautifully finished LL. Heated attached garage, driveway, walkway and patio.

BUILD SITE

BLOOMFIELD 465 S. Evansdale Drive| $699,000 Vacant Land 200’ x 202’ x 360’ x 390’ MLS# 215060334

Breathtaking views and magnificent cleared 1.75 acre lot that can accommodate a 10,000 square foot home with a walkout lower level. There is room for a pool and tennis court. A truly wonderful location to build the home of your dreams.

BIRMINGHAM 692 W. Lincoln Street | $522,000 3 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,058 Square Feet MLS# 215053280

Absolutely charming and sophisticated in-town home in great location. The private, fenced back yard features a relaxing English garden and patio. Updates include a new award-winning ASID gourmet kitchen with garden views.

Finished LL with game room and abundant storage.

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Holly Geyer Realtor

248.506.7345 HGeyer@HallandHunter.com

NEW LISTING

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 571 Edgemere Court | $1,995,000 5 Bedrooms 6 Full, 2 Half Baths 9,206 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215017360

Gracious estate on 1.5 acres of private, beautiful grounds backing to Cranbrook. Luxurious details and moldings. Gourmet island kitchen opens to family room for easy and comfortable entertaining. Beautiful in-ground pool surrounded by lush landscaping.

ALMOST 2 ACRES!

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 3270 Kernway Court | $1,499,000 6 Bedrooms 7 Full, 3 Half Baths 8,972 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215054469

SALE PENDING

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 44 Brady Lane | $750,000 5 Bedrooms 3 Full, 1 Half Baths 5,402 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215030287

Enjoy gorgeous Kern Lake views in this spectacular home on 1+ acres. Honed granite chef’s kitchen with 2 of every high-end appliance and Pewabic backsplash. Huge master suite with dual baths. Brazilian hardwood floors throughout 1st floor. Walkout lower level with full kitchen. Oversized 3-car garage.

Walk to Cranbrook from almost 2 acres in the heart of the City of Bloomfield Hills. Renovate or build your custom dream home on this beautiful property with accent pond and rolling terrain. Incredible indoor pool.

Also listed as vacant land.

BIRMINGHAM 2215 Avon Lane | $599,000 4 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,734 Square Feet MLS# 215018755

Classic Colonial on a large, private fenced corner lot in great neighborhood. Kitchen with spacious breakfast room opens to family room. Hardwood floors throughout. Master with updated bath. 16’ x 12’ sun room and brick paver patio. Finished lower level.

For more information, visit HollyGeyer.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

D. Ryan Wolf Realtor

248.891.2221 RWolf@HallandHunter.com

BIRMINGHAM 2085 Dorchester Road | $689,000 3 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,776 Square Feet MLS# 215060114

Gorgeous new build Colonial built in 2005 on existing foundation. Impeccable landscaping with private back patio for entertaining or for absolute serenity in your own lush, fully-fenced oasis. Interior includes a dream kitchen with stainless appliances and large granite island opening to family/great room with slate fireplace. Butler’s pantry with wine fridge and designer glass front cabinets. 8’ doors and extensive crown moldings throughout. Master suite with spacious bathroom featuring BainUltra Airjet Tub and large shower. Two heating/cooling zones and 2nd floor laundry. Short walk to award-winning schools, Pembroke Park and the Rail District.

BIRMINGHAM 1012 Oxford Street | $599,000 4 Bedrooms 3 Full, 1 Half Baths 3,229 Square Feet MLS# 215053594

Beautiful tudor resting in the heart of Poppleton Park on the desirable corner lot of Oxford and Henley. Filled with original character and charm, the home offers 4 fireplaces and large living and dining rooms for entertaining. Main bedroom has walk-in closet, full bath and natural fireplace. Two of the four bedrooms are suites with attached bathrooms. Hardwood floors (under carpet) throughout most of the home. Short walk to Poppleton Park and downtown Birmingham. Don’t miss this opportunity to live in one of Birmingham’s premier neighborhoods at a great price!

For more information, visit RyanWolfHomes.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

Ginny Fisher Realtor

248.593.0518 GFisher@HallandHunter.com

BIRMINGHAM 734 S. Bates Street | $1,999,900 5 Bedrooms 6 Full, 1 Half Baths 4,913 Square Feet MLS# 215001343

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 1772 Heron Ridge Drive | $1,699,000

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

4 Bedrooms 4 Full, 2 Half Baths 7,385 Total Sq. Ft. MLS# 215005629

NEW LISTING

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 253 Marblehead Drive $980,000 or for lease at $3800/month 5 Bedrooms 3 Full, 1 Half Baths 4,694 Square Feet MLS# 215022328

Acre+ setting in prestigious Rudgate sub minutes from Cranbrook. Oversized kitchen.

Screened Florida room.

Finished walkout lower level.

NEW LISTING

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 1000 Bretton Lane | $739,000 4 Bedrooms 4 Full Baths 5,994 Total Sq Ft. MLS# 215057021

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

BLOOMFIELD 4410 Charing Way | $410,000

Almost 2 private, wooded 3 Bedrooms acres! Vaulted great room 2 Full, 1 Half Baths has expansive windows for 2,490 Square Feet gorgeous views. Walkout LL MLS# 215061881 with kitchen, poss. 5th BR.

Parklike setting! Spacious eat-in kitchen. 1st floor master suite opens to sun room with sauna.

2-story great room. Oak-paneled library. Great storage space.

For more information, visit GinnyFisherHomes.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

248.644.3500

Realtor

Amy Zimmer & Tiffany Glime

248.842.4696

AZimmer@HallandHunter.com

Pam Gray

248.469.6430

PGray@HallandHunter.com

248.930.5656 TGlime@HallandHunter.com

BIRMINGHAM 715 Pilgrim Avenue | $1,249,000 6 Bedrooms 4 Full, 1 Half Baths 4,082 Square Feet MLS# 215051639

Prime Quarton Lake Estates location for this unique property with stunning kitchen, family room & master bedroom suite addition. Spacious 6th bedroom suite added in 2013. Covered wraparound blue stone terrace. 3rd floor guest suite. 3-car attached garage.

BIRMINGHAM | $749,000 1331 Cedar Drive | 1331Cedar.epropertysites.com 4 Bedrooms 3 Full, 2 Half Baths 2,818 Square Feet MLS# 215049379

Turn-key newer construction with sophisticated modern influences blocks from downtown Birmingham. Great indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Custom Berloni kitchen with large island. Finished lower level. Attached 3-car garage and gated drive.

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

248.644.3500 Joan Hardy Brown

Becca Chapman

Realtor

Realtor

248.709.3916

248.917.4683

JBrown@HallandHunter.com

BChapman@HallandHunter.com

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

BIRMINGHAM 1343 Buckingham Avenue | $619,900 4 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,527 Square Feet MLS# 215057242

Historic Tudor with modern amenities on deep lot in Birmingham Estates. Hardwood flooring & birdseye maple staircase. Eat-in kitchen opens to newer family room. New baths. Master suite with gas fireplace. Screened-in porch opens to a private yard.

NEW LISTING

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 3340 Kernway Drive | $449,000 4 Bedrooms 3 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,760 Square Feet MLS# 215047064

Updated Colonial on 2/3 acres with Kern Lake privileges. Granite kitchen. 2-sided fireplace between breakfast & family rooms. Tiled 4-season sun room.

Professionally finished LL with bar & full bath. Lush yard. Bloomfield Hills schools. Great location!

BEVERLY HILLS 31756 Allerton Drive | $375,000 4 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 2,067 Square Feet MLS# 215056403

Highly desirable Colonial with bright eat-in kitchen opening to family room. Generous-sized bedrooms & updated bath with marble floors and travertine tile. Master suite with dual closets. Paver patio and fenced yard. Birmingham schools.

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009

248.644.3500 Erin Keating DeWald

Tammy Hernandez

Realtor

Realtor

248.259.3544

248.633.6654

erin@erinkdewald.com

THernandez@HallandHunter.com

NEW PRICE

NEW LISTING

BIRMINGHAM 625 Ridgedale Avenue| $559,000 3 Bedrooms 2 Full, 2 Half Baths 2,522 Square Feet MLS# 215040404

Completely updated Poppleton Park gem with charm, character and modern amenities. Updated kitchen with premium appliances opens to family room with access to brick paver patio. Fabulous master suite.

New (2013) 2-car garage. Steps from downtown!

NEW PRICE

BEVERLY HILLS 18180 Kirkshire Avenue | $399,000 4 Bedrooms 2 Full Baths 1,520 Square Feet MLS# 215057191

Wonderful west Beverly ranch with open layout and abundance of natural light. Granite kitchen with limestone floor. 4-season sunroom leads to spacious fenced yard. Lower level features family room, 4th bedroom & full bath. Birmingham schools.

FOR LEASE

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 3795 Quarton Road | $439,900 4 Bedrooms 2 Full. 1 Half Baths 2,384 Square Feet MLS# 215042310

Move-in ready Colonial with fabulous updates: new kitchen, all-new bathrooms & newly remodeled family room with stone gas fireplace and custom built-ins. Also, new furnace, 70-gallon hot water heater, all new windows & new sump pump.

BIRMINGHAM 1011 Chapin Avenue | $2800/month 3 Bedrooms 2 Full, 1 Half Baths 1,469 Square Feet MLS# 215057166

Well-located Colonial with open floor plan and large kitchen. Additional living area in basement. Enjoy summer on the spacious recently refinished deck.

2-car garage. 2-year lease desired. 1.5 months security deposit. No smoking. Birmingham schools.

For more information, visit HallandHunter.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009

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BY KEVIN ELLIOTT n the early morning hours of July 23, 1967, a group of about 80 black people were celebrating the return of soldiers from Vietnam at a blind pig at 12th Street, now Rosa Parks Boulevard, and Clairmont Street in Detroit, when a predominantly white police force raided the club. What ensued after was a five-day riot that spread through Detroit, leaving 43 people dead, 1,189 injured, and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed.

The events leading to the 1967 riot can't be attributed to that single incident, and the riot was hardly the first of its kind in Detroit. Race riots also marred the city in 1943 and 1863, the latter of which led to the creation of a full-time police department in the city. Yet in 1967, about 93 percent of the Detroit Police Department were white males in a city where about 33 percent of its population was African American. And, while the department and attitudes have evolved during the course of recent history, many police departments across the nation are hardly representative of the communities they serve, including several in Michigan and Oakland County.

Today, law enforcement agencies across the country, state and county are striving to increase the number of officers belonging to minority groups. However, recruiting, hiring and retaining diverse candidates can be a challenge, according to local police chiefs and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. In addition to strong candidates from minority or ethnic groups, police departments also face challenges in recruiting women. The issue is now one that is being discussed at a national level and among academic leaders at the state's universities.

Brad Smith, interim chair of Wayne State University's Department of Criminal Justice, said having diversity amongst law enforcement serves to benefit both departments and the public in general.

I

REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITIES IN PUBLIC SAFETY

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07.15

"In a democratic society, the police should be representative of the people that they serve. It brings a variety of unique perspectives, and they can connect with people of different backgrounds," Smith said.

"Whether it's racial or ethnic diversity or male-female, most of our departments are not very diverse. Most of our departments are dominated by men, and white men."

In terms of female police, about one in eight police officers across the nation are female, including about one in 10 first-line supervisors, according to a 2013 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics. The study, which was published in May 2015, includes the most recent figures available on local police department personnel, policies and practices.

In 2013, about 58,000 – or 12 percent – of the full-time sworn personnel in local police departments were female. That figure remained the same from 2007 to 2013, but was up about 8 percent since 1987, when the survey was first conducted.

Since the inception of the study, the employment of female officers has increased in all population categories, but larger jurisdictions have continued to employ females at a higher rate, a trend that is found among officers of ethnic or minority populations. In departments serving populations between 50,000 and 100,000, female officers represent about 9.7 percent of sworn officers. The figure drops to 8.8 percent in municipalities between 25,000 and 50,000; 7.8 percent in those between 10,000 and 25,000; 7.5 percent in populations below 10,000 but more than 2,500; and 6.1 percent in communities with less than 2,500 people.

Statewide, the number of female officers is just below 12 percent, with 2,264 of the state's 19,041 certified police officers being women, according to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES), which is responsible for certifying all peace officers in the state. In Oakland County, about 9.9 percent of the county's 2,058 sworn officers are women.

Of the roughly 596 different law enforcement agencies in Michigan, about 26 have female police chiefs, including the Michigan State Police department, which is headed by Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue.

A program of the Feminist Majority Foundation, the National Center for Women and Policing, has promoted increasing the number of women at all ranks of law enforcement as a strategy to improving police response to violence against women, reducing police brutality and strengthening community policing reforms.

"Twenty years of exhaustive research demonstrates that women police officers utilize a style of policing that relies less on

physical force and more on communication skills that defuse potentially violent situations," according to the center's website.

"Women police officers are therefore much less likely to be involved in occurrences of police brutality, and also much more likely to effectively respond to police calls regarding violence against women."

Comment from the center wasn't available, as it is no longer in operation since the person who had been running it has since retired, according to the Feminist Majority Foundation.

Wayne State University's Smith said one of the reasons that there may be fewer women in law enforcement is that there are fewer informal support networks for women in policing, including a host of challenges for recruiting. However, he said there is still mixed research on what factor race and gender play in violent encounters.

"I don't think you'll see a reduction in shootings," he said. "It doesn't matter the race or gender or ethnicity of a person when they are threatened with a weapon. But in less serious situations, you may have fewer conflicts."

Sgt. Meghan Lehman, spokeswoman for the Troy Police Department, said she doesn't feel there is a specific style attributed to males or females.

"I don't think there's a style that is specific to gender. I think it varies from officer to officer," she said. "It could. You never know who the individual officer you're talking to might relate to. It could be a factor that helps."

Of the 100 sworn officers at the Troy Police Department, Lehman said 11 are female.

And, while she said the department doesn't track race or ethnicity among the ranks, she said it's helpful to have a diverse workforce.

"There are over 80 languages spoken in Troy, so when we have officers that speak those languages, it's helpful," she said. "We have outreach programs, so we try to establish ourselves as a helpful presence and hopefully spark an interest in law enforcement as a career for a variety of people."

Nationally, about 27 percent of local police officers belonged to a racial or ethnic minority in 2013, compared to just 15 percent in 1987, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics.

About 130,000 minority local police were employed in 2013, up about 78,000 (150 percent) from 1987. About 58,000 African American officers were employed by departments in 2013, up 5 percent from 2007.

Approximately 55,000 Hispanic or Latino officers were employed by departments in 2013, up about 16 percent since 2007; and about 14,000 officers were members of other minority groups (Asian, Native Hawaiian,

other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska native), up about 2.7 percent in 2007 and four times more than in 1987, according to the study.

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards began automated tracking of racial and ethnic minorities in law enforcement in 2004. Statistics from MCOLES that include race or ethnicity prior to 2004 aren't available. Statewide, 5,451 officers have been certified since 2004, including 614 African American officers; 128 Hispanic or Latino; 51 American Indian; 37 multi-racial or other; 36 Asian; 17 Arabic; four Pacific Islander; and two Alaskan.

In Oakland County, a total of 601 law enforcement officers have been certified by MCOLES since 2004, including 27 African American; eight Hispanic or Latino; four Asian; and two Arabic.

Often criticized as one of the metro Detroit locations for Caucasians fleeing urban Detroit, Oakland County has been a landing strip for white flight from the city for decades.

Today, with a population of about 1.2 million people, according to the latest U.S. Census numbers, about 76.9 percent of Oakland County's residents are white, compared to 80 percent of the state's 9.9 million residents.

Yet about 15 percent of the county's largest law enforcement agency, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, are considered minorities.

That figure increases to slightly more than 26 percent if women are included. Those percentages include only sworn officers, which are certified peace officers through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, which licenses all law enforcement officers in the state.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said his office works to recruit a diverse workforce. Doing so, he said, is healthy both for the department and the communities it serves.

"Demographically, if you look at the last numbers, the Hispanic and African American population is about 16 or 17 percent in Oakland County, so we are pretty darn close to being reflective," Bouchard said. "I think it's helpful to have a diverse workforce in order to have different perspectives of a situation. Everyone grows up with their own kind of optics. If you have 30 different optics looking a situation, you might get 30 different perspectives, and that's helpful. It also helps us connect with the communities we serve."

Census figures for Oakland County in 2013 indicate the African American population makes up about 14.4 percent of the county, while the Hispanic population accounts for about 3.7 percent of the total.

However, the Asian population in Oakland County accounts for about 6.3 percent of the total population, while people of two or more other races make up approximately

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Bouchard said the department doesn't go so far as to break down ethnic minority groups into smaller categories. Regardless, he said the department works to encourage people from all groups to consider a career in law enforcement. In addition to attending job and recruiting fairs, Bouchard said the office is trying to spark interest in a police/militarycentric education program in Pontiac.

"It would be good to encourage more people to think about it," Bouchard said. "I know we've been to at least eight job fairs this year."

Despite efforts in recruiting, Bouchard said the department hires the best people, without regard to any optics.

"That's the way we promote, too," he said.

"We don't say 'this is a white guy promotion.'

We don't want to get into that. We want to look at who is the best person and who is the most qualified to be hired today, and basically be colorblind. But we do want to actively recruit applicants from minorities."

In other words, while departments such as the sheriff's office work to bring more diversity into the application pool, those that make the cut and who are retained are based on performance and skills. And while such practices can be inclusive, they also are exclusive in their hiring.

The recruiting and hiring process is part of the challenge for law enforcement agencies that are working to attract diverse candidates, said Wayne State University's Smith.

"There are a variety of challenges," he said.

"First, racial and ethnic groups in economically disadvantaged areas tend to be disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system. Many agencies have pretty thorough background checks, and they exclude people for felonies, for drunk driving, and even misdemeanor charges," Smith said.

"If a kid gets caught with alcohol and gets a minor in possession ticket, as an adult he may not be able to get a job in a lot of police agencies. That screens out a lot of kids from poorer backgrounds because they are more likely to have a bad encounter with police."

The scenario also raises the issue of having negative relations with police. While some folks are raised with the notion that police officers are friends that can be trusted and are there to help, others are raised in a culture of being fearful or consider the police simply disrespectful. Such a situation obviously does little to encourage a career in law enforcement.

Michigan State Police First Lt. Robert Hendrix is currently responsible for recruiting and selection in a newly developed position designed to create diversity among potential candidates and the department.

"In today's times, it's a harder sell than it

has been before," Hendrix said about recruiting. "We are looking for folks that are service minded and want to give back to their communities, not just criminal justice majors."

Black and raised in Detroit, Hendrix said the state police department had an appeal to him that wasn't present in the local Detroit department.

"I was going to be an electrical engineer. I ended up staying in that job until I learned the state police were hiring. I knew state police were different than the Detroit Police Department where I grew up. The next thing I knew, I was in recruit school. I was 28 at the time.

"I wouldn't have considered the Detroit Police Department at that time," Hendrix said. "(State police) seemed more professional. When I was younger I had gotten stopped by them, and they were always professional. They were professional and polite, and that's the way I was raised by my parents. I joined in 1989. I have 26 years in now."

Of the total 1,836 sworn officers at the Michigan State Police department, 171 are white females, which includes the department's director; 29 Native American males; nine male and two female troopers are of Pacific Islander ethnicity; 103 male and 10 female, African Americans; and 50 male and one female, Hispanics.

The department earlier this year caught headlines for its decline in diversity since federal mandates were lifted at the department for failing to hire enough females and minorities. While Hendrix said it may be true that the number of minorities in the department have fallen in recent years, he said the overall number of troopers has also fallen to about 1,836, from close to 2,700 or more in 1989. In July of 2014, the department moved its recruiting section from the training division into its Lansing headquarters, where Hendrix heads the unit.

The decline in law enforcement officers is a trend across the state, as the number of officer positions has dropped from about 23,150 in 2001 to 19,039, as of May 2015, according to monthly law enforcement population trends released by MCOLES. "That's one of the big stories. It's been dropping since Sept. 11, 2001,� said MCOLES Deputy Executive Director Hermina Kramp.

"The drop in population was heavily impacted by the downturn in the economy, as well as a downturn in revenue sharing. It's not that (agencies) don't need officers. It's a dollars and cents issue for them. A lot of agencies and communities have had to make tough choices."

The recession, beginning in 2008, caused additional difficulties for police departments throughout the nation, including problems

with budget and workforce reductions, consolidations, while at the same time increasing responsibilities and difficulties attracting and hiring qualified, diverse and skilled personnel, according to Jeremy Wilson, research director and associate professor at the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice. However, regardless of economic conditions, departments have historically had a difficulty recruiting and maintaining a workforce that reflects their communities, Wilson said in a 2014 paper, "Strategies for Police Recruitment: A Review of Trends, Contemporary Issues and Existing Approaches." Additionally, Wilson says that historical concerns about recruiting minorities and women have now expanded to concerns about whether the profession can market itself to a new generation of workers.

"Whereas departments have historical difficulties recruiting women and minority applicants, their inability to grapple with generational differences has shown the profession to be underprepared for the rapidly changing and uncertain economic and social landscape," he said in the paper.

Wayne State's Smith also said departments that want to increase diversity have to take affirmative steps to recruit people, including going to career fairs that extend beyond their state.

"Wayne State has a career fair that is cosponsored by the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives. They reach out to agencies to show up, so we get agencies as far away as Texas," he said. "If departments are serious about recruiting, they have to seek them out, and that means going far. There is a demand now, and they are fighting for candidates now, which is great for students who want to go into law enforcement."

Part of the challenge for law enforcement agencies, Smith said, is drawing people into the field from underrepresented groups.

"It's not that it isn't respectable, but a lot of young men have had negative encounters with police, so why would they want to be a police officer?" he asked. "Others have high crime in their neighborhoods, so they have a desire to commit to changing that. That's what some of these agencies need to look at, and they need to sell themselves as that."

Novi Police Chief David Molloy said the ultimate goal in recruiting is to have a department be representative of the community. Novi, he said, has a population that is about 72-73 percent white; 8 percent African American; 3 percent Hispanic; and about 16 percent other, which includes many Asian, Japanese, Korean and Indian populations.

Like Troy, Novi has a diverse population with many different languages spoken.

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"We would love to have a department that is representative of that population," he said.

"We try to be as representative as we can, but it's always a challenge."

Of the 64 officers at the Novi police department, he said seven are female; one is African American; one Hispanic; one Indian; one Albanian; and one of Middle Eastern descent.

"Since becoming chief in 2005, the numbers have gone up," he said. "For a long time, we only had three women. In 2007, we had a lot of good candidates that we were able to attract. I think it's a good thing. They have communication skills and the physical ability to handle any situation they are placed into."

In terms of the hiring process, departments cannot factor race or ethnicity into their decisions, under state law.

However, Molloy said the department works to recruit from specific areas when possible.

"We are very close partners with the Japanese School of Detroit, in Novi," he said.

"We want to help Asians who are moving and coming to Novi. Any given Saturday, you have 800 families coming to the school here, and we are looking for ways to reach them.�

One way Novi has worked to attract candidates is by having a police cadet program for many years. Molloy said the program has worked as a feeder system to the department, resulting in dozens of applications for open positions, while still holding hiring standards high.

"We have had a bachelor's degree requirement for 40-plus years," he said. "We were one of the first in the state to mandate that. I don't think we should lower our standards at any point and time, we should hire and retain the best people, regardless of their race."

The Bloomfield Township Police Department also requires officers to have a bachelor's degree, said Capt. Scott McCanham, who said the department works with EMPCO Inc. to find potential candidates, as well as the Macomb County police academy.

"We require a bachelor's degree. That sort of thins out the recruits to begin with," he said. "We are looking for the best officer, versus gender or race."

Of the 66 sworn officers in the Bloomfield Township department, McCanham said seven are female; one is Hispanic ; one is Asian American; and one is Chaldean.

"We are actively recruiting out of all minority groups, but it's hard to get qualified candidates. The academy classes are as big as ever," he said. "We focus on what we have to offer here. The competition is extremely stiff, and so many departments are hiring with the economy recovering. They are all

filling those spots that they cut five or eight years ago."

One change from previous years is that departments are often hiring officers that are already accredited or have gone through a training academy. In prior years, departments would often send new recruits to a training academy as part of the training process. However, companies like EMPCO, which is utilized by several departments in Oakland County, provide candidates who are already trained.

"We tell EMPCO what we want, and we hope there are minorities there," said Detective Lt. Curt Lawson of the West Bloomfield Police Department. "The community itself is very diverse. Chaldean, Jewish, African American, Hmong, Russian – it's a mixing bowl here. Even though our officers are predominantly white, we provide diversity training. They are comfortable in their own skin working in this community."

Lawson said the department has 69 sworn officers, but is hoping to reach 77 in the next 12 months. Of those currently employed, he said five are female; two are African American; and three are Chaldean.

"There are some others, but I'm not comfortable asking what they are," he said.

"We continue to look for top quality candidates out there for our police department."

Bloomfield Hills Police Department Chief Dave Hendricksen, who was with the Warren Police Department prior to coming to Oakland County, said the department hires about once every two years.

"In Warren, we really tried to hire African Americans. We really did, and there really wasn't much interest on their part," he said.

"I can't blame them. They view the police as a not very welcoming place. Here (in Bloomfield Hills) we only hire every two years or so, and we have to hire the best. We don't know who they are – it's blind interviews. We recently had a woman get pretty far through the process, but we ended up with more white males.

"I'd like to get some different diversity and gender diversity. We don't have a lot of applicants that aren't white males."

Despite the lack of diversity in some communities, Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said African-American officers are one group that is fairly well represented in law enforcement, both locally and nationally. Of the 123 sworn officers at his department, he said 15 are white females; 13 black males; one black female; and two Chaldean males.

White Lake Police Chief Adam Kline said the department doesn't track ethnicity or race, but that two of the 26 sworn officers in the department are women.

"The only trend I've noticed is that

applications and volume was down from prior years," he said. "My opinion is that it's because there are more departments hiring.

I can only point to economics and population movement."

Wolverine Lake Village Police Chief John Ellsworth said his department has 10 officers, two of which are women.

"I don't particularly look for male, female, African American or their descent. I look at qualifications. I eliminate the ones that aren't qualified and go that route," he said.

Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas said the department has 18 sworn officers, of which three are women. "One is a minority, or non-white, if that's the correct terminology," he said.

Shakinas said the department advertises openings through the state's MCOLES. "With that, every applicant that has experience gets a thorough review and possibly an interview if they pass an initial background check."

Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt said the department also uses EMPCO to find candidates for both the police and fire departments. Of the 30 sworn officers at the Birmingham Police Department, the department employs four white females; one black male; and one Arabic male.

"They provide the written test, and we pull from their list," he said. "We go with the ones that stand out."

Milford Police Chief Tom Lindberg said of the department's 18 sworn officers, two are female, and two are non-white.

"We don't have a major concern, as say Troy or Novi, or Farmington Hills, which has a large Indian population," he said. "In small communities, it may be a little different."

Lindberg, who is head of the Oakland County Police Chiefs Association, said there often are conversations among the members about diversity amongst the ranks.

"Nobody knows what a real good answer is.

In every community you want a police force to reflect their community," he said. "Culturally, there are some groups that aren't drawn to police work or the public sector. That could be a byproduct of the culture. It's difficult for us to manage. Milford is significantly different in terms of the population base, but we should have a little more diversity than we have."

Lindberg said there seems to be a lack of effort in the educational system to push students into police work or public service, which affects all aspects of recruiting. He said finding a way to push young people toward a career in law enforcement, while still in college, could help increase diversity in the recruitment pool.

"Hopefully, if you push that a little, there's some investment in it, and colleges with a with a diverse student base can push some students into law enforcement."

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FACES Lisa Farris olorful faces and ceramic sculptures artist Lisa Farris makes from clay slabs, decorative patterns, and, often, steel rods for legs which caught the eye of those attending May's Birmingham Art Fair, her first.

Characterized by Farris as “primitive and joyful,” her sculptures are inspired by her children and visits to museums where she peruses ancient collections from around the world.

Farris first got her hands into clay as a student at Andover High School, and like many, the first thing she made was a pinch pot. Today, Farris remains friends with her high school clay teacher, John Hartom, and said “Hartom has been inspiration to many.” Flashing back to this formative time in her life, and feeling inspired by the Empty Bowls project, a grassroots effort to fight hunger, Farris embarked on a project in 2010 called 365 Days of Pinch Pots, which reaffirmed her commitment to work on her art daily. She compares the pinch pot to a warm up – it gets her hands dirty, and gives her the motivation to work on larger pieces. Farris believes it was a single pinch pot that led to her acceptance at The University of Michigan, where she went on to earn a dual degree in English and Fine Arts. Majoring in printmaking and drawing, helped her ceramics, as she draws her sculptures out first.

Five years after graduating from U of M, Farris and her husband, Tom MacKillop, moved to Atlanta for 10 years. Farris made it a priority to find ceramics classes there, despite cramming for deadlines as a professional copywriter. Eventually, Farris moved from copywriting to freelance work, then became a mom and artist full time, moving back to Michigan to be near family while they raised their kids. Farris said, “being a parent and having children really crystallized my (artistic) vision.”

Farris now leads a bustling life as an artist and mother of three boys attending Bloomfield Hills Schools. She says her trick to staying on top of her art is to leave the studio with an idea of the next step.

Farris describes her studio, which recently became equipped with a kiln, as a “dungeon in the basement.”

Farris enjoys the convenient location that allows her to slip away for windows of time, “there’s no room for procrastination,” she said. For Farris, who creates various renditions of the human form, her art is about “celebrating being alive in the world.”

Farris began showing her work in 2007, at the Chelsea River Gallery. She’s also shown at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, The Detroit Artist Market, and Next Step Studios in Ferndale. She has recently entered a handful of art fairs. She said she enjoyed the Birmingham Art Fair this year and is excited to do it again. A resident of Bloomfield Township living near Wing Lake, Farris feels supported – both as an artist and a parent – by the Birmingham/Bloomfield community, which she describes as “close knit and full of people interested in the arts.”

C

Story: Katie Deska

Photo: Laurie Tennent

BIRDS AND THE BEES THE STORY THEY TELL ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT

BY LISA BRODY AND KEVIN ELLIOTT ees humming in and about bright pink roses collecting treasured nectar, butterflies prancing above. Birds flying overhead in perfect formation. Frogs and toads hopping, in and out of streams, with fish darting about. A vision of nature at its most perfect.

If only that environmental picture was representative of the natural world today. Worldwide, bees are dying of colony collapse disorder. The migration pattern of monarch butterflies is challenged and jeopardized by deforestation in Mexico and the loss of habitat in the Midwest. Frogs and toads are slowly dying off. Bird counts, calculated annually, show changes in species landing and nesting in Oakland County over the decades. Bats, which devour agricultural pests, are losing their natural habitat, as well as dying off from pesticides and fungal disease.

What's going on?

“A scientist once posted that the ecosystem is always in flux. Nothing is static in the ecosystem,” said Brad Wurfel, director of communications for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). “Our overall ambient air quality in the state of Michigan is the best it has been in our lifetime. That's not to say we don't have problems. There are always new discoveries in the air, water and soil – and when you look more, and you look harder, you find more problems.”

He noted, for example, while it appears there is more E. coli bacteria in local lakes and water systems, it is just that there has been more tracking of it, but not actually more E. coli.

On the other hand, “Invasive species have invaded water systems more, and that is changing ecosystems, like Lake Erie.”

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In August 2014, residents of Toledo, Ohio, were told they could not consume or use city water after poisonous algae clogged an intake water pipe valve from Lake Erie, which feeds Toledo's water system. It is believed the algae is fed by poisonous run-off from fertilized farms, cattle feedlots, and leaking septic tanks. Lake Erie is not alone – all of the Great Lakes are victimized from the same sources.

Wurfel said the fertilizer runoff, notably phosphorus, “eats the natural species, helping to destroy the ecosystems.”

Six years ago, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state agencies along the Great Lakes issued a joint report warning of the dangers of phosphorus and the pollution.

“The federal government is recognizing the problems and trying to find ways to find money to rectify the problem,” said Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash. “It's currently mostly with Ohio, but we work with it too, in the local watersheds.”

On the other hand, Wurfel said that invasive species, and the destruction they bring, can provide other natural opportunities.

“The salmon crash in Lake Huron about seven years ago, where the population just crashed because of overpopulation and there wasn't enough other fish for them to eat (due to devastation of other organisms from invasive species), killed the economy,” Wurfel said. “But then native species that had been gone, like lake trout, small mouth bass and walleye, began to return to their natural habitat after the salmon died off. You get winners and losers. It was a silver lining.”

Nash, an environmentalist, also believes problems with land, water, animals, birds, insects and other species are interrelated, with a worldwide reason: global warming.

“We're having serious issues all over because of global warming,” he said. “Part of global warming is the warming of the water and their getting more acidic. Coral all over the world is bleaching. Starfish on the west coast is dying off. We're not near the oceans, but it has a huge impact. It's part of the reason phosphorus and nitrates are blooming with algae growths in the Great Lakes. Other things, like pesticides and killing off natural habitats (for species) is within our control. Once we become aware, we try to change. There's some resistance to it, but we're starting, as a society, to come to grips with it.”

Coming to grips with changes in the environment, and changes in species habits, habitats, and migratory patterns, is a litmus test for humans because we share the air, water and ground they inhabit. At Oakland County Parks and Rec, Brittany Bird, natural resources planner, said they use staff and volunteers to do qualitative studies based upon observation and counts of frogs, toads, butterflies, turtles, snakes, grassland nesting birds, and monitor bluebird boxes for nesting patterns at 12 of their 13 parks.

“That provides us with baseline data with which species we have in Oakland County parks, and where in the parks they are inhabiting and migrating,” Bird said. She said their biggest concern is a global concern over pollinator issues, affecting bees, butterflies, bats and other insects.

“We're trying to install native grasses in swales, no-mow areas and storm water areas, and practicing best practices throughout our parks, but especially in our golf courses,” she said.

“Birds are excellent environmental indicators. They need what we need – clean air, clean water, and because their bodies are so small, they're sensitive to changes in our air and water

quality. Their bodies show the effects of pollution faster. If we take the time to watch and count, we can monitor our own environment,” said Dan Badgley, manager of the E.L. Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Township, part of Bloomfield Hills Schools. “Birds are the canary in the coal mine – the bird would go down first. But we don't need to be in a coal mine. We can just observe them in the same environment we live in.”

The Johnson Nature Center has done an annual bird count for the last 25 years or so in the first two weeks of May, “which is the peak of migration in southeast Michigan,” Badgley said, counting for three days the first week of May each year, and three days in the second week of May. “In general, bird species are stable. We're not seeing significant changes over the last 25 years in that there hasn't been great fluctuations,” he said, noting they had a recordbreaking count this May, seeing 93 species of birds.

What was unusual this year was that they saw a loon, an aquatic bird similar in size to a duck or goose more typical in northern Ontario or Wisconsin, and a sandhill crane, a large bird more typical to Nebraska's Sandhills or northeastern Siberia.

What isn't seen? “We no longer see birds that live in fields, like meadowlarks, bobolinks, bluebirds, pheasants,” Badgley said, who has records from the previous owners of the 30-plus acre site on Franklin Road north of Long Lake Road going back to 1947. “What we notice going back to the '40s and '50s is the kinds of birds have changed. There's not a decline in the number of birds, but because the habitat has changed here, we see different birds. The big, open fields are not common anymore.

“We saw a mockingbird here this year, which was unusual,” he continued. “We don't usually see them anymore, because they're more of a forest bird. We have been invaded by an invasive species that is really growing, called buckthorn, that has created a dense thicket, but it's different from a dense Michigan forest. That really limits the kind of birds coming here, as well as the insects, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles. It changes the demographics when a property is invaded by one kind of plant. The species composition is altered, and typically lowered, when an invasive species dominates the landscape.”

For the last 100 years, the Oakland Audubon Society, in conjunction with the national Audubon Society, has conducted Christmas bird counts on the same day, either 10 days before or 10 days after Christmas, said Don Burlett, president of the Oakland Audubon Society.

“In the 1800s, there were side hunts, where hunters would just go blast everything in sight,” Burlett said. “So conservationists wanted an alternative, and said, 'let's do a count of birds.' For 100 years, by doing it at the same time of year, the Audubon Society has been able to get a strong snapshot of habitats and distribution areas. We're citizen scientists providing information to researchers. Lots of us are conservationists.”

Around the world, he said, there are about 10,500 bird species. “In the United States, we have only about 90 species available to us,” he said. Scientists have spotted over 6,000 in bird counts, he said.

Looking back at the society's data over 100 years, “What I saw, in 20-year increments, was the distribution changing in Oakland County, and the bird species that were expanding their

range up into the northeast and more north, where we didn't use to see these birds, whether from climate change or not, we don't know.”

He said the rusty blackbird population, which prefers wet forested areas, has dropped about 90 percent in the last 40 years as its habitat has gone away. Other birds are hardy and adapt, like robins, cardinals and crows, which he said have shown an ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

“Some species, like bobolinks, have fallen off because they like to nest in grasslands and open fields, and that's few and far between. Those are cultivated now,” Burlett noted. “Wood thrush like to nest in woods. The size of the lot they need needs to be large. They like it to be a half-mile in from the edge. So, if the lot is only a half-mile in size, they won't nest there. When we build subdivisions, mow grasses, we have an impact. It's not good for natural stuff. And we spray edges with insecticides – but insects are a good food for birds. That's their food sources.”

He said the Audubon Society nationally sends out more rare bird alerts around the country. Along the southern coast of the U.S., they are seeing more Mexican species showing up with greater regularity.

“Climate change is part of it,” he said. “Birds are changing their distribution.”

A problem facing birds, as well as bats, is windmills and wind turbines. “Worldwide this is a problem for birds and bats,” said Rob Mies, executive director for Organization for Bat Conservation at Cranbrook Institute of Science. “They're spinning really fast, and it affects their migratory patterns.”

“They're put in windy areas. Birds like wind, they migrate at night, and don't see the windmills and they get caught in them.

Those blades come around pretty quick,” said Burlett, noting they are especially a problem with hawks.

Most people don't recognize that bats are an integral part of the agricultural landscape, but Mies said bats are the primary predator of nighttime insects. “They eat a lot of agricultural pests, a lot of moths and beetles, mosquitos, flies and gnats,” he said, along with invasive nuisance bugs Emerald ash borer, corn earworm moths, tomato hornworm moth, and spotted cucumber beetle.

“Michigan relies a lot on the agricultural industry, and bats provide a great ecological benefit,” Mies said. “We benefit from them because we don't spray as much herbicides to control insects, which is healthier for us as well as the environment. A study published recently noted that American farmers saved upwards of $53 billion annually just through bats, through their ability to protect corn, cotton and trees.”

Bats, however, are under assault by more than just wind turbines. Along with development and urban sprawl comes destruction to their natural habitats. Mies said that pollution and pesticides kill them, as well as their prey of insects.

“They're not as healthy, and the food they eat aren't as healthy.”

Additionally, in Michigan, bats have been hit by an invasive fungus, called white nose syndrome, which Mies said came from Europe, although no one knows how.

“Unfortunately, it's a cold-loving fungus, and it lives in caves and mines. When bats hibernate, the fungus grows on them, causing them to wake up too many times, and they starve to death before the winter is over,” he said. “In warm weather, they're fine. It affects them in cold weather.”

He said about one million bats a year are dying from white nose syndrome. The worst affected in Oakland County is the big

brown bat, which eats beetles and Junebugs, which burrow in and destroy lawns.

At Cranbrook Institute of Science, they have an active Save the Bats campaign to educate the public on why bats are important to the environment, and how individuals can build their own bat house or wildlife garden. Bats, he said, live in bat houses, dead trees, barns, or occasionally, people's attics. They are harmless to humans.

“A bat would never bite you unless you were bothering it,” he said.

While there are nine species of bats in Michigan, five of which can be found in Oakland County, in the southern United States and the tropics, bat species are pollinators, where bananas, agave, and avocados are pollinated strictly by bats.

Pollinators are a critical part of agricultural life, evolution, and the conservation of ecosystems. Along with bats, bees and butterflies are pollinators, along with some birds. Honeybees are the species of bees that the agricultural world is dependent upon, with one of every three bites of food dependent upon pollinators for a successful harvest.

Honeybees are responsible for pollinating almonds, apples, cranberries, melons, pumpkins, grapefruits, blueberries, cherries and broccoli. Almonds, in particular, can only be pollinated by honeybees, while the other crops rely on bees by about a 90 percent margin.

“We all depend on bees and monarch butterflies as pollinators,” said Oakland County's Nash. “If we lose that, we have to depend on farmers to do that, and it's much harder and more expensive.”

Across the world, honeybees are disappearing. Called colony collapse disorder, researchers are beginning to discern two distinct and equally damaging causes for the disorder. One, Nash noted, is caused by pesticides which contain neinicotinoids, one of the world's most used type of insecticides.

“The byproduct of neonicotinoids is it interferes with their sense of direction, so they leave their nest and can't get home, and they starve to death,” Nash said.

In December 2013, neonicotinoids were deemed so dangerous by the European Commission (EC), they imposed a two-year ban on the class of pesticides for seeds and plants attractive to bees. While several environmental groups, as well as commercial beekeepers, in the United States filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its continued approval of neonicotinoids, they continue to be approved and are used on about 95 percent of corn and canola crops; the majority of cotton, sorghum, and sugar beets; half of soybean crops, and a majority of fruit and vegetable crops, as well as cereal grains, rice, nuts, and wine grapes – all told, an $18 billion a year pollination service by honeybees.

According to Elizabeth Grossman in Environment:360, the insecticide stays with a plant as it grows, exposing bees through nectar, pollen or leaf surface moisture, where a growing number of studies are finding evidence of neonicotinoids.

Yet neonicotinoids are just one reason honeybees are disappearing.

“Back in the fall of 2005, early 2006, professional beekeepers were suddenly seeing adult bees just disappearing, leaving baby bees on their own. It was an odd phenomenon never seen before,” said Mike Hansen, regional supervisor/state apiarist, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Beekeepers in 22 states saw it. Over the last five years,

(besides pesticides), research led us to believe it was caused by one of two viruses that bees get, microsporidiriom, a fungus growth in the stomach of bees.”

They don't think that was it, though.

Hansen said in the 1980s, two parasitic mites entered the United States. The first, which they saw in 1988, tracheal mites, gets into the trachea, or breathing tube, of bees, and kills them.

“We saw huge losses for Michigan beekeepers then,” he said.

“But quickly after, we saw the Varroa mite, a native of eastern Asia, which is the more damaging of the two, and it quickly became much more damaging than the tracheal mite and outran it. The Varroa mite became the major parasitic mite getting into bee colonies and causing damages. It feeds right onto bees – it puts its mouth right onto the bee and sucks its nutrition right out of the bee, killing it.”

Hansen said the Varroa mite takes its destruction further, destroying the lifecycle of the honeybee by “both the male and female mite going into the frame of the colony cell where young bees are being born and raised, and as the bee gets past the egg stage to be a baby bee, the bee gets a wax coating. Just before then, the mite sneaks into the cell and the female mite lays eggs in the cell and the eggs feed on the developing bee, causing even more damage. The more mites, the more damage.”

If that wasn't enough, the Varroa mite also transmits viruses to bees, such as deformed wing virus, cashmere bee virus, black Queen cell virus, and others, which endanger the health of the bees in the colony. “You open up a bee colony and find half the bees with deformed wings. They can never get out and fly,” Hansen said.

He said researchers at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Baton Rouge have identified a trait in honeybees “where worker bees can sense when there are mites in the colony feeding, and they will pull out the mite larvae and throw them out. The scientists are working to add that trait in (to honeybees) to counter the effects of Varroa mites.”

How do the mites get transmitted from colony to colony?

Hansen said that contrary to popular opinion, “bees do not always go back to their own colonies. If they're out foraging, and their stomachs are full of nectar, they'll go to a colony that's close. They can transfer diseases and mites.”

Monarch butterflies are another pollinator experiencing declines and changes in migration habits, although disease is not the culprit, but rather rapid deforestation where monarchs migrate in the winter; bouts of severe weather along their migratory paths; and the destruction of milkweed flora in the Midwest, where they lay their eggs.

For generations, every November, millions of monarch butterflies would arrive in the fir forests of central Mexico, migrating from around the United States and Canada to survive the winter. But recent winters have begun to show a different, new vanishing act. Twenty years ago, monarch butterflies occupied 52 acres of trees in Mexico; in 2011, it was down to just 7 acres. And in 2014, it had dwindled to an acre-and-a-half of tree covered land, with roughly 50 million butterflies per 3 acres of land. The biggest reason for the decrease, according to biology professor Lincoln Brower, is the progressive illegal deforestation of the overwintering habitat in Mexico.

“But the probably most egregious problem is the result of industrialized agriculture in the Midwest, ” he said, where herbicides have killed milkweed growing on agricultural fields

and the edges of fields and the sides of roads. “There are 108 species of milkweed in the U.S., and the whole monarch migration has evolved in relation to the evolution of milkweed flora. Where they use herbicides, it kills all emergent seedlings and all the emergent plants.”

Brower said it's estimated that 60 percent of milkweed has been eliminated from the grassland ecosystem, meaning monarchs have no place to lay their eggs, and emerging caterpillars, which hatch four or five days later, have no place to later form a chrysalis.

“I think the monarch is the canary in the coal mine telling us that things are beginning to go really wrong, when you can take a widespread migration of this sort and completely dismantle it as a result of human activity,” he said.

Another indicator of environmental health and habitat quality is the MDNR annual frog and toad survey, which has been an ongoing research project for two decades.

“We have collected a large, valuable data set to help us evaluate Michigan’s frog and toad populations,” said Lori Sargent, the MDNR’s survey coordinator. “We’re now able to start watching trends and thinking about how to slow down some of the species’ declines.”

Declining populations of frogs, toads and other amphibians have been documented worldwide since the 1980s. Studies suggest that amphibians are disappearing due to habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, disease and collection.

Like most amphibians, frogs and toads have thin skins that absorb or lose water, making them particularly susceptible to pollution or harmful elements that enter fragile habitats, such as wetlands, ponds, marshes, streams and other sensitive areas where they are located. By monitoring frog and toad populations, researchers gain a better understanding of the quality of those habitats.

Michigan is home to 13 species of frogs and toads. In recent years, observers have been concerned with the rarity, decline and population die-offs of several species. The concern isn’t only for the species themselves – which provide several benefits to humans – but also for the ecosystems on which they depend.

Like other aquatic organisms, they are sensitive to changes in water quality and land use, making their populations serve as an index to environmental quality.

Sargent pointed out that there has been a decline over the past two decades in Fowler’s toads and mink frog populations, two species that have limited range in the state, unlike most other species that are found statewide.

Fowler toads, which grow to about two to three-inches long, are typically found in sandy woodland soils on the southwestern side of the lower peninsula, but have been found in rare instances in the upper peninsula and in the southeastern portion of the state in limited areas. However, Sargent said observations for Fowler’s toads have increased in recent years. Of the 1,197 sites statewide that were surveyed, Fowler’s toads were found at 17 locations in 2014 and 26 in 2013. That’s an increase from previous years where the toads went virtually undetected, according to a seven-year summary from 1996 to 2002.

Mink frogs, a blotchy, greenish-brown frog that grows between two and three inches long, are fairly uncommon in bogs and ponds in the upper peninsula, but have have had increased observations since last year, Sargent said.

“Mink frog observations continue to be low, but were

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reported at five sites in Zone 3 and eight sites in Zone 4, an increase from last year,” she said.

The DNR said there is concern that data isn’t representative of the actual population due to the difficulty of surveying for this species. They tend to call at very early hours of the morning.

There are still thoughts among the scientific community that mink frogs are actually declining in Michigan.

Volunteers and others who help conduct the survey monitor specific routes each year that consist of ten wetland sites which are visited three times a year, including in the early spring, late spring and summer. The volunteer observers identify species that are present during their breeding season by calls or songs, then make an estimate as to the number of each species.

The 13 species of frogs and toads native to Michigan include the Blanchard’s cricket frog; bull frog; Eastern American toad; Fowler’s toad; the Eastern gray tree frog; the Cope’s gray tree frog; green frog; Northern leopard frog; Northern spring peeper; Pickerel frog; Western chorus frog; and the wood frog.

Overall, 2014's data shows that Pickerel frog occurrence remains low, possibly a result of the confusion between this species’ calls and that of the Northern leopard frog. Sargent said Pickerel frog occurrences have been known to be lower than the leopard frog in other Great Lakes states. Northern leopard frog observations continue to increase.

The DNR said most species’ trends appear to be stable or increasing, with a decline in six species according to a 19-year analysis, down from a decrease in nine species in 2013.

In addition to the statewide frog and toad survey, local watershed councils in Oakland County also survey amphibians and other wildlife throughout the year.

“Frogs and toads are tied to habitat quality,” said Sally Petrella, volunteer monitoring program manager for the Friends of the Rouge watershed council. “They need high quality habitat and not a lot of development, and they have to have access to other habitat for breeding. Some will travel a ways out of the wetlands.”

While Petrella said there haven’t been any drastic changes in populations in the Rouge watershed, she said some areas are simply better than others.

“We have seen loss of wetlands as they get developed,” she said. “Most of the really bad areas are farther downstream, on the main stem of the river, where you have more industry located.”

In addition to amphibians, watershed councils and their volunteers conduct several surveys for microinvertebrates, or bugs, which require high quality water to support life. Stoneflies, for instance, are extremely sensitive, so the presence of the bugs indicate low pollution and high levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. Because stoneflies are most active in the winter, watershed councils and volunteers search for them throughout the river each January. Other surveys are conducted in the spring and fall, and include other bugs, such as caddisflies, crayfish and other organisms.

"Stoneflies are the pickiest – they really like clean water, said Anne Vaara, executive director of the Clinton River Watershed Council. "If you go out and find nothing but leeches and worms, then that's not a great water quality."

Watershed ecologist Matt Einheuser, with the Clinton River Watershed Council, said the surveys are showing higher water quality in the Stony Creek and Paint Creek areas. "Further into the watershed, and into more urban areas, like Macomb County by Sterling Heights and Mount Clemens, it starts to peter off a little."

Einheuser said there tend to be more storm drains which drain the land into marshlands and the river. That storm water typically

carries pollutants it picks up, which eventually get into the river and lowers the water quality. "That's reflected in the bugs we see every year," he said. "In Paint Creek and Stony Creek, we see those that are more sensitive, like stoneflies, mayflies and caddisflies. Those are big indicators of good water quality, often associated with trout, because they need high, cold water quality."

The Friends of the Rouge have been surveying such bugs in the watershed for about 15 years. Stonefly searches are typically done in the winter, while other microinvertebrate searches are done in the spring and fall.

The Rouge River Watershed is located in Wayne and Oakland County, with four major branches, with the main branch starting in Rochester Hills, and smaller tributaries in West Bloomfield where the upper branch is located, and the middle branch starting in the Walled Lake and Johnson Creek area.

"Overall, based on our fall monitoring, we've are seeing a significant decline on the scores of the main branch, which goes through Birmingham and has tributaries in Bloomfield Township, including Franklin," Petrella said. 'We are also seeing a decline in the upper branch, which starts in West Bloomfield and goes through Farmington."

The middle branch of the watershed, which goes through Novi and Walled Lake, Petrella said, is seeing an increase in microinvertebrates. She said area of the creek near Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center, which consists of more than 100 acres of naturally preserved land, is one of the healthiest parts of the watershed, but water quality declines downstream as more storm water starts draining into the river.

"Booth and Linden Park (in Birmingham) have had some sensitive organisms there, even as far as Douglas Evans (in Beverly Hills)," she said.

The Franklin branch of the watershed doesn't offer much support for sensitive organisms, she said.

"The water quality isn't as good there," she said. "At the Franklin Cider Mill, there is little living in the stream there. We're not sure why. It could be something upstream, or just people feeding the ducks."

Overall, Petrella said, water quality of the Rouge watershed is good in Oakland County.

"Up in Oakland County, the water quality isn't too bad. It's when you have increased paved surfaces, it creates more problems," she said. "There are some E-coli problems in Oakland County, with high levels of bacteria. We're not sure what's causing it."

Petrella said high levels of bacteria in surface water in the Southfield and Farmington area is being investigated by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner office. She said possible issues could be leaking septic tanks or illegal sewer connections.

Paul Steen with the Huron River Watershed Council said portions of the watershed in Oakland County are much healthier than those in Washtenaw County.

"Oakland County is kind of the headwaters for the Huron River," he said. "There's Indian Springs Metropark and the area that goes into Milford. Pettibone Creek, which is a pretty nice creek, and Norton Creek, which is particularly bad – that's a very poor area of the river that has oxygen and phosphorus issues, all around the Wixom area. There are a lot of old industrial areas and suburban housing there. The amount of roads in Wixom compared to Milford is very different. That has a definite impact on water quality."

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41820 Six Mile Road Northville MI 48168

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415 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009

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415 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009

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2301 W. Big Beaver Rd, Suite 525 Troy, MI 48084

415 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009

1263 Brookwood Street

3925 Lahser Road

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1685 Henrietta Street

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Imagine owning your very own private, new construction, luxury resort, nestled on the only remaining lot in Quarton Lake with views of the waterfall, lake, park & river. Beyond the electric gated entrance with camera and alarm system, sits this exceptional private estate. Generous open floor plan. Stunning great room perfect for entertaining shares a dual sided fireplace with elegant study. Cooks kitchen with top of the line stainless steel appliances, rich exotic wood cabinetry, walk-in pantry and command center. Master suite features a fireplace and its own private patio, spacious spa like master bath with freestanding tub, walk-in shower and beautiful custom closet/dressing areas. Approximately 8000 sq ft of finished living space, walkout lower level with climate controlled wine room, full bar area and spa/sauna. Handcrafted mill work, impeccable materials and gorgeous architectural details throughout.

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Great Lakes Custom Builder presents a spectacular East Coast Traditional Custom Luxury Home designed by Alex Bogaearts features four bedrooms, 5.3 baths with stunning panoramic views of Quarton Lake.This exceptional home features a warm and inviting cooks kitchen with gorgeous custom cabinetry, top of the line appliances marble/quartz surfaces throughout. This timeless and classically finished home features an impressive two story grand foyer with barrel ceiling and magnificent staircase, warm hardwood flooring throughout, handcrafted mill work, paneled library, generous rooms and fabulous floor plan for entertaining and living. Large master suite with fireplace, custom closets, spacious and luxurious master bath with exquisite finishes. Finished lower level with climate controlled wine room, full bar, powder room plus additional 5th bedroom with full bath. Ready Summer 2015.

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Marketing a home requires unique skills, knowledge and resources that Signature Sotheby's International Realty offers its clients. I would welcome the opportunity to offer you a confidential marketing analysis.

Christine Drinkwater

Associate Broker

248-318-4745

415 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009

cdrinkwater@signaturesothebys.com

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FACES David Furlong ath teacher and past contestant on Country Music Television’s “Broken Skull Challenge” David Furlong can both teach a student how to solve linear equations and bench press 310 pounds.

In 2014, the avid CrossFit enthusiast tried out for the “Broken Skull Challenge”, hosted by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. From thousands of potential contestants across the country, he was chosen to compete.

“It was very mentally challenging. The first event I did was a tug of war,” he said. “We were going at it for 30 minutes.”

Furlong prevailed in the first challenge, but was knocked out on the second event which entailed a hill climb with 155 pounds attached to his back.

“They pair people against each other in a tournament.

They put you through physically and mentally challenging (situations) and see who ends up on top,” he said. “I felt very blessed just to have the chance to do it. It was a tremendous opportunity and experience.”

Furlong’s interest in athletics began as a boy when he would play football with his brother, Mike. He went on to participate in high school football and discovered CrossFit years later.

“I’ve always been into exercising per se,” he said. “I’d go to World Gym or Planet Fitness and lift weights. That’s when I discovered CrossFit and that type of training.”

Furlong defines CrossFit as training through functional movements that incorporate strength, endurance, ability and coordination. “In competitive CrossFit, we see who can do them the fastest or can do the most reps.”

Back home, Furlong competes in local CrossFit challenges through the representation of CrossFit Maven, a gym in Rochester.

“The owner of Maven (Brad Berlin) does our programming for us,” he said. “We have an outline for what we need to do to train and we focus on sending a team to CrossFit Regionals.”

In 2014, Furlong was one of three male athletes sent to compete in Cincinnati, Ohio for the regionals. He calls that achievement the biggest accomplishment of his athletic life.

By day, Furlong teaches mathematics at Detroit Country Day School. He also coaches football, bowling and lacrosse for the private school. Furlong often looks to a fellow Country Day educator for guidance.

“John Williams is someone I look up to,” he said. “I can go to him for advice on education, students or life. I really admire his philosophy. He’s a mentor and he teaches (students) how to be lifelong learners.”

At 30-years-old, the mathematician with muscles aims to teach his students more than just algebra or geometry.

“You see the satisfaction of when they ‘get it,’” he said. “My story is not just about me. I feel like I am making a difference in these kids’ lives.”

Furlong is hoping to implement a cross training program at Detroit Country Day. “It’s important to teach lifelong health and fitness,” he said. “I always say that if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

M

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Jean Lannen

Excellence, quality, and integrity.

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HOW IT IS REGULATED IN OAKLAND GOVERNMENTS

NEPOTISM

Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives. The term originated with the assignment of nephews to cardinal positions by Catholic popes and bishops.

Nepotism can occur in various fields including: politics, entertainment, business, and religion. — wikipedia.org

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RFDWHG QHDU WKH HQG RI DQ H[FOXVLYH SULYDWH VWUHHW WKLV KRPH DIIRUGV \RX RQH RI WKH EHVW YLHZV LQ %ORRPÀHOG and lake access (via the canal) to Forest Lake, Lower Long Lake and Upper Long Lake (all sports). Completely UHQRYDWHG LQ WKLV KRPH SURYLGHV EHGURRPV IXOO EDWKV KDOI EDWKV D IXOO\ ÀQLVKHG ZDONRXW ORZHU OHYHO DQG RYHU VT IW RI PXOWL OHYHO HQWHUWDLQLQJ GHFNV ZLWK VSHFWDFXODU YLHZV RI QDWXUH DQG WKH ZDWHU %ORRPÀHOG 6FKRROV

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BY LISA BRODY Rupert Murdoch has announced he is turning over his huge media empire to his two sons, James and Lachlan, to run. Mark Reuss, executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain at General Motors, grew up watching his father, Lloyd Reuss, who was the 18th president of GM, and began working at the automotive corporation right out of college. Former Amway president Rich DeVos, saw his sons, Dick and Doug, take their place as former and current presidents of the health and beauty corporation.

Kids of policemen often grow up wanting to be police officers; ditto firefighters' sons. It's not unusual to hear children of doctors yearning to head to medical school, and real estate professionals schooling their kids on the ins and outs of the business.

Growing up at a dinner table, hearing a parent's passion for their chosen field, it's no surprise that a son or daughter would want to follow in their parent's footsteps. Family businesses thrive generation-to-generation in just such a manner.

But when does it become nepotism, rather than a helping hand? And can there be situations where it impedes a healthy work place for others, as well as the individual getting a leg up.

Once upon a time, tradesmen, such as builders, electricians, plumbers, and others, would learn their profession through apprenticeships, with the primary way of getting “in” was through who you knew. Same with membership in many union jobs.

The issue of nepotism arises when a relative is given a job over another qualified individual, giving rise to favoritism. Many corporations and local governments have nepotism policies included in their employee handbooks or local ordinances, in order to prevent direct supervision by a family member of another.

It's believed that nepotism decreases the job satisfaction and the morale of all of the other employees in a company or organization – other than those people benefitting from the nepotism hire. In a study of nepotism published by the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, nepotism had a significant detrimental impact on employees' overall job satisfaction, intention to quit their job, and likelihood of their talking negatively about their job, to either co-workers or potential customers. A successful nepotism policy can ultimately improve the morale of an organization.

The existence of a nepotism policy ensures that individuals can't influence the hiring, promotion, or discipline of a relative. Policies are designed to reduce the perception of favoritism by requiring employees to disclose relevant conflicts, and by restricting that involvement with their relative if the relative is hired.

Nepotism in and of itself is not illegal, and there is no federal nepotism law that prohibits nepotism in all 50 states. Many state legislatures do have nepotism laws, and although Michigan has a code of ethics for legislators, it does not directly address nepotism. ccording to Donna Ballman in Legal Newsroom, “Playing favorites is not illegal. Hiring relatives is not illegal. Not if you're in the private sector. Now, if you work for the government, every state has some law about conflict of interest or hiring relatives at some level. Under SarbanesOxley (Act of 2002, federal law which set standards for all publicly-held U.S. companies), management has to disclose potential conflict of interest.

So hiring of relatives can't be hidden from shareholders.”

In local government, preventing the appearance of favoritism is an important factor, and many cities, townships and villages have nepotism policies to prevent the hiring of relatives, whether they are related to employees or members of council. From Novi to Rochester, most Oakland County communities address the issue in order to avoid having to tackle it.

“We don't recommend a community have, or not have, one, but we have sample (policies), and we do talk to them about them along with ethics policies,” said Catherine Mullhaupt, director of member information

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services, Michigan Townships Association. “A nepotism policy is not required, and it's up to the local unit to decide if it wants to have one and how restrictive it wants to be. But by law, planning commissions are required to define what conflicts of interests are to them. They are pretty broad.”

While township boards of trustees do not have to have nepotism policies, the Michigan Planning Enabling Act requires municipalities' planning commission to have a definition of a conflict of interest.

In section 9 of the act, it states: “Before casting a vote on a matter on which a member may reasonably be considered to have a conflict of interest, the member shall disclose the potential conflict of interest to the planning commission...Failure of a member to disclose a potential conflict of interest as required by this subsection constitutes malfeasance in office.

Unless the legislative body, by ordinance defines conflict of ordinance...the planning commission shall do so in its bylaws.”

Mullhaupt said that because planning commissions by law must put that into writing “and define it, that's often where you get a township board looking at nepotism policies.” owever, she clarifies, “there is nothing in the law that prohibits nepotism. But it could be a public perception.

What do you want the perception of your community to be?

It's similar to board appointments. Some of it depends on how large you are (as a community). Some small communities, it's hard not to hire a relative. And then, what about supervision. These are the rights the township board has to discuss and determine.”

Perception and transparency is what led Bloomfield Township trustee David Buckley to request supervisor Leo Savoie and the board review the existing nepotism policy in May of this year.

“In the overall hiring process, when looking at large corporations and their transparency, there has not currently (in the township) been a lot of communication when there has been hiring in departments and of department heads,” Buckley said.

He said he wanted to know what the current policy was, when it was last updated, changed and amended, with the rationale to avoid conflict of interest in hiring, whether it was real or perceived.

“It should become the practice of our community, and it should be made with no exceptions,” he said. “We don't have a true HR person in Bloomfield Township. For entry level positions, the best qualified person should be looked at. I know township employees get first crack at positions, but I saw people asking, 'How can my kid become a day laborer for the summer?' Were all the jobs being posted? Even for entry level jobs, we should be getting the best qualified person.”

Buckley was concerned about the direct hiring and direct reporting to of family members, whether in roads or the police department, although he acknowledged there was nothing that specifically prompted the concern.

Ultimately, after reviewing the township resolution which was initially adopted in January 1979, which prohibits the full time hiring of a spouse, child, parent, guardian, brother, sister, spouse's parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, in-law, grandchild, grandparent, aunt or uncle, if they are relatives of elected officials or full-time employees, trustees decided they were still happy with the policy, which had previously been reviewed in 1999.

In the Bloomfield Township Police Department, a nepotism policy effective February 14, 2011, reads, “No employee may be the direct supervisor of their spouse, parent, child or grandchild.”

The Bloomfield Township Fire Department states that related employees will not be permanently assigned to the same shift, and that “any other situation that would cause an employee to be directly supervised by a relation shall be avoided.”

Township Clerk Jan Roncelli said that there have been a couple of instances over the years where someone from dispatch has married a police officer, but have not been supervised by one another, avoiding the conflict of interest.

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While the West Bloomfield Police Department doesn't recall any issues, they have a written anti-nepotism policy, stating that “spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparents, brother, sister, half-brother, or halfsister”, including by adoption, are disqualified from holding employment in West Bloomfield. It does not apply, it states, if the relationship arises after the employment or relationship occurs.

“If someone marries someone once they're hired, by law you can't prohibit their employment once they're already hired,” said Birmingham city manager Joe Valentine, who said Birmingham has had a nepotism policy that prohibits employment by a relative by blood or marriage citywide, for decades. “Nepotism only applies to hiring.”

Bloomfield Hills adopted an ordinance prohibiting nepotism two to three years ago, city manager Jay Cravens said, dealing with hiring employees within departments citywide, as well as commissioners, because of conflicts which arose in the public safety department with former chief Richard Matott, whose son had been hired as a Bloomfield Hills public safety officer during a year interim period after Matott the father had retired, before he was rehired in as chief.

However, issues arose while Matott was chief and supervising his son, when his son had several serious disciplinary issues and it appeared he was not properly disciplined compared to other officers, including a drunk driving arrest where he had a loaded gun on his lap in another municipality.

“The son got hired in during that period and (Matott Sr.) wasn't part of the interview process and hiring. It really stuck under his craw when commissioners made comments about it,” Cravens said. “It was a proud moment for him, especially after he was hired in as chief.”

However, nepotism – the problem of favoritism – became a significant issue in Bloomfield Hills after the son's problems came to light, and ultimately, was one of the reasons the chief was forced to resign.

Now, Bloomfield Hills has an ordinance reading: “The appointment, employment, or promotion of a member of the immediate family of any elected or appointed official, shall be prohibited. An employment decision regarding an employee who is a member of the immediate family of an elected or appointed official, shall be based upon merit and shall not be based on nepotism. No two or more persons who are within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity shall be employed within the same department of the city.”

Commerce Township Supervisor Tom Zoner said they have had a nepotism policy in their personnel handbook since the early 1990s, and it is currently under review by the board of trustees.

“The employee handbook is for everyone,” Zoner said. “It does allow for elected officials or hired employees to have a relative hired if they're not a direct supervisor.”

“Relatives of persons currently employed by Commerce Township may be hired only if they will not be working directly for or supervising a relative or will not occupy a position in the same line of authority within the organization. The policy applies to any relative, higher or lower in the organization, who has the authority to review employment decisions. If the relative’s relations is established after employment, the individuals concerned will decide who is to be transferred,” Commerce's policy reads. If a conflict arises, they may be separated, reassigned, or even terminated. oner explained that it has occasionally happened with part time summer help. “If someone is hired as a temporary employees, as long as they're not being supervised by their direct relative, it's been permitted,” he said. He used the example of a son of a firefighter being hired onto a landscaping crew, for a summer position. “I hired that lawn cutter. He had no contact with the fire department.”

Commerce Township does not have its own police department, subcontracting with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, “so we only have a fire department,” Zoner said, and he noted it is not a large department.

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“If the chief wanted to have his son become a firefighter – the chief hires and is the direct supervisor and handles the union negotiations, so that would be in conflict,” Zoner said. “The son would have to go work for a different department.”

The city of Troy does not have a nepotism policy, but a memorandum which was originated in March 1981 that was re-evaluated in October of 1995, with the purpose of assisting employees in avoiding “potential conflict of interest situations and the appearance or allegation of partiality due to the employment of relatives, and to promote efficient and effective management and supervision of city personnel.”

Similar to in Commerce, relatives cannot be hired within a division or department where they would supervise or be supervised by a current employee. ovi revised their nepotism policy in April 2013, stating that in the hiring of relatives of current and potential employees, “in order to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest between private interests and the general public”, relatives can only be hired if they will not be working in or assigned to the same department, and if they won't be reporting to or supervising a relative, nor occupying a position in the same line of authority where a decision could benefit a relative.

“I've been here for seven years, and we've never had to execute our nepotism policy, which is within our ethics ordinance,” said Jaymes Vettraino, city manager of Rochester.

As in Commerce, Novi, Troy, and several other communities, relatives cannot be employed in the same department or a direct line of supervision. Their policy also covers council members and city manager, preventing their relatives' employment, only excludes employment if a relative held a position before their election or appointment in the city.

Walled Lake city manager Dennis Whitt, who has been in his position for the last five years, is very proud that Walled Lake has had a nepotism policy in the city's charter since 1954.

“It was pretty much ahead of its time,” Whitt noted.

Section 5.16 of the Walled Lake city charter, under Employee Welfare Benefits, Anti-Nepotism, states that any elected official or his or her spouse; the city manager or his or her spouse; city department heads or their spouses, “are disqualified from holding any appointive office or employment during the term for which such elected official was elected.” Also included are city manager and department heads.

Because it's not required, not all communities have these policies. White Lake Township, for one, does not. Neither does Waterford Township.

“I can't find anything etched in stone, but we monitor it very closely.

We try to find the best qualified candidates for every job,” said Waterford Township supervisor Gary Woll, who was first elected two and a half years ago.

He said Waterford is a close community. “Everyone knows everyone else in Waterford. It's large, but a close-knit community.”

Echoing the sentiments that many sons admire the fathers, especially in police and fire, Woll said, “It's not uncommon for a son to follow in his father's footsteps in law enforcement and fire. They may go to different departments.”

As for himself, Woll did acknowledge that nepotism can be appreciated, even if he may not see it that way.

“After I was hired, I hired my daughter for a clerical position,” he said. “She's my close assistant, the aide to the township supervisor.

She's my assistant, my go-to person. In this job, you have to have someone who has your back or you can be hung out to dry. She took a $12,000 pay cut from working for a heart surgeon to work with me. No one in the township, to my knowledge, has a problem with it.

“Here in Waterford, there are dispatchers that have married police officers, and DPW people that have met and married on the jobs. Family members that have followed them on the job. I don't see it as nepotism.

It's quality people. In Waterford, I see it as people wanting to work in the same community as the rest of their family.”

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Bruce Campbell hen the horror film “Evil Dead” debuted in 1981, Bruce Campbell, who starred as Ashley “Ash” J. Williams, watched it play at Showcase Cinemas, the theater complex that used to be located at Bloomfield Township's Square Lake and Telegraph roads. A 1976 graduate of Groves High School and winner of the Best Sense of Humor Award, Campbell got his start at St. Dunstan’s Theater Guild at Cranbrook, and spent his teenage years filming in downtown Birmingham. Looking back, Campbell says, “We got to know the cops because we were always throwing dummies off the downtown parking structure. Birmingham made for a great ‘back lot’.”

Before “Evil Dead” was a hit, Campbell and director Sam Raimi, who Campbell met at Groves, released “Within the Woods”, a 32-minute short that was shot on Super-8 film. This 1978 horror film helped the duo secure the funds and investors needed to produce “Evil Dead”, their first jointeffort, feature-length movie. Campbell and Raimi went on to create the film’s following chapters, “Evil Dead II” and “Army of Darkness”, both of which Campbell starred in. Currently, the two are working together, with others, on a Starz television series, “Ash vs. Evil Dead”, which Campbell said is “going to be gnarly and funny.”

It may come as a surprise, but Campbell says he “was never a horror guy growing up,” but affirms, “it’s a fun genre to work in. Few genres are able to engage and mess with an audience more than horror.”

Some of Campbell’s favorite roles include Ash, Brisco from the 1990’s wild west television series “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.”, and Elvis in “Bubba Ho-Tep”. Campbell jokes, “What guy doesn’t want to play Elvis?”

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Recently he played Sam Axe in “Burn Notice”, a USA Network series, and did a voice for the video game Call of Duty. In addition to acting and producing, he’s an author of two best-selling books, “If Chins Could Kill, Confessions of a “B” Movie Actor” and “Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.” Currently, Campbell is in New Zealand filming and doesn’t get off set much, but when he does, he says he “enjoys all outdoor activities, hiking, biking, and lollygagging.” When not in New Zealand, Campbell travels to Los Angeles to “drum up business,” yet calls Oregon home. Campbell’s mother and two brothers live in the Detroit area, and he comes back at least once a year to visit.

He has fond memories of the Birmingham Theater, and recalls having seen “A Clockwork Orange” there. Asked about his personal taste, Campbell said that he “likes the actors from the golden era of Hollywood, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, etc.”

Although Campbell took a handful of theater classes at Western Michigan University, he dropped out after a year and admits, “I studied 'How to Get Out of College 101' – and passed with flying colors!”

Knowing what he knows now, Campbell doesn’t seem to have regrets.

Asked about what advice he’d give his younger self if he could go back in time, Campbell replied, “I wouldn’t tell that punk a thing! I wouldn’t want to relive any of life’s successes or failures. Each new day is good enough for me.”

Story: Katie Deska

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Three-lane test run for W. Maple okayed

Ballot vote on W. Maple plan proposed

By Lisa Brody

By Lisa Brody

After a three-and-a-half hour presentation and public discussion at the Birmingham City Commission meeting on Monday, June 1, city commissioners unanimously approved conducting a trial run for W. Maple Road between Cranbrook and Southfield roads as a three-lane roadway to see if traffic conditions on the road can be improved for both vehicles and pedestrians.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker first explained that W. Maple is scheduled for a resurfacing project for 2016. Prior to that work being done, the city examined it as part of its Complete Streets program, which was begun in 2011. The Birmingham Multi-Modal Transportation Committee, which examines key streets for use for all users, be they car, pedestrian, bus or bicycle, examined W. Maple beginning in January 2015.

“A concept plan for Maple was in the original Multi-Modal Road plan, as a three-lane road with a central left turn lane,” Ecker said. “The original also included bike lanes. Having spent the last six months studying detailed traffic with an appointed W. Maple Steering Committee that included Multi-Modal Board members, merchants, and residents living off of W. Maple, and they examined the strengths and weaknesses of the corridor. Actually, it was mostly expressing the weaknesses.”

She said that traffic experts provided them with data that included the number of cars utilizing the roadway, the number of cars turning right off of Maple, the number of cars turning left onto Maple, crashes and other data.

“The committee discussed the opportunities under the Complete Streets criteria,” Ecker said. “The committee leaned to a road diet – to three lanes with a center road. They examined other similar projects. All were open meetings to the public. The general consensus was, W. Maple is dangerous, speeds are excessive, vehicles swerve to avoid other vehicles making turns, turning onto Maple from side streets is difficult, and congestion delays at Southfield and pedestrians crossing W. Maple is difficult.”

“The corridor is Cranbrook to Southfield. At Cranbrook, Birmingham owns just the east leg. The Road Commission of Oakland County downtownpublications.com

irmingham resident Jim Mirro, upset over Birmingham city commissioners voting to re-stripe W. Maple Road between Southfield and Cranbrook roads for a trial as a three-lane road with a center left turn lane, is working on a petition drive to change the city charter to keep Maple Road a four-lane road.

“According to Michigan law, any individual or group can circulate a petition to change or add an amendment to the city charter,” Mirro, who lives on Arlington, said. He said he will need to get five percent of the registered voters of Birmingham to sign a petition, which comes out to 839 signatures, and the charter change would then go on the March 8, 2016 ballot, which is also Michigan's presidential primary election. “So it won't cost anything extra,” he said.

After a lengthy meeting Monday, June 1, with presentations from traffic consultant Mike Labadie of Fleis and Vandenbrink and a public hearing where about three dozen residents spoke out against it, city commissioners unanimously approved running a trial run for W. Maple Road between Cranbrook and Southfield roads as a three-lane roadway, in order to see if traffic congestion can be improved, speed can be lowered, accidents reduced, and the road can become a more functional street for all users.

Mirro said he and “90 percent of residents I've spoken to and heard from” are opposed to even having a trial to change the road from its current configuration as a four-lane road to two lanes of traffic in either direction and a center turn lane.

“I personally don't like the test. I think they (commissioners) are wrong. They think this is a dangerous road. The traffic consultant has shown that there have been 140 accidents in three years. There are 20,000 cars on that road; over three years, that's 21 million cars. That's an accident rate of .0006 percent, and none were fatalities. The point the neighborhood organization has made is that it's not that it's not a safe road, people go too fast. It would be better to put more radar speed signs.

We think it's a much more logical solution than going to the much more drastic step of changing the road. Our point of view is you'll get more bottlenecks and drivers will cut through the neighborhoods.”

He said he had spoken with Joe Roselle of the Oakland County Elections Bureau and received sample copies of election language.

Proposed ballot language would state that Maple Road would be no less than a four-lane road.

He and his supporters are seeking to circulate the petitions between July and November, and by December 1 having it approved for the ballot for March.

The Michigan Attorney General's office would have to approve any proposed change to a city charter before the issue could be placed on the ballot.

When asked if he was concerned about enshrining a road condition in the city charter, he claimed that “it's not permanent in the city charter.

City commissioners can amend the charter amendment after one year.

Voters would have the power, but only for one year.”

Mayor Stuart Sherman said that was inaccurate.

“We would have to go back to the voters,” Sherman said. “A change in the city charter always requires a vote by the public. City commissioners can never make a change in the charter.”

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(RCOC) owns the other three legs, and the cycle, 120 (seconds) is controlled

by RCOC. At Chesterfield and Lake Park, which are 90 (seconds), they're owned by Birmingham. We do not want to make changes at the intersection at Cranbrook,” said Mike

Labadie, traffic consult with Fleis and Vandenbrink. Maple and Cranbrook will remain four lanes, and then taper down to three lanes over 1,000 yards east of Cranbrook.

He said that 20,000 cars traverse that part of Maple each day, with the

DOWNTOWN

afternoon peak traffic higher than morning peak traffic. The speed limit, set at 35, “has been pretty close to 40 for a while.”

“We've tried to coordinate the traffic signals so people can move in platoons in each direction,” he said.

“The signals are timed for 35 mph.”

Labadie said the biggest challenges for the road are at the Southfield and Chester intersections.

“At Southfield, there's a fairly high number of accidents, and a majority are on Southfield, just south of Maple.

Going into Birmingham, at Chester, about 300 cars (a day) turn right, 300 turn left, and 300 continue through into Birmingham. The backup in the queue is in the eastbound turn lane at Maple and Southfield,” he said.

Many spectators in the crowd publicly spoke out or objected out-ofturn to Labadie's results, causing Mayor Stuart Sherman to wait for public comments.

“I'm not manipulating the data to get it to say what I want it to say, or you want it to say,” Labadie said to the crowd. “No one is doing that.”

Labadie said the road can handle the same number of cars over three lanes, one lane in each direction plus the center turn lane, “because there's a significant distribution of traffic, and there's not a major intersection in between them. There will be gaps that will better than it is today.”

“Will there be any impact to traffic coming into our retail and business community,” commissioner Scott Moore asked. Labadie said there would be no impact, despite outbursts from the crowd.

“It's counterintuitive,” noted Moore.

Members of the public, primarily residents, spoke during a public hearing. An engineer who lives on Pleasant Street noted he could understand how the three lanes would make the road more efficient, and then asked Labadie how much greater capacity the road could handle, noting he believes the street will become gridlocked.

“I don't see this attracting a whole lot more cars,” Labadie countered. “I just think it makes it a more hospitable, palatable place to be.”

“The whole reason we're here tonight is to make a decision on a test,” commissioner Tom McDaniel said. “The fact is, none of us know for sure if it will work. The only way we'll get a fix on it to try it.”

“If it's not broke, why are we fixing it,” asked one resident.

“It sounds counterintuitive, and I'm not buying it,” said resident Karen Schoenberg of Puritan.

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“The Multi-Modal Board has an agenda – to implement Complete Streets,” said resident Bill Dow of Yorkshire.

However, JC Cataldo, who lives on Chesterfield, said, “I can't recall a study as well researched as this. I am in favor of it as a test. The street is obviously broken. I applaud the commission for attempting to get the road in shape.”

After the lengthy public hearing, commissioners spoke before voting.

Moore said to the crowd, “The Millennials who are going to buy your house – are they going to want Maple Road? I don't think so. Is Maple Road going to work for self-driving cars? We don't know if it's going to work. It's a test.”

Several members of the audience held up cards reading “NO” as commissioners spoke. Commissioner Mark Nickita responded. “Is this street so good, we can't make it better? All the numbers indicate it won't be more congested, it will be safer. If not, we'll put it back. I feel it's worth a test.”

Mayor Stuart Sherman concurred.

“It seems to me in the best interest of the community to try something.”

Commissioners voted 7-0 to commence a trial of a three-lane road by re-striping the road after Quarton Road construction is completed, in August. While some spoke of a sixmonth test, Sherman said they did not set a time frame. “We're running a test. We'll decide when it's over when we get the data,” he said.

Commissioners also voted 7-0 to install ADA ramps at all corners and crossings; to improve crosswalk markings at all signalized intersections; make congestion relief

improvements between Southfield and Chester, as well as dual left turn lanes between Southfield and Chester roads; install marked crosswalks at the Chester and Lake Park traffic signals; remove low use bus stops and improve higher use bus stops; and add enhanced technology to the existing signals to control and optimize signal lengths and timing.

Township not in favor of Maple plan In anticipation of the city of Birmingham conducting a trial where W. Maple Road between Southfield and Cranbrook roads will be restriped into a three-lane configuration, with one lane in each direction and a center left turn lane, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously at their meeting on Tuesday, May 26, to send a resolution registering their opposition, noting that it will impact township residents and that the plan is opposed by two township neighborhood associations.

The Birmingham Multi-Modal Transportation Board appointed a 10member steering committee of various interested stakeholders who live and work along the corridor to provide them with input to consider.

The W. Maple Rd. Steering Committee met a total of four times over a three-month period to identify issues for improvement and potential solutions to address them. The professional engineering firm Fleis and Vandenbrink was also hired to study the existing condition and to assist the committee in reviewing all

Township discusses adding trustee e-mail addresses loomfield Township trustees discussed whether or not they should have e-mails that would be available to the public and accessible on the township website, with most members suggesting at a study session on Thursday, May 28, that they should have township e-mail addresses as long as the township attorney approves it.

Township clerk Jan Roncelli noted that they have had many requests over the years for e-mail addresses for trustees, “and I have no problem with that. On our website, for the three full-time people (supervisor, treasurer, clerk), there is our e-mail and phone numbers. For the trustees, it says you can reach them by e-mail, but there are no e-mail addresses. The question to discuss is should they have township e-mail addresses.”

“From a statutory requirement, there's nothing

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data necessary for the committee to make recommendations for for the future, which was presented to the Multi-Modal Board on May 7.

Birmingham City Manager Joe Valentine had reportedly kept township supervisor Leo Savoie informed and invited to all meetings.

Township trustees were not supportive of any aspect of changing the configuration of the current fourlane roadway.

“I just think the plan is inane,” said trustee Neal Barnett. “I'm concerned about the impact on our residents. I'm very much opposed to it.”

“The final plan has none of the pedestrian and biking aspects of multi-modal,” said treasurer Dan Devine. “What I found to be a fatal flaw, as far as township residents go, is that crash data was omitted for the Cranbrook and Maple intersection. It does not pass the common sense test.”

“It really doesn't make a lot of sense to me,” trustee Brian Kepes agreed. “To eliminate bikes makes no sense. We can't stop it (the enactment of the plan), but I'm disappointed that the traffic studies explicitly excludes our residents when it's our traffic engineers, too.”

“I'm going to be personally affected by this, because I live in this area,” noted trustee Corinne Khederian. “If we were doing this, we would have consulted with Birmingham. I think this plan is ridiculous. I moved to this area because it's walkable, and I think this area of the village will become cutthroughs. To me, it's a safety concern.

It's a disregard of a community where we live and work together.”

that says you must,” said supervisor Leo Savoie.

“My personal feeling is that it should be left up to the individual.”

Roncelli noted that most communities across Oakland County provide e-mail access for public officials, whether trustees, council members or city commissioners.

“My thought is that it should not be on our personal e-mail,” said trustee Neal Barnett. “For FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), I wouldn't want access to my confidential personal or business email.”

“I'm in agreement with Neal,” said trustee Corinne Khederian. Noting she works in the government, and frequently has to find other officials' addresses, “It's much easier if the e-mail is right on the website.”

“Accessibility is key,” trustee Dave Buckley said.

“My biggest question is how do I access it.”

Roncelli assured them their IT department would set each trustee up.

“It's not a multi-modal project,” said clerk Jan Roncelli. “They may have apprised us of the project, but they did not ask for our feedback.

They do not exist in a vacuum, and they completely failed to involve us in the decision-making process, and for that reason, I oppose it.”

New Starbucks site, Beau's patio approved

By Lisa Brody

A new Starbucks building with a drive-thru on Telegraph just north of Maple Road in Bloomfield Township and outdoor patio dining at Beau's Grillery were approved by Bloomfield Township trustees at their meeting on Monday, June 8.

Patti Voelker, planning, building, and ordinance director, explained to trustees that Jim Bellinson, owner of the former Bally's building, which will become a commercial office building, as well as the owner of the restaurant, was seeking to construct a Starbucks coffee shop building as part of a consolidated site plan.

“The property owner is looking to combine it with Beau's property,” Voelker said. “The intention of the developer is to demolish 25 to 30 percent of the front facade and convert the first floor (of the Bally's building) to office or office/retail. He is seeking a final site plan/special land use for the renovation to allow for the partial demo, to accommodate a Starbucks building on the southeast corner of the property, to allow for combined parking and a pedestrian walkway between that property and Beau's, and outdoor seasonal seating in front of Beau's.”

Trustee Brian Kepes disagreed with his fellow board members. “We meet 26 times a year, and I'm listed in the phone book. I think it could taint decisions. I would rather talk to someone in person.

It isn't required.”

“It is 2015,” countered Roncelli.

“I would feel more comfortable getting a legal opinion from (township attorney) Bill Hampton saying anyone who has access to our trustee e-mail would not have access to our personal/business emails,” Barnett said.

“I will not force someone to not do something they do not want to do. It's not statutory. It's everyone's personal choice,” Savoie said.

“I think you should be complimented that people want to talk to you, want to know what you think,” said Roncelli. “I don't think you'll get so many e-mails.”

Trustees decided to ask Hampton for a decision and will make a decision at future township board meeting.

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Planning board punts on pot facilities

By Lisa Brody

irmingham Planning Board members disagreed at a May 13 work session with the city attorney's and deputy police chief's recommendation to approve placement of medical marijuana establishments in Birmingham's Rail District, preferring such facilities to be placed near the Birmingham Police Station in downtown Birmingham, and deferring final recommendations to the joint city commission/planning board meeting scheduled for Monday, June 15, in order to see what commissioners say.

At the city commission/planning board workshop on June 15, commissioners discussed where to put marijuana grow operations in the city from a land use point of view, but because it was a workshop, no decisions were made.

Mayor Stuart Sherman acknowledged the city has received several inquiries from people who would like to set up grow operations, but "from a land use point of view, the city is a built-out community, and there aren't a lot of places to put grow operations."

He also said they are hesitant to move forward because it appears there may be a statewide ballot proposal in 2016 "where marijuana could be approved to be legal.”

Medical marijuana was approved by 63 percent of Michigan voters in 2008, when it was placed as a ballot proposal. Since then, individual municipalities have grappled with how to handle individual rights of medical marijuana patients, the rights of stateapproved caregivers, and municipalities which have chosen to give preference to federal law. A Michigan Supreme Court decision in 2013, however, ruled that all Michigan municipalities must follow the provisions relating to the state's Medical Marijuana Act and allow for facilities in their communities, including both dispensaries and growing facilities.

In May 2014, the Birmingham Planning Board unanimously recommended sending a zoning amendment to the city commission which would permit medical marijuana growing operations in the city's Rail District, a change to the city's ordinance necessitated by the court ruling.

Due to the mixed use permitted in the Rail District, that it's eastern border is the railroad tracks, it has the Birmingham Police Department's shooting range adjacent at Kenning Park, and there is no single family residential in the district, the planning department at that time recommended the district as the preferred area for marijuana growing operations.

Anyone requesting to have a growing operation would need to apply for a special land use permit. Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker said they have received calls in the last few months.

The city could open itself up to civil litigation, she said, if it does not comply with Michigan Medical Marijuana rulings.

However, at the May 13 meeting when the issue was revisited after the city commission sent it back to the planning board in February, board members were not amenable to putting a facility in the Rail District.

Board member Janelle Whipple-Boyce, concerned about drug free school zones, said she personally cannot support medical marijuana in this district.

Board member Bert Koseck wondered about nearby property values, and was hopeful that Birmingham's real estate would prove too costly for growers to rent or buy space.

“Why would I even want to put this in Birmingham, as opposed to a community where dirt is less expensive?” he asked.

Board members suggested a medical marijuana establishment would be best placed in downtown Birmingham, within 200 to 300 feet of the Birmingham Police Station, at Martin and Pierce streets.

Ecker noted that previously the city attorney and police officials had not wanted it there, but she would send the recommendation to them as well as other department heads.

It was then decided to place the matter on the agenda for the joint city commission/planning board study session, in order to get commissioner input.

B Voelker explained that the Starbucks building will be using materials to complement the office building, as well as tying it into Beau's.

“The developer is looking to allow for the free flow of traffic from Maple to the Starbucks, and to also coordinate with the township's safety paths. He will eliminate some parking spaces that fall within the right-of-way,” she said, notably about four parking spaces near Maple in front of Beau's where safety paths will be installed.

Bellinson said, “I bought that property (Bally's) mainly as parking for Beau's. I partnered with Marc Weinbaum, who has done this before.

We looked at what the township wanted at this corner, tying those properties together. There's already a Starbucks across the street, so we're not adding traffic. Outdoor seating at Beau's will be nice for customers. We're probably going to have office tenants in that office building, so it will be a very low impact use for the property.”

Weinbaum of Telegraph Land Holdings explained that the former Bally's, which will house Bellinson's offices on the second floor and Schechter Wealth Management on the first floor, will be reclad with glass, “like the remodeled Detroit Athletic Club. In my opinion, it will be a real show-stopper.”

At the front of Beau's, Voelker said there would be outdoor seating for 48, a pergola, and an iron railing, with egress only obtainable through the restaurant. Trustees were concerned that those parking in front would have difficulty navigating in and out of spots without possibly hitting the outdoor seating, and expressed concern about traffic to the office and Starbucks site, and requested that parking on the east side of the lot be removed, with only handicapped parking remaining.

Bellinson and Weinbaum agreed to the condition.

At issue in the almost three and one-half hour discussion was concern about traffic backing up on Telegraph if the Starbucks was added to the property with a drive-thru, as well as worries that drivers would cut through the adjacent Foxcroft neighborhood rather than through the Beau's access drive.

A traffic consultant from Parsons Corporation stated that the Starbucks site will likely generate 96 cars during morning traffic, and 176 in the afternoon, more than the Bally's site did. “The site will generate about 16 more vehicles an hour in the afternoon, or about one every four minutes,” he said. “We don't think anyone will notice any difference.”

As to concerns regarding cut throughs, they showed video simulation of a car going through the neighborhood, versus one turning left from the left turn lane on eastbound Maple into Beau's and going through to Starbucks, and it took three times as much time going through Foxcroft.

Township clerk Jan Roncelli said she had done a test drive herself, and said, “One thing I liked, you were turning left from a left turn lane, which is good. But if you cut through Foxcroft, there's no left turn lane. And it's slow.”

Residents from Foxcroft who spoke at the meeting objected, however, noting that when Bally's was there, people used their neighborhood to cut through. They also objected to Starbucks being called a coffee shop, alleging it's a fast food establishment.

“Starbucks is the number one quick serve restaurant in the country,” said Sidney Kahan. “There will be times when cars are backed up into the right lane of traffic of Telegraph.”

Tom Ryan concurred. “The B-1 zoning does not allow restaurants unless they're in shopping centers. It's a quick serve fast food restaurant. It's not a coffee shop.”

Sue Bernstein was concerned about traffic at the Maple and Telegraph intersection, which she said ranks 11th in the country for highest number of accidents. “Traffic is already an abomination. It keeps getting worse,” she said. “How do you get through that lane at Beau's? You can barely get through there now.”

Attorney Bill Hampton clarified that B-1 zoning permits coffee shops. “This board has permitted Starbucks and other similar establishments in B-1 districts,” he said.

Trustees Brian Kepes and Neal Barnett were adamant that Starbucks is a coffee shop that also serves some food.

Trustees voted 5-2 to approve the site plan for renovation of the former Bally's, the cut through between Beau's, the building of the Starbucks with a drive-thru, with treasurer Dan Devine and trustee David Buckley voting against.

Trustees then voted 6-1, with Devine opposed, to approve the outdoor seating for Beau's, with the additional requirement of removing all parking but handicapped in front of the building.

They then voted 6-1, with Devine again in opposition, for a special land use for Starbuck’s to have hours of 5 a.m.- 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m Saturday, and 6 a.m.

- 9 p.m. Sundays, the same as the Bloomfield Plaza Starbucks.

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Stunning 2-story master suite features fireplace, marble bath with Pewabic accents & large walk-in closet, while upstairs an open-concept mezzanine with library & 2 offices overlooking lake & private grounds awaits. Flowing from the master is a lovely tray ceiling sitting room with access to enclosed porch. 2 additional ensuite bedrooms complete 1st floor. Deborah Silver designed & maintained gardens lead to rolling grass yard & sandy beach. Finished walkout lower level. 3-car garage. $2,499,000

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442 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009

Birmingham Theater changing owners The iconic Birmingham 8 Theatre on S. Old Woodward in Birmingham will be under new ownership come July 1, as the Ilitch family's Uptown Entertainment passes its operations on to Bill Herting, president and owner of Centurion Films in the San Francisco area and principal in Birmingham Theatre, LLC. “Yes, we'll be operating it July 1,�

Herting said by phone. “I've been in the business for 35 years. I was actually involved with the Ilitch family in converting the Birmingham Theatre into a movie theater when it opened in '96, helping determine if it was viable for a multi-plex. When it was, I became involved.�

Herting said the transition of ownership will be a seamless one, with the theater remaining open during the changeover. “When it first opened, it was state-of-the-art. It won all of the architectural awards,� he said. “Now, it's aged and not kept up.

We're going to add new luxury

seating, assigned seating, and food and beverages for adults, which is the way theaters have been going industry-wide. We'll definitely be going that way. We want to bring it back up to speed. We're going to restore it to its former place.�

He said they will remain open while replacing seats in individual movie theaters, updating sound systems, and other improvements.

In order to provide adult beverages, the theater will need to obtain a liquor license from the city of Birmingham. The new Emagine Palladium Theatre, a five-screen movie theater at the Palladium Building at Hamilton and N. Old Woodward, to be operated by Paul Glantz of Emagine Theatres, received approval for a liquor license along with adjacent Ironwood Grill at the May 18 Birmingham City Commission meeting. That theater is anticipated to open later this summer.

The Birmingham Theatre first opened in 1927 as a single-screen movie house, and later became a venue for live shows. In a building owned by Birmingham real estate

owner Ted Fuller, it was reopened in 1996 by Uptown Entertainment as an eight-screen movie theater showing first-run movies, as well as independent and art films.

"We're so pleased to have played a role in the storied history of the Birmingham 8 since 1996," said Barb Zanetti, senior director of business operations at Uptown Entertainment. "We know that, under Bill's leadership, the theatre will continue to bring the community excellence in service, amenities and film." “At first, it was insanely successful,� Herting said. He said the Birmingham 8 will continue to “play art and upscale film as well as some broad cross section movies.�

Herting and his company consults with 22 different independently owned and operated movie theaters with 425 screens throughout the country. “Many of our clients are innovators in food and beverage in this industry,� Herting said.

He has owned and operated movie theaters over the years, but the Birmingham 8 Theatre will currently be the only one he owns

and operates. He said is excited to be returning to Birmingham. “I've been involved with this theater since the beginning.�

Covington to close for road, sewer work Covington Road in Bloomfield Township closed to all through traffic beginning Monday, June 22, for work repairing water and sewer mains, and then repaving the road, the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) has announced.

Covington Road runs between Cranbrook and Quarton roads.

The RCOC said it has issued a permit allowing Bloomfield Township to close Covington Road, and the township is overseeing the road project, which will include repair of a water main, storm sewer work and road paving.

During the closure, traffic will be detoured to Cranbrook Road to Maple Road, to Lahser, to Quarton Road, and vice versa.

The road is expected to re-open to through traffic in mid-October.

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Breathtaking Views of the Lake | Gourmet Main Kitchen with Wolf Appliances | Amazing Master Suite with Grand Entry, Sitting Room, Dual Fireplace and Morning Bar and Safe Room | His/her Master Baths | His/her Walk-in Closets | Large Office with Wet Bar and Fireproof Closet | Lower Level Wet Bar with Mini Kitchen | Huge Wine Cellar | Pool Lounge with Full Kitchen | 5 Fireplaces Elevator with Access to 3 Floors | Mahogany Garage Doors | Tons of Storage | Resort Like Pool Area with Infinity Edge Pool and Hot Tub | Waterfalls Surrounding the Pool Area | Pontoon Boat Included | Beautifully Landscaped | Extensive Security Systems . ronnafeldman@maxbroock.com Whole House Generator | Ample Space248.408.1200 to Easily Add More Bedrooms | So Much More in This Special Home ? 12,796 Total Sq. Ft. ? 3 BR ? 5.2 BA ? $5,695,000 ? MLS #215054314

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Bank approved for W. Maple gas site

By Lisa Brody

The current Cranbrook Car Care location at Maple and Cranbrook was unanimously approved by Birmingham City Commissioners on Monday, June 1, for a final site plan and special land use permit for a bank with a drivethrough to be built on the site.

The location on the southeast corner of Maple and Cranbrook roads in Birmingham has long been a gas station, known as Cranbrook Car Care.

The current owner has decided to demolish the gas station and has plans to build a DFCU Financial building with a drive-through. Matt Baka, Birmingham Planner, said that is a permitted use on the site, but a drive-through is not a permitted use, which is why they were requesting a special land use permit.

Baka said DFCU had received a variance from the city's zoning board of appeals for the amount of window glazing in the newly-designed bank building, which will be a single-story building constructed on an angle. It will be built of brick with ceramic tile eaves, asphalt roof, and have sidewalks surrounding the building as well as extensive landscaping. There will be a monument sign in front of the building.

“There currently are four curb cuts and they are going to get rid of two to just have one entrance off of Cranbrook and one off Maple,” Baka said. He said the bank will have five parking spots, two of which will be barrier-free.

Baka said the Birmingham Planning Board recommended approval of the final site plan and a special land use permit on May 13.

Commissioner Rackeline Hoff questioned whether there were environmental issues with the site because it had been used as a gas station.

“That is an ongoing assessment, but DFCU has agreed to take care of that,” Baka said.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker said that DFCU has submitted a brownfield application for the site. “They have begun the process,” she said. “They have submitted a brownfield application.

The soil has to be tested.” downtownpublications.com

Township approves stores in plaza igned retailers and restaurants for a new office/retail building located at the southwest corner of Square Lake and Telegraph which needed special land use approval received unanimous approval by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at their meeting on Tuesday, May 26.

Planning, building and ordinance director Patti Voelker recounted to trustees that they had approved a final site plan for the building, which involved rezoning and a lot split, on December 9, 2013. However, per the zoning for the area, retail, personal services and restaurants require special land use approval from the township.

Voelker said the owners of the center, A.F. Jonna Development and Management, have signed US Mattress, AT&T, UPS Store, a cleaners, Red Olive Restaurant, and a Tropical Smoothie store.

“The Tropical Smoothie is located at the end cap, seats 22, and would have a drive thru opportunity,” she said. “In the O-2 district, a restaurant with a liquor or tavern license is not permitted, and is not requested here. The hours of operation for all operations will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., which complies with zoning. There is also an urgent care space, which does not require special land use, and there is one vacant space.”

She said the parking study shows adequate parking.

In consideration of nearby residential neighborhoods, rear lighting will be on timers.

Trustees and some residents in attendance expressed some concern regarding Tropical Smoothie's drive thru, which Jordan Jonna of A.F. Jonna Development and Management said “is a smoothie cafe. Their primary drink is smoothies. It is not considered a restaurant.”

He said there would be a typical call box “as you'd see in any other drive thru scenario. We've put in a six-foot wall and we will put in landscaping as a buffer to residents. The drive thru is at the furthest point from residents. These call boxes speed up cars so there is not a backup of traffic. There will be a noise monitor. It will be in the corner with a display box.”

Jonna told trustees the majority of the building's tenants are “soft users, to alleviate traffic to the site.”

In response to questions, he said that the Red Olive restaurant is an upscale diner which will have a seating capacity of 114. The AT&T store, which previously had been north of Square Lake Road, has already closed he said, and will relocate in the center.

“I've seen a lot of development in the township. The Jonnas have gone out of their way to work with the township and the residents,” said supervisor Leo Savoie.

Trustees concurred, approving the special land use by a vote of 6-0, with trustee Dave Buckley not in attendance.

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“What is their timeline?” asked commissioner George Dilgard.

“If we're approved tonight, we would commence immediately with plans and begin demolition in about 60 days, and begin construction soon afterwards,” said a DFCU representative.

Maple Theatre to offer waitress service The Maple Theatre will now offer waitress service at nine tables in its renovated lobby after Bloomfield

Township trustees unanimously approved a liquor license amendment permitting the service at its meeting Monday, June 8.

Jon Goldstein, owner of Cloud Nine Partners, which owns the Maple Theatre, reported to trustees that the lobby area of the theater was recently renovated to improve the efficiency of the concession and ticket counters, and the kitchen was upgraded in order to allow for an expanded food menu. They added nine tables with two chairs each and Goldstein said they would like to add waitstaff to their current self-service

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operation. Planning, building and ordinance director Patti Voelker said adding the customer service operation to include wait staff requires an amendment to their liquor license amendment.

“Competition with home viewing has increased (in the three years since obtaining their liquor license), and we're looking to improve the Maple Theatre,” Goldstein said. “Our customers have always loved the Maple, and we love the Maple. We want it to continue to improve.

Theaters like this all over the U.S. – independent theater operators – are adding things to get people out of their homes. It's not something we've created, combining entertainment people want. We just want to keep adding to it.

“We have an elderly and older clientele,” Goldstein continued. “It's not a great thing to provide a customer service and have them have to go back and forth serving themselves. We want to serve our current customers.”

Trustees approved the Class C liquor license amendment, voting 7-0.

Bloomfield Hills to keep SMART opt-out Despite a regional focus towards mass transit, Bloomfield Hills city commissioners voted against joining SMART by a vote of 3-2 at their monthly meeting Tuesday, June 9, continuing their opt-out of the regional bus system that brings passengers up Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac, with stops in Royal Oak and Birmingham.

Bloomfield Hills has voted to optout of participating in SMART since 1995.

Opting-in to SMART, which stands for Suburban Mobility Authority Regional Transportation, would have cost Bloomfield Hills $750,000, which a majority of the commissioners felt was excessive for their community. Individual homeowners would have to pay an extra $300 to $400 to provide the service, which would offer stops along Woodward in the city.

Mayor Michael Dul and commissioner Pat Hardy were the two commissioners who voted for the offering SMART service in 99

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Bloomfield Hills, noting it would be a benefit for those who work in Bloomfield Hills but may live somewhere else and not have access to a car. They also spoke of how Millennials are leaving Michigan, and prefer the option of public transportation.

Commissioners Sarah McClure, Stuart Sherr, and Mike Coakley voted against joining SMART. McCure countered that over 50 other communities have also opted out of SMART, including Novi, Northville, Rochester, Livonia, Commerce Township and Plymouth.

“And it's mainly been a financial reason,” McClure noted. “It hasn't been that these communities are necessarily against mass transit.”

As an alternative to paying $750,000 for SMART bus service, McClure said there are private services like Uber or Lyft that only charge about $6 or $7 from Bloomfield Hills to downtown Birmingham.

Regional transit leaders from the metro area are working to build support for a 2016 millage campaign for rapid bus transit in metro Detroit.

A key initial route would be from downtown or midtown Detroit to Pontiac, a 26-mile plan north along Woodward, to include Bloomfield Hills.

Treatments for lake continue this year Continuing a treatment program approved by Birmingham city commissioners last August, the city of Birmingham this year is using an aquatic herbicide to prevent and treat the growth of lily pads on Quarton Lake.

The city received a permit on June 3 from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for performing aquatic nuisance plant control at Quarton Lake. In the last several years, the growth of lily pads in the lake has gone from a few pretty flowering plants to a nuisance vegetation that has been threatening to overtake the waterway.

Lauren Wood, Birmingham Director of Public Services, told commissioners last summer that downtownpublications.com

they were already dredging the lake as part of a five-year plan. However, it was proving to be insufficient to control the growth and spread of the lily pads, which had gotten out of control in its prodigious expansion.

Other treatment methods the city has used in the past have included dredging various portions of the lake as well as mechanical harvesting.

However, the city asserted, in order to be most effective and truly reduce and hopefully eliminate all of the floating leaf vegetation, which is how they are referring to the lily pad infestation, additional treatment methods were necessary. In order to use state-approved chemicals, the city is required to get a MDEQ permit. They obtained one for aquatic nuisance plant control which was to take place last September, with follow up scheduled for this June.

If necessary, another treatment would occur later this summer.

This treatment will take place the week of June 30, performed by TriCounty Aquatics, Inc., a pond and lake management company.

Birmingham said they will post notices at and around the lake near treatment areas before the work begins, and a 24-hour water use restriction of lake water is recommended after the lake is treated.

At last August's city commission meeting, Walter Alix of engineering firm Hubbell Roth & Clark responded to commissioner Tom McDaniel's question about the possibility of harvesting the decayed lily pads.

“It's no different than any other natural material of biomass that settles,” Alix said. “It's no different from leaves falling to the bottom of the lake. There's a need to wait until the chemicals settle into the roots.

We're hoping to get rid of this biomass now, and postponing all of the dredging until later.”

Alix said the use of this type of aquatic herbicide was common, and was similar to what is used in other Oakland County lakes, such as Cass Lake and Sylvan Lake. He said the herbicide is safe for fish, reptiles and turtles in the lake “as applied by law.”

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FACES

Paul Marvin loomfield Hills student Paul Marvin was just 13-years old when he became the regular piano player at an Oakland County bar and restaurant.

"I went out to dinner with my mom and grandma, and I asked if I could play the piano. It was a Sunday, and it was kind of empty," Marvin said, telling the story of how he came to play for the crowd at Boodle's restaurant in Madison Heights. "I played a few songs, and I got a good reaction from the bar. When we were leaving, (the owner) asked if I could come back every week."

Now 16-years old and entering his senior year at Bloomfield Hills High School, Marvin plays every Tuesday night at the restaurant. The work has helped him to purchase his first car, a 2013 Dodge Dart, which he has modified himself as a self-proclaimed gear head. Marvin also plays violin in the school orchestra, and has played tennis for his school for the past three years. After graduating, he plans to study mechanical engineering.

"I've never had a problem playing in front of people," Marvin said. "The first time, the hardest thing was coming up with enough music to fill up the whole time. I've never really been nervous playing in front of people."

Marvin was about five-years old when he started playing piano. His grandparents, he said, took him to his first lesson, and he enjoyed it enough to keep going. He took lessons for about a year at a music store before going to a private teacher. While classical music is his favorite, he quickly learned to play an array of pop favorites to fill his set.

"I get a lot of requests from different people, but a lot are the same," he said. "Sinatra, Elton John, Billy Joel – those are well-received. I made

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it a point to learn those songs. Some request just an artist or style of music."

It was also his grandfather who sparked Marvin's interest in cars.

While he passed when Marvin was only 10-years old, working with his grandfather instilled an interest that is likely to last a lifetime. In his spare time, Marvin rebuilds mopeds, a skill he taught himself by watching videos online and teaching himself. In addition to his car, he has two 1974 Solex mopeds which he has restored.

His mother, Pam Marvin, said she was a bit hesitant when she first contemplated letting Paul play at a bar. After several conversations and discussions with her then 13-year-old, she allowed him to play as long as she was present.

"I was concerned about a 13-year-old playing in a bar," she said. "We had open conversations about seeing people drinking and talked about situations he may come upon in those settings. He had to learn to deal with adults and those situations."

After three years of playing for the bar crowd, Pam said the regulars typically behave well, and have turned into a kind of extended family at times, leaving the mother and son with some laughs on the way home.

"We have never had a situation where there has been a problem," she said. "I think he has a good head on his shoulders, and I think that's what it's all about. I hope I've guided him and hope he remembers that in the future."

Story: Kevin Elliott

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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FACES

Jake Neher rom his first class at Andover’s BIFF radio station, Jake Neher was hooked. Though he had always loved music and radio, he didn’t know he wanted to be on the air until he walked into the station at age 14.

Neher kept his focus on the music side of radio throughout his high school years and first couple years at Central Michigan University, where he was an on-air jock for the university’s radio station. It wasn’t until his senior year that news broadcasting got on his radar, and he became news director at the station. The second story Neher covered as part of the news department for CMU’s station was an interview with Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico. Neher’s move from music to news occurred in sync with his growing interest in politics and social issues.

Soon after graduation from CMU, Neher landed a job in rural Barrow, Alaska as news director for KBRW, a radio station serving Barrow and surrounding communities. Neher and his wife, Amber, whom he met during his high school years, moved to Barrow sight unseen in 2010.

Although this was a big position to be thrust into as a recent grad, Neher said it “gave me a lot of preparation for the future, and was one of the best decisions my wife and I ever made. I learned a new culture, town, state and industries.” Neher left Barrow in 2011 for New York, where he attended Fordham University, earning his masters in Public Communications while working as a reporter and anchor for an NPR affiliate in New York City.

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Neher, a self-proclaimed Michigander at heart, has now returned home and is in his third year working at Michigan Public Radio Network (MPRN). Neher is one of MPRN’s two state capitol reporters covering the state’s legislature, governor, and court hearings. He spends most of his time preparing and producing stories to go over the air. Working in Lansing gives Neher access to the process of government where he can, for example, “walk around on the Senate floor and pick their brains.”

Though he works in Lansing most days of the week, Neher lives in Royal Oak with his wife and baby boy. With regard to the hour-and-a-half commute each way, Neher recalls what his predecessor told him, “it’s an opportunity to gear up or wind down. I can listen to my stories and critique them.” Neher can be heard in the morning and afternoon on public radio stations delivering spot news and, occasionally, feature pieces.

Looking back on the stories he’s covered, Neher said the most interesting experience he’s had as a reporter was “covering the Right-toWork debate in Lansing in 2012. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

The excitement, the energy, the whole capitol was buzzing with protesters and people. The bills were moving fast and there was a lot else going on in terms of other legislation. It was very challenging and very memorable.”

Story: Katie Deska

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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Remarkable 1st floor master suite boasts dual closets and luxurious baths, as well as a hidden sitting room. An additional ensuite bedroom with sitting room complete this wing. Opposite wing features 2 bedrooms with full baths and access to large private balcony. Beautiful upper level deck, designed to further extend outdoor living space, has amazing waterfall, stainless kitchen, chef’s prep area and industrial pizza oven. Open and bright lower level offers home theater, workout room, indoor pool, spa/hot tub, 2nd kitchen and 2 additional bedrooms.

In addition to boat dock & beach association, the property also includes sauna, putting green, tree house and fire pit. $2,999,000

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442 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009

BUSINESS MATTERS

Boutique goes online A Touch of Lace, 4036 Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township, has unveiled a website where shoppers can purchase their wares directly.

The specialty boutique offers customized home furnishings, linens, and accessories, and now caters to online shoppers, as well.

Although the online store doesn’t offer the full array of products found in their store, it does offer merchandise from nearly 30 of their vendors, including Anna Weatherley, J.L. Coquet, and Kim Seybert. Online shoppers can find home furnishings, table top pieces, accessories and more. With a laugh, co-owner Lauren Fisher said, A Touch of Lace is now available to “insomniacs who like to shop at 2 in the morning. I’ve been there, done that.” A Touch of Lace has been in business for 28 years and is owned by Fisher and Linda Weissman. To visit the online store, go to atouchoflace.bridgecatalog.com.

Midtown Art Loft location Downtown Birmingham’s Art Loft boutique owner Rachael Abadevoh-Woods is excited to be opening a new location in Midtown Detroit, as it’s been “on (her) mind for the last five years.” AbadevohWoods says the new store, like the Birmingham location at 123 W. Maple Road, will offer unique lines that are “classic, contemporary, industrial.” Abadevoh-Woods said the Detroit shop will offer more Detroit-made merchandise, in addition to the unique products carried at Art Loft in Birmingham, such as handmade jewelry, specialty clothing and home accessories. Abadevoh-Woods plans to open the Detroit retail space, 4160 Cass Avenue, by the end of July. Art Loft’s new location is among a variety of other shops opening in the area, and is south of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Abadevoh-Woods said she believes there’s “enough residential to support the area.”

Insurance agency opens Allstate Insurance has recently opened an agency branch in the downtownpublications.com

Bloomfield Plaza at Telegraph and Maple roads. They’re located in the backside of the plaza, 6606 Telegraph Road, suite B, easily accessed by the rear parking lot.

Joel Schembri is the agency owner of the Bloomfield Township location in addition to Northville, Dearborn and Brownstown agencies. The general manager is Jake Hammerle. Melissa Leykauf, account manager said, “since we opened it’s been going great.”

Allstate Insurance offers property, auto, home, commercial, business and life insurance.

New sleep store Naturepedic Organic Mattress Gallery recently opened in Birmingham at 746 E. Maple Road.

The manager, Ted Metas, a Michigan native, moved from Los Angeles to open the store and has been in the mattress business for over 38 years. Naturepedic carries mattresses, toppers, sheets and pillows, and offers customers sleep options that are free of potentially harmful chemicals or allergens, such as latex, glues, and synthetic fire retardants. The cotton in Naturepedic products is U.S. grown organic cotton. Metas said for a queen-size mattress, the price ranges from $1,999 - $6,500, and prices for a king-size mattresses range from $2,399 - $8,000.

Mattresses and accessories are available for children’s beds and baby cribs, as well.

Estate jewelry coming Joseph DuMouchelle Fine & Estate Jewelers, Gemologists, Apraisers and Auctioners will be arriving in Birmingham by September, owner Joseph DuMochelle said. They will be located at 251 W. Merrill, suite 236, in the Merrillwood Building.

DuMochelle has been in business for over 21 years, and has been in the industry, working for his family, for 31 years. DuMouchelle said of the company, “We spend a lot of time on education and certification.

There’s a big difference between $10,000 and $100,000, and that’s why we’re in New York and Palm Beach, and deal with Russia, China, Dubai, England, you name

it.” This will be the second location in Michigan, the first being in Grosse Pointe. Melinda Adducci will be the manager of the new store.

Tel-Square Plaza The Tel-Square Plaza, currently under construction, will bring retail, restaurants and a medical office to the southwest corner of Telegraph and Square Lake roads in Bloomfield Township at 2510 – 2550 Telegraph Road. The plaza, owned

by A.F. Jonna Development and Management, will house a Red Olive Restaurant, a Tropical Smoothie Café, The UPS Store, AT&T, U.S. Mattress, a cleaners, and a family urgent care practice.

Stores and restaurants will be opening this summer and fall.

Red Olive Restaurant, a Michigan company composed of over 10 locations in the metroDetroit area, has a wide variety of options to choose from including breakfast specials, gourmet salads, sandwiches, gyros, burgers, and pasta and seafood dishes.

Tropical Smoothie Café, which started as a smoothie stand in Tallahassee, Florida, offers healthy smoothies and food. The smoothies come in combinations of fruit, vegetables and optional add-ons like ginger, peanut butter, 3 types of protein powders, and supplements such as a probiotic or multivitamin. The café serves breakfast wraps all day, and healthy lunch and dinner options like salads, sandwiches, and tacos. The menu identifies vegetarian and gluten free choices, and includes a kidfriendly section. This sit-down location will be equipped with a drive-thru window for hungry people on the go.

The UPS Store is a one-stop shop for packing, shipping, printing and business needs. The store will offer business card printing and wide-format printing for posters and banners. Additional services include faxing, shredding and notarizing. This franchise location is co-owned by Gary Noble and Bill Dudley, who are also owners of The UPS Stores in Birmingham and Brighton, and part-owners of the Clarkston store.

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U.S. Mattress, which offers free delivery, has 11 mattress brands to choose from, including TempurPedic, Serta, Sealy, and Simmons.

The store also sells linens, futons, daybeds, and furniture for the home, such as nightstands, dressers, and desks. This will be the fourth Michigan retail location.

The AT&T store opening in TelSquare Plaza is replacing the previous location, which was on Telegraph north of Square Lake Road.

Planet Fitness coming Planet Fitness is ready to pump you up. Their newest franchise, located in the former Ace Hardware and Damman Hardware location at 6650 Telegraph Road in the Bloomfield Plaza in Bloomfield Township, will open in July. Like other Planet Fitness locations, this gym will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fitness facility offers cardio equipment, free weights, weight resistant machines, lockers, showers, tanning beds and massage chairs.

Members can participate in fitness training sessions, and have a choice of completing a 30-minute express circuit, a 12-minute ab workout, or a half-hour body part session, where the exercises are concentrated on strengthening a particular area of the body. The circuits can be completed with or without an instructor – the procession of exercises is guided by a red light/green light system, prompting exercisers to move from machine to machine. For those who can’t wait to join, a presale office in the plaza is offering memberships in advance and a discounted enrollment fee.

Birmingham closings Bozeman Watch Co., 235 Pierce Street in Birmingham, has closed.

De Winters Antiques Art Gallery, 251 W. Merrill Street, suite 201, in Birmingham, closed.

Business Matters for the Birmingham - Bloomfield area are reported by Katie Deska. Send items for consideration to KatieDeska@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

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on a regular basis, in our August issue. AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS SCHOOL LUNCHES Ad deadline Friday, July 17.

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FACES

Lori Simon any high school students skip class, but not many skip to visit art galleries. Artist Lori Simon, a graduate of Groves High School, was one of the few who would duck out to get lost in a Birmingham gallery or the studios at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Skipping aside, Simon did have incentive to stay in the classroom. She recalls two fabulous art teachers who, as she says, “opened her eyes to abstract” and guided her as she found her way with ceramic sculptures.

Working on ceramic pieces, Simon painted, pouring glazes, used large paintbrushes, experimenting with color. The paintings she creates now, while living in Sarasota, Florida with her husband, reflect her experience with ceramics and her art history degree, which she earned in 1975 at the University of Michigan. Today, she paints on large canvases, inspired by the Abstract Expressionist movement, brushing on wide swaths of color and getting messy. Or, she creates on small squares of paper using watercolor, ink, charcoal, and graphite. She describes her paper works as “more intimate, more meditative. They’re influenced more by Japanese art and minimalist art.” Both expressions, on canvas or paper, illustrate Simon’s responses to feelings, the environment, and music.

Simon was actively an artist while young, but she took a hiatus from it while raising her family with her husband, David. In 2006, after the last of her three children graduated from high school, the couple moved from their home in Birmingham south to Sarasota, which gave her the opportunity she was seeking to reconnect with her art. Connect she did; Simon is currently a member of multiple artist organizations and is on the exhibits committee at Art Center Sarasota, where she has shown her

M

work many times over the years. More casually, Simon meets with a group of five to 10 passionate artist friends to talk about art, artists, and books about art. She said these get-togethers help her “stay inspired, and the artwork is spectacular!”

When Simon arrived in Sarasota, she converted half of the garage into a studio by laying out tarps. A year-and-a-half ago, Simon moved into a studio downtown, where she’s no longer accompanied by neighbors, but rather by her springer spaniel, Georgie. Of the move, she says “I can be involved in a more personal space. I can paint where I want to and need to go.”

Simon’s work has been exhibited in galleries, private collections and corporate environments. In 2014, she sold 15 paintings to an executive for Saks Fifth Avenue to hang in their Sarasota store. In 2015, she was commissioned by the company to create 26 pieces for the new Saks Fifth Avenue store in San Juan.

Simon was selected to participate in the documentary “The Observer & The Observed”, which was filmed in an effort to bring awareness to mental health issues. Simon was connected with a family via Sarasota Partnership for Children’s Mental Health, spent time getting to know the child, and then created a perspective painting of the child.

In thinking about her artwork and the process, Simon states, “It’s an interesting journey, you reach down inside yourself. Emotions come out and reflect on the paintings. It’s wonderful and intense all at the same time.”

Story: Katie Deska

Photo: Perry Johnson

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

POLLINATION PARTIES ON THE PATIO!

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

248.646.2220.

This summer were hosting two special wine tasting tours to celebrate our honey bees. Join us and get "pollinated on the patio!"

Tuesday, July 21, 2015 — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All tastings are $25 inclusive of tax and tip.

Attendees will receive a 20% discount bonus to dine at Big Rock before or after the tasting.* *Voucher good for the purchase of food and beverage, dine in only, must use the night of this event, no other discounts apply, non-transferrable, no cash value, not good towards 20% tip or 6% sales tax. Must make reservation prior to dining.

248.647.7774 •

bigrockchophouse.com

Present this ad for

30% off your second entrée Not valid with any other offer

LIVE JAZZ WEEKENDS CALL AHEAD SEATING RESERVATIONS FOR 5 OR MORE

PEABODY’S Dining & Spirits Est. 1975

34965 Woodward Ave Birmingham 248 644 5222 peabodysrestaurant.com 110

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

DOWNTOWN

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.

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. Reservations. Liquor. 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, Monday-Saturday. 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.

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

Liquor. 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.

07.15

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, 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, 48304.

248.647.3400.

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

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

248.792.6051.

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

185 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.540.0000 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: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

100 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7966.

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

248.253.9877.

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.

downtownpublications.com

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

Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304.

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

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

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

248.792.6200.

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

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

248.645.9123.

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

Reservations. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.333.3887.

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

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

The Gallery Restaurant: American.

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

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688.

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

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

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

34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.220.4237.

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

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

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

248.593.7881.

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

DOWNTOWN

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FRONT/BACK. Front/Back is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening in both the front of the house and back of the house in the restaurants in the metro Detroit area.

Management, chef changes Townhouse Detroit, the new venture of Birmingham Townhouse owner Jeremy Sasson slated for an early July opening, according to chief of operations Jeff Bianca, has hired Brady Pankow as the general manager of the new Detroit location. Pankow, previously the general manager of Cameron’s Steakhouse in Birmingham, will be managing a staff of 150-160, and said he’s “excited about the opportunity to grow Detroit and give great hospitality and great food to an area that deserves it.”

Cameron’s has not yet named a replacement for Pankow.

Chef Michael Barerra has been brought to Townhouse from Streetside Seafood in Birmingham, where he worked for several years. Streetside Seafood has not yet named a replacement chef. Instead, Patrick Roettele, corporate chef for Roberts Restaurant Group, has been working with the three sous chefs at Streetside, said owner Bill Roberts.

Garden, beekeeping at Big Rock Executive Chef Matthew Fitchett, who joined Big Rock Chophouse in 2014, has a simple, yet noble goal: to be a “provider of good wholesome food for the Birmingham community.” This spring, he and his staff planted an array of veggies and herbs in five on-site garden beds. As the summer months give way to bounty, Fitchett says customers can expect to see broccoli, tomatoes, radishes, beets, peas, kale, corn – “knee-high by the fourth of July,” he says, hopefully – Brussels sprouts, cabbage, pumpkins, and more. Already Fitchett is out trimming pea tendrils, tossing them in olive oil and lemon juice to make a unique side salad for patrons, and garnishing his plates with beet leaves and sprouted grains. Much of the produce harvested will be used during Big Rock’s monthly wine dinners and special events.

Big Rock also has a new bee box, which holds about 10,000 bees and is expected to yield 30 pounds of honey at the end of the season. Fitchett reassures patrons that the bee box is behind the restaurant near the train tracks, and said, “The bees are nice and humble; they don’t sting.” To learn the art of raising bees, Fitchett has been working closely with Francois Faloppa, a beekeeper who founded the Honey Bee Squad of Troy.

Once the honey is harvested in September, Fitchett said, Executive Pastry Chef Eric Voigt will use it in Big Rock recipes, and maybe even create a honey menu.

Other possibilities include selling it in the raw honeycombs or as jarred honey. Lavender, alfalfa, and buckwheat have been added to the garden to offer the bees a diverse diet, which keeps them healthy and their honey flavorful.

Chartreuse joins Detroit scene Sandy Levine, owner of The Oakland Art Novelty Company, a specialty cocktail bar in Ferndale, opened Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails with Executive Chef Doug Hewitt, formerly of Terry B’s in Dexter. Hewitt is experienced in creating seasonal farm-to-table

menus, and Levine brings an expertise in the cocktail arena. Located in Midtown Detroit in the 1920’s Park Shelton building at 15 East Kirby Street, suite D, Chartreuse is an eye-catching restaurant featuring a living wall of plants, a dried flower installation, a mural painted by a local artist, and table tops made from reclaimed wood.

Their top-selling menu item is the Twice Cooked Egg, a poached egg that’s breaded in panko crumbs then fried and served over roasted Brussels sprouts, pea tendrils and frisee, topped with salty cheese and a warm shallot vinaigrette. Another big hit is what’s called Recovery Park, a daily special named after Detroit’s RecoveryPark Farms, where the produce for that dish is grown. Each morning, Michelle Lutz, manager of RecoveryPark Farms, brings in produce and Hewitt creates that day’s selection. Although Chartreuse seats 125, the restaurant has what Levine calls “an incredibly small kitchen,” so sourcing local ingredients is not only a choice, but a logistical necessity as storage space is limited.

Of the opening, Levine said they’re “really excited to be in the neighborhood and operating. It’s been kind of a long process and now we’re able to do our real job, which is running a great restaurant.” Chartreuse opens at 5 p.m. for dinner and drinks Tuesday through Saturday, and by the beginning of July, will offer lunch Tuesdays through Fridays, as well.

Foodie chef at Peabody’s A standby of the Birmingham community, Peabody’s Restaurant, located at the southwest corner of Woodward and Maple roads, 34965 Woodward Avenue, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The restaurant, owned by sisters Susan, Barbara and Nancy Peabody, has a new executive chef. Chef Matthew Circle, 42, brings bakery experience and homestyle cooking to the restaurant. Circle, who’s a father of four, said he’s “excited to come into a place like Peabody’s that’s as family-oriented as it is.” Among other restaurants, Circle was a chef at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan, and then opened Dymaloma, a jam, jelly and bakery business in Traverse City, the name of which was created by combining the first two letters of each of his children’s names.

When creating daily specials for Peabody’s, Circle incorporates his personal recipes for specialty breads, garnish jams, pies, and more. The Pork Loin with Wild Pepper Jam, one of Circle’s 38 jam and jelly recipes, is a favorite among Peabody’s patrons. Other specials that pull from Circle’s personal recipe box include the ham and swiss sandwich on pretzel bread, topped with peach rosemary marmalade, and the French bread blossom appetizer, which is stuffed with cheese and baked. Circle was selected to be executive chef because of his culinary and business experience, his strong baking background, and the overall quality of his food. To sum up, Susan Peabody said, “He’s a great all around food guy.”

Previous Executive Chef Kelsy Peabody-Wortman, daughter of Susan Peabody, recently stepped away from the family business to open a food truck of her own in Colorado. Called Bounty for the Belly, the menu features gourmet sandwiches, salads, and sides, while focusing on locally sourced ingredients. Bounty for the Belly is stationed in Durango and travels to cater events

Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American. Dinner daily. Liquor.

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

Village Coney Island: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 653 S. Adams.

Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7964.

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

248.566.3566.

Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917 Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680.

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

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

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

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

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

Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily.

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

248.542.0082.

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

248.547.6699.

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

248.268.1621.

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

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

248.544.4749.

Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

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

248.544.2675.

D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.7400.

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

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

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

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

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

248.543.9500.

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

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.591.5459.

Local Kitchen and Bar: American.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.291.5650.

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202

E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.584.4227.

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily.

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

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

Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633.

Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

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

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

248.850.7420.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300.

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

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.1141.

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

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

248.541.1186.

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

248.544.7300/ Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444.

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

27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072.

248.548.7711.

Troy/Rochester Brookshire: American. Breakfast, daily.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Liquor.

Reservations. Liquor. Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Dr., Rochester, 48307. 248.453.8732.

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

248.218.6001.

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

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

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

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

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

248.266.6687.

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 324 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537.

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

248.619.9060.

Kruse & Muer on Main: American.

Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

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

248.646.7900.

McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

such as weddings and festivals. Peabody-Wortman, 28, earned her culinary degree from the Art Institute of Colorado in 2007, so her return out west was a natural move upon leaving metro Detroit.

Southern Comfort and cayenne pepper. The new fruit pops, called Dream Pops, will be sold at the Birmingham Farmers Market, available through a food truck owned by Maloney’s friend.

Chef promoted

Award-winner closes

Republic, located in the historic G.A.R. Building in Detroit at 1942 Grand River Avenue, has promoted Sarah Welch from sous chef to executive chef. Welch has been with Republic since it opened in February, and has replaced Kate Williams, who left the restaurant to pursue other endeavors. On their website, Republic describes the restaurant’s emphasis as “nose to tail eating.” Republic offers diners an old-world feel and a from-scratch menu, serving plates and boards topped with charcuterie, cheeses, and pickles that can be enjoyed leisurely over a few drinks.

Torino, the Ferndale restaurant located at 201 E. 9 Mile Road known for it’s prix-fixe tasting menu, served it’s final dinner Saturday, June 6. The statement released by the company explains, “We were visited by the Health Department and together we have determined that it is no longer possible to continue serving a menu of our caliber due to the current size of our facility.” Torino’s head Chef Garrett Lipar was a 2015 semifinalist for the Rising Star Chef category of the James Beard Awards. At this time, owner Noah Dorfman has not outlined any plans for a future location. To inquire about receiving a refund for a gift card, contact restaurant staff at info@torinoferndale.com or call 248-247-1370.

Management honors Lea Schofield, general manager of Bill’s in Bloomfield Hills, was named Restaurant Manager of the Year by the Michigan Restaurant Association. Schofield has been with the Roberts Restaurant Group since 2013, when proprietor Bill Roberts brought her aboard as a manager at Beverly Hills Grill, and subsequently hired her as the general manager to open Bloomfield Township’s Café ML. When it was time to open Bill’s, Roberts said, “it was a no brainer (to bring Schofield aboard) as she knew the guests in the neighborhood.”

With regard to Schofield’s award, Roberts said, “it’s all about Lea. She does a great job.”

Asked about her approach to customer service, Schofield said, “People who work with me learn from me. It’s a genuine care for hospitality, whether it’s the Kingsley 20 years ago (where she was a managing partner) or Bill’s now. Nothing about it other than I truly care about these people and I know them.” The Roberts Restaurant Group includes Bill’s, Café ML, Beverly Hills Grill, Streetside Seafood, Town Tavern, and Roadside B&G.

Mae’s sold to Whistle Stop Mae’s, the quaint yet bustling diner located at 24060 Woodward Avenue in Pleasant Ridge, is under new management and has undergone renovations, including new tile and paint. In 2010, Jessica Lundgren and Sean McCarthy opened the restaurant, and recently sold it to the owners of Birmingham’s Whistle Stop Restaurant & Bakery, Valter and Elda Xhomaqi. Elda Xhomaqi said Mae’s menu has not changed, and they will still be serving Great Lakes Coffee. One new menu addition, Xhomaqi noted, is the cinnamon buns made at Whistle Stop.

Treats for Midtown Treat Dreams, the popular homemade ice cream parlor in Ferndale, has opened a second store in Midtown Detroit, located at 4160 Cass Avenue. Owned by Scott Moloney, Treat Dreams is a bakehouse and microcreamery specializing in small batch ice creams and custom desserts. Treat Dreams also sells sorbet and vegan ice cream, and has a weekly flavor board. Some flavors they’ve come up with include Red Velvet Cupcake, Nuttin’ Better Than Bacon, Chocolate Covered Potato Chip, and Mango Unchained, made of mango,

Pop-up Intel After welcoming a baby into their lives, Matt and Corrie Tinker have re-opened Yemans Street pop-up restaurant in Hamtramck, at 2995 Yemans Street. Brunch is available every Sunday (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), no reservations needed, prepared by Chef Jeremy Kalmus, who’s cooked at Local Kitchen & Bar, NO.VI Chophouse, and is a private chef.

Dinners at Yemans Street are offered throughout the month and consist of unique menus planned and prepared by various local and national chefs. Tuesday, July 14, Yemans Street is hosting a five chef event – four are local and one is from Chicago. Graham Schave, personal chef and founder of Your Gourmet, will present dinner on Friday, July 24. Friday, July 31, Robyn Corvin, of Roberts Restaurant Group, will prepare the fare. All dinners require pre-purchase of tickets. yeamansstreet.com.

Revolver, a pop-up restaurant in Hamtramck, doesn’t take its name from the handgun, but rather from the root word, revolve, as they serve a revolving menu and host a medley of chefs. Located at 9737 Joseph Campau Avenue, the restaurant is operated by Peter Dalinowski and offers unique dinners multiple times a month, with a seating at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dinner at Revolver is approximately 4-5 courses and is prepared by a guest chef who sources fresh and local ingredients whenever possible.

Brad Greenhill, partner at Katoi, will be presenting dinner on Friday July 17; followed by Nick Janutol, executive chef at Forest Grill, on Friday, July 24; and James Rigato, partner and executive chef at Root Restaurant & Bar, on Thursday July 30. Rigato said he will be presenting a meal in the “thoughtful and adventurous style and philosophy” that embodies Mabel Gray, the restaurant that Rigato and his partner at The Root, Ed Mamou, will be opening in Hazel Park this summer. revolverhamtramck.com. Advance tickets recommended.

Front/Back is reported each month by Katie Deska.

KatieDeska@DowntownPublications.com. We welcome news items or tips, on or off the record, about what's happening in the front or back of the house at metro area restaurants.

AT THE TABLE The Laundry in Fenton worth the drive at any time

By J. March

ark Hamel and Chad Brennan in 1997 opened a small cafe and market called The French Laundry in Fenton. Yes, Fenton. And though many naysayed the idea of this concept catching fire in the sleepy town of 11,500, catch fire it did.

Zingerman’s bread, fresh pastries and coffees seemed to be just what the Fentonites were looking for and paved the way for expansion in the form of a dining room and bar. Not content to stop there, The French Laundry decided to take a stab at a bakery of its own and Crust was soon born. Still not ready to call it a day, the dining room was expanded and shortly after that, Lynchpin Brewery was added, creating quite an amazing trifecta of food, beer and baked goods. Along with these changes the French Laundry, in an attempt to become more approachable, became simply The Laundry.

Opening daily at 7 a.m., The Laundry offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you've never been, then take any common notions of breakfast or lunch out of your head. The breakfast menu offers pancakes, skillets and sandwiches that go by names like the Fat Elvis, Spanish Conquistador and Ask the Rabbi. Lunch is no different, offering over 50 sandwiches that cover almost any protein, vegetable or condiment you can imagine, including liverwurst (appropriately named The Downriver), ancho-chili roasted pepper savory jam and artichoke hearts. Throw in breads and pastries from Crust, a Lynchpin Gentleman's Blonde Ale and you've got what can only be referred to as the Laundry Triple Crown.

Having dined at The Laundry regularly for breakfast and lunch (years ago but always enjoyable), I decided to focus on dinner. I had not revisited since the expansion and was eager to see what Ron Rea had done and what new additions Chef Jody Brunori had brought to the table. A Schoolcraft graduate, Brunori has been a lover of local since her start, so much so that there is a chef's garden adjacent to the building, along with bee hives, all of which supply local vegetables, herbs and honey. Much to my pleasure, the expansion had little effect on the eclectic main dining room and bar. The once too-small bar had been elongated yet still had bar stools from vintage to current to retro and the tables that mirrored those same styles still filled the space. A skylight above with colored panel windows allowed sun to stream in and absorbed some of the sound that can quickly escalate in the main dining room. The menu had also had quite a few new additions and after a properly made Negroni, I put on my game face and got down to business.

As a big fan of small plates, I was a tad disappointed with the appetizer offerings. Not only was there not much on the list, but the whole Artichoke Dip/Pretzel/Chicken Wing thing is tired. For lack of anything better, I opted for the Grilled Oysters with a mignonette of corn, scallion and jalapeno and the Smoked Pork Bahn MI Sliders with cucumber, jalapeno, daikon, pickled carrot and cilantro. The grilled oysters (one of which was bad, clearly, visually bad) varied in size, resulting in one or two smaller ones with great texture and smoke and the vastly larger ones tasting barely grilled and displeasing in temperature. The mignonette was beyond dis-

M

Coq au vin is The Laundry’s take on a French classic. Tender boneless chicken thighs braised in a rich red wine sauce paired with Boursin mashed potatoes and vegetable du jour. Downtown photo: Laurie Tennent

mal. Not only did it consist mostly of red onions, it had no bite and I am almost absolutely certain the corn was frozen. I had to revisit it again and again simply because I would feel awful making this claim unless I was certain. All I can tell you is that if it was not frozen, it tasted like it was. The sliders were tender and tasty, but how pickled carrot, daikon, jalapeno and cilantro can offer up zero flavor is lost on me.

Once again I made the rookie mistake of ordering a Caprese salad out of season. My tomato-loving heart really wanted to believe that the tomato fairy had sprinkled some magic and the Heirlooms listed would be all I dreamed about and more. Nope. I don't think they were even Heirlooms; instead, your grocery store variety softball textured beefsteak. The burrata that accompanied it was delicious, as was the fresh basil and perfectly reduced balsamic drizzled over it. The Caesar salad had the addition of hard boiled eggs which was nice, but when the boiled egg flavor trumps the dressing, something is a-fowl.

Casual Fare is a category containing just that.

Burgers, Chicken and Waffles, Shrimp and Grits, Meatloaf..you get the picture. Once again, I passed on these common offerings and opted for a hard to find classic in the form of Coq au Vin, a seafood dish of Shrimp and Gnudi (which I had never heard of) and bartender's choice which was the Duck. The suggestion was made due to the fact that the duck was in the form of breasts rather than the "tired old confit you see everywhere". To his credit, the breasts were moist and perfectly cooked, but the fatty skin was just fatty…and thick…and rubbery and altogether not good. The cranberry quinoa was delicious, but neither the braised cabbage, nor the pomegranate sauce, had any acid or flavor, which was needed.

The Shrimp and Gnudi was off the charts. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, the gnudi (gnocchi made from ricotta) was fluffy and light with a slight char on the outside and some of the best I have ever had, if not the best. The sun-dried tomatoes, peas, crispy prosciutto and mushrooms combined salt,

earth and texture, making this about as well balanced as a dish can get.

Lastly, the Coq au Vin. Oh how I love Coq au Vin. Chicken thighs, tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, red wine carrots – peasant food at its finest and The Laundry did France proud with its perfect execution, down to the Boursin mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

From what I understand, this dish has been on the menu since the start and I can certainly see why. I can only hope the Laundry doesn't do away with this classic dish.

Again, at the suggestion of the bartender, I ordered the seasonal cream pie that was Lemon Merengue.

Once again, a classic dish prepared spot on and I fully intend to go back for the banana or the coconut that work their way into the rotation.

The bar is extensive as is the creative list of house drinks and the additional "100 Classic Cocktails" for you to peruse. Know what you want though as I overheard a patron order a drink not listed and the bartender didn't care to take the time to look it up – an egregious error in my mind.

The beer selection is extensive and includes three or four of the Lynchpin Beers, along with lots of local choices. Sadly, the wine list has taken a hit from times prior. It's smaller than ever and missing the eclectic selections offered in the past. No sparkling by the glass and dismal glass choices had me thinking that liquor is king at The Laundry now.

All in all, I think The Laundry is worth the trip. With offerings of breakfast, lunch, dinner, the bakery and the brewery, you're bound to find something pleasing.

The Laundry, 125 Shiawassee, Fenton 48430.

810.629.8852. Reservations for parties of 10 or more. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sundays. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Street parking available and handicap access.

J. March has 25 years experience in the restaurant industry in southeast Michigan, including certification as a sommelier.

come as you are

JOIN US FOR DINNER ON OUR OUTDOOR PATIO! Enjoy a casual dining experience focusing on quality food made with local ingredients.

House-smoked beef and pork along with fresh seafood, steaks, chops and bistro entrées on our relaxing outdoor patio.

Happy Hour Daily • Carry Out • Catering Special Events • Weekend Brunch HOURS: Tue – Sun for Dinner starting at 4:30 p.m.

Brunch: Saturdays and Sundays starting at 10 a.m.

248.438.6741 • www.cayagrill.com 1403 S. Commerce Rd., Wolverine Lake

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BREAKFAST LUNCH

Nearly 45 years in business Recently remodeled ember’s deli

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M-F: 7am – 8 pm Saturday – Sunday 7 am – 4 pm

3598 W. Maple Road Bloomfield Hills 48301 Maple and in the Village Knoll shopping center

248.645.1033 • www.embersdeli1.com 116

48084. 248.637.6400.

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

Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

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

248.453.5371.

Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083.

248.689.2332.

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

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

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

248.816.3424.

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

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

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

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

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

248.524.1944.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

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

248.816.8000.

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

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

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

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

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

248.652.4500.

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

248.817.2980.

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

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

West Bloomfield/Southfield Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

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

Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680.

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

Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily.

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

248.851.2500.

The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334. 248.626.2982.

The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations.

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

248.851.8782.

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

Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine.

6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081.

DOWNTOWN

Meriwether’s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

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

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

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood.

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

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.865.0500.

Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.626.8585.

Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.

538.8954.

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

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

248.855.6622.

Sweet Lorraine’s Café & Bar: American.

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

248.559.5985.

Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

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

248.737.8282.

West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean.

Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner. Reservations. Liquor.

340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381.

248.684.4223.

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

248.360.4150.

Pepino's Restaurant & Lounge: Italian.

Dinner, Tuesday - Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 118 W. Walled Lake Drive, Walled Lake, 48390.

248.624.1033.

The Root Restaurant & Bar: American.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday.

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

248.698.2400.

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

248.960.7771.

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

248.620.6100.

Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday – Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442.

248.634.5208.

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

248.795.2077.

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

Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday – Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346.

248.625.5660

07.15

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

1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.1355.

Antietam: French. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207.

313.782.4378.

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

2040 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.965.3111.

Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.961.2543.

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

100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.2622.

Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214.

313.469.0976.

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

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

The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

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

El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

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

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen CafÊ: Cajun.

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

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

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

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

2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.5588.

The Grille Midtown: Steak & Seafood.

Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892.

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

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

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

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

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

2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216.

313.309.7946.

Maccabees at Midtown: American.

Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202.

313.831.9311.

Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616.

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201.

313.974.7669.

Motor City Brewing Works: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700.

1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221.

313.863.1917.

Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226.

313.309.2499.

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch

downtownpublications.com

& Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.2100.

Roma CafĂŠ: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

3401 Riopelle St., Detroit, 48207.

313.831.5940.

Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207. 313.567.2900.

Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366.

Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055.

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214.

313.822.8000.

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.9828.

Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702.

St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216.

313.962.2121.

Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234.

Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668.

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.964.4010.

Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.782.4313.

Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.9470.

24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.964.3821.

Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.3965.

Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857.

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711.

The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, daily. Liquor.

Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700.

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1646.

Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226.

313.465.1411.

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.

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THE COMMUNITY HOUSE The Community House – Your Summer Destination As another school year closes and the summer season begins to heat up, turn to The Community House (TCH) as your resource to enjoy downtown, stay connected and provide entertainment for the whole family. Here are just a few highlights of the great summer camps, events and activities offered by The Community House.

Around the House Happenings: 2nd Annual ParkArt – A Youth Evening of the Arts TCH will host ParkArt on Friday, June 26th from 5-9 p.m. in Birmingham’s Shain Park. Sponsored by Raymond James, ParkArt is an interactive, family oriented event that allows youth to partake in hands-on art projects. The event also includes performances by TCH Youth Summer Theatre Actors and TCH Dance Academy. Refreshments are available for purchase from Eli Tea-Natural Iced Tea and Detroit Pop Shop-Gourmet Ice Pops. Admission to the event is free with a $5 per art project fee.

Wristbands for $20 include unlimited art activities and are available at tchserves.org/events/parkart-2.

Registration is not required. Proceeds from ParkArt will benefit TCH Youth Outreach Programs.

Jumbo Loans.

Jumbo Service.

Bill Seklar

Celebrate on Our Terrace this Summer The Community House’s beautiful tented terrace, the largest outdoor venue in Birmingham, offers breathtaking elegance and sophistication that can be carefully tailored to fit your every need for many occasions. From wedding and baby showers to summer celebrations, this unique venue overlooking the heart of downtown is the perfect spot to host your next event. We are excited to introduce our new white outdoor chairs specifically selected for our terrace to add the final touches to your special event. To check availability for the terrace for your summer event, please call the Events Office at 248.644.5832 or email us at events@tchserves.org.

The Top Choice for Your Luxury Home Mortgage Needs

• Loan Amounts to $1,500,000 • Competitive rates • In-house underwriting with excellent turnaround times • Portfolio Lending available

TCH Dance Academy Celebrates Its 50th Year Leap into the summer with a full selection of Youth Summer Dance Programs running from July 6 through August 6 including tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary as well as a variety of combinations. Summer Dance Camps include Frozen Camp, Inspiring Dancer Camp, and a Designs in Motion Choreography Camp.

Contact Renee Wood for more details at reneew@tchserves.org or 248.594.6415 or visit our website at tchserves.org/dance and click on Classes.

• A Private Banking atmosphere for your customers

Action Packed TCH Summer Camps Choose from exciting themes like: Theatre, Fencing, Hands-On Cooking, Fashion, Digital Photography, Zombie Response Team Training, Legos, American Girl, Become a YouTube Star, Drawing, Kids Kick Butt, Cheerleading, Safe Babysitter Training, Science, Dinosaurs, Safety Camp for Kids and so much more! For the full lineup of TCH Summer Camps, visit our website at tchserves.org or call us at 248.644.5832.

Love to Volunteer? We’d Love You to Volunteer at TCH! The Community House is looking for volunteers for many of our upcoming events. Volunteering at TCH is fun and rewarding and allows you to be a part of a dedicated group that positively impacts each and every event.

We need volunteers to act as docents for our Birmingham House Tour held on September 24. Volunteer shifts are morning or afternoon and volunteers are permitted to enjoy the Tour before or after their shift. Farm to Table Block Party Food Fest is September 12 and volunteers are needed to assist with registration. OUR TOWN Art Show & Sale is October 15-17 and volunteers are needed for registration and traffic flow. Please contact Carlotta Blue at carlottab@tchserves.org or 248.554.6594 to schedule an interview to discuss your areas of interest or visit our website at tchserves.org to submit your volunteer application.

William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House. downtownpublications.com

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FOR HOME OWNERS: Visionary Cabinetry & Design provides a fullservice design experience. From conceptual designs to materials selection, our experts help you every step of the way. We take the time to truly listen to our clients, and focus on designing a beautiful and functional space you will be proud of for years to come.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Here is the update on the recent social scene.

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

Variety, A Star is Born

Variety, A Star is Born The Michigan Celebrity Hall of Fame, which is housed at Paul Glantz’s Emagine Royal Oak and Star Lanes center, has four new members dubbed Sally Gerak The Voices of Detroit. WJR’s morning show host Paul W. Smith, Crain’s Detroit Business publisher Mary Kramer, and Fox 2 News’ Monica Gayle and Huel Perkins were inducted into the hall at a benefit for Variety, The Children’s Variety. It attracted 350 (with $350, $250 or $150 tickets) to the entertainment complex and was chaired by Debbie Wellman and Felicia Palazzola Shaw, the latter for the second year. Shaw’s heartfelt remarks explaining her and her husband’s “…passion to help children” were every bit as eloquent as the speeches of the pros being honored. But they were, of course, good, very good. And at the conclusion of the program emceed by Detroit Deputy Mayor Ike McKinnon and attorney/board member Henry Baskin, they all joined in for a long chorus of “Hello Detroit.” The partying then spread out over two levels and featured superb cuisine (think lobster tails. beef tenderloin and lamb chops), beverages, music for dancing by the Royce & Jenn Band and Breck Watt-B&B Band, casino game tables, state of the art bowling and movies galore. The glamorous, fun evening raised $150,000 dollars which includes the proceeds ($9,000) from a great raffle. The money will benefit Variety’s many programs which simply help kids regardless of the need.

HAVEN 40th Anniversary Gala HAVEN, Oakland County’s only comprehensive program for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, celebrated its 40th anniversary at the second annual Gala which attracted nearly 400 to the Troy Marriott. Guests sipped socialized and bid $22,000-plus in the silent auction before dinner. WXYZ’s Glenda Lewis hosted the program that had highlights. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell spoke about her experience having an abusive father and presented a congressional proclamation recognizing HAVEN’s anniversary. Capital Campaign co-chair Brad Simmons announced that the effort is only $300,000 short of the $5-million goal and asked people to help bring in the remaining funds. Board chair Carole Winnard Brumm thanked all and President and CEO Beth Morrison recapped the agency’s history and toasted the next 40 years, beginning with the new facility to open later this year. Auctioneer Jim Alban persuaded guests to bid $20,540 in the live auction. This brought the event total proceeds to a healthy $300,000.

Village Club Speakers Series The 59-year old Village Club’s Program Committee, which Sue Nine chairs, has a Celebrity Speaker series that has featured such notables as Gov. Rick Snyder and GM’s Mary Barra. The most recent attraction who drew a crowd of 65 was soon-to-retire Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting.

Following a succulent dinner the evening’s chair Frannie Greenebaum introduced Schlichting who mentioned the occasion was her first visit to the club and she was glad to see staunch HFHS supporters like the Mort Harrises in the audience. Her topic – Health Care- was broad. She noted that Detroit has many quality systems with a huge economic force. Then she admitted that except for the issue of access, Obamacare has been a “mixed bag…and the political turmoil continues.” Along with other topics she stressed the importance of strategic thinking, communication and collaborations. As an example of the latter she cited the new, improved patient gown designed by students at the College for Creative Studies. Schlichting also recalled that her first hospital job 45-years ago as a 15-year-old was a menial one, but it taught her a lasting lesson: “…every job is hard and every job is important.” She also said when she retires next fall “I’m going to stay right here.” Persons interested in Village Club information can find it at hevillageclub.org.

Kirk in the Hills Mission Benefit Some 170 parishioners and their guests ($75 ticket) gathered for Springtime in Paris at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian church in Bloomfield Hills. Event chairs downtownpublications.com

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4 1. Jeffrey King (left) of Birmingham, Paul W. Smith of Bloomfield, Paul Glantz of Lake Angelus.

2 Lois Shaevsky (left) of Bloomfield, Mary Kramer of Detroit. 3. Priscilla (left) & Huel Perkins of Troy and Monica Gayle & Dean Greve of W. Bloomfield. 4. Debbie Wellman (left) of Lake Orion and Felicia Shaw of Birmingham. 5. John (left) & Marcy Fikany and Kim Smith of Bloomfield. 6. Nathan (left) & Michele Mersereau of Livonia, David King of Birmingham.

7. Jim Glantz (left) of Lake Angelus, John & Annette Kolon of Bloomfield. 8. Ike McKinnon of Detroit, Jennie Cascio of Bloomfield. 9. Denise (left) & Jim Parrelly of Dearborn, Peggy & Mark Safer of Bloomfield.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Village Club Speakers Series

Sydrena Epstein and John King accented the party scene with flowers, little Eiffel towers, a flower market and French flags. Mimes and singer Pino Marelli entertained guests during the social hour as they viewed the 150 silent auction items. The French themed dinner catered by Jack Leone featured Filet Au Poivre and was accompanied by Michigan Opera Theatre singers performing songs of France. The delightful soiree raised more than $15,000 for the Kirk’s Youth Ministry and Mission in Belize.

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2 1. Nancy Schlichting (left) of Bloomfield, Susan Foley of Birmingham, Renee Peck of St. Clair Shores. 2. Joy DiCenso (left) and Barbara Whittaker of Bloomfield, Barbara Mahone of Birmingham, Rhonda Welburn of Detroit. 3. Sue Nine (left), Jackie Ong and Frannie Greenebaum of Bloomfield. 4. Sally Marx and Julian Greenebaum of Bloomfield. 5. Sheila Marsh (left), Carole Deyer, Jan Bird and Ann Park of Birmingham. 6. Linda Lang (left) and Pat Ciagne of Bloomfield, Mary Kay Heintz of Birmingham.

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Ted Lindsay Tribute From the moment friends of hockey legend Ted Lindsay received the decidedly classy invitation they knew the private benefit for the Ted Lindsay Foundation would be exceptional. It celebrated three milestones – the foundation’s 15th anniversary, Lindsay’s 50 years of retirement from the NHL, and his 90th birthday. Well wishers (430 at $150 ticket) came from near and far to the San Marino Club. They socialized big time and got their pictures taken with the nonagenarian honoree and the Stanley Cup which he won four times. Paul W. Smith emceed the program that included heartfelt remarks by TL Foundation president Lew LaPaugh, autism researcher Dr. Laura Hewitson, and Red Wings Alumni Association president Joe Kocur, who also has a non-profit foundation. The latter spoke passionately about how Lindsay has been both a mentor and a role model for the duty of retired athletes to give back to the community. He presented a framed photo of himself and Bob Probert squared off on the ice with an inscription that referenced Lindsay’s playing days nickname - “Ted, we were bad, you were Terrible. Happy Birthday!” Kocur was the only speaker other than the honoree to receive a standing ovation. Following Lindsay’s acceptance, which was filled with appreciation and words of encouragement “…to do something good for mankind,” guests danced to the music of the Johnny Trudell Orchestra. When they left all received an autographed picture of Lindsay and gifts from the generous sponsors, Roots and Kroger. The Ted Lindsay Foundation focuses on the cause and management of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Kirk in the Hills Mission Benefit

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1. Sydrena Epstein (center) of Bloomfield, Barb & Jeffery Van Dorn of Birmingham. 2. Rev. Tres Adams III (left) of Birmingham, Rev. Bob Sheldon of Bloomfield, John King of Birmingham. 3. Toni & Dale Johnson of Bloomfield. 4. Chip (left) & Bobi Tallinger of Birmingham, Dr. Carolyn Steffen of Birmingham, Jayne Dodge of Troy. 5. Ann & Phil Kneen of Bloomfield. 6. David & Nancy Lau of Bloomfield, Rev. Tres Adams III of Birmingham. 7. Sharon & Richard Heidrich of Bloomfield.

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Starfish Family Services Benefit Starfish Family Services’ 5th Annual Turning the Tide for Children event attracted more than 400 supporters to the Grand Riverview Ballroom at Cobo Center. They wined, dined and helped create an artistic mosaic for SFS’s Hiveley building. They also applauded the vocal rendition of “Feeling Good” by Dea Taipi, a former Starfish Head Starter who credits her time at there as the spark that led her to music, and this year’s Great Hearts Award honorees Rebecca Boylan and Thomas Sidlik. The event raised more than $225,000 for Starfish early childhood and parenting education.

Henry Ford Derby in the D The mint juleps were icy as more than 400 Henry Ford Health System Neuroscience Institute’s thoroughbreds flocked to the second annual Derby in the D at the Motor City Casino. Approximately 100 of them ($1,250 ticket) arrived early for a reception in the ballroom before joining the hoi polloi in the SoundBoard where the 141st race for the roses was shown on the big screen. Guests numbered more than 400 (tickets $200 & up), including a group of the Next Generation ($125-tickets) headed by Lauren Meier.

Everybody had a chance to be a winning bettor based on a simple raffle ticket system, but honorary committee member Doreen Hermelin’s name was that chosen by the luck of the draw. After the race, Dave Santia was working on a painting of Marshall Frederick’s “Spirit of Detroit” sculpture

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Incredible master suite with ample closet space, a spa-like master bath.

Truly distinctive residence that is perfectly located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, on an elevated, treed lot with a fantastic view. Chefs kitchen and luxuriously appointed master suite. Unsurpassed quality & craftsmanship. Beautifully finished lower level, in-ground pool and very private rear yard.

Exceptional in-town Birmingham home with sophisticated and beautiful finishes. Hardwood floors, custom trim work and recessed lights throughout, gourmet kitchen, luxurious master suite with fireplace. Additional 2nd floor bedrooms are all suites. Finished daylight basement with tall ceilings.

Sophisticated & impeccably maintained colonial. Chefs kitchen and magnificent master suite w/spa bath including heated floors, huge walk-in closet and gas fireplace. Convenient 2nd floor laundry. Nicely landscaped yard w/ brick paver patio and walkway. Finished lower level with ample ceiling height and 4th bedroom w/full bath.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK for the live auction while some guests checked their bids in the extensive (130 packages) silent auction. Following a splendid dinner at tables centered with red roses, the following prizes were a\warded: Best Hat Award - Suzanne Zack; Best Dressed Woman - Laurel Kalkanis; Best Bow Tie - Dr. John Popovich; Best Dressed Man - Jamar Slade.

Including the silent and live auctions and the raffle, the classy party raised nearly $300,000, giving patients the inside track to exceptional care at Henry Ford’s Neuroscience Institute which Drs. Stanton Elias and Steven Kalkanis co-direct.

Henry Ford Derby in the D

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1. Andrea (left) & Rob Levy of Franklin, Stephanie McEntee of San Francisco, CA. 2. Dr. Steven (left) and Laurel Kalkanis with Tasia and Michael Stavropoulos of Bloomfield. 3. Close up of Laurel Kalkanis of Bloomfield. 4. Sue & Dr. Bill Conway of Birmingham, Dr. Donna Shewach of Ann Arbor. 5. Zelly (left) & Dr. Tom Mikkelsen with their son Brandon of W. Bloomfield. 6. Dr. John Popvich (left) of Birmingham, Dr. Stanton Elias of Ann Arbor. 7. Best Hat winner Suzanne & Dr. Ronald Zack of Bloomfield. 8. Debra (left) & Jim Berline of W. Bloomfield and Fair Radom of Bloomfield. 9. Dr. Scott & Jennifer Dulchavsky of Birmingham, Kristen & Oren Neugebohr of Bloomfield. 10. Nick & Melanie Fells of Birmingham.

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B&G Clubs Award Luncheon

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1. J. (left) Lynn, Brady and Meg Ferron of Bloomfield, Meg’s mother Diana Day of Birmingham. 2. Mary Nunez (left) of Orchard Lake, Lynn Ferron of Bloomfield. 3. Cynthia Johnson (left) and Maureen D’Avanzo of Bloomfield, Mary Torok of Royal Oak. 4. Len Krichko of Novi, Sue Nine of Bloomfield. 5. Pat Nickol (left) of Birmingham, Holly Beth Moncher and Mary Hubacher of Bloomfield. 6. Connie McEwan (left) of Birmingham, Linda Gillum of Bloomfield. 7. Jeanne Findlater (left) of Naples, FL, Lillian Zonars of Bloomfield.

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B&G Clubs Award Luncheon For 39 years, the Women’s Association of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan has honored a woman outstanding for community service in the spirit of the award’s namesake - philanthropist Matilda R. Wilson.

This year Lynn Ferron was the honoree and nearly 100 attended the luncheon at Bloomfield Hills Country Club.

Program highlights were abundant, not the least of which was Sue Nine’s perplexity about Matilda’s appeal, in succession, to two wealthy widowers. But the remarks about and by the star of the day were the highest points. Event chair Maureen D’Avanzo recalled Lynn’s 1999 arrival on the scene and their leadership of the final Guy Fawkes Ball at Cranbrook. Retired Automotive News editor and 15-year B&G Clubs board member Peter Brown recalled how Lynn and her husband Jay lived in many different urban areas courtesy of Coopers Lybrand and all the local non-profits she has supported with time, treasure and talents. For her part, Lynn spoke most passionately of the importance of education and the different cultures where they have lived, declaring that “…volunteering was the best way to make new friends.” She got a standing ovation when she concluded, “The more we gave, the more we shared, the more we learned, the more we loved.” The event raised $15,600 for the clubs where the WA funds memberships ($50) for children in need of assistance.

CCCFA Luncheon and Fashion Show More than 300 ($150 & $250 tickets) supporters of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s Michigan Chapter convened at Knollwood Country Club for the 8th annual midday fundraiser. It was chaired by Lois Shulman, who praised the work of her co-chairs Katie Coleman and Kim Belz.

When people weren’t schmoozing before lunch they were bidding in a silent auction and buying raffle tickets ($18,000) for the large selection of donated goodies. Fox 2’s Roop Raj and Amy Andrews emceed the program that was most notable for teen Emme Coleman’s personal story about developing Irritable Bowel Disease at the age of 8 and “…feeling weird…and being…silenced by my illness.” That is until Dr. Robert Truding made her laugh and she found CCFA support. Now she wants to become a doctor and better the world.

Then the focus turned to fashion as Saks Fifth Avenue’s Ina Levinson introduced the show of Etro’s spring into fall 2015 collection as “…works of art on fabric.” Think royal blue, black & white, yellow, reds and purple in paisleys and bold prints. The crowd gave the six models enthusiastic applause.

Thanks also to generous sponsors, the event raised more than $80,000 for research and Camp Oasis, where children with IBD can enjoy a safe, supportive and fun summer week.

TCH Donor Appreciation Dinner The Community House President/CEO Bill Seklar welcomed the 135 guests gathered in the Wallace Ballroom for the annual “thank you” repast sponsored by Raymond James. Many of the people knew one another and were longtime supporters of the 92-year old meeting house 07.15

which receives no public funding. They nodded in agreement when keynote speaker “edible WOW” magazine publisher Robb Harper said he was “preaching to the choir” about philanthropy and viewed with interest the video depicting the 21st Century Leaders program. The low key spring evening evoked the following response from one of the attendees who was the guest of a donor: “This was nice. I think I’ll start giving to The Community House.

(Unlike some other local organizations) they let you know they appreciate your donation.”

WINGS’ Wine & Dine Angels Place, which provides Christian-centered lifetime homes and services for people with developmental disabilities, enjoys the support of a group named WINGS. This is an acronym for Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving Service. Their annual social for members and friends attracted a capacity crowd of 150-plus to a gathering at Kristin Jonna’s year-old Birmingham restaurant The Bird & the Bread for an evening of food and wine harmony.

As guests arrived they chatted, got a glass of wine, bought raffle tickets ($2,500 worth) and decided which of the eight donated prizes they’d like to win. Before dinner was served, Kristen welcomed all to the Elm Room, noting the room got its name from the tree-like sculptures created out of bourbon barrel staves and introduced Sommelier Michelle DeHayes. With nibbles and sips, they illustrated such pairing principles as: wine should be sweeter than the food; sweetness loves salt; bold wines like bold food; champagne goes with everything. In fact, Kristin evoked chuckles when she declared “…the best food and wine pairing is Dom Perignon and potato chips.” In addition to many new friends, the evening raised more than $18,000 for WINGS. Next on the Angels Place agenda, Teddy Pearse, Frank Jonna, Duke Scrafano and Pete Treboldi are chairing the annual Golf Classic and Dale Prentice and Bob Sparks are chairing the Tennis Classic Monday, July 20 at Pine Lake Country Club. Non-athletes are also welcome for cocktails and dinner. Call Barbara Urbiel at (248) 350-2203 or go to angelsplace.com/events.

Salvation Army Bonnets in Bloom Fifteen years ago the late June McGregor hosted a small tea benefiting her cherished Royal Oak Salvation Army Auxiliary. That event has become a delightful luncheon which attracted 233 ($45 ticket) to the Townsend. They dined at 24 unique tables, each designed by the table hostess and thus all different. Therefore, during the social hour viewing the tables competed with bidding in the extensive (135 items) silent auction. The auction raised approximately $10,000. Following lunch, auxiliary president Laurie Keller explained the auxiliary’s simple but essential expenditures. Then guest speaker Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny, who is on the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center Advisory Council, talked about the center in Romulus for women with addictions. He likened it to a life preserver for the women there.

Teach for America Detroit Gala The organization that came to Detroit five years ago to end educational inequity hosted its second annual gala at the Max Fisher Center. Seventy of the 230 guests came early for the VIP reception before all were drummed by the Cass Tech Marching Band into the Music Box for dinner.

The program that followed had highlights. Executive director Tiffany Taylor introduced a compelling video featuring TFA teachers. The three event honorees were quintessential representatives of TFA partnerships. Powerful speeches by TFA current teachers and alum teachers focused on downtownpublications.com

CCCFA Luncheon and Fashion Show

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1. Lois Shulman (left) of W. Bloomfield, Kim Belz of Northville and Katie Coleman with Emme Coleman of Bloomfield.

2. Lucia Zurkowski (center) of Bloomfield with Contessa (left) and Rosemary Bannon of Beverly Hills. 3. Susan Winton Feinberg and Harriett Fuller of Bloomfield. 4. Nancy DeAngelis (left) and Trudy Foster of Bloomfield, Jane Synnestvedt of Birmingham. 5. Jason Brown (left) of Beverly Hills, Melissa Greer of Brownstone. 6. Wendy Petherick (left) of Birmingham, Sally Marx of Bloomfield. 7. Roz Jacobson (left) and Amie Stern of Birmingham.

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TCH Donor Appreciation Dinner

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1. Ann Booth (left) and Sue Dinger of Bloomfield Hills. 2. Sean and Christina Metrose of Bloomfield Township.

3. Jeff Imerman, Birmingham, Rob Farr (TCH Board Chair), Beverly Hills, James Cristbrook, Bloomfield Hills.

4. Connie and Ian McEwan Birmingham with Bill Seklar (TCH President and CEO) of Bloomfield.

WINGS’ Wine & Dine

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1. Sally Mezey (left) of Birmingham, Kathy Martin and Diane Widlak of Bloomfield. 2. Judy Jonna (left) of Bloomfield, Anne Calice and Martha Kistler of Troy. 3. Kathy Wagoner (left) and Pam Hart of Birmingham, Kate Gladchun and Cathy Denious of Bloomfield. 4. Molly Saeli (center) of Birmingham, Wendy Powers (left) and Lauren Fisher of Bloomfield.

5. Didi Zamler (left) of Beverly Hills, Christine Provost of Birmingham, Bev Gross of Bloomfield. 6. Melana Thistlethwaite (left) of Troy, Stephanie Jelinek and Patty Binkley of Bloomfield.

DOWNTOWN

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK the Einstein-like potential of Detroit school children. A team from Detroit International Academy for Young Women got a standing ovation when they demonstrated their poetry slam work. The inspirational celebration of the TFA’s 200 teachers and 600 alumni raised nearly $100,000.

Find more information about TFA at teachforamerica.org.

Salvation Army Bonnets in Bloom

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Spring Into Belle Isle Gala Nearly 200 history buffs trekked to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle for the Detroit Historical Society’s annual spring fundraiser. Some 50 of them (benefactors with a $350 ticket) first convened at the Detroit Boat Club for a private reception. It included a tour of that historic building, which Friends of Detroit Rowing are restoring, and a rowing demonstration by some members of the boys’ team. They then joined others at the Dossin to sip cocktails in the Gothic Room. This was the opulent smoking room salvaged from the City of Detroit III, at one time the largest side-wheeler steamboat on the Great Lakes.

Before the strolling dinner in the galleries, a brief ribbon cutting ceremony renamed the Great Lakes Gallery in memory of Robert M. Dossin. Socializing, viewing the maritime exhibits and dancing to Ben Sharkey’s music in the Aaron DeRoy Hall rounded out the gala evening. It raised $100,000 for the DHS museums where admission is free.

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2 1. Barb Coslow (left) of Troy, Judy Barkel and Cathy Wright of Birmingham. 2. Kathy Kennedy (left) and Mary Ann Kennedy of Bloomfield, Mary Ann Gardella of Brighton. 3. Sandi Anderson (left) of Troy, Laurie Keller of Royal Oak, Doree Lee of Bloomfield. 4. Karen Lhyle of Birmingham holding souvenir package she gave each of her guests. 5. Shirley O’Keefe (left), Louise Sechler and Sally McBride of Bloomfield, Ellen VanderKolk of Birmingham.

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Teach for America Detroit Gala

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2015 PwC Grand Prixmiere Speaking of the island park, Mother Nature may have toyed with the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race schedule but she could not dampen the Friday night Belle Isle Conservancy benefit Grand Prixmiere event – “Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” The sold-out crowd of more than 500 attendees ($500 & up tickets) actually drove on the race course to get to the trackside party tent with openings overlooking the totally restored Scott Fountain. It was a beautiful backdrop for the cocktail reception that preceded dinner at tables dressed with black cloths topped by white lace with wheel-like circles. Program headliners included emcee WJR’s Paul W. Smith, race chairman Bud Denker, BIC president Michele Hodges and event cochairs Paula and GM VP Steve Kiefer. The latter got cheers when they announced a GM Foundation $50,000 donation which, when added to proceeds of the spectacular live auction ($600,000-plus) and big checks from generous sponsors brought the event total to nearly $1.1 million for the conservancy. For more information go to belleisleconservancy.org.

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1. Margaret Cooney-Casey (left) of Beverly Hills, Tiffany Taylor of Clinton, Twp., Dick Burstein of Bloomfield. 2. Leora & Mark Tapper of Birmingham. 3. Karen Nicklin (left) of Clarkston, Cindy Eggleton of Pleasant Ridge, Doug Ross of Birmingham. 4. Hank Cooney (left) of Beverly Hills, Peter Remington of Birmingham. 5. Kenny Lipschutz (left) and Andy Appleby of Bloomfield. 6. Maureen Roberts (left) of Bloomfield, Taylor Nelson and Carol Goss of Detroit.

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Spring Into Belle Isle Gala

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1. Diane (left) & Doug Dossin with Bob Bury of Grosse Pointe, Bobbi Polk of Bloomfield. 2. Dave (left) & Rosemary Leonard of Bloomfield, Angie & Mark Calice of Troy. 3. Prasad Mohan (left) of Royal Oak, Robert Greenstone of Bloomfield. 4. Julie (left) & Kevin Grange of Grosse Pointe, DHS trustee Ann Greenstone of Bloomfield. 5. Karen Bell (center) of Lathrup Village with Bob & Maggie Allesee of Bloomfield. 6. Mary Ann Bury (left) of Grosse Pointe, Charlene Handelman of Bloomfield. 7. Sandy McMillan (left) of Grosse Pointe, Stephen Polk of Bloomfield.

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SDP Hats Off Luncheon The hats were sensational, in panache and plentitude, at this14th annual fundraiser chaired by interior designers Lucy Earl and her daughter Nicole Withers. A record 430 guests, including a few juniors and men, flocked to the Townsend to see, be seen and financially support Suite Dreams Project’s programs. Those programs create dreamy spaces for seriously ill children. In the last 18 months alone they have done 30 bedrooms and four houses. But other programs are also embraced. And during the luncheon program emceed by SDP co-founder Kay Ponicall’s twin sister WXYZ’s Ronnie Dahl, next generation reps Lauren Boos, MacCall Appleby and Emma Ponicall told about going to Chemolingot, Kenya last summer to see the Hope Dorm. The result of an SDP partnership with an orphanage there, the simple dorm provides a haven for 64 young girls escaping FGM (female genital mutilation) so they can go to school.

Ponicall and co-founder Kris Appleby also talked about another partnership. SDP has chosen the House of Providence to benefit from donations to their team fund in the current Art Van Charity Challenge. For information about HoP, go to hehouseofprovidence.org. Like he has for all 07.15

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK SDP Hats Off Luncheon

14 annual fundraisers, David C. McKnight of Emerald City Designs did the smashing décor. And thanks also to generous sponsors, the 14th annual happening raised $118,000.

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1. Kandi Brice and Lucy Earl (left) of Bloomfield and Nicole Withers and Olivia Wither of Grosse Pointe. 2. Former Bloomfielder Diane Johnson (left) of Hilton Head, SC, Kris Appleby of Bloomfield. 3. Ronnie Dahl of Keego Harbor, Kay Ponicall of Bloomfield, Karen Buscemi of Rochester Hills. 4. Samar Ajluni (left), Dayna Durant and Monica Miller of Bloomfield. 5. Christie Couche of Bloomfield. 6. Brooke Toma (left), Renee Zawaideh and Renee Achoo of Birmingham. 7. Janine Shaman (left) of Birmingham, Sania Najjar of Bloomfield. 8. Cheryl Hall Lindsay (left) of W. Bloomfield, Laura Keziah of Bloomfield. 9. Joann Gordon (left) and Tracey Nystrom of Bloomfield, Chrissy Krempel of Birmingham. 10. Lily (left) and Jillian Shaman of Birmingham, Avery Appleby and Maria Schultz of Bloomfield.

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Karmanos Rooftop Garden Party “I grow people, Pete grows gardens,” declared Danialle Karmanos, mother of four boys. She was talking to the 50 Garden Party guests gathered in the rooftop garden adjacent to Beaumont’s Karmanos Center for Natural Birth. It was co-hosted by the generous and dynamic couple and Beaumont’s new CEO John Fox and his wife Julie. The center opened last fall and, according to Beaumont Foundation president Margaret Cooney Casey, it enjoys a 99 percent patient satisfaction rate. But Pete was not satisfied with the view from the patients’ windows of the utilitarian, gravel covered rooftop. “We need a garden” he opined, and wrote another check for $1 million to create one. That’s in addition to the $6 million the center cost.

Casey lauded the Karmanos’ as “…the best of philanthropy,” noting that they also bankrolled natural birth training for the RNs. And as guests, including a mother who had given birth there and her baby in a stroller, sipped champagne and Forte Belanger hors d’oeuvres, Pete Karmanos the visionary master gardener said, “The Beaumont people did a fantastic job.”

AAUW Scholarship Luncheon

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1. Patty Orlowski (left) of Troy, Carol Pyke of Bloomfield, Karen Boyk of Rochester Hills and Eileen Hitz of Beverly Hills. 2. Sue Longstreet (left) and Kathy Rice of Bloomfield. 3. Colette Stager (left) of Troy and Joanne Brown of Bloomfield with Karen Rutherford of Rochester Hills. 4. Liz Sellers (left) of Birmingham and Andrea Pawelkowski of White Lake. 5. Peggy Werner (left) of Bloomfield, Loretta Miro of Birmingham.

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Karmanos Rooftop Garden Party

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1. New Beaumont CEO John Fox (left) of Bloomfield, foundation CEO Margaret Cooney Casey of Beverly Hill, Pete Karmanos of Orchard Lake. 2. Julie Fox (left) of Bloomfield, Danialle Karmanos of Orchard Lake, Gretchen Davidson of Birmingham. 3. Lexa Leatherdale (left) of Bloomfield, Ethan Davidson of Birmingham, Suzi & Mark Moceri of Bloomfield.

4. Stephen (left) & Nicole Eisenberg of Bloomfield, Tom Anderson of Royal Oak. 5. Paul W. & Kim Smith of Bloomfield.

Sunset at the Zoo Benefactor Bash

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1. Ashley Crain (left) and Kelle Ilitch of Bloomfield. 2. KC Crain (left), Henrik & Emma Zetterberg, Stephan Huber of Bloomfield, Ethan Davidson of Birmingham. 3. Jim Hayes & Denise Abrash of Bloomfield. 4. Cynthia Ford (center) of Grosse Pointe, Fair Radom (left) and Bonnie Larson of Bloomfield. 5. Stuart Robbins (left), Bobbi Polk, Joyce Robbins and Stephen Polk of Bloomfield.

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AAUW Scholarship Luncheon Patty Orlowski chaired the American Association of University Women Birmingham Branch Foundation’s annual scholarship luncheon Baubles and Bows. It attracted nearly 150 ($50 ticket) women to Pine Lake Country Club. The main activity before dining was deciding which of the goodie-filled baskets created by the club’s study groups one wished to win in the raffle. While pianist Curtis Posuniak made beautiful music, the club kitchen served an especially appealing luncheon featuring a succulent, rice-stuffed chicken roll presented to resemble a lobster tail. Karen Boyk’s humor made the raffle draw and distribution enjoyable even if one was not a winner. Karen Linnell won the 52-card raffle prize of a week at Shanty Creek Resort.

Franklin Village Boutique’s Jane Roberts and Judy Shanenga gave lively commentary on the accessories modeled by AAUW members, and Emma Van Slembrouck of Simply the Best Boutiques demonstrated scarf tying techniques. The event netted more than $7,250 for college scholarships. The group’s annual Book Sale is in September. For AAUW information, go to birmingham-mi.aauw.net.

Sunset at the Zoo Benefactor Bash More than 100 Sunset at the Zoo benefactors ($750 ticket) convened for the annual Benefactor Bash hosted by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, his wife Lori Maher and Suzy and Burt Farbman, president of the Detroit Zoological Commission. Guests dined on skewered shrimp and scallops, beef tenderloin sliders, watermelon salad, pesto ziti and marinated artichokes from The Roostertail.

Music lured partygoers through the residence and out onto the terrace overlooking the swimming pool and the Detroit River beyond. Socializing paused for gift presentations that reflected the Sunset theme - Summer Chill. It celebrates the Polk Penguin Conservation Center to be completed in 2016 thanks to Stephen Polk’s record-breaking donation of $10 million. Mayor Duggn’s gift was a penguin topiary. The Farbman’s got a crystal penguin sculpture. All guests got penguin cookies and a plush penguin to take home.

Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390.

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ENDNOTE

The secret regional water authority talks ooperation across the region is usually something we applaud. However, the recent news that the Great Lakes Water Authority had signed a lease to take over the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department's (DWSD) utility, including all of its debts and unfunded liabilities, as well as a water bill assistance program, has not only left us perplexed but also greatly disturbed at the secrecy in which the entire process had been shrouded.

To provide some context, there have been talks for years about creating an alliance or some way of sharing in the decision-making at the (DWSD), from where a majority of Oakland County residents receive their water. Regional leaders have felt that the DWSD has not been well run, nor has its infrastructure been maintained, and they have sought through a number of state legislative efforts to gain a voice at the table for services their residents receive. Detroit consistently fought outside involvement and control, and in 2014, during the Detroit bankruptcy proceedings, federal Judge Sean Cox was appointed as mediator to help Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties and the state of Michigan hash out issues with the city. Cox immediately instituted a gag order upon all parties, preventing any word of how the four entities were reconciling their differences from becoming public, or if there would be a regional authority to provide water and sewer to residents and businesses, and how we would all be billed.

Frankly, we're appalled this mediation was permitted to continue for so long, and we're disappointed that Oakland County executive government representatives, such as L. Brooks

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Patterson, Bob Daddow and Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, willingly participated and did not walk away from dealings that, while not illicit, did not pass the smell test. This was a bad example of how government should operate. Doing the active work of government completely in secret is simply bad public policy.

On June 12, after fits and starts, a new water authority was formalized by a vote of 5-1, with only Macomb County voting against it. Under the deal, Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties will lease the city of Detroit's water system for 40 years for $50 million a year. The water department provides water to Detroit along with 127 communities, and sewer services to Detroit and 76 communities.

Now that the deal has been voted on, information has been revealed that water department officials released a feasibility study indicating that a new water authority could sustain $50 million annual lease payments to Detroit, along with contributing about another $50 million a year to city pensions and funding a water bill assistance program for those unable to pay their water bills. The city of Highland Park, which has a $25 million debt to the the DWSD, may also be included in the deal. To meet those payments, Plante Moran, which conducted the study, said the water authority revenues would need to be raised beyond the maximum four percent at which we all were led to believe would be the annual cap – at least until the talks were made secret. Expect to pay much more for water and sewer in the years to come, quite possibly as high as 10 percent, but then who knows – we were all shut out from the decision process.

There are a few conditions that still must be met before this is a complete deal, such as customer communities agreeing to assign their DWSD contracts to the new authority; agreement between Detroit and the Detroit General Retirement System to manage pension obligations; the authority must get at least 51 percent of bondholders to agree to the transfer of the regional asset and bond obligation from DWSD; bond rating agencies have to confirm ratings on the bonds it’s assuming; and a bond ordinance is needed to mirror the existing bond ordinance. Failing that, then the whole agreement will be moot.

Macomb voted against the deal because county executive Mark Hackel said studies appear to show lease costs of closer to $90 million a year – which will be passed on to residents. Hackel said he believes the deal is a bad deal, with potential 10 percent annual increases, and we agree with him. To his credit, Hackel refused to be part of secret talks about a clearly public issue like a regional water authority.

Come January 1, when the new authority is slated to come into full effect, not only will the cost of transporting water to local communities go up – significantly – under this deal, but we all will be paying long term for the debt and unfunded liabilities incurred by DWSD over decades. Was this the best deal our government leaders could come up with? Perhaps. But we, citizens of Oakland County, will never really know, because the lack of transparency in the process prevented us from seeing, and understanding, how the sausage was being made.

Getting marijuana business under control ichigan's medical marijuana business is growing like a weed, one which local municipalities would be wise to get under some form of local control before it's too late, or costly.

In case you haven't heard, Michigan voters in 2008 approved a state law legalizing the use of marijuana for certain medicinal purposes. Patients using marijuana must meet certain criteria and apply for a medical marijuana registry identification card with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Those who receive cards can grow up to 12 marijuana plants themselves, or if they prefer, have a caregiver licensed by LARA grow their plants for them. Under the law, caregivers may grow up to 72 plants, which includes a dozen per patient, plus an additional 12 for themselves as patients.

There are 33,395 active, registered caregivers in Michigan as of June 17, according to LARA, up from 27,046 in 2013, with no signs of a decrease. As the number of caregivers increases, so does the demand for facilities to conduct grow operations, which are a protected activity in accordance with state law. In fact, the Michigan Supreme Court in 2014 ruled local governments can't prohibit actions protected under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA).

Of course, none of the above information is new for

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public officials in the city of Birmingham, where the city's zoning ordinance attempting to prohibit grow facilities was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union, and ultimately found to be unconstitutional under Michigan law. Despite the city's attorney confirming that the ordinance isn't enforceable, the city's planning director continues to regard medical marijuana as a prohibited use as the city's planning board continues to drag its feet to amend the land use zoning ordinance to comply with state law, thus opening the city to potential lawsuits.

While the ordinance has yet to be challenged in Birmingham, it seems inevitable that someone will force the issue there or in other municipalities that have previously attempted to keep medical marijuana operations out through zoning ordinances.

By and large, the majority of medical marijuana growing operations are conducted in accordance with state law. Failing to do so would result in financial and criminal penalties. However, concerns about such facilities often stem from the strong, distinctive odor wafting from just such a facility, and the high potential for them to be targeted by criminals looking to steal and sell equipment and plants.

The most effective way for municipalities to address such concerns is through carefully crafted

zoning ordinances. Instead of blocking such facilities, it would better serve communities to provide thoughtful regulations that address concerns of the community. That was just what Commerce Township recently attempted in approving their recent zoning ordinance, a community which has about 40 active grow facilities.

Under the Commerce Township zoning ordinance, medical marijuana cultivation facilities are permitted under special use zoning, and are required to meet several requirements, including standards regarding security, safety and other issues. And, while proponents and operators of the facilities voiced concern about some requirements being overly burdensome, the township indicated it would maintain an open dialogue to address concerns.

We feel taking a proactive approach to addressing medical marijuana grow facilities is a direction that Birmingham, as well as other municipalities dealing with the issue, should move on soon, rather than later.

Birmingham's reluctance to follow the state's MMMA has already resulted in one lawsuit. We doubt it will be much longer before the issue is passed around to another party that will challenge the city. It would be a costly lesson to learn, and one that can be prevented.

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