SEPTEMBER 2026 VOL 7 | ISSUE 9
PLYMOUTH ’ S N E WS & LIFE ST YLE MAGA ZIN E
We make dream homes a reality.
Ashwin Building Company is a family-owned home building & remodeling business based in Northville, Michigan with 35 years of experience in construction, home remodeling, and contracting. Blending time-tested construction practices and design, we personally strive to provide the best services to our customers before, during, and after project completion. BEFORE
AFTER
Let us bring your vision to life and create a space that truly reflects your style and personality. Contact us today to begin your journey to a beautiful home! 2 4 8 . 2 49. 2 4 8 5 | A S H W I N B U I L D I N G .C O M
Downtown DowntownNorthville Northville Downtown Northville 101 East Main Street at Center 101 East Main Street at Center
101 East Main Street at Center 248.349.6940 248.349.6940 248.349.6940
orinjewelers.com orinjewelers.com orinjewelers.com
Play in Color Play in Color Play in A Parle Jewelry Event AAParle Parle Jewelry Jewelry Event
Explore our Explore our Explore expanded collection of expanded collection of expanded collection of gemstone jewelry and gemstone jewelry and gemstone jewelry and meet designer meet designer designer meet Brecken Farnsworth, Brecken Farnsworth, Brecken Farnsworth, the creative mind the creative mind the creative mind behind the pieces. behind the the pieces. pieces. behind
October 9-10th October 9-10th October 9-10th 10AM-6PM 10AM-6PM 10AM-6PM Orin Jewelers Showroom Orin Jewelers Showroom
Orin Jewelers Showroom
Local Journalism Matters
Please consider a donation to support The Rock. Since we began publishing more than five years ago, our goal has been to provide our readers with valuable information about the Plymouth community each and every month. Your support is vital if you would like to see us survive and grow. The Rock is sent free to every address in Plymouth, yet is not free to produce.
LOCAL Matters!
That is the foundation of this magazine. If you find it of value, please consider supporting it. We need your support. Please send donations to: Journeyman Publishing 16435 Franklin Northville, MI 48168 You can also make donations via Pay Pal to kurtkuban@gmail.com. Thanks in advance,
Publisher Here is the list of readers who supported local journalism this month: Sandy Baranski
Advertise in The Rock • Reach 21,000 addresses every month. • We direct mail to every address in the 48170 zip code. • Our locally-owned and produced publication is an affordable way for your business to reach the entire Plymouth market.
To secure space in an upcoming issue of The Rock, contact Advertising Director Scott Buie at (313) 399-5231, or via email at scottbuie@therockmagazine.com or advertising@therockmagazine.com.
SEPTEMBER 2026 | VOL 7 | ISSUE 9 16435 Franklin, Northville, MI 48168 • 734-716-0783 • kurtkuban@therockmagazine.com
K U R T K U B A N – Publisher
Kurt is an award-winning journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers and magazines, including the Plymouth Observer. He has been a journalist for over two decades. He founded Journeyman Publishing, which also publishes The ‘Ville, in 2017.
S CO T T S P I E L M A N – Editor
Scott graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism. He covered western Wayne County for more than 12 years at several publications before transitioning into corporate communications and media relations. A Canton resident, he has also finished his first novel and is hard at work on his next.
S CO T T B U I E – Advertising Director/Vice President of Sales
Scott has 20+ years creating advertising campaigns for clients in Metro Detroit. After managing sales for radio stations for 17 years he purchased Street Marketing, where he works closely with a variety of businesses and events. Scott and his family have lived in the Plymouth/Northville area for over 23 years.
J E N N Y P E A R S A L L – Creative Director
Jenny has been in the design and print industry for over twenty years, holding various positions in graphic design, print buying, production and print management. She also owns Bovia Design Group, a company specializing in publications and corporate branding.
B R A D E M O N S – Writer
Over the course of his four decades with the Observer & Eccentric, 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.
T I M S M I T H – Writer
Tim brings a penchant for telling personal stories that run the gamut from news to sports. During more than 35 years in journalism, mostly with the Observer & Eccentric, he has earned numerous state and national awards. The Wayne State grad is a published author and rec ice hockey player.
W E N S DY V O N B U S K I R K – Writer
Wensdy graduated with a degree in journalism from Wayne State University. Her first job was working as a reporter for The Northville Record. Now, as a freelance writer and editor, she works for a variety of magazines, including The Rock. -Photo by Kathleen Voss
S U E V OY L E S – Writer
Growing up, Sue always knew she wanted to be a writer. She has written for many publications over her long career in public relations and journalism, and taught English and journalism at Schoolcraft College. In 2022, she received the national Headliner Award from the Association for Women in Communications.
K E N V OY L E S – Writer/Photographer
Ken is an award-winning writer, photographer and designer whose career has spanned nearly five decades in and around metro Detroit. He started his journalism career in Plymouth, working for the Community Crier. He is the author of two books on Detroit history, loves to travel and has finished his first novel.
B R YA N M I T C H E L L – Photographer
Bryan started working as a photographer more than 30 years ago, and was a staff photographer for the Plymouth Observer in the 90s. He has freelanced for The Detroit News, The Guardian, Reuters, and other publications. His photography has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the globe.
S E A N P O W E R – Photographer
Sean is a freelance photographer who is originally from Chicago, where he spent many years in the world of broadcast television. He and his family moved from Chicago to Northville in 2021. He lives with his wife, Angelique (a 2025 Detroit News "Michiganian of the Year"), daughter Sadie, a cat, and an English black lab.
The Rock 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 kurtkuban@therockmagazine.com.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Yes, you’re being recorded License Plate Readers are popping up, like it or not. Just about anywhere you go or anywhere you turn, License Plate Readers (LPRs), like the Flock camera systems active in our community, are a hot topic. And they are unpopular. There are plenty of news stories or social media posts about people who’ve cut them down, obscured them in some fashion or otherwise vandalized them (note: I do not recommend those activities) and being celebrated for it. We’ve seen meetings where residents protest their implementation, heard about mistakes made or information abused. I was a little surprised to see how prevalent they were in our community. I went into the story (see Page 6) hating the things and left it not liking them very much. But I’m a cranky old man; I do not like being on video, anywhere, and it is increasingly unavoidable. As I walk around my neighborhood in Canton, there are half a dozen homes along the route that cheerfully let me know I’m being recorded (or as cheerfully as a robotic voice can be, anyway). One bozo even has an alarm system set up that blares like a doomsday machine when someone spits on the lawn after that message plays (or, um, so I’ve heard). I’m somewhat reassured to hear about the safeguards in place. They can only be searched for law enforcement purposes, and those searches are documented and audited. The cameras do not track you down if they catch you speeding or initiate any kind of investigation. Each of our community police chiefs told me they do not have facial recognition software. I think we are fortunate here in Plymouth, Canton and Northville to have leadership in our respective police departments that recognizes these privacy concerns and put policies in place to guard against misuse—as well as officers who understand the support public safety receives from the community. I think for any of them, or anyone looking to get into the field, our little corner of western Wayne County would represent the ultimate beat. The best place to go. Even so, the potential for misuse is there. It’s a lot like health care, an industry I worked in between my journalism gigs. There was a tremendous potential to misuse privacy data there, too—it wasn’t easy to access, but it was possible. The consequences were just as tremendous, however. People who did it deliberately were prosecuted and many responsible for accidental breaches were fired. It’s also important to note that public cameras are not exactly new and most of us are tracked more diligently—and sometimes willingly—through our cell phones, Apple watches, Fitbits, etc. If you’ve ever played a “game” on social media where you input your birth month to get a silly nickname, you’ve voluntarily given some basement-dweller more information than he or she would be able to get from an LPR. We are targeted and marketed to according to where we go, what we do—often what we say. I’m sure we’ve all had conversations, then opened up Facebook or Instagram and see related advertisements. That is unlikely to change. I don’t think these license plate readers are going away any time soon, either—although the City of Westland ended their contract when their initial lease was up, and the State of Florida has banned them from the state rights of way. But I do think it's important to talk about them in an open, public forum. I like the way the Plymouth Township board presented them to the public at a regular board meeting with opportunity for the elected officials and residents to voice concerns and ask questions. They did not come before to the Plymouth City Commission because the expense didn’t trigger commission review. I think when the contracts are up for renewal, however, the commission should put it on the agenda and allow the department to talk about the good they may have done, crimes they may have helped solve and address any resident concerns or misinformation that may be making the rounds at the time. If they are, in fact, as beneficial as our public safety leaders say they are, there’s no reason not to.
Scott Spielman is the editor of The Rock. He welcomes your feedback or letters to the editor at scottyspielman@gmail.com.
In this issue
18
FOTR CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF ROUGE RIVER PROGRESS
32
EVERYONE GETS A CAPE AT ‘HEROES DAY’ EVENT
34
PROTEST ART: TINA CREGUER’S WORK SELECTED FOR ARTPRIZE Your Voice: Letters to the Editor Eyes in the sky: Flock cameras spark privacy concerns, but aid police Community Bulletin Board Dad of special needs son pens memoir to raise money for sanctuary Tonquish Creek Manor provides community on a budget It’s Your Business: Ashwin Building Company Orin’s and Parle have formed a gem of a partnership New nonprofit connects excess food with those who need it
4 6 10 12 14 24 26 28
O N T H E C O V E R : It has taken an army of volunteers to help clean up the Rouge River. Since its founding in 1986, Friends of the Rouge has grown from a handful of volunteers to 10,000 strong, including Adalin and Henry Lytle of Canton, who stopped by to spruce up the rain garden outside the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex, which FOTR helped get installed. The Lytles were taking part in the "Kinder Garden" program. Photo by Sean Power
Brookside opposition mischaracterized
Thank you for your recent tribute to the dearly departed Phil Pursell in the June edition. Gone too soon. Phil was literally a cool guy, and an honest broker. We can use more Phil Pursells. On the topic of homes and City of Plymouth being "welcoming," we could use some honest brokering here in "Your Voice." I'm referencing a letter to the editor referencing YIMBY, and referencing the Brookside PUD. It stated, "Opposition to the Brookside proposal was often broadly characterized as 'anti-development.” In reality, many residents specifically stated they would support similar housing in other parts of Plymouth…" In other parts of Plymouth. This is the definition of NIMBY: Not In My Back Yard. So say it. The author ended his letter by serving up the term "unlimited density," something nobody is proposing—including Brookside. He concludes that his are "reasonable planning concerns, not antihousing positions." Sorry, but these positions are patently positions on housing. You don't want multi-family housing in your back yard. I campaigned for City Commission on a few things, one was reasonable development. I served on the Planning Commission, and we researched and debated it. We worked on a Master Plan (now improved) that addresses each neighborhood appropriately. It was built with public input. We have ordinances based on planning science and experience that support reasonable development. Brookside was approved in public meetings by the planning commissioners through a difficult, but deliberative, public and lawful process. Brookside didn't die because of "planning concerns," incompatibility or infrastructure. It didn't die because it was unreasonable. Brookside died because of legal threat from loud and influential neighbors who didn't want it in their backyard. And no amount of press releases, social media posts or PR-crafted letters can refute that fact.
Jim Mulhern
Water quality is improving
Stories like The Rock’s “Penn Hosts ‘Troubled Waters’” are the predominant narrative today. Most people believe our water is getting worse. Examining water quality in context isn’t Democrat, Republican, Progressive, Conservative or Libertarian -- it’s math and science. When I embarked on my engineering career in the 1970s, one part of a pollutant in a million was close to the smallest amount that could be measured with that day’s detection methods. Below that threshold, many chemicals were designated “Non Detectable,” which many people in those days took to be virtually zero. Now fast forward to today where detection methods can measure many chemicals as low as one part in a trillion, some even lower amounts than that. This means a chemical we could once detect at one part in a million is the exact same amount (quantity) as one million parts in a trillion. As our detection capabilities get better, we can “see” chemicals at amounts closer to zero, yet merely “seeing” at those fantastically low amounts does not automatically make something a “toxic chemical.” To visualize this, AI suggests it would take up to a trillion standard sized marbles to fill up Ford Field in Detroit. Thus,
detecting one part of a chemical in a trillion is akin to finding a single red marble in Ford Field filled with blue marbles. Technology advances and regulations have made drinking water and wastewater cleaner, combined sewer overflows are far fewer, and stormwater practices increasingly protect our waters. Maybe most importantly, sensitive species are proliferating in waterways like the Detroit River, a trend that would not be possible if water wasn’t cleaner because Animals don’t lie. Bottom line: With rare exceptions, Michigan’s waters, drinking water and in nature, by the math and science, are cleaner than in over 150 years.
Tom Doran
Focusing on issues that matter
We write to share our strong support for Lisa McIntyre’s candidacy for the Michigan House of Representatives District 22. We have personally known Lisa for nearly a decade and have followed her increasingly committed work for the Northville community over the years. From involvement in the elementary school PTA, to leadership at the Northville School Board and now, as the potential state representative for Northville, Plymouth and Livonia, Lisa’s strong record of public service has shown that she will put in increasingly more effort, time, and commitment for the good of her community. Lisa focuses on issues that really matter: education, health care costs, mental health, and fiscal discipline. She has led the Northville School Board and focused on student success and wellness, staff support, and long-term investments, all of which keeps Northville as one of the top school districts in the state. She has balanced targeted school funding with ongoing financial stability, which has given her practical experience in budgeting and careful fiscal management. And as a mental health professional and provider, Lisa is a passionate advocate for children’s mental health and will push for the fairness and transparency so badly needed in our health care system. Beyond her qualifications, Lisa also possesses the values we need in government right now: she is honest, thoughtful, a true listener, and committed to doing good for the many rather than the select few. We are confident that Lisa’s experience and dedication will make her a meaningful and effective member of state government and urge you to join us in voting for her as State Representative on November 3.
Dorothy and Scott Paxton
US has a commie problem
According to our president, we've got a commie problem. He has been going on and on about how the communists are such a danger, kind of like Joe McCarthy did in the ‘50s. While projecting communism on all but his loyal followers, it is Trump, from his unrestrained position in the White House who is pulling out all the stops to usher in communist doctrine. Since June 2025, Trump has bludgeoned 30-plus corporations into handing over shares of ownership, stock and portions of future profits. That, of course, spells government control of private corporations. The Trump takeover spans key industries including computer chips (semiconductors), rare earth minerals and steel. So now the U.S. government acts as both a business partner (shareholder) and law
SOUND OFF: Submit your letters by emailing Editor Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@gmail.com. Letters should be no more than 150 words. We reserve the right to edit all letters.
4 | The Rock
enforcer (regulator) in this ever-growing list of victim industries. Ever wonder why Trump admires figures like murdering psychopath Vladimir Putin? Or why Trump exchanged love letters with North Korean butcher Kim Jong Un? Or why Trump thinks China's communist chairman Xi Jinping is a great leader? Or how about why the Republican MAGA party held their last Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary with their keynote speaker being none other than pro-Putin dictator Viktor Orban. Houston, we've got a commie problem alright - and the leader of the band is none other than comrade Donald J. Trump. Owen Gay
District empowers students
As someone who has lived in the Plymouth-Canton area since 1985, I have seen — and continue to see — how Plymouth-Canton Schools and the district’s outstanding educators empower children to learn, grow and thrive. Our local public schools and public school educators who make them possible are among the main reasons I’ve stayed in this town for nearly 40 years. When we arrived here, our first daughter had recently celebrated her first birthday, and my first son was a newborn. We fell in love with this community and had two more children here following the move. I attribute the success of my children — all PCCS graduates — in large part to the amazing teachers and staff at Plymouth-Canton schools. The district’s teachers and staff work hard to engage students, introducing them to new experiences and encouraging
them to discover the world around them. During their time at PCCS, my children found joy and fulfillment in theater, robotics, the award-winning and student-run radio station The Park, and many other programs. None of those opportunities would have been possible without stellar educators who put in the hours to help students discover their passions, define career goals and establish personal bests. My son was highly introverted for much of his time at PCCS. Like many students, he struggled to find his place in school. Once he entered high school, one of his teachers encouraged him to get involved with The Park radio station. He literally found his voice on the air. Our district also builds on a long tradition of strong community partnerships. From Bosch’s support for STEM and robotics to orsa Credit Union’s investment in a state-of-the-art tech hub that bring students and the community together, Plymouth-Canton schools leverages phenomenal resources to help achieve one simple goal: Give every student a world-class education that prepares them to succeed in a fast-changing, ever-evolving economy. Strong public schools and public school educators help our communities thrive, and families can be assured their children are getting a great education. They also help attract new residents and investments, and create a talent pipeline that supports our local economy. Simply put, I’m blessed to have Plymouth-Canton Schools, and the educators who define them, in my backyard.
John Filios
> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC
Your life. Your money. Your terms. Personalized service means having a financial advisor who understands you and what you’re trying to achieve, and helps to create a unique strategy based on your needs and circumstances. Let’s start building the future today.
John A Birchler CFP®
Financial Advisor 1176 South Main Street Ste A Plymouth, MI 48170 734-454-4653 EJB-8652F-A-E-AD AECSPAD 29754580
L
icense Plate Readers (LPRs) have been popping up all around the country, both physically along roadways and in town centers -- and through conversations at the municipal level and on social media. Plymouth Township recently added their name to the list of municipalities that use them, installing the first two of a proposed 26 units in the community this year. “It’s probably the best piece of technology that I’ve seen to help us solve crimes in a long, long time,” said Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel. The township entered into a three-year lease to bring Flock cameras, first to the Ann Arbor Road corridor, and eventually to other community entry points. The township board approved the system in January, 5-2, with then-trustee Jen Buckley and Trustee Sandy Groth voting against the contract. Fourteen of the cameras will be funded 6 | The Rock
through the township Downtown Development Authority (DDA), while the other 12 will be paid for through drug forfeiture funds. After installation, the township will pay $44,000 annually to lease the equipment, with FLOCK paying for maintenance and upgrades.
BIG SUCCESSES Law enforcement officials tout these cameras as advanced tools they can use to help them solve a variety of crimes. What they do is capture images of license plates as vehicles drive by. That information is encrypted and stored in the cloud, then “harddeleted” after a specified period of time. Currently, that’s 30 days, although some participating departments have it deleted after two weeks and there is legislation pending in Michigan to set it even lower. “These cameras have been of such value to truly impacting a lot of the crime in the community that I would never
want for us to have to stop using them because it’s simply making the community safer,” said Scott Hilden, Northville Township’s chief of police. “Right from the beginning, we started having some big success stories with it, helping us with all sorts of crimes in Northville Township.” Northville Township has 17 Flock cameras and they have been in use for more than two years now. The City of Plymouth has two, as well. LPRs are in use in Livonia, Canton Township, Farmington Hills, Dearborn and several other nearby municipalities. Knittel said he talked to police leaders in many of those communities as he and then-deputy chief Dan Kudra were looking into the system. In Northville, they are located along Five Mile, Six Mile and Seven Mile roads at major intersections. In Plymouth, they are currently located near the Ann Arbor Road and I-275 interchange and near Kellogg Park in the city.
In Northville, the cameras have helped police intercept a child predator as he traveled into the community to meet up with who he thought was a 15-year-old girl. They’ve helped track down an unauthorized person at Northville High School, recovered dozens of stolen vehicles, helped track down an elderly resident with dementia who had driven away from their home—and was later found near Lansing--to name just a few cases. They say they’ve also used them to break up retail fraud rings—the most common crime in the community—in which suspects drive into the community, steal things, fence them elsewhere so that they are offered for resale in locations outside the community. “We’re able to take some of these bigger players out of the game by charging them, in addition to the person who actually stole the merchandise,” Hilden said. “It really helps us have an effect on these crimes that are affecting our business establishments.” Within three days of their installation in Plymouth Township, Knittel said the cameras helped police charge a suspect with felonious assault with a firearm, after the LPR captured images from a road rage incident on Ann Arbor Road. The camera caught the plate number and officers determined the suspect worked nearby. Within 20 minutes of the incident, the suspect had been apprehended and the firearm recovered from the vehicle.
ACKNOWLEDGING CONCERNS Even so, the LPRs have sparked privacy concerns. Social media and the internet are populated with stories alleging—or documenting—abuses of the system, as well as instances when innocent people have been wrongly charged. At a recent
community conversation in the City of Plymouth, residents questioned the necessity of them, saying they have the ability to build “heat maps” that can track an individual’s movement, or wrongly identify them as a suspect in a crime. Township residents voiced some of those concerns when the board approved the contract in January, as did Groth and Buckley. Many of those concerns, officials said, were based on misinformation about what the systems do and don’t do. “I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Knittel said. “Like any system, nothing’s perfect. I think there’s a concern of misuse, there’s a concern that the information
is out there and I think there’s a concern about the data and how it’s kept. We’ve looked very closely at that. We have a policy in place for our officers. These cameras are for law enforcement
use only and if they use it for anything other than that, there’s discipline up to firing. There’s also cases where people have been charged criminally.” “The information out there that’s portraying the Flock camera system in a negative light—a lot of that is not accurate,” said Hilden. “Any type of system that law enforcement has access to, like the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) or Secretary of State databases, all those systems that law enforcement has access to rely on people to access the data for legitimate reasons. “We hold our staff accountable to the state laws, policies and procedures,” he added. “When someone missuses it— which is always a possibility with human access—then there’s consequences. In our department, if someone misuses those databases, they could be disciplined up to and including termination. That’s common in a lot of police departments.” The system is a passive reader. It does not have facial recognition capacity. The local departments own the data within their systems. Federal agencies are, by default, locked out of it—although local agencies could cooperate with them or be mandated by a court decision. Also, the systems are routinely internally audited by the departments that use them, by Flock, and through a thirdparty vendor that Flock also pays for. The system tracks who requests data from them and why. Searches must be related to a police investigation. “It’s only looking at and grabbing information when we have a legitimate law enforcement purpose and we’re searching for someone based on some criminal activity or an investigation,” Hilden said. “Otherwise it’s never accessed. It never goes anywhere and it eventually just purges.” Flock itself does not share the information captured by the cameras, according to Mike
Lanman, a Flock spokesperson. “Your police department will have complete ownership of the data,” he told the Plymouth Township board. “Flock will never sell, share or distribute any info generation from these devices. It’s strictly a law enforcement tool.” A tool, Knittle said, that doesn’t investigate on its own. “They don’t solve crimes, but what they do is provide the leads that solve crimes,” he said. “I understand the privacy concerns. There’s YouTube videos about cameras that are tracking people in parks. Ours don’t do that. Ours are stationary cameras that collect data from license plates. They’re not meant for other purposes.”
‘CONTINUING CONVERSATION’ Despite their usefulness to law enforcement, they are not universally welcomed by municipalities. The City of Westland recently decided to remove their cameras after their contract expired at the end of July. The State of Florida banned them entirely from state road rights of way. In the city of Plymouth, the issue did not come in front of the commission because the price of the contract did not warrant commission approval. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns, however, and said they’d look into a policy regarding data privacy. “I know these are good for law enforcement, but they have to be good for everybody,” said Commissioner Jennifer Kehoe. “I think you should expect that this is a continuing conversation. Everybody in the city went in with the best intentions on this. With new technology, we don’t always know what’s coming. But now that we see, I think we need some discussion over a policy governing this.” To find the locations of Flock cameras in the community, visit www.deflock.org.
“It’s probably the best piece of technology that I’ve seen to help us solve crimes in a long, long time.” — Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Communities across America, including here in Plymouth, are installing Flock cameras in public to assist with criminal investigations. Plymouth Township has plans to install a couple dozen, while Northville Township has more than a dozen already up. Do you agree with their use by law enforcement or do you think they are intrusive and not needed? Please email your opinions to Editor Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@gmail. com. The Rock | 7
Building Businesses. Growing Communities.
Looking to grow your business? As a local commercial lender we’re business banking experts. With over 65 years of combined experience, Ingrid and Darren are committed to seeing your business thrive. Darren R. LaLonde
Customer Focused, Community Based
248.387.6083 hvsb.com
Ingrid Runnion
Thanksgiving Join us for an elevated feast featuring seasonal favorites, chef-carved entrées and decadent desserts, all in a beautiful setting made for gathering.
The holidays are just around the corner. Plan your private holiday celebration at Saint John’s Resort and make the season unforgettable.
he holidays are just around th your private holiday celebrat John’s Resort and make th unforgettable.
WAYNE COUNTY OFFERS STUDENT LOAN HELP
Wayne County has partnered with Savi to provide free student loan support services to Wayne County residents, Wayne County government employees, and their dependents. Savi is a student loan and education benefits platform that helps borrowers better understand and manage their student loans. It helps simplify the student loan process by providing personalized tools, guidance, and support in one place.
PARK BUILD DATE SET
The equipment is on the way, the land graded and the stage is set for a major park renovation project in the City of Plymouth. All that’s needed is you. The city has set the community build date for the Lions Park renovation project and is looking for volunteers. The build will take place Sept. 24-27 and involve the complete replacement of the 25year old equipment there with two new structures. Renovations will also include new ADA pathways, drinking fountains, lighting and a practice field— but that work will be completed by professionals. Volunteer work will also be overseen by professional supervisors throughout the work weekend. The $350,000 project is being funded through a partnership with the Plymouth Lions Club and the city, in which the Lions Club will pay $150,000 over a five-year period. It is the first of several such projects planned throughout the city as leaders look to expand and refine the city’s park partnership program. For information on how to volunteer, contact the city municipal services department at (734) 453-7737.
Through this partnership, eligible users can: • Explore repayment and forgiveness options • Lower monthly student loan payments • Apply for federal student loan programs • Receive one-on-one support from student loan experts • Access education & financial planning resources
TOWNSHIP APPROVES NEW MASTER PLAN
The more than year-long work to approve a new master plan has reached its end, for now. The Township board unanimously approved its new master plan on Aug. 25. The document is essentially a guide to how land could be developed in the future, according to township planner Liz Hart, and was developed through several work sessions on the planning commission, joint planning commission and township board meetings, public open houses and a survey that received more than 800 responses from resident. Key themes throughout the process included: preserving green space, addressing traffic, improving pedestrian and bicycle connections and managing future growth that maintains the character of the township. Specific changes include recommending multi-family residential uses along Northville Road, south of M-14, which had been designated for industrial use, adding Lilley Road to a township traffic study, conducting a canopy study to determine how best to preserve and add trees and allowing medium family residential uses to the corner of Lilley and Joy roads, currently the site of Sparr’s Greenhouse. The master plan is a guide, not strict rezoning, and can be revisited in the future. “It does remain a fluid document,” said Township Trustee Sandy Groth. “As time goes on in future years, if changes need to be made we are able to make them. Our approval tonight does not cast this in stone so that it can’t be changed.”
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP APPOINTS NEW TRUSTEE For the second time in as many months, the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees has appointed a new member. Joe Reilly, a seven-year township resident, was unanimously voted in on Aug. 25 to replace Trustee Mark Clinton, who resigned on July 28, citing what he characterized as the ‘deceitful nature’ of the board. At the time, Clinton said he was kept out of the loop on the process to fill the trustee position Jen Buckley vacated when she moved out of the community. “My goal is to help bridge a generational gap for the people who call this township home—not by changing what makes Plymouth township special, but by protecting it while preparing responsibly for its future,” said the 31-year-old. Reilly works in the automotive industry as an operations director and said he works extensively with union contracts. He also served as vice chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Township Supervisor Chuck Curmi said seven people expressed interest in the position. Reilly was the second resident nominated at the August meeting. The first was Richard Leblanc, a former state representative, county commissioner, Westland city council member and city clerk. Treasurer Bob Doroshewitz nominated him, with support from Trustee Sandy Groth. They were the only two who 10 | The Rock
For more information, visit: www.waynecountymi.gov/ Government/ProjectsInitiatives/Student-LoanDebt-Relief
voted for him, however. Doroshewitz, who is resigning in January, said Leblanc’s experience would benefit the board during a year when more than half of its members have resigned. “We’re in an unprecedented situation,” he said. “When I leave in January, the board will be governed by a majority—none of whom have ever received a single vote in any election in their lifetime. It’s not representative of the community, but it is what it is. “There’s a long learning curve,” he added. “It’s not going to be simple.” Curmi said Reilly and Trustee Bill Ickes, who was appointed to fill Buckley’s position, bring township experience to the board, despite not being elected. Ickes served on the township planning commission. “We are bringing people to the board who have experience elsewhere in the township,” Curmi said.
PUTTING PEOPLE
first
Lisa’s Priorities Support affordability measures Fully fund public schools Lead with common sense and cooperation Improve local infrastructure Invest in small businesses
V O T E November 3 V ON OR BEFORE
PROUDLY ENDORSED BY
rd
Mom of Three Licensed Mental Health Counselor Northville Board of Education (past President) www.mcintyreformichigan.com Paid for by Friends of Lisa McIntyre for Michigan | PO Box 641, Northville MI 48167
Building ‘A People’s Sanctuary’ Endurance biker writes memoir to fund nonprofit and keep a promise to his special needs son By Ben Bolstrum
A
fter a near-death experience in a South African desert, Simon Dyson discovered his
purpose. Dyson, a Plymouth resident, was taking part in The Munga, a grueling 1,152-kilometer (715.8 mile) endurance bike race across the Karoo Desert. It’s known as one of the toughest races on Earth. As he approached one of the checkpoints, about 852 km into the grueling race, and with the worst still to come, he had fallen from his bike, and taken a nasty spill. He hit his head and tore off the sole of one of his shoes. Somehow, he gathered up the strength to get back up on the bike, rally and make it to the checkpoint with just two seconds to spare. As Dyson resupplied and prepared to continue on, dreading what was to come, he chatted with one of the race organizers, who was the owner of the game reserve he was riding through. The man said something profound to him, which inspired 12 | The Rock
Dyson to get back on the bike. “You’ve already won.” Those words carried Dyson for another 10 kilometers, as he began a 4,000-foot descent into a lifeless basin that registered 120 degrees. But the elements and physical toll forced Dyson to stop. He could take no more. He got off his bike, sat on the ground and sobbed. He thought he would
“They were the greatest words in the world,” he said. “It bought me another 10 kilometers, and I sat in the dirt to take this all in and say, ‘So, you've already won. Yeah. You've done it. You don't need to keep chasing that medal.’ So, that was exactly where my race needed to finish.” Dyson’s son Billy lives with cerebral palsy, a chronic seizure
“Billy’s been my greatest teacher. He has taught me that there is a far greater purpose in life than materialistic things. And I have a role on this earth, which is far greater than me.” Simon Dyson die that day, in that place. This was his finish line. And yet it proved to be the start of so much to come in his life. “You’ve already won.” Those stranger’s words became the title of his memoir, and the fuel for a nonprofit endeavor named for his son, Billy’s Farm of Hopes and Dreams.
disorder, is nonverbal, and is significantly on the autism spectrum. It is no exaggeration to say Billy is and has always been the center of Simon’s world. He has been his son’s full-time caregiver for 24 years. “Caring for Billy around the clock for 24 years is the greatest
privilege of my life. It is also one of the hardest things a human being can do,” said Dyson, who was born in Great Britain. “The love is immeasurable. The exhaustion is real. The isolation is quiet but constant. Along the way I found myself battling alcohol, not dramatically, but quietly, the way a lot of caregivers do, using it to survive a shift that never ends.” Dyson’s memoir -- You’ve Already Won: How a race, a stranger and two seconds changed everything – published by Maison Vero and launched on Amazon in July with copies available this month – details this journey. “Billy’s been my greatest teacher,” Simon said. “He has taught me that there is a far greater purpose in life than materialistic things. And I have a role on this earth, which is far greater than me. “He is also one of the greatest human beings I have ever known.” Billy attends Cooke School in Northville. He’s 24 years old and
will graduate from the school when he is 26. Simon knows that the day is approaching when the bus will pick his son up for the last time, and he intends to give him purpose after that happens. Dyson, who left the corporate world in January of 2024 to launch a small business, I Care Insurance Agency, which provides healthcare solutions for small businesses and individuals, promised his son that they would build something together but, at the time, wasn’t sure what that would be. He’s hoping the proceeds of the book will help him keep the promise he made to his son, that they would build something together. That’s where Billy’s Farm of Hopes and Dreams comes in. Dyson said “every single penny from every sale goes directly to Billy's Farm of Hopes and Dreams.” The nonprofit, still in concept form, would be a free farm sanctuary located in Southeast Michigan with donkeys and
chickens where special needs adults and children find purpose and belonging, and where caregivers who never clock out can finally relax. Simon said the plan would ultimately be to raise chickens and bees there and to give their eggs
and honey to families in need. He’s raising money to purchase land and hopes to find a location— somewhere nearby—next year. “I want so badly for people to come and come again,” he said. “But once they arrive, they're family. And they can come any
day of the week, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The gates will always be open. No forms, no fees. “Because the other thing is, well, being a special needs adult, or special needs caregiver, you constantly fill in forms. To get permission, to get funding for the person that you're caring for. No. No. It's gone. It ends. Not here. It's a sanctuary. It's a people's sanctuary.” You can order “You’ve Already Won” through the Billy’s Farm of Hopes and Dreams website, www.billysfarmsofhopes.org. People can also donate to the nonprofit from there. “I want this to become a New York Times bestseller—and not for me, I couldn’t care less for me—but for the farm, and to help the students who graduate at 26 in the state of Michigan each year,” Simon said. “And typically, these special needs adults are being raised by one parent. I want to help them, you know? I want to help.”
DOUBLE SMASH SLIDER
3
$ 00 OFF $15 or MORE
PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
FOR DINE IN ONLY. CAN NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER OR COUPON. MUST PRESENT COUPON. LIMITED TIME OFFER.
5
$ 00 OFF $30 or MORE
SCAN QR CODE TO SEE FULL MENU
FOR DINE IN ONLY. CAN NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER OR COUPON. MUST PRESENT COUPON. LIMITED TIME OFFER.
Monday - Sunday 11 am - 8 pm ORDER ONLINE or CALL
734.455.4141 www.BurgerSpotPlymouth.com 550 FOREST AVE, PLYMOUTH (in the WESTCHESTER SQUARE MALL)
Y
ou may not notice it from the road, but there is a lovely three-story brick building that stands tall and proud tucked discreetly along Plymouth’s most famous creek. Welcome to Tonquish Creek Manor, the oldest independent living facility for people 62 years or older in Plymouth. In a world where housing costs have skyrocketed beyond affordability – especially for senior citizens – relief can be found here. Located along the banks of Tonquish Creek and just blocks from downtown Plymouth’s Kellogg Park, the Manor has been serving seniors for nearly 60 years, having first opened in 1970. The 104 single-bedroom 14 | The Rock
apartments at the Manor house mostly singles with an average age of 78. Affordability is achieved through rent based on an individual’s income and assets, which must be below a certain amount to qualify, and thanks to a subsidy from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As recently as 2023, Jennifer Molinsky, project director of the Housing an Aging Society Program at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, emphasized the need for more subsidized housing as our community population ages. “It's a wonderful thing that the older population is growing overall and people are living longer than a generation ago, but
the supports that people need to stay in the community, stay in their home, are really expensive and hard to secure,” she said in a webcast. While other higher cost senior living complexes boast of a flashy and entertaining environment with images of a cruise ship on land or a college campus for seniors at steep prices, the Manor—as residents refer to it— focuses on affordability, family and community. "Tonquish Creek is an awesome facility for seniors to reside at due to our affordability, wide range of activities and community involvement, which make us ‘all in the family’ around here," says Angela Morey, business manager
for the Manor and the Plymouth Housing Commission for the past five years. “We’re a home community where we care about one another,” she added. “I think being under one roof helps to create a family environment.” Named after Chief Tonquish and the nearby creek which has flowed through Plymouth for centuries, the Manor's management prides itself on protecting residents from unaffordable housing costs and creating a safe, fun environment for all. The close-knit residents of the Manor and its small staff are equally protective of their property and each other in a place that feels much more like a loving home than a sterile apartment complex or ritzy resort. That's because there isn't a day that goes by without some form of formal or informal activity to bring residents together. There are regular events and activities like community meals, highlighted by pizza night and the monthly community breakfast—funded by the staff and prepared by the residents—sports watch parties, regular and juke box bingo games, arts and crafts, and scrabble, just to name a few of the many activities which help to maintain a close-knit community. And, in addition to trips into uptown Plymouth, there’s also the occasional road trip like a recent visit to Turkeyville for a play and a meal. Although there is no waiting list, the Manor is normally at full occupancy. That's no surprise as evidenced by excellent Google ratings and stellar resident reviews. Lucy Ellen Arnold has lived at the Manor for 12 years and has a certain fondness for Morey, who approved her leading a twiceweekly fitness class they call “Cheer Exercises for Seniors,” in
the community center helping to keep residents stay in tip top shape. “Angela is perfect for this place,” says Arnold. “She is approachable, willing to implement resident ideas and doesn't play favorites. That’s Angela, always smiling and always helpful.” Arnold reflects on the “caring for others” nature of the manor when she remarked that she recently held a birthday party, not for herself but to bring fellow residents together on the day of her birth. “If everyone did that, we’d have cake and ice cream almost every day of the year,” Arnold joked. Outside of the community room, part of how the residents stay in shape is walking around the impeccably-tailored grounds which are maintained by a team of volunteer residents known as the gardening committee. Beautiful gardens surround the manor, which make it an excellent place for a daily walk. And for more energetic residents, the two block walk into uptown Plymouth is a daily occurrence. But even the less enthusiastic, like the nine ninetyish-year-old residents, are in luck. They can catch a ride into town on the shuttle van. A 19-year resident of the Manor, Geri Henningson is a walker whose favorite thing about the manor is its proximity to the heart of the city. “I like the location because I don't drive and I can easily walk into town to run errands, grab a meal or catch a concert in the park,” she said. Henningson also serves as one of two resident advocates who takes calls from residents after normal business hours. “It’s very gratifying, especially for our older residents, to know that there is always someone to call if they need help overnight and on the weekends, " she says. The other advocate is 12-year resident Cecilia Haslam, who truly
loves living at the Manor. “I love it because you never feel alone in here,” Haslam says. “I can come out of my apartment and there’s always people. There’s people in the library and the community room and there’s people outside. Somebody's always around. It’s a community. It’s a family and one of the best places I’ve ever lived.” Haslam is also a fan of the Manor’s close proximity to uptown Plymouth. “It’s in a perfect area for everything,” she says. One lucky resident has a very personal reason for making a weekly pilgrimage into town. “I visit the cigar shop I built and opened decades ago, to smoke a stogie and swap stories with people I've known for years,” says four-year resident Kenneth Ingle, the founder of a nearly 60 member Cigar Club which holds court inside the nearby shop. In addition to the large community room, the Manor also has spacious lounges throughout the facility and an outdoor patio. There's also a beauty parlor and a library with shelves filled by hundreds of books, thanks to monthly donations from the Plymouth Library, whose staff updates the collection monthly. The library also has dozens of board games enjoyed by all. Residents give back to the community in a number of ways,
including donating school supplies to underprivileged children and through participation in Plymouth’s Art in the Park, with all proceeds going to the No Child Left Behind charity. The lowest income residents are assisted by Meals on Wheels, while a small Community Chest has non-perishable food and other nearly new items. If residents have too much, they put something in. If they don't have enough, they take something out. It's just that
simple. Such generosity to each other contributes to the family environment. Over the years Tonquish Creek Manor has grown, with an expansion of the facility in 1981 and $2 million in major renovations two years ago that focused on walls, carpeting and the all-important elevators. The only complaint most residents have about living at the Manor is that they are sad when they lose someone to death due the close-knit community that exists here. “For many people who live here, this is their last home. It is very difficult to say goodbye,” says Morey. Nevertheless, if you or someone you know prefers family over flash, and you and/or your loved one are 62 or older with low income and assets, Tonquish Creek Manor may be just the home you’re looking for. It’s all about a community within the community where our seniors find home. The Rock | 15
YOUR PRIDE AWAITS
It’s never too late to chase your dreams. The Michigan Reconnect program can you help you achieve your goals and attend college tuition-free. Learn more about Michigan Reconnect at schoolcraft.edu. Your Journey Starts Here.
#OCELOTPRIDE
schoolcraft.edu
For 40 years, Friends of the Rouge has led the way in cleaning up one of America’s most polluted waterways By Scott Spielman Photos by Sean Power
I
f you’re reading this, you live in the Rouge River watershed, are impacted by its overall health—and can do your part to improve it. That’s the overriding message—and the mission— behind Friends of the Rouge, an organization that started out as a small group of environmental advocates in 1986 and is now in its 40th year of promoting, educating and facilitating improvements along the waterway that drains much of Metro Detroit. “The fact that we made it to 40 speaks to the staying power, but it speaks to the resiliency of the people, just like the river,” said Ashley Flintoff, executive director of the FOTR. “Everybody really understands that this river is worth saving; it’s worth advocating for. “I think really the biggest 18 | The Rock
success of the organization is not that we’re necessarily out there doing the work, it’s that we’re out there empowering people to speak up for the river. We’re
giving them opportunities. We’re showing them why it’s important and showing them how they can do their part to advocate for this river.”
Flintoff came to the organization two years ago after being introduced to them shortly before that. A Detroit resident, she noticed several of her neighbors had taken part in FOTR’s Raingardens to the Rescue program while she was out walking her dog and signed up for the group’s newsletter. She was working with Wayne State University on planning and space management when she learned from that newsletter that FOTR executive director (and Plymouth resident) Marie McCormick was stepping down from the role. Flintoff was intrigued by the opportunity. “I was not looking to switch jobs, but it sounded interesting,” she said. “At every step of the process, I kept coming home and saying: I really want this job. It clicked right away, from day one.”
“Everybody really understands that this river is worth saving; it’s worth advocating for. I think really the biggest success of the organization is not that we’re necessarily out there doing the work, it’s that we’re out there empowering people to speak up for the river. We’re giving them opportunities. We’re showing them why it’s important and showing them how they can do their part to advocate for this river.” — Ashley Flintoff, executive director of the Friends of the Rouge
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Friends of the Rouge has come a long way since 1986, growing from a collection of volunteers who sponsored a single
annual clean up to a staff of 20 employees based in the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) in downtown Plymouth. From the start, one of the group’s biggest challenges was to get the public to reconnect with the Rouge, which in 1987 was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, making it one of the 43 most polluted areas in the Great Lakes. They now host annual bug hunts, looking for tiny creatures that are a good indicator of the health of the waterways, organize frog and toad surveys and river cleanups, educate the public on ways they can help keep pollution
out of the river, work with developers and municipalities to promote environmentally sustainable projects and much, much more. It’s a lot of work, considering the Rouge watershed covers 129 miles of the river and its tributaries through 47 communities over a 467-squaremile area. While it is a relatively small watershed, it is home to 1.3 million people who put a lot of pressure on the Rouge. The small group of volunteers has grown to more than 10,000 annually. The organization itself has a near-universal appeal throughout Wayne and Oakland counties, said State Rep. Matt Koleszar. He authored a resolution honoring their 40th anniversary that was signed by every legislator who serves it. “FOTR is one of the most recognizable organizations in our community for the wonderful work they’ve done,” Koleszar said. “They’re an organization that is so good for our communities, there is no partisan divide. Everybody has nothing but glowing things to say about them and their mission.”
POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS The organization is funded primarily through donations and driven by their small army of volunteers, although roughly a third of their budget stems from grants and corporate
partnerships. Although education and advocacy are their primary goals, they also participate in physical projects, too. Currently, the group is active in ongoing work to establish and improve the Rouge Gateway Greenway, a portion of a planned 29-mile water trail along the main branch of the Rouge. Some of that planned work—like
a partnership between the two organizations as well as the municipalities along the river. The second phase will connect near Fairlane, to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, while subsequent phases will connect to the Downriver Greenway and the Joe Louis Greenway in Detroit. The overall goal is to get more people to
a pedestrian bridge over the river in Dearborn, behind the former Andiamo’s Steakhouse and an expansion of Fort Street Park, where an observation deck, fire pit, raingarden and Detroit’s only kayak launch are under way—are nearing completion. It is part of Wayne County’s Connecting the Rouge initiative,
utilize the nature they may not realize is closer than they think. “It really is the continuation of that access, providing multiple ways to access the river, whether it’s from the water in a kayak or a canoe, or biking or walking their
Continued on page 20 The Rock
| 19
Continued from page 19 dog, or rollerblading or running along the river,” Flintoff said. “A lot of the communities in the watershed have been cut off from the river due to industrialization or other development, discriminatory real estate practices or just the fact that a lot of people don’t realize that this river is in their backyard, and that you can go and paddle under this tree canopy on a beautiful stretch of river and see turtles and herons and eagles—or you can kayak past a freighter. “Where else can you do that? This watershed has the full continuum. You may live in the middle of a concrete jungle, but
you can still go access nature 10 minutes away.”
‘A GOOD CHALLENGE’
Funding is always an issue, even with an organization as popular as FOTR. The current 20 | The Rock
federal administration is not always kind to environmentor science-related causes, but Flintoff said she looks at that as an opportunity for more outreach, to work on donor strategy and improve long-term diversity in funding and to leverage additional corporate relationships. “It’s a challenge for us to really stretch our muscles and think about who we want to be in this space, where we want to go and how are we going to get there,” she said. “We’re broadening who we’re talking to, broadening how we’re thinking about what we’re doing and really building capacity and saying this is what we need to ensure have
sustainability for the long term, that we’re going to be here for the next 40, and the 40 after that and the 40 after that. It’s a challenge, but it’s a good challenge.” Development within the
watershed is also a concern, but Flintoff said municipalities and developers are increasingly willing to work toward more environmentally-friendly practices which, ultimately, enhance their projects and the overall quality of life in the communities they’re based in. A perfect example, she said, is the recent “daylighting” of the river in conjunction with the Northville Downs project in the city. Working with Mayor Brian Turnbull—a staunch advocate and fly fisherman who often refers to the nearby Johnson Creek as the “holy waters” of the Rouge and former FOTR board member Nancy Darga, developers created a new park that has received glowing reviews from residents, officials and visitors. “It’s a beautiful example of what can happen when we work together,” she said. “You can have these wonderful developments, and not at the expense of this really amazing natural asset that we have. You can do it in a way that accomplishes both.”
WORK TO DO
The Rouge has responded to these efforts, but there is still work to do. In the lobby of the FOTR office, there is a map, just
a few years old, that indicates the river is still technically in poor condition. However, it’s come a long way, considering that it caught fire in 1968 and, as recently as 1987 was declared dead because nothing could live it. Now, the fish, the insects, the frogs, turtles and waterfowl are returning. A survey near the recently daylighted river in Northville found 11 different species of fish—just two weeks after it opened. Flintoff said that resurgence is just the beginning. “We’ve built our civilizations on rivers, but we’ve done some pretty not-nice things to our rivers,” Flintoff said. “We’ve tried to bend them to our will and it hasn’t always worked out. We need to pay more attention to these rivers. We need to understand the role that they play in our lives and our society and our success and our own sustainability. We need to give them the respect they deserve. “We still have a long ways to go,” she added. “There’s a lot of work to do, but I think we’ve come so far in just 40 years, think about how far we can go in the next 40 years.” For more information about Friends of the Rouge or to get involved, visit www.therouge.org.
L I V I N G S PA C E R E N O VAT I O N S
DJL Builders Inc.
33 years of experience in the Plymouth community and surrounding areas.
L I CE N S E D A N D I N S U R E D
BA SEMENT S • K ITCHENS • BATHROOMS • A DDITIONS • WHOLE HOME REMODELING
DREAM. DESIGN. REMODEL. R E Q U E S T A C O N S U LTAT I O N T O D AY B Y C A L L I N G U S AT ( 7 3 4 ) 2 5 9 - 5 3 5 5 • D J L B U I L D E R S . C O M
Plymouth Pulse Pulse Plymouth Plymouth Pulse
September 2026: September 2026: City City Highlights Highlights Edition Edition September September 2026: 2026: City City Highlights Highlights Edition Edition September 2026: September 2026: City City Highlights Highlights Edition Edition Read the full digital Plymouth Pulse for more news and updates at plymouthmi.gov.
Read the full digital Plymouth Pulse for more201 news and updates at plymouthmi.gov. Created paid for by Plymouth the City of Plymouth S.and Main Street,at Plymouth, MI 48170 Read & the full digital Pulse for more| news updates plymouthmi.gov. Created & paid for by the City of Plymouth | 201 S. Main Street, Plymouth, 48170 Created & paid for by the City of Plymouth | 201 S. Main Street, Plymouth, MIMI 48170
Cross-Connection Control Program ControlProgram Program Cross-Connection Cross-Connection Control
In Partnership with In InPartnership Partnership with with
PROTECT PROTECT YOUR YOUR PROTECT PROTECT YOUR PROTECT PROTECT YOUR
DRINKING DRINKING DRINKING DRINKING WATER WATER WATER WATER
The City of Plymouth is launching a new partnership with HydroCorp, a nationally recognized water TheCity Cityof ofPlymouth Plymouthis is launching launching a new partnership water The partnership with withHydroCorp, HydroCorp,aanationally nationallyrecognized recognized water quality management company, to strengthen our Cross-Connection Control Program and help protect qualitymanagement managementcompany, company, to to strengthen strengthen our protect quality our Cross-Connection Cross-ConnectionControl ControlProgram Programand andhelp help protect the City's public drinking water system. theCity's City'spublic publicdrinking drinking water water system. system. the Over the coming months, HydroCorp will work on behalf of the City to identify potential crossOverthe thecoming comingmonths, months, HydroCorp HydroCorp will will work Over work on on behalf behalfof ofthe theCity Cityto toidentify identifypotential potentialcrosscrossconnections—points where contaminants could enter the public water supply—and ensure backflow connections—points where contaminants could enter the public water supply—and ensure connections—points where contaminants could enter the public water supply—and ensurebackflow backflow prevention devices are properly tested and maintained. The program is required under Michigan's Safe preventiondevices devicesare areproperly properly tested tested and and maintained. Safe prevention maintained.The Theprogram programisisrequired requiredunder underMichigan's Michigan's Safe Drinking Water Act and is designed to safeguard the quality of our drinking water for all residents and Drinking Water Act and is designed to safeguard the quality of our drinking water for all residents and Drinking Water Act and is designed to safeguard the quality of our drinking water for all residents and businesses. businesses. businesses. The is scheduled scheduledfor forSeptember September21–24. 21–24.When Whenyour yourproperty property Thefirst firstround roundof ofresidential residential inspections inspections is is is The first round of residential inspections is scheduled for September 21–24. When your property is selected, HydroCorp with withinformation informationabout aboutthe theinspection inspectionand and instructions selected,you youwill willreceive receive a a letter letter from from HydroCorp instructions selected, you will receive a letter from HydroCorp with information about the inspection and instructions representativesare areauthorized authorizedtotoperform performthese these inspections for schedulingan anappointment. appointment. HydroCorp HydroCorp representatives inspections onon forscheduling for scheduling an appointment. HydroCorp representatives are authorized to perform these inspections on behalf behalfof ofthe theCity. City. behalf of the City. The program phases, with with aastrong strongemphasis emphasison onresident residenteducation education and The programwill willbe be implemented implemented in in phases, and The program will be implemented in phases, with a strong emphasis on resident education and customer customerservice servicethroughout throughout the the process. process. customer service throughout the process. Residents HydroCorp'sCustomer CustomerService ServiceTeam Teamatat(800) (800) 401-8715, Residentswith withquestions questions may may also contact contact HydroCorp's 401-8715, Residents with questions may also contact HydroCorp's Customer Service Team at (800) 401-8715, Monday 6:00 p.m. p.m. EST ESTor orMunicipal MunicipalServices ServicesDepartment Department 734-453-7737. Mondaythrough throughFriday, Friday, from from 8:00 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 atat 734-453-7737. Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST or Municipal Services Department at 734-453-7737. By taking another anotherproactive proactivestep steptotoensure ensurePlymouth's Plymouth's drinking Bypartnering partneringwith withHydroCorp, HydroCorp, the City is taking drinking By partnering with HydroCorp, the City is taking another proactive step to ensure Plymouth's drinking waterremains remainssafe, safe,reliable, reliable, and and protected for water for years yearsto tocome. come. water remains safe, reliable, and protected for years to come.
CHC CHH
SS S
GG G DDIID I
U RUUR EREE
OOUUTTTTH KKO C HI I C E ECK UT TH E I
ITIT HH IT AALLBBRRO OCCH AL BROC
Additional information, Additional information, frequently frequentlyasked askedquestions, questions, Additional information, frequently asked questions, and program resources and resourcesscan scanthe theQR QRcode codeororvisit: visit: and program resources scan the QR code or visit: watercustomer.com/city-of-plymouth watercustomer.com/city-of-plymouth watercustomer.com/city-of-plymouth
Safety Is Always a Priority — Safety Is Always a Priority — Safety Is Always a Priority — Safety Is Always a Priority Especially as School Returns Especially Especially as School Returns Especiallyas asSchool School Returns Returns
With more buses, students and vehicles on Plymouth streets, here Withmore morebuses, buses,students studentsand andvehicles vehicleson on Plymouth Plymouth streets, streets, here With With buses, students and vehicles Plymouth streets, here are a more few important safety reminders foron the new school year. areaafew fewimportant importantsafety safetyreminders remindersfor forthe the new new school school year. year. are are a few important safety reminders for the new school year. With Plymouth-Canton Community Schools beginning the 2026-27 school Police Department With Plymouth-CantonCommunity CommunitySchools Schoolsbeginning beginningthe the 2026-27 school school With Plymouth-Canton Police Department With Community Schools beginning the 2026-27 2026-27 school Police Department year onPlymouth-Canton Monday, August 31, the Plymouth Police Department is reminding drivers Police Department year year onMonday, Monday,August August31, 31,the thePlymouth PlymouthPolice PoliceDepartment Department is is reminding reminding drivers drivers on
year ondown, Monday, 31, the Plymouth Policetraffic Department reminding drivers to slow stayAugust alert and expect increased around is local schools. slow down, stay alert and expect increased traffic around local local schools. schools. toto slow down, stay alert and expect increased traffic around schools. to slow down, stay alert and expect increased traffic around local Plymouth Police officers will be spending additional time in traffic enforcement zones near schools, particularly Plymouth Police officers will spending additional time traffic enforcement zones nearschools, schools, particularly particularly Plymouth Police officers will bebe spending additional time inin traffic enforcement zones near Plymouth Police officers will be spending additional time in traffic enforcement zones near schools, particularly during morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Officers may also follow school buses along portions of their routes during morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Officers may also follow school buses alongportions portions of of their theirroutes routes during drop-off and afternoon dismissal. may also along morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Officers may alsofollow follow schoolbuses buses along portions asduring a morning preventative safety measure, helping ensureOfficers drivers obey school busschool signals, stop when required andtheir giveroutes buses as aa preventative safety measure, helping ensure drivers obey school bus signals, stop when required and give buses asand aas preventative safety measure, helping ensure drivers obey school bus signals, stop when required give buses buses preventative safety measure, helping students the space they need to travel ensure safely. drivers obey school bus signals, stop when required and give and students the space they need to travel safely. students the space they need to travel andPolice students space they need to travel safely. alert for students walking and biking to school. and Chief Althe Cox said drivers should besafely. especially Police Chief Al Cox said drivers should be especially alert for students walking and biking toschool. school. Police Chief Al Cox said drivers should be especially alert for students walkingand andbiking biking to school. Police Chief Al Cox said drivers should be especially alert for students walking to “There’s more traffic on our roads when kids are being dropped off at schools,” Cox said. “Drivers need to be aware of “There’s more traffic on our roads when kids are being dropped off at schools,” Cox said. “Drivers need to to be aware awareof of “There’s more traffic on our roads when kids are being dropped offat schools,” Cox said. “Drivers need “There’s more traffic our roads when are being dropped off Cox said. “Drivers need aware students walking oron riding their bikes tokids school. We want everyone toatschools,” slow down, pay attention and makebe safety theof students walking or riding their bikes to school. We want everyone to slow down, pay attention and make safety the students walking or riding their bikes to school. want everyonetotoslow slowdown, down,pay payattention attention and and make safety students walking or riding their bikes to school. WeWe want everyone safety the the priority.” priority.” priority.” priority.” Two of the City's busiest school traffic areas are Sheldon Road and Ann Arbor Trail near Bird Elementary and West Two the City's busiest school traffic areas are Sheldon Road and Ann Arbor Trail near BirdElementary Elementary and and West West Two of the City's busiest school traffic areas are Sheldon Road and AnnArbor ArborTrail Trailnear nearBird Bird Elementary Two of of the City's busiest school traffic areas are Sheldon Road and Ann and West Middle School, and Sheldon Road and Hartsough Street near Smith Elementary School. Middle School, and Sheldon Road and Hartsough Street near Smith Elementary School. Middle School, and Sheldon Road and Hartsough Street near SmithElementary Elementary School. Middle School, and Sheldon Road and Hartsough Street near Smith School. While officers use discretion when conducting traffic enforcement, Cox said there is zero tolerance for drivers who While officers use discretion when conducting traffic enforcement, Cox said there zero tolerance tolerance for for drivers drivers who While officers use discretion when conducting traffic enforcement,Cox Coxsaid saidthere thereisis iszero zero While officers use discretion when conducting traffic enforcement, tolerance for drivers who who disregard school bus safety lights or crossing guards. disregard school bus safety lights or crossing guards. disregard school bus safety lights or crossing guards. disregard school busignoring safety lights or crossing guards. “If we see drivers bus lights or crossing guards, we will write a ticket,” Cox said. “There is no wiggle room. The “If“If we see drivers ignoring bus lights or guards, we will write ticket,” Cox said. “There is is no no wiggle wiggle room.The The we see drivers ignoring bus lights orcrossing crossing guards, we will writeaa aticket,” ticket,”Cox “If wetosee drivers ignoring lights or crossing guards, we will write said. “There is no wiggle room. room. The risk student safety is toobus great.” risk toto student great.” risk studentsafety safetyisistoo great.” risk to student safety is tootoo great.”
School Bus Safety Watch for Crossing Guards School Watch SchoolBus BusSafety Safety Watchfor forCrossing CrossingGuards Guards School Bus lights: SafetyThe bus is preparing to stop. Slow down and Watch for Crossing Guards Yellow When a crossing guard enters the Yellow lights: stop. Slow Slow down down and and Yellow lights: The The bus bus is preparing to stop. When Whenaacrossing crossingguard guardenters entersthe the Yellow lights: The bus is preparing to stop. Slow down and When a crossing enters thetraffic be ready to stop. roadway to helpguard students cross, be beready ready to to stop. stop. roadway roadwaytotohelp helpstudents studentscross, cross,traffic traffic be ready to The stop. roadway help students cross, traffic Red lights: bus has stopped to pick up or drop off in both to directions must stop. Red lights: The bus has has stopped to pick up Red lights: The bus up or or drop drop off off bothdirections directionsmust muststop. stop. ininboth Red lights: The bus has stopped to pick up stopped or drop off in Drivers both directions must stop. students. Stop when required and remain until it should remain stopped until students. Stop Stop when when required and remain students. remain stopped stopped until untilitit Driversshould shouldremain remainstopped stoppeduntil until Drivers students. when required and remain stopped until it Drivers should remain stopped until is safe toStop proceed. the crossing guard has completely is safe to proceed. the crossing guard has completely is safe to proceed. the crossing guard has completely isNever safe to proceed. bus stopped to load or or unload the crossing guard hasreturned completely left Never pass pass a bus that that is leftthe theroadway roadwayand andreturned returnedto tothe the Never pass aa bus that is stopped to load load or unload unload left the roadway and to the Never pass a bus that is stopped to load or unload students. left the roadway and returned to the sidewalk. Do not begin driving simply students. sidewalk. Do not begin driving simply students. sidewalk. Do not begin driving simply Give watch for children crossing crossing the students. because the students have sidewalk. Do not begin driving simply Givestudents students space space and because the students havefinished finished Give students space and watch for children children crossing the the because the students have finished street or moving around the bus. crossing. Give students space and watch for children crossing the because the students have finished street or moving around the bus. crossing. street or moving around crossing. street or moving around the bus. crossing.
We Are Hiring! We Are Hiring! We Are Hiring! We Are Hiring!
Join Join the the Join the City of Join the City of Plymouth City of Plymouth Plymouth Police Department Police Department City of Plymouth Police Department Police Department
The City Plymouth seeking as full-time full-time police The Cityof Plymouthis seekingqualified qualifiedcandidates candidatesto tojoin jointhe the Plymouth Plymouth Police Police Department Department as The City ofofPlymouth isisseeking qualified candidates to join the Plymouth Police Department as full-time police police officers. The City of Plymouth is seeking qualified candidates to join the Plymouth Police Department as full-time police officers. officers. This position competitive for professional professional training This positionoffers offersa competitivesalary, salary,comprehensive comprehensivehealth health benefits, benefits, and and opportunities opportunities for officers. This position offers aacompetitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and opportunities for professional training training and career development. and career development. This position offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and opportunities for professional training and career development. Interested applicants submit it, it, along along with withaa Interested applicantsmay maycomplete completean anemployment employmentapplication application on on the the City's City's website and submit and career development. Interested applicants may complete an employment application on the City's website and submit it, along with a resume, emailto: to:jobs@plymouthmi.gov jobs@plymouthmi.gov resume,bybyemail Interested complete an employment application on the City's website and submit it, along with a by email to:may jobs@plymouthmi.gov resume, applicants
resume, by email to: jobs@plymouthmi.gov
Municipal MunicipalServices Services City Cityof Municipal Services City ofof 1231Goldsmith Goldsmith 1231 Plymouth Plymouth Municipal Services 1231 Goldsmith City of Plymouth 734-453-7737 734-453-7737 plymouthmi.gov plymouthmi.gov 1231734-453-7737 Goldsmith plymouthmi.gov Plymouth plymouthmi.gov
734-453-7737
City CityHall Hall City Hall 201S.S.Main Main 201 City Hall 201 S. Main
734-453-1234 734-453-1234 734-453-1234 201 S. Main 734-453-1234
Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth Cultural Cultural Center Cultural Center 525 Farmer Farmer 525 Plymouth 525 Farmer Cultural Center 734-455-6620 734-455-6620 734-455-6620 525 Farmer 734-455-6620
Plymouth Downtown Downtown Plymouth Plymouth Downtown Development Authority Development Authority Development Authority Plymouth Downtown 831 831 Penniman Penniman 831 Penniman Development Authority 734-455-1453 734-455-1453 734-455-1453 831 Penniman 734-455-1453
It's Your Business ASHWIN BUILDING COMPANY Built on Trust,
are awarded the job or not,” says Maliszewski. “That makes their decision comfortable for them.” Another important value to the Ashwin team is really listening to the customer. “We are the building company that focuses on listening to the customer. We take their thoughts and transition them into the home or remodeling project that they want,” explains Maliszewski. During the first meeting, Maliszewski will hear the homeowner’s ideas and look at any blueprints they may have. If they need an architect, his firm works with a handful who will create something from scratch. “A lot of our work combines a new addition or elevation to an existing older home. It can be tearing out the entire inside of a home and refacing and rebuilding it,” he explains, adding that he has experience working with the historical district in Northville. A memorable project was a Plymouth home built in 1879. “We added two stories to it, doing some excavation and created more elevation. We care of permits and getting a good experience of an all-around changed the footprint and redefined the living space. These approach to working with kinds of projects are fun because clients,” says Maliszewski, who the history of the home plays into grew up in Northville. it,” says Maliszewski, adding that That approach includes clients have access to a designer Maliszewski’s first meeting with who works specifically with a customer, which he calls an Ashwin. interview. “A unique aspect of our Another project involved business is that everyone deals using the attic space in an with me as the owner. So that existing home and converting it first meeting is to see how the to a 700-square-foot office and customer feels about me and how living space featuring a circular I feel about them,” he explains. hardwood staircase. Treating people with courtesy “We have done a good deal and respect is a foundational of construction to give homes value of Ashwin Building. a facelift to change their style. “As we work with potential That may include investing in the clients, we consider them a community space by adding dual customer from the time we first porches, with one on the front meet them, because we want them and a second story porch to make to see how we are going to treat sure to get as much sunlight into them regardless of whether we the home,” says Maliszewski.
Crafted with Care
Decades of expertise, hands-on leadership sets Ashwin Building Company apart
W
hen it comes to a major investment like your home, most people would agree they prefer to do business with a trustworthy company. Going a step further, many would say doing business with the owner of a company gives them even more confidence. In Plymouth, Northville and surrounding communities, Ashwin Building Company offers both—combining trusted, handson leadership with a reputation built over more than two decades of quality craftsmanship and client-focused service. The Plymouth firm was founded by Paul Maliszewski. Specializing in new home construction, residential remodeling and additions, Maliszewski and his expert team 24 | The Rock
have earned the trust of local residents for 20-plus years.
A TRADES-BUILT FOUNDATION It all started with his roots in the trades. “My first career was in rough carpentry, which is what my dad and grandfather did,” says Maliszewski, who graduated from Michigan State with a degree in construction management. “Between my experience in carpentry and college background, it was a comfortable transition into owning a construction business.” Today, he’s passing on the passion for home construction and remodeling to his son Jacob, who works at Ashwin Building Company. “He works with me on each site, completing estimates, taking
The team at Ashwin Building has done everything from raising floors, redoing an entire home and tearing off roofs to create higher ceilings, something Maliszewski says creates great value for the customer. Throughout all this, he brings the owner’s touch into the project by handling all introductions and conversations, as well as work on design. He also relies on the expertise of a team of employees and 30-plus trusted contractors. Ashwin Building is a member
of the Construction Association of Michigan and Home Builders Association of Michigan. The company works with new families, as well as those who see their home as an investment they will sell in a few years and homeowners who want the home they will live in for the rest of their lives, taking into account the different perspectives of each client. Building new homes and transforming existing spaces is both an art and a collaboration— one that combines premium
craftsmanship with a deep understanding of each client’s vision. The result is a home that is not only beautiful and functional, but truly personal. That philosophy is even reflected in the company’s name. “We explored a number of options and ultimately chose ‘ashwin,’ a Sanskrit word meaning ‘of great wealth,’” says Maliszewski. And for homeowners, a space that brings comfort, pride and lasting enjoyment is perhaps the greatest wealth of all.
When neighbors agree to work for the common good, our community benefits. I want to represent YOU in Lansing. As a history teacher and football coach, I lecture my students about the importance of teamwork and servantleadership. It is up to us to make our state a better place. I want to empower you to invest back into our community by lowering taxes, encouraging businesses, and passing legislation to benefit our teachers and students. - Casey Noce
Making Michigan Work for Working Families Increase Tax Credits Education Reform Common sense bUSINESS fRIENDLY Safe Neighborhoods
VOTE
NOV 3
Husband Teacher Realtor father
Coach Mentor
Paid For By The Committee To Elect Casey Noce PO BOX 415 Northville, MI 48167
For more information about the Ashwin Building Company, visit AshwinBuilding.com or call (248) 249-2485.
ADDRESS: 47911 HALYARD PLYMOUTH, MI PHONE: (248) 249-2485 WEBSITE: AshwinBuilding.com
F
rom the mines of Montana (and beyond), to an iconic Northville business, two companies have forged a bond that values family, craftsmanship and superior service. It’s a story that started more than 40 years ago, when Orin Mazzoni Jr. met Frank Farnsworth at a jewelry show. The meeting between Mazzoni Jr., the second-generation owner of Orin Jewelers, and Farnsworth, founder of Parlé Gems, proved to be the spark that launched a business relationship -- and so much more. “My dad and Frank clicked right away,” says Antoinette Mazzoni Kramar, president of Orin Jewelers and the third generation to operate the 93-year-old business. “Parlé is very family-oriented, like our business. We have many of the same ideals and values.”
26 | The Rock
Forty years after Orin’s founding in 1933, Frank Farnsworth started a summer job mining Idaho opal and creating simple jewelry. That was the beginning of Idaho Opal & Gem, rebranded in 1991 as Parlé. Based in Pocatello, Idaho, the familyrun company known for color gemstones like Montana sapphire and Australian opal provides gemstones and unique jewelry designs to more than 2,000 retail partners throughout the U.S. In 1981, less than a decade after Farnsworth’s entry into the gemstone business, the Mazzoni family purchased the Northville building at 101 East Main Street in Northville, where Orin Jewelers has been serving the greater Detroit area for more than four decades. The relationship the two men started continues today, as Kramar works with Parlé’s
second generation of ownership, the husband-wife team of Jonathan (Frank’s son) and Brecken Farnsworth.
STONES THAT SPEAK Brecken, who started designing jewelry nearly 15 years ago, is now making her mark as an award-winning jewelry designer and the driving force behind statement pieces – from whimsical floral motifs to striking snakes, beetles and scorpions – that capture each gem’s beauty and tells a story. Communicating a story is a cornerstone for Parlé, based on the French verb parler which means to speak. “Our tagline is ‘Stones that Speak,’” says Parlé Marketing Director Stephanie Major. “You look at a piece of jewelry, and it speaks to you. A lot of times, it is the stones that inspire the ideas for designs.”
Kramar, who owns some Parlé pieces personally, has her own story of her journey in the realm of fine jewelry. While her older brother and sister also worked at the family store before eventually exploring other opportunities, Kramar began accompanying her parents to jewelry shows as early as elementary school. “There were three shows each year,” says Kramar, mother of three and a Northville resident. “I thought it was super magical walking into a big showroom and seeing all this beautiful jewelry. I loved meeting the people that made the jewelry.” It’s no surprise, then, that Kramar and Brecken have grown close, taking a cue from the relationship that formed between Orin Jr. and Frank Farnsworth.
COMING FULL CIRLCE Three years ago, that relationship made its next evolution, when Orin Jewelers brought Brecken to Northville for a special event. “Brecken and Jonathan have twins so it’s difficult for her to
ADDRESS: 101 E. MAIN ST. NORTHVILLE, MI PHONE: (248) 349-6940 STORE HOURS: Sun & Mon – Closed Tues – Fri 10 am – 6 pm Sat 10 am – 5 pm WEBSITE: www.orinjewelers.com
leave home, but because of the longstanding relationship we have with Orin Jewelers, we come,” says Major. “Antoinette really has an incredible team. They truly feel like family.” Kramar, who proudly says that the jewelry business is in her blood, is looking forward to this year’s event on October 9 and 10. “It’s extra special that Brecken is here because she doesn’t do shows very often,” says Kramar. “We are so excited to invite people to come and see the amazing gemstones Brecken has hand selected and the beautiful
pieces she has created.” With Brecken’s creative and unique designs, it’s no surprise that in the previous two years, she has already developed a fan base in the area. It probably also has something to do with the special attention that each customer receives during the event. “She is there all day, meeting with customers, even looking at their jewelry,” says Kramar. “A lot of women attend and they are wearing Brecken’s designs when they shop.” During those two years,
Brecken has already developed a love for Northville, says Kramar. “Northville is about art and artists. So, we are proud to be bringing in a true, awardwinning jewelry artist,” she adds. “And the best part is Brecken has also developed a passion for the city of Northville. She really loves it here, and looks forward to coming.” It all comes back to letting the stones speak. “The beauty of these store events is that we get to see where the story ends for a piece,” says Major. Fitting words for the intertwining stories of two families, their businesses and their love for rare and beautiful gemstones. Parlé, the Idaho-based jewelry company that specializes in rare gemstones, will be in downtown Northville Oct. 9-10 for a special show at Orin Jewelers. For more information about Parlé, visit
www.parlegems.com. For more information about Orin Jewelers, including hours of operation, visit www.orinjewelers.com.
BEFORE PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR PAINTING
YOUR WALLS, UPGRADED. + Interior painting + Custom feature walls + Wainscoting + Shiplap + Drywall repair & prep + Wallpaper removal A L S O Cabinet painting & handrail remodeling FREE ESTIMATES
AFTER
734-256-0987
www.macfarlandpainting.com LICENSED & INSURED · LOCALLY OWNED
SCAN TO BOOK
Full Plate
New nonprofit seeks to connect excess food with those who need it before it's thrown out
A
t any given time, there are people and businesses with extra food and people who
need it. Connecting those dots is the idea behind Neighbor Plates, a non-profit formed in April by two long-time friends, Jeff Lee of Canton and Kurt Denzer of Plymouth. “I was shocked that there was nothing out there like this,” said Lee, who came up with the idea of getting leftovers from caterers, restaurants and other places to the people who might need a meal. “There are food pantries, but we don’t have to be a food
28 | The Rock
pantry. We’re not a storage house or anything like that. We’re in the business of, before the food gets thrown out, getting it to somebody that can use a meal. It’s as simple as that.” The idea came to him in March when Lee, vice president of the Teamsters Local 337 based in Detroit, was at a funeral for a long-time union member. The service was during the middle of the day on Monday and, while a few dozen attended, the caterer had provided enough food for 120 people. “I asked myself: what are they going to do with the extra servings?” Lee said. “My heart
just leapt.” He went home and researched leftover foods—and came up empty. “There’s nothing out there that I could find,” he said. He decided he wanted to fix that problem. He formed the nonprofit and turned to Denzer to help. They had met through the union—Denzer retired from it two years ago—and Lee knew his old friend would want to help. They met at the Plymouth Coffee Bean on a Tuesday morning and Denzer said he would let Lee know at the next union meeting, which was the following Sunday. He showed up
and told Lee: I’m all in. “He said: ‘I already knew that,’” Denzer said with a chuckle. “’I put in your name on the paperwork, already. I know your heart.’ He knew I couldn’t not be involved in something like that, that helps people and it’s a great opportunity to do a lot of good.” Denzer and Lee already had a history of working to help others; both were active with Helping Hands, a program through the Teamsters union that helps out members who are struggling. That meeting also served as the initial success for Neighbor Plates. The caterer had supplied breakfast for 120 members, but only about 40 showed up. At the same time, people in Oakland County were experiencing a water issue and many could not cook at home because of it and were visiting shelters like the Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac in search of a meal. Before they knew it, Lee and Denzer were on their way, shuttling 80 packaged breakfasts to the shelter. Lee and Denzer, along with the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce, hosted a ribbon cutting for Neighbor Plates in Kellogg Park in July. From concept to getting the nonprofit started up took a little more than a month. They’ve already distributed more than 300 meals. At the ribbon cutting event, several people signed up to volunteer to deliver the meals, to donate, or otherwise get involved. “It’s really snowballed,” Lee said. The beauty of the concept, he said, is its simplicity. It is available to anyone. The website, www.neighborplates.org, is as streamlined as the organization. The first thing you see when you visit it are two buttons: “I
have food” and “I need food.” Clicking on either one will start the automated process of making the connections. “That was part of the idea, making it simple for both the people that need food and the people who want to give food,” said Denzer. “It’s a good simple website. That’s what we were looking for.” Lee said the service is open to anyone: it could be a single parent, someone working two jobs and is simply too tired to cook, seniors, groups—anyone with a need. There are no other qualifications needed. “That’s how we’re different. For us, the only qualification is, are you hungry? That’s it.” Lee said. “The food’s going to get tossed out, anyway. So many restaurants and caterers we’ve talked to make obviously more than what they need. That excess gets thrown out. It’s wasted.” The system is designed to work
with the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996. Whether you want to donate food or need it, you must fill out a short questionnaire and indicate the food donated was prepared according to all food safety guidelines and is being shared in good faith or that you understand the food you’re receiving was shared in good faith, but it is your responsibility to check it over before consuming it. He and Denzer are working with area caterers, restaurants and banquet halls to get more of them to participate and so create a more steady stream of prepared surplus meals. He sees it as a service that is needed, not just in the Plymouth, Canton, Northville and Livonia communities, but across the country—and he would eventually like to see it expand. “It’s a whole system ready to roll out right now. We’re working through any kind of bugs and things like that,” he said. “It’s
scalable to roll it out everywhere. We just want to see if there’s any unforeseen things that do come up that we can address. Our plan is to roll this out across the country at some point.” In the meantime, he and Denzer said it’s very rewarding to see the concept take off. Both have individually delivered meals and noticed the impact it has. “It just kind of feeds off of you. Jeff and I have delivered, ourselves, to individuals all over the place. We’ve focused on the
Plymouth, Canton and Livonia area, but if somebody gets a hold of us and its farther that—if we can do it, we do it,” Denzer said. “People have been so grateful. It makes you feel good. It does. I’m glad to be able to get things moving in the right direction.” Lee agreed. “It’s a spiritual angle for me,” he said. “God’s in it. It’s not Jeff Lee, it’s not my buddy Kurt Denzer, it’s not the organization. It’s just that there’s a need and this is a way to fill that need in the community.”
Michigan Doctor Diagnosed with Late-Stage Cancer After Experiencing Just One Symptom It’s the call no one wants to get. But for one local doctor, it became a mission to save others from the “Blind Spot” in modern medicine. endured brutal treatments and cruel your insides. Unlike CT scans or X-rays, (Southfield, MI) Legacy, A Son’s Body this machine emits NO radiation and is You A feelFather’s fine. You side effects. Tragically, theMission: cancer later Full returned as a brainatumor. completely non-invasive. haveMRI no aches.Scans Without Doctor’s Referral You (Southfi passeld,your before he passed, Dr. Ringold left It scans the brain, neck, chest, MI) The late Dr.But Warren Ringold knew firsthand the devastating impact of late-stage cancer diagnoses. As a respected family physician, he witnessed countless patients battling illnesses behind a legacy—and a warning—for annual physical abdomen, pelvis, and spine, looking that could have been detected earlier. His own grueling battle with late-stage cancer ignited a passion, him to create Michigan’s MRI of full body thefirstrest us.screening center called Bionicc Body Screening. for tumors as small as a pencil eraser. withleading flying health and detect potentialThe problems before Little Full BodySecret” MRI Scans Without colors. You think “Dirty of modern It can also detect silent killers like they escalated. In his final days, Dr. Ringold a Doctor’s Order you’re safe. advocated formedicine: is the hard truth aneurysms and stroke risks before they Bionicc Body Screening offersyour elective, passionately MRI full body Here full-body MRI screenings provide screenings, he believedcompany But what if a proactive approach insurance won’t tell that you: Thea become life-threatening emergencies. comprehensive picture of your internal health, could empower individuals to take control system is reactive, something sinister current healthcare Take Control: No Doctor’s Order The late Dr. Ringold founded going beyond what traditional checkups often of their health. Scans are safe, non-invasive, emit no Bionicc Body Screening in 2022 State-of-the-art technology can detect not proactive.reveal. is silently Required The traditional medical radiation and are available Raising growing Awareness after battling cancer twice. He tumors as small as a pea, aneurysms, risk of a doctor’s referral. believed MRI full body screenings Today,right his son RyanStandard carries on this stroke and a multitude of other inside you medical screenings (likeconditions without system makes you jump through hoops. could empower individuals to take mission. Though not a medical professional that might otherwise go unnoticed. Screenings LIMITED TIME OFFER - Learn more control of their health. andscans colonoscopies) now, himself, waiting todedicationmammograms AtVisit Bionicc Body Screening, there is no Ryan’s to his father’s include of the head, neck,only chest, now. BioniccBodyScreening.com legacy drives Softball Size Tumors Silently Grew strike? pelvis,That hips, shoulders and spine. catchawareness 29% ofabdomen, cancers. means 71% tored That is him to raising tape. download a free Welcome Information of this service for families of Michigan. Dr. Ringold discovered he had stage Kit and $200 savings offer. Book an A Life Saved of tumors undetected in areas • No Doctor’s Referral Needed: You “Every week I learn of another person whogrowMark four cancer with tumors as largethe as terrifying B. and his younger brother decided appointment by calling 1-833-BIONICC. felt Dr. perfectly fine, only todoctors wake up with an to even softballs silently growing inside his body aren’t looking at. last spring reality Warren are in charge of your own health. (833-246-6422) visit Bionicc Body Screening after experiencing shortness of breath. His unexplained symptom and discover they for a proactive screening because cancer ran Ringold faced. time you feel a lump or pain, it • No Insurance Hassles: This is an have stage four As cancer. By Oncethe symptoms treatment was brutal. He suffered cruel in their family. Mark was skeptical until his manifest cancer is usuallyisadvanced,” says results side effects. After his cancer went a into a 3-centimeter mass on his often Stage 3 orreturned 4. As Dr. Ringold respected family out of pocket, elective service for remission, it returned a year later as a brain his son Ryan. “My father never wanted lung, which tested positive for cancer. He had warned, “Once you have symptoms, physician for 40 those who prioritize peace of mind tumor. Dr. Ringold believed there had to be another family to suffer the emotional and three-fourths of his lung removed. He credits hardships that our family and a better way. He envisioned a future where the scanadvanced.” for saving his life. Meanwhile, his cancer is he usually years,physical he knew andLocated proactive care. in Southfield individuals could take control of their endured. He wanted to save lives.” brother’s results were clean. the rules of medicine better than anyone. The Technology That Sees What • Immediate Answers: Don’t wait for He felt perfectly fine until a sudden onset Doctors Miss: Determined to stop a crisis to find out what’s going on of shortness of breath sent him to the ER. this tragedy from happening to other inside your body. The diagnosis was a shockwave: families, Dr. Ringold founded Bionicc Do not wait until you feel a symptom. Stage 4 cancer. Body Screening in Southfield, Michigan’s A small tumor today could be a major While he felt healthy on the outside, first MRI full-body screening center. problem tomorrow. The only difference tumors the size of softballs had been Using advanced MRI technology, Bionicc between a tragedy and a survival story silently growing on the inside. He provides a “high-definition movie” of is early detection.
Scans are safe, non-invasive, emit no radiation and are available without a doctor’s referral. Scans can detect tumors, aneurysms, stroke risk and other conditions.
LIMITED TIME OFFER SCAN THE QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD A FREE INFORMATION KIT + $200 SAVINGS!
Michigan’s first MRI Full Body Screening Center – Located in Southfield SCHEDULE YOUR SCAN TODAY Call 1-833-Bionicc (833-246-6422) or visit www.BioniccBodyScreening.com
•
•
pamcripeinteriors.com 734.249.3444 pam@pamcripeinteriors.com
Mobile Design Studio
Since 1978
PAM CRIPE INTERIORS PAM CRIPE
for 44 years Interior Design & Windowdealer Treatment Expert CustomStudio Drapery Made On Premises Mobile Design Giving you personal attention from SAVE up to $1,200 with a federal tax credit on the owner—selection to installation. serving clients since 1978 Blinds & Shades
INTERIORS serving since 1978 Mobileclients Design Studio
Specializing in Custom Window Treatments
GivingMobile you personal attention Design Studio Givingfrom you personal attention the owner from the owner Unsurpassed Quality & Service selection to installation. All Workmanship Guaranteed
selection to installation.
MyValances goal is to help Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Drapery, Flooring • New Furniture • Re-upholstery you discover your Custom Bedding & Pillows • Closet Systems visionShelving of home ... and Amish Custom Designed Built-ins, Custom Cabinetry & Countertops • Color that vision to make and Design Consultation your reality.
dealer for 44 years
pamcripeinteriors.com •Specializing 734.249.3444 in custom pam@pamcripeinteriors.com window treatments
Specializing in custom window treatments Unsurpassed Quality and Service
pamcripeinteriors.com Unsurpassed Quality Alland Workmanship pam@pamcripeinteriors.com Service Guaranteed 734.249.3444 All Workmanship Guaranteed
PROUD SUPPLIER OF
• Window treatments • • Blinds, shades, shutters, drapery, valances • • Drapery made in our own local workroom • Flooring • New furniture • • Re-upholstery - making old new! • treatments bedding and pillows•• • Custom • Window cabinetry and countertops • Custom • shades, shutters, drapery, valances • Blinds, • Amish custom built-ins, • madedesigned in our own localshelving workroom ••Drapery Closet systems locally made • Flooring • New furniture•• • consultation ••Color and design
• Re-upholstery - making old new! • • Custom bedding and pillows • • Custom cabinetry and countertops • • Amish custom designed built-ins, shelving • • Closet systems locally made • pam@pamcripeinteriors.com • Color and design consultation •
pamcripeinteriors.com 734.249.3444
As your decking destination, we proudly carry all three leading brands– giving you the selection, quality, and flexibility to choose what’s right for your project.
VISIT MANS LUMBER & HOME TODAY AND START BUILDING BETTER OUTDOOR LIVING.
MANSLUMBER.COM
pamcripeinteriors.com dealer for 44 years 734.249.3444 pam@pamcripeinteriors.com dealer for 44 years
S PECIA L A DV ERTISIN G M ES SAG E
MJ Kitchen & Bath
A Plymouth Family Business Built on Relationships
R
ecently relocated to a beautifully expanded showroom on Ann Arbor Road, MJ Kitchen & Bath is a quintessential Plymouth story about business, family and community values. At its heart, MJ Kitchen & Bath is a family business led by a hardworking father-son team that’s truly an example of what can be accomplished when people work together with a shared passion for taking care of customers, providing quality products, and doing the job right. Together, Mike and Matt Jenkins lead a highly skilled and dedicated team, offering interior remodeling services and kitchen and bath cabinet sales to homeowners in Plymouth, Canton, Northville and surrounding communities.
Mike brings more than 35 years of experience in the cabinetry and remodeling business. He founded the company as MJ Cabinet Designs in 2009, where he partnered with local builders, helping them create luxury kitchens and baths for their clients. Business grew and Matt joined the company in 2016 with a vision to expand beyond cabinetry sales and build it into the full-service kitchen and bath design-andbuild company it is today. The company rebranded to MJ Kitchen & Bath in 2019 to reflect the growth in services. The new showroom reflects the Jenkins family’s commitment to Plymouth, where Mike and his wife MaryAnn have lived since
PLYMOUTH SHOWROOM
1998 and raised their four children in the community. Their son Ryan is also part of the MJ Kitchen & Bath team, playing an important role as a lead carpenter. “We take good care of people. That’s at the heart of who we are,” says Mike. “We have grown organically in this community and are excited to share our new showroom and what we do for people.” MJ’s approach is centered on clear communication, thoughtful planning, and treating every home with the same care and respect they would give their own. They take the time to get to know each client personally, understand their needs, and guide them through every step of the remodel process. At the end of the day, it’s about being there for their clients, paying attention to the details, and making sure they feel supported from start to finish. Every project follows a well-planned trajectory, from initial connection to project development to design and cost presentation. It moves ahead with a material selection meeting with the designer, then construction and finally an all-important walk through and project follow up to ensure homeowner satisfaction. “Our emphasis is on relationships all along that path,” Matt explains. “We offer top quality products and provide great service but ultimately it comes down to how much we care about what we do and how we do it.”
Perhaps one of the best ways to sum up the Jenkins family’s approach is to consider what they call their “core focus.” For Mike, Matt and the entire MJ team every task, every project is an opportunity for “cultivating goodness amongst our team, our customers, and everyone around us.”
| M-F 9-4:30 | 620 ANN ARBOR RD. | 734-354-9633 | MJ-KITCHENS.COM
W
e B d l u e Co By Scott Spielman
Event for autistic children provides capes, smiles and fun for all
A
s it turns out, the saying is true: not all heroes wear capes. A group of local residents got together to put on a special event for autistic children recently, providing them with an immersive, inclusive activity that allowed them to meet local heroes—and take on the mantle as well. By all accounts, Heroes Day was a tremendous success. “It was a day that was magical,” said Colleen Polin, a Plymouth resident who helped coordinate the event. “It was friends, friends, friends, all connected from our community that did this. There was no lack of friends and volunteers coming out to help on this day.” Polin, working with Northville resident Terry Ritterhaus and Judy Thomas from the VFW 32 | The Rock
Auxiliary 4012 in Northville, coordinated the event, which brought local police officers, firefighters, veterans and nurses to Ritterhaus’ property, which backs up to Maybury State Park. Ritterhaus inherited the annual Lobsterfest event after its founder moved to Wisconsin and said he’d been looking to host another event for special needs children that would use some of the equipment for that fundraiser. It was a perfect match. “It was so much fun,” he said. “The kids were happy, the parents were happy. The volunteers were happy. How do you put that into words? Everybody was so happy, and that was the goal. Have fun. Have a day off. Literally everybody entertained everybody. That was the beauty of it.”
In addition to the police and fire heroes, there were plenty of activities for the nearly 50 kids and their families who attended. Activities included corn hole games, crafts sponsored by Home Depot, live music and more. Ritterhaus has about an acre of property abutting the park and cut a trail through the woods to create a treasure hunt, where children received prizes for finding colored ribbons tied to trees and turkey feathers strewn along the path. At the end, there was a clearing where they could make s’mores around a bonfire. That surprised even Polin. “Some of those kids never had that experience,” she said. “When I walked to the cusp of that hill and saw that bonfire, I thought ‘This was a wonderful thing that many of our kids had never had
before.’” Stephanie Smyth agreed. She has two autistic children, Kash, 16, and Kolby, 13. She said the event
provided a beautiful day for the children and their families, alike. “It is so hard for families like mine to find things that we can do as a family,” Smythe said. “Both of my sons are autistic, but their autism is very different. So really, we feel like we kind of live a life of isolation and lockdown. To have an opportunity to do something with them that was so meaningfully planned, with so much purpose, was amazing. This was an incredibly interactive experience with tons of socialization with people in the community.” Polin has a long history of working with autistic children, dating back to the 1970s when she worked in the Wayne County Intermediary School District. Now retired, she consults with families with autistic children. She said it was so rewarding seeing the children take part in the activities, create and don their superhero costumes, young Kash take the microphone and sing three songs, but the people
who showed up to volunteer for the day were the true heroes. “It’s hard to create something like this. It’s hard to say, when people are working all day, can you take on one more job? Can you do one more task?” Polin said. “It takes love for the kids and an understanding that they need us. These families need us. For the families with children with special needs, it’s a challenging world.” For Smyth, seeing the police officers, firefighters and volunteers interact with the children was heartwarming, indeed. “As a parent, I have to be here. But people like Terry, and what his group did—they don’t. They’re choosing to this,” she said. “They’re acknowledging
that so many of us feel so unwelcome in so many social experiences. It was so nice to be able to relax and, quite frankly, because of the immersive experience for the kids we were able to talk to each other, we were able to have adult conversations with friends that we knew who were there, too.”
In the end, it was all about providing the children a welcoming, non-judgmental environment and allowing their parents an opportunity to engage in everyday activities that many others take for granted. That’s something that Polin said will never get old. “Sometimes, it’s tireless work, but in the end when you see the smile on these kids’ faces, it still touches my heart,” Polin said. “They know they were welcome, they know they were celebrated and they feel loved.” That was evident from the other volunteers, too, because after all the kids had gone home, the ribbons collected and prizes given out, the police cars and fire trucks either back at the station or out in the community, Rittenhouse looked up to the core group of friends and volunteers and said: “Now, next year when we do this….”
The Rock | 33
The Art of Protest Plymouth artist seeks to raise awareness, empathy
T
ina Creguer would be the first to tell you she doesn’t have any artistic talent. But the Plymouth resident’s dabbling in glass mosaic artwork is slowing gaining momentum and earned her a place in the upcoming ArtPrize, the international artistic competition based in Grand Rapids. Creguer, a former writer and marketing manager, credits her mother’s influence— and her heartbreak over what has been a tumultuous year in national politics—in getting her there. “I can’t draw a stick figure. I don’t have any artistic ability,” said Creguer, who has lived in both the township and city of Plymouth. “I always feel like on her way out of this realm, [my mother] left me this gift of being interested in making art. I don’t know how else to explain it; I haven’t really done any writing since then. I’ve just switched to art at this point.” It was a business trip to New York that first kindled her desire to work with glass as an artistic medium. She carved out time on the trip to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was transfixed by a fountain mosaic by Louis C. Tiffany. Mesmerized by its beauty and curious about the process, she signed up for several workshops but, as a busy single mother, was never able to attend them—they were either canceled or a conflict came up. In 2022, she asked her boyfriend for a glass mosaic starter kit and got to work. 34 | The Rock
“I just wanted to try it, for fun. I sort of jumped in,” she said. “It sounded like a great thing to give a try and I really, really loved it.” She started out making gifts for friends. She found and followed other mosaic artists on Instagram and picked up techniques from them—all the while, she was embracing her own creativity and evolving. “I kept working at it and kept studying what other people were trying to do and developed my own sense of style and find out what materials I like working with the best,” Creguer said. “I kept challenging myself to try different things. The rule I have for myself is I’m not allowed to judge things as what would be too hard. If something catches my interest and I want to create a mosaic, I don’t let myself use the ’It’s too hard’ filter. I say ‘Nope, I’m going to do it. I’m going to figure it out.’” She started a series of mosaics, ‘O, Say Can You See?’ based on the tragedies that unfolded in Minnesota earlier this year, when Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. It was something she said she never thought she’d see in this country. “First of all, it became a kind of coping mechanism,” she said of the mosaics. “I was driven to create the whole series.” There are six in all, but none of them focus on Pretti’s or Good’s deaths. Instead, they depict scenes of protest and, ultimately, the neighborhood coming together. In one, she uses mirrors rather than faces of people in a crowd.
“I wanted people to see themselves in it and really think about where they stand on this important issue. I was trying to create an arc, as well,” Creguer said. “I couldn’t bring myself to do anything related to Alex Pretti and Renee Good—it just seemed too almost sacred to try to recreate in art—but I wanted to create a hopeful arc to this, so that I started out with scenes of injustice and sort of move the camera around to something hopeful, like people standing with their neighbors.” Creguer displayed three of the mosaics— all she had completed at the time—in the Art & Protest event that took place in Dearborn in March. That event, at a methodist church in the city, connected her with Laura Cotton, the art gallery manager at the Stamelos Gallery Center at the University of MichiganDearborn. It was Cotton who suggested she submit them to ArtPrize. ArtPrize takes place from Sept. 18 through Oct. 3 in Grand Rapids, with art on display in several venues throughout the city. Creguer’s series will be on display at the Fountain Street Church, which will house an entire exhibit based on social justice. It’s by far the largest potential audience for her work—she has previously shown her work locally at places like the PARC Gallery, Plymouth Community Arts Council, FrameWorks, Canton Village Theater and the Gutman Gallery in Ann Arbor.
“I’m thrilled. I’m terrified. I’m all of those things. It’s such an honor,” she said. “It’s unbelievable to me and I’m delighted that I have an opportunity to help people see these images and maybe think about their own views on mass deportation.” For a glimpse at more of her work, visit https://www.tlcmosaics.com
A PLAYFUL LOOK AT JANE GOODALL Tipping Point launches ambitious 19th season this month with ‘Aping Jane’ By Wensdy Von Buskirk
also represents an opportunity to participate in the creation of a new work. The production is developmental, meaning the script is still being shaped through rehearsal and performance. Tipping Point is the first theater to bring the play before a live audience. “Most of all I would like to know if the play works,” Real de Asua says. “Is the story clear? Are the human-to-ape transitions supporting the narrative? Is it too long? Too short?” Those questions will be explored during three preview performances Sept. 23-25, each followed by a talkback with Real de Asua and Glander. Audience feedback can help the creative team make final adjustments before the standard run begins Sept. 26.
A HIDDEN GEM
T
here is something fitting about a theater in the heart of downtown Northville opening its 19th season with a play that asks audiences to look at the world from different perspectives. In Aping Jane, opening Sept. 23 at Tipping Point Theatre, those perspectives belong to primate expert and conservationist Jane Goodall and the wildlife that surrounded her. The cheeky new one-woman play by Aurora Real de Asua explores Goodall’s life and legacy through the animals, people and experiences that shaped her. One actor, Katherine Banks, takes on more than 20 characters, including chimpanzees, spiders, scientists, family members and Goodall herself. For Artistic Director Julia Glander, bringing Aping Jane to Northville was a bit of serendipity. “Last October, I was knee deep in reading plays for the next season,” Glander says. “Although I wasn't intentionally looking for a play about Jane Goodall, I've always been drawn to her work and the news of her recent death
was on my mind. However, I was intentionally seeking new plays from the playwright Aurora Real de Asua, whose work I had recently discovered and was also drawn to. There it was—kismet —Aping Jane.” The timing makes the production especially meaningful. Goodall died Oct. 1, 2025, and the play opens just days before the first anniversary of her death. Real de Asua says her fascination with Goodall began in childhood. “I've been obsessed with Jane Goodall since I was a kid. A woman who spent the majority of her adult life in the company of animals? Clearly she knew what was up,” Real de Asua says. That affection for Goodall and the natural world is at the center of the play. “Jane Goodall spent her life advocating for the humanity of the natural kingdom,” she says. “What better way to honor her than to give the natural kingdom center stage?”
WORK IN PROGRESS For Tipping Point, Aping Jane
Works like Aping Jane make Tipping Point a truly unique place. For a community the size of Northville to have a theater that sustains professional staff, actors and crew shouldn’t be taken for granted. “To have a downtown area
with a small professional regional theater is rare. There's just a handful of places that have that,” Glander says. Since opening its doors in 2007, Tipping Point has built its identity around intimate, professional live theater while also investing in local artists, education and community outreach. Its 143-seat theater creates a close connection between performers and audience that can be difficult to find in larger venues. That intimacy is part of the charm. So is the location. A night at Tipping Point can easily become a downtown Northville evening with dinner, dessert and a stroll to the theater. Season 19 promises holiday comedies, dramas and thought-provoking pieces that provide a special night out. “There’s a lot going on,” Glander says. “It’s rich.” Tipping Point Theatre is located at 361 E Cady Street in downtown Northville. Tickets for Aping Jane are $25-$48. Group rates and senior, student and military discounts are available. For more information, visit tippingpointtheatre.com.
TIPPING POINT THEATRE SEASON 19 APING JANE
SEPT. 23–OCT. 18 Aurora Real de Asua's playful one-woman exploration of Jane Goodall's life, told through the perspectives of animals and the people who influenced her.
THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
NOV. 18–DEC. 13 A festive companion to Miss Bennet and Pride and Prejudice, this holiday comedy moves downstairs at Pemberley, where the servants prepare for Christmas and an unwelcome guest arrives.
AMERICAN FAST
FEB. 10–MARCH 7, 2027 The Michigan premiere of Kareem Fahmy's fast-paced drama about a 21-year-old
Middle Eastern American college basketball player whose championship dreams collide with an unexpected controversy.
MARJORIE PRIME
APRIL 7–MAY 2, 2027 Jordan Harrison's futuristic drama explores memory, identity and the possibilities and limits of artificial intelligence through an elderly woman and her AI companion.
THE BREAK
JUNE 2–27, 2027 A new rockin' comedy musical about a young couple who take a 30-day break from their relationship in an attempt to save it.
TICKETS & SEASON PASSES tippingpointtheatre.com
The Rock
| 35
OUT& ABOUT COSTUME SWAP
SCARECROWS RETURN TO KELLOGG The Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce is once again hosting the popular Scarecrows in the Park from Sept. 24-Nov. 2. Businesses and non-profits are invited to create and decorate a scarecrow along Main Street and Ann arbor Trail, as well as within the park. For more information on how to get involved, email the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce at jenny@ plymouthmich.org or visit www.plymouthmich.org.
The Plymouth District Library is hosting a costume swap on Sept. 26. To participate, drop off clean, quality costumes on hangers from Sept 21-25 and receive a voucher in return (limit 5). On Saturday, Sept 26, redeem your voucher(s) for new-to-you costumes. The swap will be open to voucher holders only from 1011 a.m. then open to the public until 2 p.m. Leftover costumes will be donated. Costumes for all ages are welcome, as long as they are in clean, readyto-wear condition. Big kid costumes are always especially needed. Donated costumes, parts and accessories are also welcome.
DOWNTOWN DAY The Plymouth Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is hosting Downtown Day from noon to 7 p.m. on Sept. 26. The event is part of a statewide celebration of downtowns and will feature live music and activities throughout Kellogg Park, including a downtown scavenger hunt. Several downtown businesses will offer specials, too. For more information, visit www.downtown plymouth.org.
YO U R G U I D E TO W H AT ’ S HAPPEN I N G I N P LY M O U T H PUMPKIN PALOOZA
The streets of Downtown Plymouth will be closed on Sunday, Oct. 18 for the annual Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce Pumpkin Palooza event. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring a Trick-or-Treat Stroll along the streets and in businesses, costume contests for children and families and pets, local performances, music, and other familyfriendly activities. For more information, visit the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce at www.plymouthmich.org.
OLD VILLAGE HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY The Old Village Association is hosting its annual Old Village Halloween Block Party from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. Centered on Liberty Street, the block party will feature costumes, food, music, games, crafts, and a costume competition for people and pets. For more information, visit www.oldvillageplymouth.com.
FARMER’S MARKET
The Plymouth Farmer's Market continues on Saturdays through Oct. 18. Markets take place, rain or shine, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. under The Gathering near Kellogg Park.
Providing you with the kitchen tools and confidence you need to cook like any pro in your home kitchen. WHAT YOU’LL FIND:
Cookware, Bakeware, Cutlery, Small Appliances & Kitchen Gadets
eBIKE PRESENTATION
The Plymouth Township Police Department is hosting a discussion on eBikes and eMotos at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Plymouth Township Hall. Led by Police Chief James Knittel, township police officers will discuss the legalities, regulations and safe operation of electric bikes and e-motos, as well as answer questions. The meeting is open to the public.
from brands including Zwilling, Ankarsrum, Hestan, SMEG, and more!
IN-STORE KNIFE SHARPENING
Next-day service guaranteed
Culinary Workshops & Members-Only Cookbook Club
SHOP OUR STORE AT 173 WEST LIBERTY ST PLYMOUTH, MI 48170
M: Closed T/W/Th: 11a - 6p Fri: 11a - 7p Sat: 11a - 6p Sun: 11a - 4p
SEND IT IN to get your items listed in OUT & ABOUT, email them to Editor Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@gmail.com. 36 | The Rock
734 666 2929 www.eastelmkitchenco.com FOLLOW ALONG
eastelm.kitchenco
EastElmKitchenCo.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DEARBORN, MI PERMIT NO. 11
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *ECRWSS* * * * LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER
My heart is renewed and so is my work.
AFib sapped Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony’s energy, affecting his busy life. Whether preaching, leading the Detroit Branch of the NAACP or running organizations devoted to the causes he believes in, slowing down was never part of his plan. But after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, he turned to the cardiovascular experts at Henry Ford Health. Now, he’s back to traveling, preaching and serving his community. Discover Rev. Anthony’s story and learn more about our advanced treatments at henryford.com/AFib