The Rock - February 2024

FEBRUARY 2024 VOL 5 | ISSUE 2

P LY M O U T H ’ S N E W S & L I F E S T Y L E M AG A Z I N E

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Local Journalism Matters

Please consider a donation to support The Rock. Since we began publishing more than three 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

FEB 2024 | VOL 5 | ISSUE 2 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 K A D R I C H – Writer

Brad is an award-winning journalist who spent more than 20 years covering the Plymouth community for the Plymouth Observer. He also spent 15 years serving his country in the U.S. Air Force.

Publisher

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• Reach 21,000 addresses every month.

• We direct mail to every address in the 48170 zip code.

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.

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.

T I M S M I T H – Writer

• Our locally-owned and produced publication is an affordable way for your business to reach the entire Plymouth market.

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.

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.

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.

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

B I L L B R E S L E R – Photographer

Bill arrived in Plymouth in 1977 to work for the Community Crier. He also worked for the Plymouth Observer for many years. Bill, who taught photography at Madonna University, retired from what was left of the newspaper business in 2019 and now freelances. He’s happy to be back in the Plymouth community.

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

Everything Old Is New Again Hello again, Plymouth community!

You may not know me, but I used to be good at this. Plymouth was one of the first communities I covered when I cut my teeth in journalism, way back—and I mean way back—in 1997.

I left the news business in 2010, having covered virtually every community in western Wayne County, from Inkster down to Belleville, up to Canton and the Northvilles, Wayne and Westland. I picked up a few Michigan Press Association Awards along the way. I told a lot of good stories and met a lot of great people, some of whom I’ve already reconnected with.

In the corporate world, I worked at Oakwood Healthcare, then Beaumont Health when the two merged and at Gift of Life Michigan, also telling and sharing good stories and serving as the official ghost writer of the respective CEOs and CNO (Chief Nursing Officer, for those not familiar with the acronym). I also, in a sense, forgot what I was good at. That’s essentially why I’m here.

I’m honored to join a dedicated, talented group of journalists who are invested in their respective communities, who enjoy—like I do—meeting new people and sharing their stories, who enjoy breaking down the nuts and bolts of local government and presenting it in a way that makes sense and shows how these decisions impact our daily lives. It’s my hope to continue to bring you an interesting mix of news and feature stories every month to remind us all that Plymouth is—as City Manager Paul Sincock often says—the greatest small town in Michigan.

In this issue, you’ll find what looks to be the final update on the proposed relocation of Northville Downs to Plymouth Township (news flash: it isn’t happening), a follow up on the potential redevelopment of the old Sparr’s Nursery at the corner of Joy and Lilly/ Mill streets—which, to my unschooled eye, looks way too dense for that corner—some information on a Plymouth-Canton Schools millage renewal, a brief history of the Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage, and more.

I’m always interested in feedback—good or bad— and always looking for good stories to share. Feel free to reach out, either through my email or if you see me wandering around town or at a city or township meeting. I enjoy hearing what we’ve done well, and what we can do better. You’ll see me out on one of my bikes, too, most likely gritting my teeth and gripping my handlebars as I dodge potholes or navigate lumpy asphalt patches at the side of the road (I don’t use sidewalks, but that’s a conversation for another day). Feel free to say hello, then, too—if you can catch me.

As always, thanks for reading!

Scott Spielman is the editor of The Rock. He welcomes your feedback at scottyspielman@gmail.com.

CORRECTION: In Kurt Kuban’s column last month, the dates for this year’s election were wrong. It should have stated that the Presidential Primary is Feb. 27 and the General Election is Nov. 5.

In this issue

6

A AUW CLUBS EMPOWER WOMEN

18

P-CEP BAND ALUMS PERFORM AT NATIONAL TITLE GAME

24

MATT MACLELLAN RISES TO THE CHALLENGE FOR CRUSADERS Your Voice: Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . 4 Township officials nix deal for proposed racetrack . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Warm weather doesn’t keep crowds away from Ice Festival . . . . . . . 12 Wall of Courage a tribute to the late Sandra Sagear . . . . . . . . . . . 14 School district seeks non-homestead millage renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Former mayor Stella Greene fought for Plymouth and the arts . . . . 20 Township opposes ‘water affordability’ proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 It’s Your Business: Huron Valley State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Back to the drawing board for Sparr’s greenhouse development . . . . .26

O N T H E C O V E R : Plymouth artist Dennis Jones in his studio. He used his unique vision to create the Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage in honor of the former Plymouth High student who overcame polio to make a meaningful impact on the Plymouth community (See page 14). Photo by Bryan Mitchell

YO U R VO I C E : L E T T ER S TO T H E ED I TO R Epitome of cancel culture Deleting the "Chiefs" mascot is the epitome of cancel culture.

The Biden administration and their progressive arm has infected schools, universities, colleges and communities. They have destroyed free thinking and opposing opinions.

I'm 79 and have witnessed some changes in society. I thought the 60s were out of control. Looking back, that's nothing compared to radical leftists hijacking American values. I’m also disappointed in the Board of Education members who supported this were not recalled.

Robert Cohen

‘Politics over pupils’ Your article in the February issue regarding the changing of the Canton High School Chiefs mascot was incredibly one-sided.

It was also under-researched, uninformed, inaccurate, and contained very few facts. It totally ignored the opinion of thousands of people in our community.

You accept the statements of PCCS representatives without considering the opposing view, leaving many questions. Why was the name changed? How does Cobras "embrace our future?" Why were the studentbased nominations of Chiefs not considered?

How can $200k cover the cost of the mascot change when two football fields and a gym need to be revised and football uniforms alone are estimated at $42,000? Why did the board members statement not mention the students?

We have done our homework - this is more than "a group of dissatisfied residents.”

Here are the numbers that should matter: - 6,200 community members took a board commissioned survey 10 months ago. Over 4,300 said keep the Chiefs.

Did the board listen?

- 1,800 community members on Facebook, mostly parents, post valid concerns daily about PCCS. - 4,673 people signed recall petitions against three school board members.

- An estimated 2,500 students from our school district attend charter, parochial or academy schools.

Plans are for 1,700 schools of choice students to be enrolled in PCCS next school year.

Is anyone concerned? Any alarm bells going off here?

Obviously there needs to be a change. It starts with leadership.

Politics over pupils, mismanagement, and poor decision making are on display at every board meeting.

Many residents are working for and asking for change. We want to reclaim this school district for our kids.

Steve Robb, Sports Program Coordinator, Canton Township

SOUND OFF 4 | The Rock

Nothing wrong with compromise Thank you for your continued insightful, well-researched and informative articles. Thank you especially for your recent op-ed reminding all of us how important it is for everyone to get out there and vote in their local, state and federal elections this year.

It seems like the majority of Americans, if you believe polls, are tired of politics as usual and miss the days when bi-partisan compromise was the norm. As you stated so eloquently, let’s start supporting leaders who don’t tear us apart as we all want the same things in the end.

We can’t effect change and get anything done of consequence if we don’t work together.

In this day and age, it’s so tempting to become cynical and fall into thinking that our vote doesn’t count anymore.

Complacency, forfeiting our right to vote and not letting our collective voices be heard is one of the greatest threats to democracy.

Thank you for reminding us how important it is to show up and vote.

Anne Frank

Leave out nasty opinions I'm very sorry to see that you have used the magazine to voice your biased national political views. I know that you say we won't all agree with you. Having said that, even if you have issues with Trump, regardless of who agrees or doesn't, if you're going to knock Trump then you need to at least be fair and talk about the

mistrust that many people also have of Biden and why.

You could have totally left out those nasty opinions and your article would have been a great article to support the upcoming election and things to ponder.

Rosemary Walton

Respect the presidency I read your statement in the recent edition of The Rock magazine. I would like to take issue with you referring to a former President of the United States as "a certain former president" and your comment about him "skating through his legal troubles." Whether you like Donald Trump or not (and it is obvious that you do not), he still deserves respect as do all of our former presidents. May I remind you that you have readers who will support Donald Trump (should he be the nominee) and the Republican Party after experiencing what has happened in our country over the last three years.

You are right, though, that this election, as with all elections, is about more than just the presidency. People focus on the individuals running for President rather than on the state of our country and how all politicians and government officials contribute to its success or its demise. That is also true for the state of Michigan and our Plymouth community.

Joan Cummins

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

Letters must be no more than 150 words. We reserve the right to edit all letters.

TAKING THE L EAD Local AAUW affiliates passionate about empowering women

By Sue Voyles

F

or more than 70 years, women in the greater Plymouth and Northville community have come together to empower girls and teens and promote equity and education for women through the organization known as the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Today, the Plymouth-Canton and Northville-Novi AAUW branches have energized nearly 150 women to harness their skills, creativity and passion to do everything from enhancing school libraries with materials about women, awarding college scholarships, sponsoring students for a national leadership conference, and introducing middle school girls 6 | The Rock

to STEM careers.

It all started back in 1952, when longtime teacher and Plymouth Canton Community Schools administrator Mary Fritz collaborated with other women in the area to start a local AAUW branch for collegeeducated women in Plymouth and Northville.

From that point forward, women have been joining AAUW locally and bringing the organization’s mission alive in our communities.

After she joined the PlymouthCanton branch 35 years ago, Canton resident Mickey Edell said she became “very passionate about the mission and stayed for that reason.” Today, the retired speech and language pathologist

from PCCS serves as copresident of the AAUW-PC. Over the years, she’s also served on the organization’s state board.

“When I first moved to Northville as the mother of an infant, Northville and Plymouth was one group. In 1975, some of the women decided we should form our own branch. We went through recruitment and the process to affiliate with the national organization,” explains Corinne Vincent, who joined in the 1960s and now serves as the VP of Membership/Diversity for AAUWNN. “We formed as Northville and then we added Novi later.”

While members of both groups find purpose and value in helping their communities through scholarships and community

projects, they each bring their own flavor to how they accomplish their goals.

For the Plymouth-Canton branch, it’s been a creative fundraising initiative started 62 years ago to bring live drama for children. The branch recycles a series of fairy tales, including Cinderella, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast and then presents an annual production. Members are involved in acting, directing, making costumes, and building sets.

“We modernize them and empower the female protagonist,” says Edell, who readily admits she originally joined the branch because of the play. “I was interested in being in the play and one of my friends who was a member encouraged me to join.”

joined 21 years ago. “I was doing my student teaching and the teacher I was working for was a member and said we need people to join this play.”

While the play is a major part of fundraising for scholarships, Edell notes that the group engages in other efforts.

“We belong to the Garden City Business Alliance in order to increase our visibility and assist them with community projects.

Our members donated generously to their 2023 food drive,” she says, adding the branch has held trivia nights and book sales to raise funds over the years.

In 2021 and 2022, a member spearheaded an initiative to raise money for books to contribute

Each year, the branch selects which fairy tale to stage. In early February, members presented four performances of Cinderella at the O’Leary Performing Arts Center. For many years, the show was staged at Salem High School.

“The play is super important and fun. The community loves the play and comes back every year for it. It’s (also) camaraderie for the women,” says Plymouth resident Monica Nick, a retired elementary school teacher who

to PCCS and Garden City elementary classrooms. More recently, AAUW-PC partnered with the Plymouth Community Arts Council for a combined fundraiser.

Like the Plymouth-Canton affiliate, the Northville-Novi branch has also focused on raising money for scholarships and engaging in other community initiatives.

One of its newer ventures is the Michigan Fashion Designer

RAISING AWARENESS

Showcase, which started in 2019 and is held every other year.

This year’s event is a brunch on April 13 at the VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College and will raise money for scholarships, community programs and local libraries.

“There is a runway fashion show highlighting young women in the fashion design business; some are still in college, and some have established a business,” explains Novi resident Karen Zyczynski, a retired teacher who joined 20 years ago and is now serving as AAUW-NN president. “We also have small businesses who are accessory designers who design handbags, jewelry, scarves and more and they can sell their merch at the event.”

“The people who come are so surprised about the excitement that comes down the runway. You wouldn’t believe the things that you see,” adds Vincent.

an opportunity to learn about potential careers.

“We take them for a halfday on a college campus to expose them to many career possibilities,” explains Vincent.

REACHING FUTURE WOMEN LEADERS

A signature program of the Northville group is Career Path Day, established 2011, which gives eighth grade girls

Continued on page 8

The Rock

|7

Continued from page 7 “They come back usually to Genitti's Hole-in-the-wall to have a lunch and at each table we have a woman host who has a different career path, and she tells them about her path. We have gotten high marks from the faculty and girls.”

Students also have an opportunity to meet women entrepreneurs and Northville business leaders. Last year, the middle schoolers went to Schoolcraft College’s new

Manufacturing and Engineering Center.

The Northville-Novi organization also took a cue from history to create its now 20-plus-year-old signature event “Remember the Ladies.”

“Years ago, the State of Michigan did a study about sexism in libraries and found the biographies were mostly about men. The name is based 8 | The Rock

on a letter Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, wrote to ‘remember the ladies’ as they planned for the new government,” explains Vincent.

“The member who started this initiative collected $3,000 to start the program to buy womenfocused media materials. The materials go into 11 elementary schools in Northville and Novi.

We just had a silent auction to raise money for this year.”

Part of the program includes members reading about women to elementary students in the month of March, which is Women’s History Month.

“The last time I visited a classroom, I read to a fifth-grade class. One of the students asked if I had ever met any of the women I was talking about,” remembers Zyczynski. “I pulled out a picture of myself with Madeleine Albright. It was just fun.”

Over the years both affiliates, in partnership with other local branches, have sponsored scholarships for local collegiate women to attend the AAUW National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL), held in the spring in the Washington D.C. metro area.

In 2023, AAUW-NN collaborated Schoolcraft College to inform female students about the opportunity to apply.

“Last year, we sent six young women and a staff member.

Young women who have gone

have said it has been a lifechanging experience,” says Vincent, adding that they teamed up with the Livonia branch to select the applicants. PlymouthCanton has also participated, says Edell, and it’s on “our radar to do it again.”

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Currently, AAUW-PC awards three college scholarships totaling $3,000. Two needbased scholarships are awarded annually to graduating seniors: $1,500 is allocated to Starkweather Academy and $500 to Garden City High School. A third scholarship of $1,000 is awarded to a Schoolcraft College student.

AAUW-NN awards a total of four scholarships to senior girls from Novi and Northville High Schools. Each school receives

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (AAUW) What: College-educated women holding an associate’s or higher degree are welcome to join AAUW. Both branches boast members from all generations, from their 20s up to their 90s, as well as a variety of careers, including education, human services, communications, IT, and engineering. Each branch meets monthly, where they hear from speakers on a topics relevant to their mission, such as economic security, education and public policy. Annual dues are $94.

AAUW Northville-Novi: aauwnn.org AAUW Plymouth-Canton: plymouthcanton-mi.aauw.net

two scholarships of $1,500 each, one is based on need and the other is based on academics.

The branch also established two endowed scholarships of $1,000 each. These are awarded to women who are returning to school and attending either Schoolcraft College or Oakland Community College to earn an associate’s degree.

“We get a chance to meet the women and often they have raised children and even have put their own children through college and then want to go back to school themselves,” says Vincent.

It’s clear from speaking to branch leaders that AAUW has become an important part of their lives.

For Mickey Edell it is “the friendships we have made over the years by working together at the local level. It gave me the opportunity to hone a number of leadership skills. I learned a lot about the importance of achieving equity for girls.”

“When I joined, I was looking for ways to give back to my community and to meet like-minded women that are interested in issues that affect women and girls,” says Karen Zyczynski.

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‘Where Do We Go From Here?’

Township officials nix deal for proposed racetrack

By Scott Spielman

T

he relocation of Northville Downs to the outskirts of Plymouth Township will not—as far as township officials are concerned— happen.

The board of trustees unanimously voted last month to rescind a resolution authorizing negotiations on a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that would have allowed the racetrack to be constructed near Ridge and Five Mile roads, effectively scuttling the controversial project.

Township officials and the Carlo family, who own Northville Downs and had purchased the Plymouth property last year, had been fine-tuning details of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for nearly a year.

With the expiration of the PUD plan at the end of February, the question remains: now what?

“They’ve got to make 10 | The Rock

a business decision now on where they want to go from here,” said Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise. “Where do we go from here, what kind of revenue do they hope to receive in the future and what does their investment future look like? Are they going to be able to attract investors that are going to want to continue in the state of Michigan? No matter where they locate, the hazards that the state puts in the way are always going to be there.”

The CBA has been one of the stumbling blocks for the proposed project, which included a 35,500-square-foot horse barn, a 23,000-squarefoot racing structure, and a 3,200-square-foot maintenance building on the 128-acre site on the south side of Five Mile near Ridge. The proposal also included eight pickleball courts for the community, as well

entertainment venue, too,” said township resident Jim VanBoven.

“Unfortunately I don’t think the general public will ever know the specific details or understand how the negotiations on the community benefit agreement actually broke down. Be careful what you wish for,” Marilyn Bertera told the township board. “The 128-acre parcel, which could have been a revenue-producing entertainment facility for Plymouth Township— my sincere hope is that it remains an empty brownfield for the next 30 years like it has for the past 30 years.”

as revenue sharing in the form of “breakage fees.”

Winning bets are rounded down so tellers will not have to count out change for patrons, those fees are then given to the host community as a form of revenue sharing. Heise said the township had asked for a guaranteed $3 million over the course of 10 years, based on estimates that the City of Northville received about $220,000 annually.

Ultimately, it was what the township considered “bad faith negotiation” tactics that moved the board to reject the deal.

Mike Cox, attorney for the developers, had sent a letter to each of the trustees—and the media—urging them to vote in favor of it prior to the vote.

“The state has essentially killed off the horse racing industry in Michigan,” he said.

“The State of Michigan has not been kind to the horse racing industry.

Other states allow for racinos or hotels or entertainment venues and that was never the plan here. In Michigan, it is in our constitution that it is virtually impossible to build another casino that is not on Native American property.”

Although the project was largely unpopular within the community, opposition was not universal.

“It’s too bad that the parties couldn’t come together. I hear a lot about gambling, but it’s an

WHAT’S NEXT?

Plymouth Township officials voted in February to kill the proposed relocation of Northville Downs to a site at Five Mile near Ridge. Do you think that was the right move, or would you like to see the racetrack built in Plymouth? Email your opinions to Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@gmail.com.

The bigger hurdle for the racetrack moving forward, Heise said, is the environment in the state of Michigan.

VALUABLE SITE That’s unlikely. The Carlos are still the legal owners of the property, which is in the Michigan International Technical Center (MITC) corridor, and the land is ripe for development.

“We’re hopeful that land can be sold and repurposed,” Heise said.

“It’s very valuable land.

It’s already got a road, it’s got water and sewer. It’s beyond shovel ready—it’s developable land right now. I don’t think they’ll have a problem moving it, especially with the renewed interest people have in the Five Mile corridor.”

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Ice & Easy!

T

he weather at the 42nd Annual Plymouth Ice Festival was kinder to the attendees than to the sculptures, themselves, but that didn’t keep away the crowds. Thousands flocked to the annual exhibition, which was originally created to draw people to the downtown area during a traditionally slow time of year.

The event featured music, food vendors, face-painting, the return of the popular tubing run—even a petting zoo. And, of course, dozens of ice sculptures crafted by experts and amateurs alike spread through the downtown area. Altogether, more than 60 sculptures— each starting out as a 350-pound block of ice—enticed the thousands of attendees to walk along downtown streets, check out the many unique shops and sample local eateries.

12 | The Rock

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A Stunning Tribute

Wall of Courage honors students who overcome adversity

By Scott Spielman

W

hen Sandra Sagear attended the old Plymouth High School, she had to sit down and scoot up the stairs one at a time.

It was a different time— and a different school—and most facilities did not account for people with disabilities, like Sagear, whose bout with Polio left her in leg braces and crutches. But she never let her condition slow her down and her attitude and determination made an impression on her friends and classmates, like Debra Madonna, who wanted to create some form of tribute to her perseverance.

“I wanted to acknowledge young people who had overcome adversity,” said Madonna, 14 | The Rock

a Plymouth resident who graduated with Sagear in 1969.

“I want people to hear stories, to see the world through someone else’s eyes.”

COMMUNITY EFFORT It was an ambitious project, and Madonna reached out to community service groups to see if it would gain any traction.

“It really suggests the weight and the burden she carried with her every day.”

Dennis Jones, Plymouth artist who created the Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage

That desire eventually led to the Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage, a mural and display in the main hallway at Plymouth High School, which opened in 2002.

“I just put it out into the universe,” Madonna said. “I’d like to do this, but I need some help.”

The idea caught the attention of Jerry Trumpka, a long-time

volunteer and worker at the Plymouth United Way, also a Polio survivor. At first, they pitched the idea to name what eventually became Dodson Elementary School after Sagear.

They also looked at naming Phase III at the Plymouth Canton Educational Park in her honor before they settled on the location in the high school.

Through the Plymouth Community Arts Council, they reached out to architect and artist Dennis Jones to get involved with the project. Madonna said he was the first and only person they contacted to help with the artistic component. Jones was well-known through the PCAC as both an artist and architect and Madonna said she initially

thought Jones would work as a project manager on the wall.

When Jones heard about the idea, however, he said he was hooked.

“I wanted to be more involved than just the execution of it,” said Jones, a Detroit native who moved to Plymouth 25 years ago. “I could imagine the determination in her, to literally have to climb up those stairs to get her education. I tried to acknowledge that with the mural itself.” His daughter attended Plymouth High School.

“It’s really a sense of pride for me, knowing this is there and that so many

people will see it and perhaps think of things from another perspective,” Jones said, adding that it also reflects another time when people with disabilities had to work even harder to get the things most people take for granted.

“A lot of things have changed in the way we treat people who had to overcome adversity,”

he said. “Now we have a lot of programs to assist them. But this wasn’t that long ago.”

Located next to the library to honor Sagear’s love of reading, the mural is a 19’ by 10’ tribute to Sagear, her struggles, and other students who have overcome adversity through the years. The centerpiece is a 430-pound piece of alabaster that depicts Sagear as an adult looking down at her younger self.

It is framed on either side with wood carvings that suggest the outline of a crowd of people and bordered by the engraved names of honorees.

“We wanted to say: ‘Look around. Look at how many people are walking by,’” Madonna said.

Replicas of the leg braces she wore and the crutches she used, cast in lead, flank each side.

“It really suggests the weight and the burden she carried with her every day,”

said Jones.

‘CAN’T NEVER DID ANYTHING’ Sagear herself never showed

any signs of that burden, according to her younger sister, Vonnie Bench. She remembered her sister as “funny as heck,” a girl who was likely to use her crutches to trip someone if they made a joke she didn’t like and then tickle them when they fell down.

Also a music lover, Sagear was a happy part of a loving family, even though her condition necessitated frequent hospital trips and surgeries that would leave her in a body cast for months at a time.

“She went through a lot, but she always had a smile,” Bench said of her sister, who once shared a stage with the Beatles and was a poster girl for the United Way. “She never took pity on herself. Can’t never did anything. Can does it all—that was her thought process.”

After she graduated high school, Sagear worked in several

offices; she worked at a cable company for 13 years when she lived in Florida and at McMahon Helicopter based out of Mettetal Airport when she returned to Michigan—she set up their computer system and ran the office there. She was mobile, too, driving herself around with the aid of a specialized steering wheel in her car.

“She didn’t let the grass grow under her feet. She kept moving,” Bench said. “She always made sure she contributed at any and all companies she worked for.”

Sagear passed away in 1992, only 42 years old.

DEDICATION CEREMONY Madonna hosted a dedication ceremony at Plymouth High School on Feb. 17 to honor the 21 students added to the wall in 2023. The event featured music and speaker, including Kennedy Israel, whose sister Delaney is among the honorees.

Israel, a PCEP graduate, first learned about the mural while researching a project for her Michigan History class.

“It caught my attention

Continued on page 16

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Continued from page 15 quickly. I was really interested in the wall itself and all the stories,” said Kennedy, a current Michigan State University student who plans to transfer to Eastern Michigan to finish her studies and become a special education

teacher. “I just want everyone to know about this. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for people with special needs.”

Bench said she is awed by the tribute and all the work that went into it—and she knows her sister would be, too.

“It always takes my breath away,” she said. “Sandy would’ve been incredulous about this. She never thought she was anything special, but anyone who knew her or met her would tell you otherwise.”

You can read the stories of the honorees at debramadonna.com.

ETCHED IN STONE

Earlier this month, more than 20 names were added to the Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage at Plymouth High School. All of them overcame certain disabilities to make an impact on their community. They are: Ted Barker, Andrea Rose Burdette, David Burley, Kirbi Fagan, Lindsey Freysinger, Delaney Israel, Jamie Jones, Alexander Ham-Kucharski, Sean Kahlil, Kevin Kilgore, Rachel Koelzer, Chiraag Krishnan, Mark LaPointe, Jesse Lindlbauer, Drew Poet, Max Robertson, Jim Shinn, Kristen Harshman Smelser, Jerry Trumpka, Jamie Wilkowski and Erinne Rose Williams

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SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS NON-HOMESTEAD MILLAGE RENEWAL

By Scott Spielman

T

he Plymouth Canton Community Schools millage request on the presidential primary ballot this month is about two things: people and programs.

The district will ask for approval of an 18-mill nonhomestead millage renewal that is levied on commercial properties and rental properties on Feb. 27.

“This is not a new request.

It’s a renewal,” said School Superintendent Monica Merritt “It’s not a rate increase. The businesses and commercial property owners will continue to pay the same tax rate they pay right now.”

The current millage, approved in 2014, expires this year. Merrit said the district will ask for a 20-year renewal this year, rather than the 10-year increments asked for—and approved—in the past.

“We really talked about that decision,” she said. “Some of our rationale included voter fatigue.

We didn’t want our voters to have to go out every 10 years.”

The money would go into the district’s general fund, which is

about $200 million and pays for salaries and programs throughout the PCCS school system. The non-homestead millage brings in about $33.5 million annually, roughly 16% of the district’s annual budget.

“It helps us support our teachers—we have over 1,100 teachers in Plymouth-Canton.

We’re also able to have school resource officers, counselors—all of our support staff,” she said.

“They’re all so necessary to work as a team to provide this education to our students. It’s the learning experience our community expects and our children deserve.”

Patrick Kehoe, treasurer of the PCCS school board, said the millage benefits the entire community.

“Strong schools mean a stronger Plymouth-Canton community, stronger neighborhoods and higher home values that make our community a great place to live, work or start a small business,” he said.

Merritt said the district was trying to be fiscally responsible by asking for the renewal early in the year, rather than during local primaries or during the general election.

“We’re trying to be good stewards of taxpayer money, using an election that is already existing, versus trying to hold a separate election,” Merritt said.

“It’s such a significant component of our budget, we wanted an early opportunity to get out in front of the voters.”

More information can be found on the district website, www.pccsk12.com.

‘A SURREAL EXPERIENCE’ P-CEP band alums perform ‘The Victors’ at National Championship game

By Tim Smith

T

here was a time when Jonny Grenillo couldn’t wait to be part of a halftime extravaganza involving two of PlymouthCanton Educational Park’s heralded football teams.

Or, perhaps, be part of P-CEP’s marching band at a MHSAA championship game at Ford Field.

But how about a NCAA Division I National Championship tilt, which was watched by 25.1 million football fans?

18 | The Rock

On Jan. 8, Grenillo and three other alums of the P-CEP marching band who now go to the University of Michigan were under the spotlight in a major way – part of the Wolverines’ 34-13 championship victory over the University of Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston.

A month after the biggest night in college football, Grenillo, a U-M junior who plays tuba, called it “a surreal experience playing ‘The Victors’ when we

actually won the natty—and it is something that I will never forget.”

Joining him in the national title halftime performance were P-CEP band alums Miles Rhea (drumline), Alex Clemons and Alyssa Aznavorian. Clemons and Aznavorian were part of the U-M color guard. All four graduated in 2021 from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and are juniors at Michigan.

Watching with pride was

P-CEP band director Mike Wells, who oversaw 160 students in his 2023-24 marching band – although about 300 students from a combination of music programs (winter percussion, winter guard, concert ensemble and others) are under the band umbrella.

“We’re very proud of the students,” Wells said. “This is something that is very rare that you get to do this.”

Wells said another “pretty cool” connection between the high school and U-M band programs is Timon Sherman, assistant drum line director at Michigan and also instructor of P-CEP’s drum line.

And Aznavorian helps out her high school alma mater when she fits it into her increasingly busy schedule.

“Alyssa, who is one of the color guard members, also serves on our band staff as well,” Wells explained. “She teaches color guard here.”

Wells had a conversation with Aznavorian in the midst of the whirlwind weeks leading up to the championship game.

“She mentioned it over the holidays,” Wells continued.

“They had the semi-final game (at the Rose Bowl), and she said she was home for one day, and then they traveled to the national championship game.

“And while she was doing that she was teaching our color guard. … She was very excited and mentioned she was traveling a lot but it was well worth it, getting to do these amazing things.”

There isn’t a direct pipeline from P-CEP to U-M when it comes to marching band, Wells emphasized. But he said “dozens and dozens” of his students moved on to U-M to continue their education and band careers and that “there’s definitely something happening” where high school students talk up the idea of going to Ann Arbor.

“A lot of the kids aren’t (initially) aware that there is life after high school when it comes to band,” said Wells, now in his eighth year at P-CEP. “So we encourage them to get involved in their college band program wherever they end up.

“A lot of them end up at U-M. It’s a pretty well-known band program there.”

Grenillo, in a recent e-mail, described the elation and pride he felt in being part of the once-ina-lifetime experience. He also credited his years at P-CEP for helping him start his successful educational and musical journey and help him get to where he is today.

“Our performances of pregame, halftime and also at several pep rallies will always have a special place in my heart as some of my all-time favorites,” Grenillo noted. “Coming from the Plymouth-Canton Marching Band, it was an honor to

represent P-CEP and P-CCS on the national stage.”

According to Wells, the highprofile event couldn’t help but

elevate the profile of P-CEP’s band program, especially with parents of incoming freshmen who are deciding whether to

join. And with that is another example of what type of exciting experiences might await them during high school and, hopefully, college.

“Absolutely, for us it’s just more evidence that this program is doing something that’s lifelong,” Wells said. “We have students that are graduating and they’re choosing to participate in other programs, whatever college they end up in. It just doesn’t end where high school ends.

“It’s something we talk to our incoming families about: ‘Yeah, you’re going to learn how to play music and yeah, you’re going to be able to do these things while in high school.’ But it’s life after high school that’s just as exciting because you can participate and do these amazing trips, like going to the National Championship Game and wherever else you get to go.

“You get to do all that because of music.”

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A Fighter Falls Silent Former Plymouth Mayor Stella Greene fought for her city, her family, and the arts

By Brad Kadrich

S

tella Greene put together quite a list of accomplishments – politically and personally – over the course of her 76 years.

A proud Democrat, Greene left her imprint on the City of Plymouth with two stints on the city commission and served, from 2003-2005, as the city’s mayor.

She was executive director of community arts councils in both Plymouth and Dearborn.

She was appointed to the Wayne County Council for the Arts, spent time as President of the White Rock Historical Society and Plymouth Kiwanis Club and was also instrumental in Leadership Plymouth and Youth Leadership Plymouth.

She even worked on political campaigns for an aunt who ran for state representative and for her cousin, former State Sen. Patrick McCullough, who also ran for governor once upon a time.

But people who met her in the last 10 years or so likely didn’t know much about any of that.

“People who met her in the last decade or so had no idea of all of her accomplishments,” said her daughter, Melissa Greene 20 | The Rock

of Garden City. “She was very proud but she was very humble. She didn’t go around bragging.”

Stella Greene passed away Jan. 21 at the age of 76. Her passing came just months after the death of her beloved husband, William, who died in September. “(Stella) spent the last few months mourning the loss of the love of her life, while also passionately

it was Plymouth that provided her with her identity and her legacy.

One role for which she may have been best known was as executive director of the Plymouth Community Arts Council, founded in 1969 by Joanne Winkelman Hulce (for whom the PCAC building is now named) to provide quality fine and performing arts, and cultural opportunities to

organizations, including: • Plymouth Women’s Club • Downtown Development Authority • Plymouth Historical Society • Kiwanis • Friends of the Rouge • First Step • Plymouth Chamber of Commerce She was inducted into the Plymouth Hall of Fame in 2004.

“When I came here 16

“Stella shaped this community in leadership and volunteer roles in many local organizations.”

Wes Graf, Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce

celebrating life and family,” her daughter said.

It was her family, her daughter pointed out, that Stella cherished above all else. In addition to William and Melissa, she had her son, Shaun, and his wife, Shannon. And, of course, she was proud of her two grandchildren, 10-year-old Avery and Cole, who turns 8 in March.

“The grandkids have been the focus of their lives the last 10 years,” Melissa acknowledged with a smile.

While it was her family that gave Greene happiness and pride,

the greater Western Wayne County community.

“Jo’s dream was to provide our community with the arts, the arts, and more arts,” said Deb Madonna, who also served at the PCAC. “Stella Greene was one of the many people who worked tirelessly to make PCAC the cornerstone of our community. Stella worked to make Jo’s dream come true and PCAC the thriving organization it is today under Lisa Howard’s leadership.”

Greene’s leadership and participation extended to a variety of other

years ago, she was very welcoming,” said Wes Graff, president of the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce.

“Stella shaped this community in leadership and volunteer roles in many local organizations.”

She spent a great deal of time in her later years at the family cottage in the Thumb area, enjoying the beach, taking pride in whittling “hundreds of sticks,” her daughter said.

“She was kind and humble and definitely put other people’s needs and wishes ahead of her own,” Melissa Greene said. “She

would never turn down someone in need.”

Stella Greene fought for her community – “She loved being mayor,” Melissa said – and for the arts and social justice issues.

And she fought some of her own battles. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was pregnant with Melissa, Stella fought – “successfully,” her daughter pointed out – to stay out of a wheelchair.

“The MS fought to bring her down, but she never let it,” Melissa said.

At a recent Plymouth City Commission meeting, Melissa Greene – who comes from a sailing family – recounted what she said might be life’s best lesson taught by her parents.

“Our parents taught us many amazing lessons over the years,” she told commissioners. “The best lesson they taught us was to never fight the winds, but instead to adjust the sails.”

The family held a private celebration of life.

Memorial contributions may be made to: White Rock Schoolhouse c/o 45189 Mayo Drive, Northville, MI 48167 or the Arbor Day Foundation, 211 N. 12th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508 or online at arborday.org.

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP OPPOSES ‘WATER AFFORDABILITY’ PROPOSAL

By Scott Spielman

I

f a proposal to help lowincome residents pay for their water bill or plumbing repairs is to come to fruition, it will first have to overcome some local opposition.

Plymouth Township joined the growing number of municipalities in the state to approve a resolution to oppose a water rate affordability program that is under discussion in Lansing. The legislation, which is still in committee, would help people pay their water bills, get caught up on past-due balances and potentially fund plumbing repairs by adding a $2 monthly fee to water bills throughout the state.

Metro Detroit leaders have lined up on both sides of the issue: officials from Detroit, Royal Oak Ann Arbor, Wayne and Oakland counties have backed the bills, while 17 communities in Macomb County have opposed them.

“Nobody is debating the need for this. I just think there’s a better way of doing things,” said Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise. The township board unanimously approved an opposition resolution at the end of January.

The bills, SB 0549-0554 in the Senate and HB 5088-5093 in the House, were developed after a year of meeting with stakeholders around the state, according to State Sen. Rosemary Bayer, (D-West Bloomfield), who represents the Plymouth community and is one of the sponsors.

“Our water needs are growing daily as our water providers do not have adequate funds to maintain our aging infrastructure, let alone plan for future needs.

Revenue is not keeping up

with costs,” she said. “There are many organizations across the state working together to create a sustainable low income water affordability program that addresses the current and future needs of people who need help with their water bills—and the water providers.”

Programs already exist, however. In a letter to Macomb County leaders, Candice Miller, Public Works Commissioner for Macomb County, points out that the water affordability program would duplicate measures that already benefit 40% of Michigan residents. Also, it would be a statewide program that municipalities would not be able to opt out of—with no guarantee that the money contributed would stay in their communities.

Township Attorney Kevin Bennett estimated Plymouth Township would contribute $250,000, alone.

The Great Lakes Water Authority already provides a Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) that offers low-income customers an income-based assistance plan with up to $100 a month in bill credits, $2,400 in bill arrearage assistance, and $2,000 in plumbing repairs.

Bayer said, however, that those programs are not enough, adding that the GLWA WRAP fund will go dry in a couple of years.

“They don’t have a way to sustain it. We need a program and a model going forward,” she said. The $2 monthly fee would not only provide assistance to low-income residents, but also fund a grant program to pay for plumbing repairs and arrearages.

“It gives customers an affordable bill, certainty of how

much they’ll owe each month and protects the most vulnerable of our people from shutoffs,” she told the township board. “It gives certainty to water providers who are struggling to correct arrearages and payment for current services, which is what they need to balance a better plan for their infrastructure needs.”

Christy McGillivray from the Sierra Club said the organization was one of those that weighed in on the legislation and said the shared burden is a good way to alleviate the problem.

“If we do not collectively invest in the whole system, everything is more expensive,” said McGillivray. “It is significantly more expensive to repair something that is broken instead of maintaining the repairs the entire time.

“People who have disagreed for years have come together to

support this package,” she added.

Heise said that, although a $2 fee is a relatively small charge, he didn’t think it should be mandated.

“I think if it were voluntary, I’d be neutral on it,” he said. “We work every day to keep water and sewer rates low. If this starts showing up on bills, we’re going to get the blowback.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Plymouth Township officials are opposing a proposed state law that would help low-income customers afford water usage. If implemented, all water users in the state would pay an additional $2 on their water bills. Would you be willing to pay the $2 to fund the program? Email your opinions to Editor Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@ gmail.com.

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I T ’ S Y O U R B U S I N E S S HURON VALLEY STATE BANK

Planting deep roots in the Plymouth community

O

pening a new office on Main Street in Plymouth made perfect sense for the leaders of Huron Valley State Bank, a firm that began in Milford, Michigan 19 years ago and today handles a quarter of a billion dollars in assets and employs 40 people across four metro Detroit locations.

The new lending center on South Main houses two experienced bankers, Darren LaLonde,

they serve.

For Huron Valley State Bank leaders, Plymouth was an obvious choice in many ways – a centrally located lending office that could serve the vibrant Plymouth area and surrounding communities while also focused on other potential growth opportunities.

And as a pivotal part of the bank’s strategic efforts when it comes to commercial lending in western Wayne County, the Plymouth center is

senior vice president and commercial team lead as well as Ingrid Runnion, vice president commercial lender.

The Plymouth office has been open since May of 2023 and reflects Huron Valley State Bank’s commitment to expand, but do so in a way that remains focused on the company’s main goal – taking care of the people

the epitome of HVSB’s approach to financial services and community commitment.

“We really plant deep roots in our communities,” says LaLonde, who has over 30 years of experience in lending and has been with Huron Valley State Bank for three years.

Today LaLonde handles business loans to small

22 | The Rock

and middle size companies ranging from $50,000 to $8 million. “Community is important to us. We’re involved. Our families are connected. We try to help in a lot of different ways.”

The Northville resident says Huron Valley State Bank is all about community, but also focused on being financially sound and fiscally responsible.

“It’s about knowing your borrowers and the market in your community,” he says.

“Keep in mind that we are a full service bank and are always very hands on with an attention to details, personal service and care about our customers.”

For Sheri Miles the idea that a bank has a special relationship with its customers is based on a simple notion. “‘Huron Valley Bank works for me’ is one of our messages,” she says.

“That’s at the heart of who we are. We develop business solutions that work. We’re committed to growth and we take pride in our desire to find ways to work for you.”

As assistant vice president and director of marketing and employment engagement, Miles appreciates the connections Huron Valley State Bank makes. Raised in Livonia – like LaLonde – she said the Plymouth move is exciting in large

part to the roles LaLonde and Runnion play.

“They embrace our philosophy and are great partners,” says Miles, who has been with Huron Valley State Bank for over 10 years.

She also wants everyone to understand that HVSB emphasizes all of the key aspects necessary for any bank to succeed.

“We have good liquidity, we are well capitalized and have strong positions,” she says. “We make solid business decisions and have a knowledgeable team. We receive five star ratings year after year from Bauer Financial.”

Being locally focused is also reflected in the fact that all 12 of Huron Valley State Bank’s board of directors live in southeast Michigan and each of the bank’s founders are well respected business leaders.

Huron Valley State Bank commits one-third of its annual marketing budget for community involvement, often through sponsorships.

It is active in the local chamber and participates in award dinners, golf outings and many other

local activities.

“We are committed to our downtowns,” says Miles. “We give to education foundations and lots of local events like the Milford car show every September.”

In Plymouth, Huron Valley State Bank has begun to sponsor events and activities and plans for more as its presence grows.

“We’re constantly donating food to local families and clothing and even money,” says LaLonde. “The list goes on and on and we love doing it. We’ve had toy drives, shoe drives, soup drives. Five this year.”

Ultimately that’s just a part of what makes Huron Valley State Bank a good neighbor.

“It’s who we are and what we do,” says Miles.

HURON VALLEY STATE BANK ADDRESS: 706 South Main Street, Suite B, Plymouth PHONE: (248) 387-6083 WEBSITE: www.hvsb.com

Just One More Service L.J. Griffin’s offerings now include catering and banquet room Since opening its first funeral home in the 1950s, L.J. Griffin has grown into one of the largest and most respected familyowned funeral firms in the state of Michigan. The driving force behind that growth has been the fact they’ve been able to meet the needs of their clients in an ever-changing world.

A big part of that, according to owner David Griffin, is “our integrity and dedication to excellence.” And that’s a big deal when you are in the business of

L.J. Griffin works with licensed and professional caterers to offer full catering services at each of its five locations. They offer light fare packages that can serve anywhere between 25 and 100 persons.

And at L.J. Griffin’s Northrop - Sassaman Chapel, located at 19091 Northville Road in Northville, they just opened what they’re calling their Memorial Reception Room, an elegant dining and banquet space where families can break bread and

helping families cope with the loss of a loved one.

That also means keeping up with the times. The firm now has funeral homes in Brighton, Canton, Livonia, Northville and Westland. Each offers unique services, including personalized funeral and memorial services, burial and cremation options, personalized family arrangements, veterans services, formal chapels and grief support.

You can now add catering services to that menu of options.

reminisce about their departed loved ones. The room seats nearly 100 people, and offers full catering services beyond what is offered at the other locations.

There is light fare, including deli meat and cheese trays, and also a full fare menu that includes entrees and side dishes – again provided by licensed and professional caterers.

David Griffin, a Northville resident who is the second generation owner, said the point is to make the funeral process

easier for families. Instead of having to break up and go to another location for a luncheon after the funeral service, families will be able to stay together at the same location and have the meal at L.J. Griffin.

“I know through experience that families want to make sure after the service ends, they don’t want to lose people when they head to the luncheon. This will make it seamless for them. It’s a very nice space and it will be professionally catered,” Griffin said.

“It’s just one more extension of the services we have to offer our families,” he continued.

The catering and Memorial Reception Room is something L.J. Griffin has wanted to do for a while, because they felt it was a need. Unfortunately, they were delayed by larger circumstances.

“We were going to do this preCOVID, but that put the brakes on things,” said Beth Larabee, a director for L.J. Griffin. “Once we got post pandemic, though, we felt it was time. People need to be together in trying times, and this is a way we can help make it easier for them to stay together.”

Griffin’s parents, Geraldine and the late L.J. Griffin, founded the company in 1954 when they opened their first funeral home in Detroit. Along with their mother, David and his brother Larry have

continued the firm’s tradition of serving area families dealing with the loss of a loved one.

David’s daughter, Alex, is now the third generation involved with the business. She, along with Larabee, has been instrumental in getting the catering services and Memorial Reception Room off the ground. Having grown up around the business, she said she is very proud of her family’s legacy of helping people get through extremely difficult times.

“This is a different kind of business. It was built on family and intimacy,” she said. “I really look up to my dad and my grandparents. I’ve watched how they have treated people in some very emotional times.

And that has led to their success in this business. It just goes to show how important the human connection is.”

For a full description of the services, including catering, provided by L.J. Griffin Funeral Home, visit their website at www.griffinfuneralhome.com.

L.J. GRIFFIN FUNERAL HOME NORTHROP SASSAMAN CHAPEL ADDRESS: 19091 Northville Road, Northville PHONE: (248) 348-1233 WEBSITE: www.griffinfuneralhome.com The Rock

| 23

All About The Process Matt MacLellan has grown into prominent role for Crusaders

I

t may have taken awhile, but Matt MacLellan has found his niche as a college basketball player.

The 2020 Plymouth High grad decided the best fit was to stay locally and play for Madonna University, a highly successful top-25 NAIA program located just a hop, skip and a jump layup away in Livonia.

And although Madonna won’t get the respect or recognition of an NCAA Division I program, all you have to do is check out one of their Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference home games at the Alliance Catholic Credit Union Arena where you will witness not only an entertaining, but a highquality brand of hoops.

“There’s a lot of great basketball players at small colleges,” MacLellan said. “It’s really competitive, it really means a lot to people. If you love the game of basketball, small college basketball is a great opportunity to continue to play the game, continue to compete, and meet 24 | The Rock

By Brad Emons a lot of people that are going to be impactful in your life and obviously the rest of your life.”

MacLellan had to bide his time as a back-up center before cracking the starting lineup this season for the top-25 ranked Crusaders, who through their first 24 games posted an 20-4 overall record and 16-2 mark in the WHAC. During his first three seasons, MacLellan proved to be the perfect understudy. He played behind Mark Mettie, an AllAmerican from nearby Livonia Franklin High who finished third in career scoring for MU with 1,801 points in 130 games.

It has been a breakout season for the 6-foot-9, 215-pound MacLellan, who has become the team’s third leading scorer at 13 points per game while snaring almost six rebounds per outing.

MacLellan credits the 6-9 Mettie for much of development going into this season when he became a full-time starter.

“Mark Mettie was just an

amazing leader, an amazing teacher for me,” MacLellan said. “Not as much playing time opportunities in the past because he was such a great player. Coming into this year I knew I’d probably have more responsibility and I just tried to do my best with that.”

During his high school days at Plymouth, MacLellan was primarily an inside scorer who rarely ventured outside the paint.

But with college and pro basketball continuing to stress the three-point shot, MacLellan realized he needed to add something to his repertoire.

“I knew I had to be able to space the floor,” MacLellan said.

“Last season, I didn’t shoot very many ‘threes,’ wasn’t able to space the floor as much for us, so I thought that would really be important for me and the team this year, so I worked a lot on my three-point game. It was definitely something we talked about, but they (the coaches) want us to set our own goals and set

those things up for ourselves, so it was definitely something I knew that was important to me and I really wanted to work on that.”

In his first 24 games, MacLellan has been able to keep defenses honest hitting 19 of 58 shots from beyond the arc, a respectable 32 percent for a big man.

STAYING LOCAL Matt got his start playing basketball when he used to tag along with his father Joe, who is in IT sales, for pickup games at Lifetime Fitness. His mother, Michelle, is a teacher at AllSaints Catholic School in Canton.

He has two siblings: a brother, Rob, (who attended Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard) and an older sister, Grace.

During his senior year at Plymouth, MacLellan began to blossom as he averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game under coach Mike Soukup. He counted his favorite NBA players growing up – due to their great footwork – were Tim Duncan,

“It’s just his consistency and work ethic that has prepared him for this opportunity this year and he’s been outstanding each and every night. His development skill-wise - his stepping out and stretching the floor and then his defense and rebounding has been such a key part of the success we’ve had.”

Noel Emenhiser, Madonna head coach, on Matt MacLellan’s performance this season Hakeem Olajuwon and Kawhi Leonard.

MacLellan, who carried a 3.8 grade-point average in high school, drew interest primarily from small college programs, including Olivet, Albion, Alma and Kalamazoo, members of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) -- all affiliated with NCAA Division III, which does not grant athletic scholarships.

MacLellan weighed his options and decided Madonna was the best fit.

“The culture at Madonna, the coaching staff, I really got along well with…being close to home so that my family could come to games was really big for me,” MacLellan said. “And just getting in the work with the guys.

I came to the camps and got to be coached by some of the guys on the team. I just really looked up to the people here.”

MU head coach Noel Emenhiser, who is also the

school’s athletic director and remains the school’s all-time career scoring leader, is in his 15th season as the Crusaders’

head coach. He knew eventually MacLellan would someday become an integral part of the program.

Due to the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020-21, MacLellan only played nine games during his freshman year before seeing action in a total of 65 games his sophomore and freshman years where he averaged 15 minutes per game averaging a modest 5.3 and 4.8 points, respectively.

But after assuming the starting center spot this season, MacLellan’s minutes dramatically increased to 29 per game.

“It takes a special person to come into a situation where they may not be handed a lot of playing time and have to earn it,” Emenhiser said. “And Mark (Mettie) had exercised that extra year with COVID, (2020-21) so to feel like that was delayed another year…I’m sure that was a mental hurdle Matt had to cross, but now having the opportunity that he’s had and taking advantage of it, I’m sure in hindsight he probably feels that delayed gratification is all worth it.”

MacLellan’s steady play and growth this season has proven to be a benchmark. He scored in double figures in 19 of the first 27 games this season with a career high 21 points against Rochester (Feb. 7).

In a key first-place showdown on Feb. 12 vs. WHAC co-leader and No. 7-ranked Lourdes (Ohio), MacLellan came through one of his better games scoring 20 points to go along with five rebounds and two blocks in a 72-65 win.

“I thought he really made Mark (Mettie) better,” the MU coach said. “And I think that time behind Mark made Matt better

and prepared him to play against the best players in our league every single night. But it’s just his consistency and work ethic that has prepared him for this opportunity this year and he’s been outstanding each and every night. His development skill-wise – his stepping out and stretching

a business-like approach with everything he does. He’s a really liked guy in the locker room, but at the same time he brings intensity and competition to everything that we do. He’s been a model Madonna University student-athlete. Excellent in the community, excellent in academics and just a high

performer in competition.” the floor – and then his defense In the mostly unpublicized and rebounding has been such a key part of the success we’ve had.” world of small college basketball, MacLellan is seeing the big ONE MORE YEAR picture. He’s enjoying the ride MacLellan plans to take during first year as a starter as advantage of his fifth year of the Crusaders battle Lourdes eligibility in 2024-25. With while trying to secure their third a GPA hovering near 4.0, he conference title and earn a fifth will graduate next year with a NAIA National Tournament double-major in accounting and appearance under Emenhiser. business where he plans to get “We just have a great group into corporate finance. of guys,” MacLellan said.

Outside of basketball, “Obviously winning always feels MacLellan likes to hang out with good, right? But it’s all about family and friends. He enjoys the process that takes us there reading with a particular interest and I think this team has been in philosophy and politics. super focused on that process.

“Matt is really intelligent and We get along really well together smart, and witty,” Emenhiser and I think the kind of culture said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s and the chemistry here has been funny, but also really focused, awesome.”

The Rock

| 25

A

revised proposal for Sparr’s Flowers and Greenhouse drew a negative reaction from adjacent property owners and residents who live in the quiet subdivision north of the business on Joy Road, near Lilley.

Developers submitted a scaled back plan to Plymouth Township in their quest to get a conditional rezoning on five acres of land at the corner of Joy and Lilley roads. The plan limited some potential uses on the property and scaled back others.

The new proposal would place a senior living facility on the northern portion, eliminate a potential drive-through coffee shop and reduce the types of businesses that could be located in the proposed mixed-used building on the eastern side property.

“We’ve listened to the planning commission and we’ve listened to the residents. We’ve

26 | The Rock

looked at different options,” said architect Scott Wright. “We decided a senior living facility would also fit that property and also fit what we want to do.”

Developers, who purchased the land last year, initially proposed small apartment buildings, and a mixed-use retail building with

for the new uses. There’s five acres there, currently zoned for residential uses. Developers need the zoning changed to commercial so they can proceed with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) plan.

Plymouth Township Planner Laura Haw said the proposed

“We’ve listened to the planning commission and we’ve listened to the residents. We’ve looked at different options. We decided a senior living facility would also fit that property and also fit what we want to do.”

Scott Wright, architect for the proposed development lofts on a second floor. Sparr’s would remain, but in a smaller footprint on the property. Three homes facing Lilley Road would be demolished to provide room

senior living facility would include three wings, each with 16 units, around a central hub for dining and activities. It would be a one-story structure. The

apartments previously proposed would have been multi-level buildings.

“The R-1 district allows for 2.5 story buildings,” she said.

She also pointed out that the proposal is just a concept plan; the details would get flushed out through the PUD process.

Residents still had the same concerns they voiced over the two previous versions that were presented last year. They talked about the increased traffic the development would bring, the needed improvements to the roadway, that it didn’t fit in with nearby uses and did not contain enough parking for all the proposed uses. Tonquish Creek, which is adjacent to the property, is already prone to flooding and the development would make it worse, they said. It would have a negative effect on their property values, too, some said.

“It has the same issues as the last plan,” said Cindy Moore,

the Feb. 7 planning commission meeting. “It’s getting to a point where, if you don’t like what we want to do with the property, buy us out. Leave it as it is. Give us an offer, we’ll walk away.

We’re following your rules.

That’s something I’d like to remind you.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE SPARR’S GREEN HOUSE

JOY RD

LILLEY RD

TONQUISH CREEK

who lives north of the site.

Wright pointed out that, although the property would be rezoned for commercial uses, the mixed-use building would primarily be medical-type offices. The lofts above could serve doctors or medical interns with offices below and patients in the living facility, he said.

“The intent is that building will be a medicalstyle building, with doctors’ offices on the lower level— things that would serve the senior living facility, things that would work together,” he said.

The project was scheduled for a public hearing in early February, but a

mistake on the sign pushed that back to March. It’s tentatively scheduled for the March 27 planning commission meeting.

Meanwhile, Naji Kahala, co-developer of the project, expressed frustration at the delays and negative reception of a project he said was designed to improve the corner.

“Every time we come here, we get bashed,” he told the crowd at

Developers are proposing a senior living facility and a mixed-use building that could serve as medical offices for the Sparr’s Greenhouse property at Joy and Lilley roads. But they need to property rezoned from residential to commercial first. Do you think this is a good use of the property, and should Plymouth Township grant the rezoning?

Email your opinions to Editor Scott Spielman at scottyspielman@gmail.com.

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