The 'Ville - November 2019

November 2019 | Vol.2 | Issue 11

Northville’s News and Lifestyle Magazine

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northville 6ibe Bobby Lewis and daughter Gia Warner share musical journey

NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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LOCAL Matters!

Please send checks, cash or lucky charms to: Journeyman Publishing 16435 Franklin Northville, MI 48168

Volume 2 Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2019 16435 Franklin, Northville, MI 48168 • 734.716.0783 • TheVilleMagazine@gmail.com

Kurt Kuban – Editor/Publisher

Kurt Kuban is an award-winning journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers and magazines, including The Northville Record, over the course of a career spanning more than two decades. Kurt lives in Northville with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children, who all attend Northville Public Schools.

Craig Wheeler – Creative Director

Craig has been in the creative industry for over 25 years. He has developed a diverse background in that time, but publication design has been his passion during the past 16 years. Craig enjoys cycling, running, wine tasting, his beloved Boston Terrier and an unhealthy addiction to movies.

Michele Fecht – Writer

Michele Fecht is a longtime journalist whose first post-college reporter position was at The Northville Record before moving on to The Detroit News. A 30-plus year resident of the City of Northville and historic (old) house owner, she is an author, researcher, local history enthusiast, and community activist/advocate.

Brad Emons - Writer

Thank you!

Over the course of his four decades with the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, Brad established himself as one of the preeminent prep sports reporters in the state, winning many journalism awards along the way. His greatest joy is interviewing local athletes and coaches, and reporting on their efforts.

Publisher

maria taylor – Writer

Here is a list of people who contributed to local journalism last month. We appreciate your support!

Merl and Marion Grueber

Jerol and Karen Olson

Dave and Susan Gutman

Barbara Straith

Mary Kay LeFevre

ADVERTISE The ‘Ville is mailed directly to every address in Northville – nearly 21,000 in all. To advertise contact us at:

(734) 716-0783 or

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Maria has edited Michigan History and The Active Learner magazines and reported for The Northville Record, Novi News, and Farmington Observer and (currently) BNP Media. She lives in Farmington and, as a self-avowed history nerd, routinely risks her life by standing in the middle of Grand River to take photos of old buildings.

Lonnie Huhman - Writer

Lonnie graduated from EMU with a degree in creative writing. He is a longtime newspaper reporter, including two stints with The Northville Record. He is now a freelance reporter for a number of publications, including The Sun Times News in Dexter, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He is glad to be back covering the Northville community.

Bill Bresler - Photographer

Bill lied his way onto his high school's yearbook staff in 1971 and has worked as a photographer ever since. He recently retired after 39 years with Hometown Life, a newspaper group that includes the Northville Record. He's won many journalism awards for his work, and taught photography at Madonna University. According to Bill's wife, he's too young to retire, so he's happy to be part of The 'Ville.

Jenny Pearsall – Graphic Designer

Jenny has been in the design and print industry for more than 20 years, holding various positions in graphic design, large format and trade show graphics, print buying, production and print management. One of her favorite memories is working for Colorquik Graphix in the historic Water Wheel building in downtown Northville.

The ‘Ville is a product of Journeyman Publishing, which assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information. Any form of reproduction of any content in this publication without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Comments are welcome at thevillemagazine@gmail.com.

A View From The ‘Ville

Our Parks, Our Future I n mid-October I was able to get away for a couple days up to Grand Marais in the U.P. The small town straddles a beautiful little bay on Lake Superior and is one of the gateways into Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a national treasure that every Michigander should visit.

If you want to feel small and insignificant stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon or in a grove of 2,000-year-old redwood trees in California. It is the same feeling you get standing on the shore of Lake Superior when the gales of November come early (as Gordon Lightfoot so aptly penned). Lake Gitche Gumee – its name from the Ojibwe people -- is vast, powerful and unforgiving.

I happened to be there on just one of those days. As the relentless winds lashed my face with rain and sand from the beach, and the ferocious waves pounded the shoreline, I realized just how fortunate we are to live in a state – and a nation – that

invested in parks and protecting our special places for all future generations. You don’t get that feeling watching television or playing a video game on your phone.

That is definitely the case here in Northville, where we benefit from the fact that we have an abundance of city, township, county and even state parkland within our borders. These parks offer us incredible recreational opportunities, help improve our air and water quality, and beautify our landscape – especially at this time of year when their fall foliage is ablaze with color.

That’s why we at The ‘Ville are so torn about Wayne County’s plan to sell off publicly-owned historical landmarks and adjoining park land. Check out our latest story by reporter Matt Jachman (Page 16).

While none of the three properties – Phoenix Mill, Wilcox Mill (both in Plymouth) and the Newburgh Mill (in

Livonia) – are in Northville, we should still be concerned.

We have plenty of Wayne County parkland in Northville.

After the current sales go through, Construction workers completing the Newburgh Dam in 1933. what’s to stop the sell-off of approved. You have to wonder more land by the county? why, then, we are in the selling There is no question the mode. In fact, one of the stated county has allowed Henry Ford’s goals of the millage was to old mills to deteriorate so much purchase more park land. you almost welcome somebody Ironically, this year marks coming in and saving them. the 100th anniversary of the Northville’s Rick Cox, who owns Wayne County Parks system, an the Water Wheel Centre, has incredible legacy we should be already purchased the Phoenix nurturing. Selling off that legacy Mill and we have no doubt will do is nothing to celebrate. an amazing job restoring it.

The reality though is the county, through a voter approved Kurt Kuban is editor and park millage, has collected publisher of The ‘Ville. He more than $245 million since welcomes your feedback at 1996 when the millage was first kurtkuban@gmail.com.

Your Voice: Letters to the Editor 4 Mission Accomplished: Snider retires from township 10 Past Tense: Northville’s matriarch Mary Ware 12 Sale of historic mills meets resistance 16 High School Confidential 22

State Champs

6

The Northville Vibe

18

Citizens group wants more influence 33

A Sweet Story

24

ON THE COVER: The father/daughter team of Bobby Lewis and Gia Warner perform a recent gig.

Photo by Bill Bresler

It’s Your Business: UPS Store 34 On The Road with The ‘Ville 35 Dishin’ With Denise 36

Your Voice MacDonald Ford site is best Expand elsewhere

Find another location

I implore the US Postal Service not to consider expanding the Northville Post Office to include the property behind the building, which encompasses the Art House and the Dog Park. These two downtown entities service hundreds of people, particularly the Art House. A group of volunteers opened it up in 2005 with sole financial responsibility to maintain the building for the city.

Since then, we have offered hundreds of classes and workshops to adults, teens and children within the community. Since 2005, our volunteer Exhibit Committee has sponsored monthly exhibits, which have gotten acclaim throughout metropolitan Detroit. In fact, we have been called a “hidden gem in Northville” by major media publications. Our teachers now serve NPS elementary schools by offering after school art programs. In addition, we also offer specialized art programs to people with Parkinson’s disease and have been reaching out to our local Living and Learning Center to assist with the autistic population.

We do not have the financial means to re-locate if this expansion takes place. Hundreds of people will be affected if we have to close our doors, including those who already have limited facilities to help them with

their disabilities. The Northville Art House and Dog Park have been serving the cultural, artistic, social and physical needs of this community for years, contributing greatly to a better quality of life for our community. We are unique and cannot be found in most communities.

As a Northville resident, it is my sincere hope that the Post Office is able to find another location as a distribution center for our postal needs that does not affect the unique value that the Art House and Dog Park offer to our community.

Sue Taylor Chairperson Northville Arts Commission

What about old mill site?

How about the abandoned former Ford plant on the corner of Mill Street and Northville Road for a new Post Office location? This is beyond the one mile distance from the current location, but the truck traffic would be bothersome to fewer people and at the same time renovate a historical, unused and unsightly building. We actually often use the Plymouth Township Post Office in order to avoid the crowded, claustrophobic conditions at the Northville Post Office.

Dave Bartel

SOUND OFF 4 The ‘Ville

First let me compliment you on your wonderful magazine. I look forward to reading it when it comes to my house.

Now about the Post Office. If so much room is needed for its future, I would suggest the old MacDonald Ford site. It is large and currently unused, and would seem a good place for all the storage and parking they would need. It would be a shame to use valuable downtown property, especially at the location the Post Office now occupies. To jeopardize the Art House and the Dog Park, not to mention the beautiful, historical burial ground seems imprudent.

I recently attended a lecture about birds and their migratory patterns at Post-Detroit. It is a wonderful vehicle for artisans and workshops. It is in a former Post Office, which is now privately owned and is a wonderful facility. I would like to suggest the Northville Post Office site be used in this manner. An entire art center, workshops and lecture area could be developed. Surely, some local investors could be found who would be interested in developing this space.

Check out post-detroit.com or better yet, visit it if you can. You will be impressed.

I was an early member/chair of the Northville Arts Commission when the Art House was just a dream. It is wonderful to see its success. I would hate to see us lose this.

Jackie Murray

Relocate Post Office

Having read your thoughtful story in the October issue, I am writing to support relocation to the old McDonald Ford location because it is underused open space, and would divert the USPS traffic away from the Northville Historic District.

Susan Greenlee

I do think Northville’s post office should be expanded. The location I would choose is on 7 Mile Road, near the antique mall. It used to be an A & P grocery store, so it is large enough for postal operations.

Jim McBreen

Think big with Downs

We should not constrain our ideas about the Downs property to fit current zoning ordinances or master plans that will eventually settle for concentrated housing. The Downs property is uniquely situated to be the Welcome Center of Northville, Northville Township, and Hines Park.

If the property is developed as a PUD, it will become hidden and forgotten. We should think of this property as a shared destination similar to Mill Race and Hines Park that were gifted to us by big thinkers like Henry Ford and Edward Hines/ Cass Benton. Their gifts are now a large part of our community and identity. We need to enable our leaders to think big like their predecessors and make big things happen that add to our community and brighten our future.

John Kargilis Northville Township

Please submit your letters by emailing Editor Kurt Kuban at kurtkuban@gmail.com.

Letters must be 150 words or less. We reserve the right to edit all letters.

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Sophomore Megha Vallabhaneni averaged 78.8 strokes per 18 holes this season.

Simply Dominant

Freshman sensation Samantha Coleman earned a top 15 finish at the state finals.

Mustangs make it look easy with second straight state girls golf title

By Brad Emons | Photos by Debra Stein

S

ometimes a blockbuster movie simply doesn’t require a sequel, but that’s not the case when it comes to the Northville High girls golf program.

The Mustangs did it Lethal Weapon 2-style on Oct. 18-19 when they repeated as MHSAA Division 1 champions with another dominating performance, recording a 32-

This year’s Northville Division 1 girls championship golf team included (from left) coach Chris Cronin, Katelyn Tokarz, Sedona Shipka, Sufna Gill, Megha Vallabhaneni and Samantha Coleman.

6 The ‘Ville

shot victory over runner-up Grosse Pointe South after a 31-shot victory in the 2018 finals over Plymouth.

Dominating is the only way to describe the sequel in 2019 as Northville captured every tournament it entered including a 23-stroke margin of victory in the Regional 2 tourney at the Links of Novi, along with margins of 28 and 31 strokes over Brighton and Plymouth, respectively, in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association preseason and postseason tourneys.

“I would kind of describe it as kind of euphoric, just the perfect way to end a perfect undefeated season with our ‘A’ team,” senior captain Sedona Shipka said. “Just the way everything played out in the end . . . I can’t picture a better ending.”

Northville shot 322 on the

opening day of the MHSAA finals and went 324 on the second day to clinch the title for a four-player total of 646. South went 336-342-678 to place a distant second while Plymouth was third was a 352-338-690.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY Shipka, a holdover from the 2018 state championship team, led the way when she tied for ninth with a 79-79-158 total.

“Sedona really arose up this tournament,” Northville thirdyear coach Chris Cronin said.

“She finishes ninth and plays the most consistent golf of her whole career without a doubt.

She did it on the big stage, right time and I’m so happy for that kid.”

During the offseason, Shipka was dealing with a severe lower back injury, which put her season in limbo. She suffered the torque rotation injury

following the 2018 D1 finals where she struggled shooting an 81-89-170.

After undergoing X-rays from a chiropractor in June, Shipka began doing core workouts to build up her back muscles while trying to maintain her swing rotation.

“It was a really tough recovery because technically it was kind of impossible to fix it within three months before golf season started,” said Shipka, who was also Northville’s top regional finisher in third place.

“What I really focused on was making sure my personal health was better and that is truly what improved my game.

Because when I prioritize -- that personal health over my golf game – I became stronger and my distances got farther. I was able to focus better.”

Along with Shipka’s ninthplace showing, the Mustangs had four players finish in the

top 15 including fellow senior captain Sufna Gill (80-81-161), junior Katelyn Tokarz (79-85164) and freshman sensation Samantha Coleman (84-81-165).

Megha Vallabhaneni, a sophomore, added an 83-87-170.

Tokarz posted the team’s top average per 18 holes during the season with a 77.3 followed by Vallabhaneni (78.8), Coleman (80.73), Shipka (80.4) and Gill (82.3).

“We really did it with consistency and we really did it all year,” Cronin said. “We’d have kids go out and shoot a low score. Tokarz was able to go under-par at Mason (Invitational) and Megha won a number of tournaments this year and shot either near par or close to it. Our M.O. as a team is our depth and we have girls who shoot five-, six- or eight over par. Our average is 323. We were just above 80 as a team average.

That was good enough to win by

Senior captain Sufna Gill was Northville’s second best finisher at the D1 finals with a 161 total.

30 strokes this year.”

One fellow KLAA coach who knows a thing or two about winning state championships is Plymouth coach Dan Young, who guided the Wildcats to back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, along with a runner-up finish in 2018 and a third in 2019.

“They have great depth and they do a great job of going about their business trying not to get in their own way,” Young said of the Mustangs.

“And Chris does a good job with numbers and keeping the girls grounded and on an even keel.

And they obviously have a lot of experience, too. And they’re a bunch of nice girls, and coach Cronin does a good job of trying to get the girls be a good team.”

Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West Course – the site of this year’s finals -- proved to be a tough test and track.

The greens were hard and fast coupled with a difficult rough and well-placed traps to go along with plenty of red stakes and hazards.

“I personally think it was the hardest ‘states’ course I’ve played,” said Shipka, who celebrated the team’s second straight title by heading to her favorite eatery, Panera Bread.

“And I played three different ones. I would say this was the hardest due to its extremely fast greens and it was a very narrow course, too.”

TEAM CAMARADERIE Afterwards, the Northville players all gathered on the 18th green to celebrate, take photos and congratulate the other teams who were also in the midst of finishing their rounds.

Team chemistry and team camaraderie were keys to repeating. Shipka, Gill and

Junior Katelyn Tokarz averaged a team-best 77.3 strokes for the Mustangs.

Paige Malloy served as the team captains this season.

“I think this year was the best for team bonding,” Shipka said. “I think the captains and I focused on making sure the underclassmen felt involved and we really focused on that bonding because I believe being there for your teammates made us successful and a D1 championship team.”

The Mustangs had to replace two of their top scorers from a year ago.

Among those losses included Super Team All-Stater Nicole Whatley, who finished fourth individually in the 2018 D1 finals as a sophomore before relocating to Mount Pleasant, S.C. (She is committed to play in 2021 for the University of Indianapolis.)

Meanwhile, the lone starter

Golf continued on page 8

The ‘Ville 7

Golf Continued from page 7

change,” Cronin said. “Sufna and Sedona will be really tough to replace. It’s hard because of their experience. They both had three years playing in the

lost to graduation was Mariella Simoncini, now a member of the Oakland University team.

Despite those two huge losses, the Mustangs simply reloaded.

“You hate to lose a player of Nicole’s caliber, but we’re just a different team,” Cronin said. “We’re a team that’s got Senior captain Sedona a two- or threeShipka saved her player, which best for last in the D1 finals with a top ten would have individual finish. been Nicole, but we just state finals. And one of the have a lot of quality golfers. things I was starting to notice “The formula that we have in with kids in high school golf is place is different than any other they can play a lot of golf and team in the state. That’s really a lot of tournaments, but the what differentiates us right state finals there’s another level now. We’re able to roll five girls of pressure. And until you get who can play really good golf in and play it one time, it can in any combination. It’s kind be challenging. We saw some of unique. We don’t have the golfers put up some really big top-end stars, but we don’t need numbers on Day One and came them because everybody chips back and played a lot better.” in. Everybody contributes.”

Is another sequel in the works for 2020? The Empire THREE-PEAT? Strikes Back III might be the Meanwhile, the future theme as three of the team’s top remains bright for the five return.

Mustangs, who also return “Avi and Haesol look like sophomore Haesol Park (82.7 the obvious replacements and average) and freshman Avi Gill we’ll compete in the same way (83.1 average). we did this year,” Cronin said.

The two All-Conference “Lauren McGowan ( junior) is a players finished eighth and really solid player and we’ll have ninth overall, respectively, in other kids step up. I’m excited the combined KLAA preseason about our chances, let’s put it and postseason tourneys. that way.”

“The formula doesn’t

8 The ‘Ville

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n o i s ‘Mis plished’ m o c Ac cades e d e e r fter th p a r e e a car h townshi t i man s l l t a i c e Huh w i r n s e n e d o l o Sni

By L ship r r e d a of le

W

hen Chip Snider first came to Northville Township, he was attracted by what he saw as a lot of positives and potential.

“I came to Northville with the sense this was an emerging township with professional constituents and an opportunity to serve their needs by Snider developing an absolute stellar professional leadership team to develop a community with great services, great schools and hope for a strong future,” said Northville’s longtime township manager.

Nearly three decades later, Snider is leaving on his own terms. He decided last month to retire after more than 29 years with Northville Township.

While some had an inkling of his plans, Snider surprised many at Township Hall, formally announcing his retirement via an email to township board members at the end of the work day on Oct. 10, which began

10 The ‘Ville

“Good Bye to All.” This gave him a chance to let them know how he feels about what he is leaving behind.

“I have had no greater honor or pleasure than to serve the remarkably talented and committed men and women who comprise the finest municipal team ever working and collaborating for the Charter Township of Northville,” he wrote in the email.

Most of the board members expressed sadness, with several calling Snider a mentor and wonderful leader. Township Supervisor Bob Nix said Snider has made an indelible impact on generations of professionals at Northville Township.

“We sincerely regret losing Chip Snider as our township manager,” Nix said. “He has served the township for almost 30 years and has left a legacy of servant leadership, loyalty, excellence, uncompromising

Chip Snider enjoying his first day of retirement after nearly 30 years with Northville Township.

ethical standards and created a desirable community. No one will be able to fill his shoes. Words are completely inadequate to express the gratitude of the township for leadership and service. On behalf of the board and staff, we thank Chip and wish him well on your retirement.”

Prior to being township manager, Snider served as a police chief with four agencies, in three counties - Clinton, Milan, Plymouth Township, and in Northville Township. He started his career with the City of Farmington in April 1971, after serving two years in the Marine Corps (1969-1971).

Northville Township hired Snider to head the police department around the same time it hired Debra Wilhelm, who served as human resources manager and assistant township manager since 2016. She was a major part of Snider’s administration over the years.

Wilhelm joined Northville Township in July 1993 and has a solid background in administration, organizational development and human resource management.

Snider recommended that the board hire Wilhelm to replace him – and the board unanimously approved the move. She began serving as the interim township manager on Oct. 18. But her time in the role will be short, as she herself will be retiring in December.

Upon her retirement,

Debra Wilhelm is the interim township manager.

Todd Mutchler, Northville Township’s current Director of Public Safety, will then serve as township manager.

Snider leaves some huge shoes to fill. His many contributions to the township

include organizationally restructuring the Northville Township Police Department and Fire Department to a nominally consolidated Public Safety Department.

But he often said his most important role was to recruit a professional staff that provided top notch services to residents.

He said he will miss working with them most.

He also had praise for the township board members over the years, for having confidence in him and supporting his recommendation to promote Wilhelm.

He said the Board of Trustees “trusted the judgment of myself and the assistant manager on human resources decisions while pushing our expectations

higher, and keeping our goals lofty but not out of reach.”

He said merging the talent into a team was the “vision of the Board of Trustees and I was grateful to be a part Todd Mutchler of that. I am confident with Debra’s succession plan our township will continue to thrive for years to come by emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining future leadership.”

In announcing the

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retirement, the message out of Township Hall emphasized Snider’s importance.

“Chip Snider’s greatest honor was to recruit and serve the remarkably talented men and women who he credits as the finest team working for the Charter Township of Northville,” the township said in a prepared statement. “With the trust and support of the Board of Trustees Manager

Snider’s succession planning has prepared us for this day with confidence and strength.”

Now as Snider moves on to the next phase in his life, he looks back and again notes the positives and great potential in Northville Township.

“The township has a staff of servant leaders second to none,” he said. “The township board crafts the right vision and the professional staff gets it done right. Mission accomplished.

My experience at Northville has been very fulfilling and I am proud of the legacy this team in conjunction with the board has provided the residents.”

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Past Tense

Northville’s Matriarch Keeping up with the indomitable Mary Ware

By Michele Fecht

“H

i, you’ve reached Mary.

I’m sorry I missed your call. I’m out partying.

Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”

This message on Mary Ware’s cell phone pretty much says it all.

At 97 and closing in on 98, Mary Genitti Ware has embraced nearly a century of life — 66 of those years in Northville — through love of family and community, generosity, and a wicked sense of humor. Would you expect any less from a Genitti?

She has been a fixture — and a force — in Northville since marrying her late husband Donald Ware in 1953. She still resides in the Hutton Street home she and Don moved from Dunlap in 1961 to make room for what was then the new Kroger supermarket. The site is now occupied by CVS. Sharing coffee and muffins (homemade, of course) on a quiet morning, Mary offers a tour of her cozy apartment (formerly the home’s master bedroom suite). Her stepson D.J. and his family moved into the house several years ago, modifying the suite to accommodate Mary’s first floor studio-like apartment.

“I have all the room I need,” she says, showing off a compact kitchen with enough storage for her pasta drying rack and pizzelle maker. This is Italian

12 The ‘Ville

Mary Ware in front of her Hutton Street home. Photo by Steve Fecht.

territory. Ingredients on the counter will be used for the 100 mini-cupcakes she’ll be baking for an Our Lady of Victory Church event.

Mary’s apartment looks over the stream and gardens at the center of three separate apartment buildings that have graced Hutton since the 1960s. Don and Mary built the apartments, and later created Ware’s Square, which housed two of Northville’s most notable restaurants, Elizabeth’s and later Little Italy.

The restaurants were housed in Don’s childhood home. The structure was destroyed in a 2009 fire at Little Italy, and later demolished. The site has been vacant for the past decade.

A native Detroiter, Mary was

born January 7, 1922. She and her brother, John, grew up two blocks from Eastern Market and graduated from Chadsey High School. Her brother John had two sons, John and Charles, making her Aunt Mary.

Needless to say, the name stuck for not only several generations of Genittis but just about everyone else.

Though it would be her marriage to Don that made Northville her permanent home, Mary recalls her first visit to the area was driving to “the country” as a child to see her father’s sister, also named Mary, who was a tuberculosis patient at Maybury Sanatorium.

“One of our Detroit boarders had a Packard,” she notes. “You could fit three and a half people

in the front seat. I was the half.

And you could get four adults and two children in the back.

We had little stools on the back seat floor for the kids. We drove forever to get to Maybury, and of course, we couldn’t go inside.

Aunt Mary just waved to us from the porch balcony.”

After graduating from high school, Mary eventually went to work for the Wayne County Road Commission at its main office in Detroit. It was there that she met Don Ware. A traffic and safety engineer, Don worked mostly in the field.

However, after-work gettogethers at Detroit restaurants and bars were common. On one such occasion, it was just Don and Mary . . . and a couple of boilermakers.

Married January 30, 1953, Mary and Don settled in his hometown of Northville.

Don’s family had deep roots in the community. His grandfather, William Walters, was a stonemason whose work can still be seen on historic structures throughout town.

His mother, Ina Ware, owned and operated the restaurant, A Good Place to Eat or The Bean Pot, located on East Main Street (now the location for My Little Paris Café & Bookstore).

Only a month after their marriage, Mary took a job as a receptionist and substitute switchboard operator at the Wayne County Training School

at Five Mile and Sheldon.

“It was a beautiful facility, really its own city,” she recalls.

Designed by William Maybury of Maybury Sanatorium fame, it mimicked the sanatorium’s design, function and selfsufficiency with its own laundry, kitchens, farm, gardens, powerhouse and more.

Never one to sit idle — still true today — Mary immersed herself in Northville. Mary purchased the Jack and Jill store in 1961, renaming it the Little People Shoppe. She and Don were active members of the Northville Historical

Veteran’s Cemetery at Rural Hill with the VFW Auxiliary and so much more. Don was among those who helped pass the city charter in 1955, and was a tireless gardener and community volunteer.

Mary takes credit for giving nephews John and Charles their first taste of Northville as young boys. “Don and I would bring them to Northville for Guernsey ice cream (when it was originally located on South Center Street) and haircuts at the barber shop.”

After getting out of the service, nephew John settled

Tom Ware, husband of Ina Ware, behind the counter at her restaurant, The Bean Shop, circa 1910.

Society with Mary making Italian dinners for 100 to help with restoration efforts at Mill Race Historical Village. Then there was the garden club, Northville Town Hall, Tivoli Fair, decorating graves in the

into one of the Ware’s Hutton Street apartments (then called the Little Hill apartments) and purchased the former EMB Food Market on Main Street.

It would eventually evolve into Genitti’s. The rest is history.

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John served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a decorated veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

The Ware house on Dunlap Street before it was moved Charles to Hutton. followed his one is still good. It’s the same brother into service joining age.” the Marine Corps. He was She continues to work when killed by missile fire during needed at Pastry Palace in combat patrol in Quang Nam Wixom, where she’s a specialist on February 12, 1970, just in egg cracking, chocolate two weeks after arriving in dipping and other baking duties.

Vietnam. He is honored on the You’ll find her most mornings Vietnam Veterans Memorial in at the Early Bird for breakfast Washington D.C., Panel 14W / and booth hopping. Chances are Line 131. she knows half the patrons in “They say every war is the the place. war to end all wars,” Mary notes.

She’s also a fixture at “That just isn’t true.” Despite Genitti’s, where the next her losses — Don passed away in generation is carrying on the 1994, John died in 2014 — Mary family business. She’s an aunt, perseveres through faith, grace great aunt and great-great aunt. and an indomitable spirit.

The kids keep her on her toes, “I’m blessed,” she says. she says.

‘Sure, I have a senior moment While scrolling through that lasts a half hour or more images on her cell phone, she but that’s not too bad.” She’s shows me a photo of a gated remained in enviable physical drive with a car posted in front. health. A knee replacement has “Guess what this is?” she asks. I helped keep her active. “I had have no clue. the right knee replaced and I’m “It’s Taylor Swift’s driveway!” careful walking down stairs. I really don’t know why the left

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Wayne County is selling several historic mills, along with adjacent park land. The Wilcox Mill (top left) could become an arts center. The Phoenix Mill (top right) has already sold to Northville resident Rick Cox, who renovated the Water Wheel Centre in downtown Northville. Photo by Fred Shadko.

Wayne County’s plan to sell off historic mills meets resistance W

ayne County officials and private developers are writing a new chapter in the history of three buildings that played important roles in the Detroit area’s industrial expansion.

Phoenix Mill in Plymouth Township, Wilcox Mill in the city of Plymouth and Newburgh Mill in Livonia — all former

project involves the restoration and adaptive reuse of the factories — or mills, as each factory was powered by a hydroelectric system that harnessed the flow of the Rouge River — and the addition of amenities, from bicycle parking to rooftop dining to art classes, that would enhance adjacent parts of Hines. Ultimately, said

Protesters with the group Save Hines Park oppose the park sell off.

Ford Motor Co. factories — are in different stages of redevelopment as part of a county effort to sell them off and make Hines Park more accessible for walkers, runners and bicyclists -- and more connected to the communities that share the 2,300-acre park.

The so-called Mill Run

16 The ‘Ville

Khalil Rahal, a deputy county executive in charge of economic development, the vision calls for linking communities throughout the county with public trails and parkland.

“There isn’t a lot of access from neighborhoods that are along Hines Park to Hines Park,” and the Mill Run project

aims to change that, Rahal said last month.

“Hines Park is one of Wayne County’s jewels. I believe the Mill Run project can make it shine that much brighter,” said Warren Evans, the county executive, in a written statement.

Critics, however, prefer to keep the sites in public hands and are advocating an approach for two of the mills — leasing them instead of selling them off — they say would leverage state and federal grant money and better protect them for future generations.

“I just think we have a winwin solution and they should work with us,” said Nancy Darga of Northville, the former Wayne County Parks chief of design and opponent of privatization.

The mills were built as Ford factories and were part of Henry Ford’s Village Industries plan.

Phoenix, Wilcox and Newburgh each started out producing parts for Ford vehicles and were converted to making equipment for the military during World War II. They were sold to the county

by Ford in 1948 and have been used for various purposes.

Newburgh Mill is still used as the horse stable for the sheriff’s department’s mounted unit, while the other two are unused.

PHOENIX RISING AGAIN The Mill Run project was announced in 2018 and one mill, Phoenix, was sold last year for $615,000 to developers Rick Cox and Greg Donofrio, who, organized as Critical Mass LLC., plan a restaurant with rooftop dining, event space, green space and improved access to Hines Park. Restoration costs are estimated at about $2.69 million.

Phoenix, vacant for the last dozen years, is on a site of just over five acres on Phoenix Lake near the intersection of Northville Road and Hines Drive.

Dating from 1922 and designed by Albert Kahn, an important architect in Detroit’s early industrial era, the main building of about 15,000 square feet is in need of extensive rehabilitation.

Cox and Donofrio, who led

the redevelopment of the former Ford Northville Valve Plant (now called the Water Wheel Centre) into a hip office complex, plan to keep the mill’s historic features. A 2020 opening is planned.

ARTS HAVEN AT WILCOX At Wilcox, located at Wilcox Road and Hines Drive, Plymouth artist Tony Roko envisions an arts campus with green space and educational space as well as an art studio and private living quarters.

Roko and his Art Foundation, a Plymouth nonprofit devoted to arts education, have offered $360,000 for the building of about 4,200 square feet and just over four surrounding acres.

Wilcox, also designed by Kahn, dates from 1923. It is next to Wilcox Lake and had been a county storage facility but was

vacated last year.

Roko’s proposal has been sent to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, but no formal vote has been scheduled, Rahal said in October.

NEWBURGH BIDS At Newburgh Mill, located on Newburgh Lake, several interested developers submitted bids and a preferred developer was chosen after a vetting process, Rahal said. He would not reveal the preferred developer until contract terms have been reached.

“We’re still looking at the final details,” he said. “I think we’re going to have something to say relatively soon.”

Newburgh Mill, which dates from 1935, is about 4,200 square feet and sits on a 1.8-acre site. The county was asking $400,000 for the property.

Rahal said redevelopment at Newburgh will have to wait until the construction of another horse barn, for use by the sheriff’s department, elsewhere in Hines Park, and that proceeds from the mill’s sale will likely go toward that project.

Darga is part of a group, Save Hines Park, that’s lobbying to keep Wilcox and Newburgh mills in public hands. She advocates working to register them as national historic sites, securing grant funding to restore them and building public-private partnerships to redevelop them. The county should lease the sites, she said, instead of selling them.

“Once we get eligible for federal funding we’re in a whole different arena for grant money,” Darga said.

She pointed to Nankin Mills,

an interpretive center for the area’s cultural and natural history, as a success story.

The Friends of Nankin Mills worked with the county’s parks department, during her tenure there, to restore and preserve the mill, which dates from the 1830s, was purchased by Ford in 1918 and deeded to the county in 1948.

The county says it will require the new owners of the mills to seek National Registry of Historic Places status for them, and that restrictive covenants will bind future owners to following the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s standards, which would guard the buildings from significant exterior alterations and from demolition and relocation unless those standards are met.

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1he

northville 6ibe Musical roots run deep for Bobby Lewis and daughter Gia Warner

By Wensdy Von Buskirk

W

hen musician Bobby Lewis settled in Northville in 1970, it was a rural escape from his rock ’n’ roll lifestyle on the road.

Now, decades later, he and his daughter, Gia, are still making music together, and loving the Northville vibe.

The pair has spent their lives in the music industry, hobnobbing with stars and collecting legions of fans along the way. They play frequently as the Gia Warner and Bobby Lewis Duo, with dates around the area. Lewis’ story reads like a celebrity who’s who, while Warner has forged an enviable career as a performer and studio musician.

Their story is testament that you can make a living as a performer, as well as lead a cosmopolitan lifestyle with

18 The ‘Ville

roots in The ’Ville. Read on to find out more about this magnetic pair.

Bobby Lewis has been performing for more than 60 years.

BOBBY LEWIS Bobby Lewis, now 80, was raised in New Jersey and picked up a guitar around age 12. He played in country and bluegrass bands during high school, but left music behind to serve in the Navy. Once discharged, he got a call from a friend looking to

put a band together in Florida.

Bobby moved to the Sunshine State and joined the Headliners.

“We had a lot of talent in this band. Eventually someone who saw something in us we didn’t see in ourselves, sat us down, gave us pointers and hooked us up with an agency in California to raise us to new heights,” Lewis said.

Throughout the 1960s, The Headliners were booked by the hottest clubs in Miami, Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Bermuda, the Bahamas and beyond.

The band wintered in Florida, where

they hung out with baseball greats like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Roger Maris, who spent their off season in Fort Lauderdale. In Nashville, country stars like Chet Atkins frequented the band’s shows in Printers Alley.

At the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Lewis partied with Liberace and opened for Frank Sinatra, who performed with

Count Basie’s band as back-up.

The Headliners would hear Frank’s show from the dressing room under the stage, and Sinatra would stroll through with celebrities like Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor.

“You never knew from night to night who Sinatra was going to fly in. He was always very friendly with the band,” Lewis said.

Afterwards, the drummer from Count Basie’s band would sit in with The Headliners in the Boom Boom Room.

Berry Gordy signed The Headliners to Motown subsidiary VIP Records, and the band played the annual Motown Christmas Party at the Fox Theatre with the likes of Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder.

Lewis was courted by big names himself, but after 10 years of touring — eventually with two young daughters in tow — decided he needed a home base.

Lewis and his wife, Janet, decided on Northville.

“I needed to settle down so I could put our girls in school. We liked Northville because it had lots of property and it was away from the hustle and bustle,” he said.

Lewis formed a rock group called Stix and Stoned, which played at Your Mustache in Dearborn for 25 years.

“It was packed every night with lines down the street to get in,” his daughter said. Their

Eric Clapton, Sly and The Family Stone, the Eagles, Rod Stewart and The Who. Lewis also worked as a studio musician in the advertising industry, best known for voicing Father & Son’s “No job’s too big” commercials. He later toured with a popular Jimmy Buffett Tribute band called Air Margaritaville.

Meanwhile, Lewis and his wife brought up their daughters, Wendy and Gia, in Northville, horseback riding and cross country skiing to Northville Charley’s (now Rocky’s) for hot cocoa and pizza.

“Northville was a nice quiet getaway, a great place to raise the girls. They had free range and enjoyed a really good childhood,” he says. “It was

Top Left: The Headliners recorded for the VIP label, a Motown subsidiary. Above: Bobby Lewis and the Crackerjack Band

song “Rouge Plant Blues” became a cult hit among blue collar workers in the ‘70s, played on local radio stations like WABX. Look it up on YouTube.

Later renaming themselves Bobby Lewis and the Crackerjack Band, they performed at festivals all over Michigan. Lewis’ bandmates went on to play for the likes of Elvis Presley, John Lennon,

pretty sparse but had a real charm to it, which it still has today.”

Both of the Lewis girls forged lives in music. Wendy now teaches music to fourth graders in a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Gia has had a fascinating career of her own.

GIA WARNER Growing up in the music world, Gia remembers

Gia Warner has won Detroit Music Awards for her recording work.

doing children’s voices for commercials in the studio with her dad when she was just 9 or 10 years old. She also recalls being influenced by her music teacher, Mr. Mike Rumbell, who still teaches at Northville High School.

“As I got older, the more things I was called in for, group and solo work,” Warner says.

Active in the SAG-AFTRA union, her voice has been heard national commercials for NBC, Chiquita, Taco Bell and the Big Three automakers (“Take a ride in a Ford”) and local spots for Greektown Casino, D.O.C., Gardner White and more.

As the movie industry took off in Metro Detroit during the ’90s, Warner joined film score producers Angelo Badalamente and Joe LoDuca on high profile projects like Hercules, Ash Vs. Evil Dead and several seasons of Xena Warrior Princess.

“You never knew what the session work was going to hold, but it was always a blast,” she says.

Once Xena’s last season ended, LoDuca asked Warner to provide fairy voices for Legend of the Seeker. LoDuca asked for something light and nebulous, so Warner grabbed glasses from the kitchen and started to improvise, making up words that sounded like a language of its own.

Vibe continued on page 20

The ‘Ville 19

Bobby Lewis and Gia Warner after a recent performance.

Photo by Bill Bresler

Vibe Continued from page 19

that work I almost got out of performance altogether.”

Warner plays guitar and gospel-tinged piano, and has “When the show went into released two CDs — Love, Gia production they just used all my and Gia Warner Live — plus weird stuff,” Warner explains. singles “Over the Rainbow” Throughout the show, they and “Happy Christmas (War is replayed Warner’s banked Over).” She has vocals, or Gia Warner and Bobby Lewis won Detroit called her to Acoustic/Electric Duo Music Awards, record scenes and has been that required 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 27; Sat. described by the fairies Dec. 14; Fri. Dec. 27 Page’s Food and Spirits, Farmington Metro Times to interact as “an excellent with other 7-11 p.m. Fri. Nov. 29; Sat. Dec. 21 singercharacters.

Bakers of Milford songwriter Warner with a strong, heart-ripping did all the vocals from metro voice and a gift for writing a Detroit. radio-friendly angsty pop tune.”

“I didn’t need to move She cites her influences as Ann anywhere because I was so Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie busy here,” she says. “There Raitt and Melissa Etheridge. was such a thriving industry for As royalty checks continue ads, movies and soundtracks. At to roll in from past projects, one point I was so busy doing

Warner is primarily working on stage.

“I came from performance and now I’m back in performance,” she says. She has gained a large fan base through her live shows, which include seasonal festival dates with the Gia Warner Band, weddings and corporate events with her act Skyline, and more intimate gigs with her dad.

She has played the Northville Friday Night Concert Series for 10 years and this past summer,

Bobby Lewis joined her on stage for a few songs, much to the delight of mutual fans.

Even though her dad is still rocking he has plans to retire, and Gia urges fans to check them out soon.

“He’s been such an enormous force in Michigan. His bands have been so well known,” she says. “If you want to come see us come see us. Don’t wait. It’s fun.

We talk and we laugh. Our fans have almost become family.”

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE PLAYGROUND Thank you to all of the generous donors that made the Trailhead Playground at Maybury State Park a success! The community effort to build an inclusive playground has been met with overwhelming joy from the children who have experienced it. Dedicated to the memory of Sherrill Berman, this project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the organizations, businesses and individuals listed below.

The Michael Berman Family MASCO | Cedarbrook Senior Living | Friends of Maybury Mike Miller Building Company | Plymouth Physical Therapy | The ‘Ville Magazine Alexandra Anteau Jake & Megan Atkinson Family Evangelos & Nicole Drainas The Nick Dunford Family The Dan & Juliette Ferrara Family Mindy Hermann Tommy & Maggie Hughes The Mike & Melissa Kelly Family Ryan Kraft & Erin Flynn The Darren LaLonde Family Linda Larson Scott & Sheree Lowery

Michael & Kimberly Magliocco The Tom O’Connor Family Marilyn Overmyer Jerry Morris & Lynn Parkllan Chuck & Andrea Murdock Bretton Schloesser Manfred & Lisa Schon Fred Shadko Robert & Karelene Steckowski Cynthia Stroup Jim & Toni Tesen The Weber Family

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HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

Student clubs show compassion, give back to their community

N

the patients to continue fighting their orthville High School is well known for sickness and lets them know the Northville many reasons. Great athletic programs. community cares about their health.

Fantastic academics. A giant and ever“The children we make blankets for can improving school campus. But most people also choose to send a video back to us and do not know about the many student-run when they do, it is extremely rewarding,” clubs that give back to the community. club president Delaney Lenard explained.

NHS has more than 100 clubs, many of Fleece and Thank You hopes to continue which are dedicated to helping others. growing this year to allow more NHS As the Thanksgiving season approaches, students experience the rewarding feeling these clubs are ramping up to help the less of giving back. fortunate.

Similarly, Haley One such Slampak hopes her club is Rotary club, Kids With Interact. Each Compassion, will month, the club give students a sends volunteers feeling of gratitude to various when they service events in volunteer. Kids the Northville With Compassion community. At each recently of these events, volunteered at a volunteers have trunk or treat event the opportunity located at Fox Run to serve their Retirement home community, meet in Novi. Kids with new individuals and Compassion also more. The club also holds fundraisers collects donations for their end of for Northville the year project Civic Concern, remodeling rooms our community’s Members of the NHS Rotary Interact discuss for families in need. food bank for community service efforts.

Kids with those in need.

Compassion does “a variety of things at Moving forward, Rotary Interact hopes to our events from passing out necessities better connect the community, NHS, and and chatting with the people at the event individuals to volunteering. to tutoring children in Detroit and hanging Another club, Fleece and Thank You, around to do crafts with them,” said aims to connect high school students to Slampak. Slampak hopes that this year Kids sick children at U-of-M Mott’s Children’s with Compassion continue on their mission Hospital by donating fleece blankets. Club to change people’s lives for the better. members not only make blankets but also Clearly, there is no shortage of kindness send the children videos of club members in Northville. Even in a highly affluent holding their blanket. This motivates

Photo by Audrey Zhang

Your Homecoming Queen and King S eniors Alexa Kiefer and Alex Beliou were named the 2019 NHS Homecoming Queen and King during halftime of this year’s Homecoming game on Oct. 11 between the Mustangs and Plymouth High. The Mustangs put up a fight against the Wildcats, but came up short, 42-7. The following night, NHS held its Homecoming dance with the theme of Motown this year.

community, teenagers are able to humble themselves and seek ways to help others.

Clubs like these connect the NHS student body to the rest of Northville’s community while making it a better place. Clubs like Rotary Interact, Fleece and Thank You, and Kids with Compassion are the epitome of the Thanksgiving spirit all year round.

EDITOR'S NOTE: High School Confidential is a collaborative effort by the Stringers Journalism Club made up of Northville High School students Maria Cowden, Maggie Kuban, Chethan Magnan, Navya Meka, Lauren Sprow, and Audrey Zhang.

22 The ‘Ville

Northville Public Schools (NPS) is consistently named one of the top school districts in Michigan, but even top performing districts are impacted by funding decisions made by the state. Since school funding was changed over 25 years ago, state allocations to school districts are unstable and have not kept pace with inflation.

In fact, a recent study by the Michigan School Finance Research Collaborative recommended that schools receive a base cost of $9,590 per pupil, which does not include transportation, food services or capital costs — a $1,061 per pupil difference from what Northville anticipates receiving this school year.

Why is that?

School funding in Michigan is challenging. According to an MSU Education Policy Report issued last January, “Michigan ranks dead last among states in total education revenue growth since the passage of Proposal A in 1995. After adjusting for inflation, Michigan’s education revenue in 2015 was only 82% of the state’s 1995 revenue. No other state is close to a decline of this magnitude.”

There’s more . . .

NPS per student funding is less than many local school districts. . .

This year, NPS’s state allocation is anticipated to be $8,529 per pupil.* NPS will receive $310 less per pupil than Novi, $373 less than Romulus, $1,001 less than Ann Arbor and $3,755 less than Birmingham.

Based on this per pupil allowance and the fact that there are about 7,400 students in the district, this is a $2 million to $27 million difference.

Surprised?

You are not alone, but NEF has been taking action . . . and needs your help !

In response to funding challenges, the Northville Educational Foundation (NEF) was founded in 1999 with the sole purpose of fostering and enhancing our students’ educational experience by providing funds for Northville Schools to try and fill the gaps left by school funding.

In the past 20 years, NEF has raised and granted over $2.5 million to support educational experiences that might otherwise go unfunded. NEF funded startͲup costs for programs such as International Baccalaureate and Leader in Me, and helped with unique and enriching programs such as Project Lead the Way classes and Mystery Science OnͲline Learning. NEF annually funds teacher grants that purchase equipment and that support impactful learning opportunities in the classroom.

“Even though we are a successful District, we still have needs. For example, new maker spaces are being created that need to be filled, there is another PLTW module that could be added, and the resources around social emotional learning could be expanded,” said NEF Director, Christa Howley, “Our District does a lot with less but there is still more to be done.”

“NEF’s Annual Fund Campaign begins in November and we are asking for everyone’s support. The more donations we receive, the more we can do for our students, for our teachers and for our schools.”

To donate or to learn more, please visit NEF’s website, www.SupportNEF.org or contact Christa Howley at nef@northvilleedfoundation.org or 248Ͳ344Ͳ3503.

* excludes Enhancement Millage Revenue

NEF PAST & CURRENT SUPPORTED PROGRAMS:  International Baccalaureate  Leader In Me Program  Applied Engineering— Village Workshop CoͲop  STEAM Initiatives including;  Project Lead the Way classes  Mystery Science OnͲline Learning  Annual Northville STEAM Fair  Social Emotional Learning  Innovative Teaching Grants  Galileo Teacher Leadership Cohort  Northville Parent Camp  Student Financial Aid Grants  And more!

A

s t e e Sw tory Teacher’s debut book about an

ice cream truck resonates in classroom

By Emily Rose Doran

F

or local elementary school teacher Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw, a New Year’s resolution she made in January 2017 has led to the publication of her first children’s book -and a budding career as a nonfiction author.

“I’ve always wanted to write kids’ books. That’s been a dream of mine forever,” said Lipshaw, an elementary resource room teacher at both Moraine and Silver Springs. “I decided that if I didn’t make a concerted effort to actually sit down and write, I was never going to achieve that dream.

“It’s the only New Year’s resolution I’ve ever kept.”

With the April 2019 publication of

“I Campaigned for Ice Cream: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks,” Lipshaw wrapped up a story that had been years in the making.

The 32-page picture book, illustrated by Wendy Leach, chronicles the journey of Lipshaw’s son Josh, who, at nine years old, successfully lobbied his local government to change a 1950s law that banned ice cream trucks in West Bloomfield.

At the time, Josh’s story garnered local, national and even international media attention. He was contacted

by Detroit news stations, Good Morning America, the BBC in London, and news outlets in Australia and Toronto, among others.

“This all happened and started within a month of 9/11,” Lipshaw said, “and I think the world was looking for a sweet story. It blew up.”

HONING HER SKILLS Lipshaw knew the ice cream truck saga was a story worth writing, but she didn’t originally envision it as a nonfiction picture book.

In fact, she started writing a fictional chapter-book version before putting it on

24 The ‘Ville

Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw reads her book to students at Silver Springs Elementary.

hold when she began teaching full time in Northville about 10 years ago.

After making her New Year’s resolution, though, Lipshaw got serious about her writing.

She started taking classes and attending webinars and conferences to hone her skills. In July 2017, she took an online class specifically about nonfiction picture books that made her rethink the construction of her own book.

“I never even thought about writing nonfiction. I never thought of even doing a picture book,” she said. “It’s because of that class that I ended up writing it in this format.”

When Lipshaw finished writing her manuscript, she discovered that publishing it was going to be more difficult than she had originally anticipated. After struggling to find an agent, she decided to look for a small publishing house on her own, eventually signing with Warren Publishing in North Carolina in October 2018. Now, “I Campaigned for Ice Cream” is available to

purchase at big-name vendors such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Despite the challenges of marketing the book primarily by herself, Lipshaw has managed to earn recognition from the educational community for her work. Her book was recently selected as one of five “must-read” children’s books by Franklin Covey’s Leader in Me program, and she was also commissioned to write three blog posts for the organization’s website.

“The story itself is a demonstration of student empowerment,” said Meg Thompson, general manager for education practice at Franklin Covey, “and at the core, that’s what Leader in Me is about. It’s teaching students and giving them the ability to exercise a sense of agency for themselves, and we believe that if we can teach students to do that early in their lives, then that’s something that will stay with them and serve them well throughout their lives and careers.”

More than 2,500 schools around the world, including all Northville elementary schools, use the Leader in Me program, which is designed to develop students’ leadership skills through the cultivation of several specific habits. Both Moraine and Silver Springs, where Lipshaw teaches, have achieved additional certification as “Lighthouse” schools, a designation indicating further accomplishment in the program.

NO SLOWING DOWN With the publication and recognition of “I Campaigned for Ice Cream,” Lipshaw is not slowing down her writing career anytime soon. She is currently working on a handful of nonfiction picture books

that draw inspiration from her unique theme-based teaching, which has been praised by students, educators, and parents.

Right now, Lipshaw has a completed manuscript about a sea turtle named Mahi, who was rehabilitated through the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and adopted by her 2014–2015 class as part of that year’s oceanography theme, “Climb Aboard the Yellow Submarine.”

The class also did a virtual field trip to the center and raised more than $1,700 for it.

While Lipshaw has taught her students using other nonfiction science themes such as “Welcome to Yellowstone Northville Park” and “Moraine Meteorologists,” her oceanography unit was by far

her most successful, she said.

Lipshaw has even given talks about it at various educational conferences.

For Lipshaw, a science enthusiast herself, teaching her students using theme-based curricula has been a rewarding experience.

“I’ve enjoyed teaching through the nonfiction science theme so much, and I’ve seen how it’s really motivated and engaged my kids to want to learn to read,” she said. “When I chose those things to teach, it was because (they were) things that really excited and interested me. And if I have that excitement and interest, that’s going to be portrayed to the kids, and it’s going to be contagious.”

In addition to writing and

Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw doing some writing in her home.

teaching, Lipshaw also visits schools to discuss her work as an author, the Leader in Me program as it relates to her book, and other topics.

For more information, visit her website at www. suzannejacobslipshaw.com.

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In Focus

Build It And They Will Come True community effort leads to special Maybury playground Photos by Kurt Kuban

W

hat started out as a mere suggestion to members of the Northville Kiwanis Club in 2016 is now a reality – thanks to plenty of determination and a whole lot of community spirit.

On Oct. 9, members of Kiwanis and the Northville Township Firefighter’s Charity Fund, along with personnel from the Michigan DNR cut the ribbon on the brand new Trailhead Playground at Maybury State Park.

It was the culmination of a lot of collaboration between local organizations like Kiwanis, Friends of Maybury and the NTFCF, businesses including MASCO, Cedarbrook Senior Living, Mike Miller Building Co, Plymouth Physical Therapy, and donors including the Berman family and many others.

In total, the cost of the playground, which was specially designed to be accessible to children of all physical abilities, was more than $270,000. A lot of groups and individuals pitched in to help reach that total.

“I don’t think there’s anything better than seeing kids playing on something we’ve been working on for three and a half years. It’s pretty special,” said Kiwanis member Dan Ferarra, after cutting the ribbon with Tommy Hughes of the NTFCF and the DNR’s Ron Olson.

28 The ‘Ville

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out & about Your Guide to What’s Happening in Northville This Month SEND IT IN To get your items listed in Out & About, email editor Kurt Kuban at kurtkuban@gmail.com.

Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11 Local veterans will hold a ceremony at the VFW Hall beginning at 11 a.m.

For more information, contact the hall at (248) 348-1490.

Picks and Sticks Nov. 12 This traditional string band will perform at 7 p.m. at the Northville District Library.

Mixed with vocals, some history, blues, bluegrass and whatever comes to mind, this group is always a crowd pleaser.

Registration required by calling (248) 349-3020. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Amazing Grapes Nov. 14 Main Street League will host this fundraiser from 7-10 p.m. at the Northville Downs race track. The money raised supports the group’s local outreach services. Tickets are $60. Each attendee will also bring a bottle of wine for raffles during the event. To purchase tickets, visit https://squareup.com/store/ main-street-league. For more information about MSL, visit www. mainstreetleague.com.

Mother and Son Dance Nov. 15 Northville Parks and Recreation will host this dance from 6-8 p.m. for moms and their sons (ages 5-13).

The theme will be a “Minute to Win it” game night. There will be music by a DJ, a face painter, dinner and snacks.

Cost is $30 per couple and $5 for each additional family member.

Registration deadline is Nov. 14.

30 The ‘Ville

Light Up The Holidays The annual Holiday Lighted Parade will take place in downtown Northville at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22. The beloved community celebration kicking off the holiday season will also feature the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree in Town Square.

The parade will feature dozens of organizations, bands and businesses that will make downtown come alive with lights and music. And don’t forget Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who will make a special guest appearance.

The Northville Educational Foundation will also announce the winner of their Cash for College contest. If you are interested in participating in the parade, contact the Northville Chamber of Commerce at (248) 349-7640. For more information, visit www.northville.org.

To register or for more information, contact Northville Parks and Recreation at (248) 349-0203 or visit www. northvilleparksandrec.org.

Recycling Demystified Nov. 16 Join members of the American Association of University Women Northville – Novi to hear Tracy Purrenhage with the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County discuss recycling efforts, including what can be recycled and why.

The event will take place at 11:30 a.m. at The Garage restaurant in Northville. The cost is $32. Reserve your seat by visiting www.aauwnn. org. The AAUWNN’s mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and philanthropy.

Holiday Greens Market Nov. 23-24 Stop by Town Square and get your home or business ready for the holiday season while supporting local Farmers’ Market growers. Vendors will have holiday wreaths, roping, decor, and accessories for sale. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.

Holiday Home Tour Nov. 22-23 Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 Northville Holiday Home Tour, presented by the Northville Community Foundation. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Guests will tour five beautiful, privately owned Northville homes that have been decorated top to bottom for the holidays. There will also be a refreshment stop at Tipping Point Theatre. Guests can enjoy light

refreshments and also enter to win two tickets to a future Tipping Point Theatre production. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of event. Purchase tickets at PearAphernalia, Gardenviews, Haven of Northville, the Northville Chamber of Commerce, or online at www. northvillecommunityfoundation. org. For more information, call (248) 374-0200.

Harlem Wizards Fundraiser Nov. 23 The world-famous Harlem Wizards will visit Northville High School at 7 p.m. for an evening of basketball entertainment. The Wizards will play a game against a team of Northville principals, gym teachers, and coaches. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Northville Mustang Boosters Club. The evening will feature a variety of interactive fun.

Tickets are on sale online now at www.harlemwizards.com/scheduletickets. You can also buy them at sports games, conferences, etc. until they are all gone. General admission tickets are $10, reserved seats are $20, and courtside tickets, which include a meet-and-greet with the Wizards before the game, are $30.

Model Railroad Show Nov. 23 The 41st Annual Model Railroad Show and Workshop will take place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Ward Church, 40000 Six Mile Road. The event will include demonstrations, video presentations, historical displays, and a Q&A with five National Model Railroad Association Master Model Railroaders. Entry is $3 per person or $5 per family.

Christmas in the Village

Huffin for the Stuffin’

A Swingin’ Blue Christmas

Nov. 24 Come celebrate Tartan Tidings at Mill Race Village from noon-4 p.m.

There will be lots happening on the grounds, including vintage decorations at the Hunter and Yerkes homes, demonstrations at the Hirsch Blacksmith Shoppe and Weavers Cottage, craftmaking at the Wash Oak School, and holiday story time at the Cady Inn, which will also host a drop-in Cream Tea ($5) from 12:30-3:30 p.m. There will be several music groups performing, including Northville Student Strings, Caroling Belles and Scottish Piping & Dancing.

For more information, visit millrace. org.

Nov. 28 Wildly Fit will host this third annual 5K at Maybury State Park, beginning at 9 a.m. All proceeds benefit Blessings in a Backpack, which helps feed children on the weekends during the school year. For more information, including how to pre-register, visit wildly-fit.com, call (248) 444-3415 or send an email to amy@wildly-fit.com.

Dec. 6 The Marquis Theatre will host this special holiday event featuring Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley impersonators beginning at 7 p.m.

They will perform all the holiday tunes by Sinatra and Elvis. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, call (248) 349-8110.

City Lights Holiday Show

Pancakes and Pajamas

Dec. 6 The City Lights Chorus, a 37-member, award-winning choir, will perform a holiday show at 8 p.m. at Ward Church. The show will feature holiday songs of varying backgrounds to celebrate the season. Tickets are $15 and are available at www. citylightschorus.com

Dec. 7 Northville Parks and Recreation will welcome Santa to town at the Northville Community Center with an all ages rise and shine pancake breakfast.

The event will include pictures with

Santa, breakfast, crafts, sing-alongs and goodies. Cost is $10 per person.

To register, call (248) 349-0203 or visit www.northvilleparksandrec.org.

Children’s Christmas Workshop Dec. 7 Mill Race Village will play host to this annual workshop for children grades 1-6. There will be two sessions: from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. The children will make seven old-fashioned, handmade gifts for special people on their Christmas list. No parents will be permitted in the New School Church during the workshop to maintain the surprise.

Tickets are $25 per child and can be purchased at 218 W. Dunlap. For more information, call (248) 3492833 or visit millrace.org.

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Deadwood Bar & Grill leads beautifcation winners The 30th Beautification Awards Luncheon was held Sept. 24 at the First Presbyterian Church of Northville. Local businesses and some volunteer groups were honored for all of their efforts to make Northville beautiful.

The Northville Township Beautification Commission presented 17 beautification awards. In addition, for the second year in a row, Deadwood Bar & Grill received the award for “Best in Township.” AISIN World Corp of America was the recipient of the new “Corporate Pride Award.” Community Choice Credit Union and REI were recognized for their participation in the clean-up of the “living” retaining walls of the Bennett Arboretum Pathway.

The City of Northville Beautification Commission presented 24 beautification awards. Northville Garden Club Park, maintained by the Northville Garden Club, received the 2019 “Best in Town Award.”

First United Methodist Church earned the “Pride of Northville” award for their transformation of a moraine slope and back of property into “The Path,” a series of gardens, cascading water feature, monarch waystation, and sculptures, which also won a 2019 Community Landscape Beautification Award from Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association for outstanding design and environmental practices.

Here is a list of the others recognized: City: Allen Terrace Senior Housing; Angela Carson Photography; Casterline Funeral Home; Corriveau Law; First 32 The ‘Ville

Presbyterian Church; First United Methodist Church; Epiphany Kitchens; Gardenviews; Good Time Party Store; Inch Memorials; Main-Seven, LLC/Cross Fit; Marathon Judeh Northville’s Deadwood Bar and Grill was again named Best In Township. Pictured are Nancy Corporation; Grandillo, Deadwood’s manager Lee Opaleski, Lynne Mostller, and Jim Morche.

New Body Therapeutics; Northville Academy; Northville Car Wash; Northville City Hall; Northville District Library; Northville Fraternal Order of Eagles; Northville Garden Club Park; Northville Town Square; Our Lady of Victory Church; Poole’s Tavern; Red Dot Coffee Company; Stampeddler; Starbucks; and Yerkes House Garden Township: Achieving Health Chiropractic; AISIN World Corp. of America (Corporate Pride Award); Alpine Dry Cleaner; Cantoro Italian Market; Cedarbrook of Northville; Community Choice Credit Union; Deadwood Bar & Grill (Best in Township Award); George’s Senate Restaurant; Gerald’s Salon; Granite City; Haggerty Dental; Hidden Spring Veterinary Clinic; L.J. Griffin Funeral Home; MASONPRO Inc.; Meadowbrook Country Club (lifetime award); Northville Township Hall; Oakmont Northville; Patio Plus; Rocky’s; Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern (5 and Sheldon); and Sunrise of Northville.

Citizens group wants more influence over city development

By Maria Taylor

P

rocess – and not politics – was the rallying cry at a town hall meeting on the future of redevelopment in Northville, held Oct. 24 at the Marquis Theatre. About 200 people attended the meeting, hosted

by Citizens for Northville, a newly-formed activist group comprised of about 30 Northville residents and business owners.

Bill Poulos, who is spearheading the group, led the presentation and Q&A at the town hall. The group got its start this July as a response to the Hunter-Pasteur redevelopment proposal for the Downs, which has since been withdrawn.

“There was a keen awareness that the Downs project, as it stood at that point, could make or break Northville,” Poulos said. “That’s the intensity that people felt. And what we wanted to do is to channel that concern into a productive way – to be able to move forward, instead of just ranting and raving.”

However, Poulos was quick to stress that the group’s focus isn’t solely the Downs. It’s about changing the way that Northville residents and the City interact.

“We want to improve the communication process between the City and citizens to promote awareness and collaboration regarding future

development,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Poulos said that the City needs to make information easily accessible to the general public. Improving communication with citizens will help the City too, he said.

“Every good marketer knows you’ve got to go out of your way to get people’s attention.

You can’t just expect them to show up. Consequently, most of us aren’t aware of key developments as they happen,” he said.

On Nov. 18, Citizens for Northville plans to present their recommendations to City Council. The group hired a consultant, Kalamazoobased Mike Stampfler, to help assess existing conditions and assist in putting together recommendations they’d like the City to implement.

Among the group’s suggestions are: - A real-time, updated summary of progress on all pending redevelopments, distributed via the City website, social media, and email newsletter.

- A public engagement strategy, such as a citizens’ committee or workshops, and outreach around them.

- Public impact reports, including the effect on police/ fire, traffic, water/sewer, and

how this will impact ratepayers.

“If all of that is done, now it’s on us, the citizens, to take the initiative and get involved, and provide constructive feedback and proposed solutions,” Poulos said.

Nancy Darga, still serving as mayor pro tem when the October town hall took place, was in attendance and said she felt the City of Northville would be “totally open” to the suggestions.

“Actually, I was a little dismayed that they didn’t know what we were already doing,” she said.

Current City communications include posting documents online, video recording Council meetings, maintaining a Facebook page called “Northville City Hall, Michigan,” and sending out “Northville City News,” a weekly e-newsletter with meeting recaps and information about local topics.

“I think the citizens have to put some effort in to find out what’s going on too in there. It’s a two-way street,” Darga said.

“But if there’s a better way of putting the information out there, I think we’re open to it.”

The City plans to redo part of the recently-updated Master Plan, specifically the Downs area, due to a revision

of floodplain maps allowing for more developable area. Poulos wants to get folks more involved in the planning process this time.

“The superordinate a goal of redevelopment, we think, should be achieving the best possible outcome, as opposed to taking a proposal that doesn’t really look too good and doing your best to make it look better,” Poulos said.

From the audience, a resident questioned the process behind approving other redevelopment projects – on a smaller scale than the Downs, to be sure, but still widespread enough to change the face of downtown Northville. Take the rampant teardowns and rebuilds in Cabbagetown, or new construction projects where four-story buildings like the condos on N. Center are being allowed. Like them or hate them, Poulos said, “the bigger concern is, who knew about that before the fact? That’s the problem.

“It’s pretty clear to me that this kind of thing [Citizens for Northville] is the missing link,” he added. “We’ve got City Council, we’ve got the Planning Commission, we’ve got the DDA, we’ve got the Historical Society. Where’s the citizens’ group?”

The ‘Ville 33

It’s Your Business The UPS Store (at 5 Mile & Newburgh)

UPS Store owner Eric Ladwig.

The UPS Store team includes (from left) Janice Westphal, Marsha Venet, Eric and Liz Ladwig, and Dan Stybel.

Here For the Holidays Taking care of your shipping needs – and so much more

T

he holidays are a busy time for many small businesses.

That’s particularly the case at The UPS Store, located at Five Mile at Newburgh in the New 5 Plaza. Owners and Northville residents Elizabeth and Eric Ladwig know people have a lot on their plates during the holidays. That’s why they want to be your “one-stop shop” for all your packing and shipping needs when it comes to your holiday packages. They can even design, print and send out your Christmas cards and holiday letters.

“Whether it’s helping you create and send your greeting cards, packing and shipping your gifts, or having a safe, secure location to receive your holiday packages, we’re a convenient one-stop shop that can handle all of your holiday needs,” said Elizabeth Ladwig.

Customers lacking the time, expertise or proper packaging supplies needed to prepare their gifts for shipment can bring them to The UPS Store. They offer The UPS Store Pack & Ship

34 The ‘Ville

delivered, and are safely at their Guarantee, which reimburses destination,” Eric Ladwig said. customers the cost of packaging Supporting this local business materials and service, as well also means supporting the as shipping costs, if a centerNorthville community. The packed item shipped via UPS®, Ladwigs are 15-year Northville DHL® or USPS ® is somehow residents and are very active in lost or damaged. Visit www. the community, especially with theupsstore.com/guarantee for the public schools (they have details. two children in the schools).

Eric Ladwig explains the Eric supports store takes the Ridge away the Wood Dad’s worry when Address: 37637 Five Mile Road, Club, and shipping Livonia, MI 48154 both help in packages.

Phone: (734) 542-9200 the PTA and They offer many other free base Website: livonia-mi-3011. theupsstorelocal.com organizations. insurance on They are also all packages, Hours: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. MondayNorthville free email Friday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday Chamber confirmation of Commerce members, and when your package gets Elizabeth is a co-leader with a delivered, and free tracking. local Girl Scout troop.

The package also won’t be Just because the store is busy delivered without a signature during the holidays doesn’t on the receiving end, to prevent mean you will experience “porch pirates” from stealing long lines or wait times. That’s unattended items left when no because the Ladwigs always one is home. have plenty of knowledgeable “We take the guess work out staff on hand from now till the of the process. We’ll let you end of the year. In fact, you’re know when your packages get

The UPS Store 3011

likely to find one of them working as well.

“I overstaff during the holidays. Our customers are not waiting more than five minutes,” Eric said. “We are friendly and we make sure you are in and out. And we have lots of parking, making the whole process easier. I want our customers to have a positive, seamless experience. That’s why I’m always here. Your continued patronage insures our success.”

The UPS Store is located at 37637 Five Mile Road in Livonia. In addition to domestic and international shipping, The UPS Store offers full-service packaging; digital and online printing; black-and-white and color copies; document finishing (binding, laminating, etc.); printing services (business cards, letterhead, rubber stamps, etc.); notary; custom crating and shipping for large items (furniture, artwork, motorcycles, etc.); mailbox and postal services; office and packaging supplies; and more.

On The Road With

W

e made our way all over Europe last month. Orin Jewelers owner Orin Mazzoni and his family took along their copy of The ‘Ville to Italy (top left). The family was celebrating Orin’s 50th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife, Tina. Here the family is pictured at the Vatican in Rome. From left are Ryan Kramar, Antoinette Kramar, Gina Mazzoni, Tina and Orin, Orin Mazzoni, III, and Lesli Thom.

Kyle and Jeri Johnson took us with them on their trip to Ireland (second from top at left). Here they are at the Cliffs of Slieve League on the Atlantic coast near Donegal. “We had a wonderful trip. It was awesome,” Jeri said.

Lisa and Manfred Schon traveled to Germany (second from top at right). They visited a number of cities, including Munich during the opening weekend of Oktoberfest. “No giant beer tent photos as those massive crowds are not our favorite. This photo was taken in Munich in front of the Rathaus (City Hall) at Marienplatz,” Lisa said.

Rick and Karen Borofski (below) took us along on their European adventure, which began with a stay in Barcelona, followed by a cruise that had a number of stops, including Monte Carlo, Livorno, Italy and finally Rome. Here they are aboard the Crystal Serenity with Monte Carlo in the background. “We were able to get our ‘Bond’ on and venture out to the casino one evening,” Karen said. “It was our first time in Europe and it has all been amazing — the history, scenery, food and the people.”

The ‘Ville also made it into the American Heartland. Don and Dianne McCulloch took us to the Noblesville Youth Baseball complex (their version of the Field of Dreams) in Noblesville, Indiana (bottom right).

From left are Don, Dianne, their granddaughter and their son, Dave, who played baseball for Northville High back in the early 1990s. Dave coaches his daughter’s 12U Brownsburg (Indiana) travel baseball team.

The next time you head out of town, take along a copy of The ‘Ville, snap a photo, and let us know where your travels take you. Our readers would love to know! Please email the photos to kurtkuban@gmail.com.

We’ll feature the photos every month.

Presented By

DANIEL MCLEAN DAVID JEROME & ces Law Offi roger lle across from K vi h rt o N n w to n w Do (248) 348-4433 The ‘Ville 35

Dishin’ With Denise

Denise Jenkins serves on the board of directors for the Northville Chamber of Commerce and Tipping Point Theatre. An avid writer and proponent of the arts, she is also plugged into what’s happening in Northville. Contact her at denisemjenkins@aol.com.

TGIN: Thank Goodness in November M

y co-worker leaves the office everyday with a “Good night…thanks for the job!” It always makes me smile. I am thankful to live, work and worship in the Northville community, but I am most thankful for my family and my friends. In November, in Northville, be thankful for the good things. I am hopeful they continue to far outweigh the not-so-good-things.

The Northville Chamber of Commerce each year recognizes a person in our midst who deserves to be called Citizen of the Year. The 2019 recipient is Lindsey CasterlineDogonski (pictured above).

Lindsey was born and raised in Northville. She graduated from NHS and Wayne State before going on to work in her family’s business – Casterline Funeral Home, which has been in Northville since 1937. She is an active member of Northville Rotary, a founding member of KidsGala – a charity that provides support to children facing a life-changing event -and she has been calling Bingo at Allen Terrace for the last 20 years.

This is just a few of the highlights from a long list of

36 The ‘Ville

community service projects Lindsey has a hand in. Her first job was at Custard Time and she continues the Casterline tradition of passing out ice cream each Memorial Day to Northville area families.

“Lindsey truly puts the Northville community first in everything she does and is always willing to help and be a part of many of the events and traditions that make Northville such a great town,” said Jody Humphries, Executive Director of the Northville Chamber, who presented the award.

In receiving the award and accolades from Northville Mayor Ken Roth, Northville Township Supervisor Bob Nix, Northville School Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher and State Representative Matt Koleszar, Lindsey could not have been more humble with a simple speech and a very sincere “thank you” to all.

Lindsey received the award at the annual meeting of the Chamber, which was held at Genitti’s Hole-In-The-Wall – with dinner served by 160 Main. The spirit of cooperation is indeed alive and well in Northville.

The Northville Garden Club will hold the 44th Annual Greens Mart Sale – Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Town Square. Each year the profits from the sale go back into the Northville community.

Last year the Garden Club gifted more than $6,000 to local groups, including Friends of the Northville District Library,

Northville Parks & Rec AdoptA-Park, Schoolcraft College scholarships and Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association charities. Visit the website at northvillegardenclub. com for more information.

Calling all grocery shoppers! Local Girl Scouts are working toward a badge called “Breathe.” They need your help. The girls built a crate to hold used paper grocery bags.

They are working with the downtown Northville Kroger store. It is a trial program until Thanksgiving. Recycle your usable paper bags (any brand) to the crate and if you forgot your reusable bag take one from the crate. Please, help make this a permanent program.

Our Lady of Victory held their 2nd Annual Victory Values Service Day, doing community service in many different ways to many different

people. First graders made activity kits for Children’s Hospital while middle schoolers did yard work for the Living & Learning Center. Every class, and every student participated.

If you have lost a loved one recently, the holidays can be hard. The New Hope Center for Grief Support is always there to help. They will hold their Holiday Benefit Dec. 7, from 7-10 p.m. All funds go to meet the growing number of people in need of support. Attendees can purchase a memorial bulb in honor of a loved one.

If you can’t make the party but would like to purchase a memorial bulb call them at (248) 348-0115. It’s a nice way to remember someone special.

Where did the last 20-years go? If you remember what you were doing on New Year’s Eve in 1999 -- whether it was dreading the disaster of Y2K, or looking forward to a new century -- I’d love to hear from you. Email me at Denisemjenkins@aol.com. I’m hoping to dish up some local stories next month.

Thanks for reading…enjoy a heaping dish of turkey and mashed potatoes. More gravy please. And, oh yeah, I will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army (with my grandkids) at the Northville post office Thanksgiving weekend. Stop and see us.

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FAUSONE BOHN, LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW Introducing Katherine A. Krysak Katherine and Geoff are the proud parents to their fur child, a cat named Maggie. The couple often spend their weekends with family in Northville attending many of the local events, when they are not enduring the adventures that come with home ownership.

Please contact Fausone Bohn, LLP to schedule a confidential consultation with Katherine to discuss any of your family law needs. In addition to regular business hours, evening and weekend appointments are available upon request.

Katherine and her fiancé, Geoffrey (“Geoff”) P. Frampton, Jr., recently purchased their first home in Commerce Township.

Her fiancé, Geoff, grew up in Northville and his parents are longtime Northville residents.

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Photo Credit: Mishelle Lamarand Photography

Katherine A. Krysak is a Partner at Fausone Bohn, LLP, heading the family law division.

Katherine has focused her entire career on family law because she appreciates not only the tremendous responsibility associated with handling complex legal issues, but also the emotional components that accompany family law litigation as well. She is dedicated to educating, supporting, and passionately advocating for her clients through difficult situations.

2019 has been a big year of recognitions and awards for Katherine. She has recently been recognized as a 2019 Michigan Rising Star by Super Lawyers.

This accomplishment is attained by demonstrating excellence in the practice of law and is limited to no more than 2.5% of attorneys within Michigan. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice. Katherine has also been named as one of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in Michigan by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys. She received a recognition of excellence in Family and Divorce Law from Lawyers of Distinction. She gives back to the community by providing free legal advice at the Women’s Resource Center at Schoolcraft College in Livonia.

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID RAVENNA, MI PERMIT NO. 320

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