The Ville - May 2025

LOCAL JOURNALISM MATTERS

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Thank you in advance.

Publisher

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

• Barbara & Ming Louie

• Christopher & Colette Rizik

• Margie Sievert

• Jim & Dorothy Youmans

KURT KUBAN – Editor/Publisher

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

CRAIG WHEELER – Creative Director

Craig has been in the creative industry for over 30 years. He has developed a diverse background in that time, but publication design has been his passion during the past 20 years. Craig enjoys chasing his young daughter and providing moral support to his lovely wife.

MICHELE FECHT – Writer

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

WENSDY VON BUSKIRK – 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, and is excited to get back to her roots in The ‘Ville. -Photo by Kathleen Voss

KEVIN BROWN – Writer

Kevin was a reporter for The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers for more than a decade. He also has written for The Detroit News, University of Michigan and Ford Motor Co. He is a musician as well, performing with the Ann Arbor-based folk roots band Corndaddy.

TIM SMITH - Writer

Tim brings a penchant for telling powerful and personal stories that run the gamut from news to sports. During more than 35 years in journalism, he has earned numerous state and national awards. The Wayne State grad is a published author and rec ice hockey player.

MARIA TAYLOR – Writer

Maria is managing editor at The ACHR NEWS, a B2B publication based in Troy. She has worked as a reporter for the Northville Record, Novi News and Plymouth Observer, and once had her photo on the cover of TIME. She lives in Farmington and, as a self-avowed history nerd, routinely risks her life by standing in the road to photograph old buildings.

JOHN C. HEIDER – Photographer

John Heider was the The Northville Record and Novi News photographer from October 1996 until September 2017. He lives in Ann Arbor and enjoys fishing, hunting, gardening, cooking, feature writing, woodworking projects and the symphony.

BRYAN MITCHELL - Photographer

Bryan started working as a photographer more than 30 years ago, and was the Northville Record photographer in the 90's. He has freelanced for The Detroit News, The Guardian, Reuters, and other publications. His photography has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the globe. The Northville resident also coaches mountain biking at Northville High School.

Location, Location, Location: Owning a home in Northville is where it’s at

Over the course of the last year or so, I’ve received about a half dozen letters in the mail and probably a dozen random text messages from real estate agents asking if I’m interested or willing to sell my Northville Township home.

While I love my home, it’s not exactly special, especially in a town that has plenty of high-end estates. Million dollar homes are fairly common here, so it kind of surprised me that there are people interested in buying my home. Though to be honest, I don’t think they ever even came out to look at my house.

I realize it’s just Northville that these agents (and their buyers) are looking for.

If you own a home in the Northville community, I’m guessing you may have received similar correspondences.

It makes sense. Northville is one of the most desired places to live in the Metro Detroit area, and the real estate market reflects that.

There are a lot of people who want to move here to take advantage of our highly-acclaimed school district, our safe neighborhoods, beautiful parks, charming downtown and variety of shopping options. Conversely, there aren’t many available homes on the market. That drives our property values ever higher. Bidding wars on homes that pop up on the market aren’t uncommon.

Northville’s median sale price for a home is roughly $555,000 (with a listing median at $670,000), which is too high for many families, particularly for younger families. Heck, I was doing a search on Realtor.com before I wrote this and there are mobile homes located in the two Northville zip codes going for over $100,000.

There just isn’t much stock available. According to one source, there have been less than 80 Northville listings so far in 2025.

This is one of the main reasons there’s been so much buzz around the Downs development taking place at the old racetrack. It’s been a big story for a couple of years now, but to see roof lines and walls going up is starting to create some real excitement about the project.

When it is done, there will be more than 400 new residences on the 49-acre site. They will include single family homes, attached family homes, town homes, condominiums, carriage houses, row houses

and even apartments. That will give a big boost to the real estate market, adding much-needed inventory.

Unfortunately, the price point for most of those new units will be out of reach for many families, although Hunter Pasteur, the primary developer of the site, says the diversity of housing on the site has been a goal for them and city leaders.

Perhaps a side effect to the diversity of housing options at the Downs is it might attract some older Northville residents and empty nesters, who no longer need their big home.

They could be enticed to buy a condo or town home at the Downs, put their current homes up for sale, and still stay in Northville. If you haven’t gotten the point yet, people aren’t exactly clamoring to get out of Northville. I’ve talked to a few people in town who are considering such a move. So it might just loosen up the market a bit.

The bottom line is if you are looking to buy or sell in this market, you really need to turn to professionals who actually know the market. And nobody knows it like the local brokers and agents, who can navigate through the unique aspects Northville offers.

That’s why in this issue we decided to talk to a number of local Realtors to get their insights about the Northville market, which we think are invaluable for people who are trying to figure out the best way to sell a home here or more importantly trying to buy a home in Northville. These Realtors have offices here in town, and most of them are Northville residents as well.

We also talked to some local mortgage professionals and builders who have some really good advice about the best ways to finance a home purchase in such a challenging time of high interest rates and lack of housing inventory – two factors that don’t exactly work in a buyer’s favor.

Our coverage all begins on Page 10. I hope you find it interesting and of value. And, if you know anyone trying to move to Northville, which many of us do, pass it along to them. Relying on luck isn’t a good strategy these days. Hiring the right agent who knows how to get it done is.

Kurt Kuban is the Publisher and Editor of The ‘Ville. He welcomes your comments at kurtkuban@thevillemagazine.com.

ON THE COVER: Northville is fortunate to have many locally-based Realtors including (bottom row from left) Regina DeSanto, Whitney Gesch, Brittany Thomas, Angela Jaafar, Cynthia Nicholson, Sue Shields, Kathy Schaumburg, Carol Schrauben, (top row from left) Scott Craver, Mike Tripoli, Bob Greenlaw, Bill Gardner, Amity Rice and Krisity Wassenaar. Photo by P.A. Rech

Your Voice

A tarnished legacy

I am a lifetime horseman who raced at Northville Downs for 50 years and, like many others, considered it my “home track.” As a Northville resident, I purposely go out of my way to avoid the Seven Mile/Sheldon intersection these days. It disturbs me to see how the historical property has been desecrated.

Any reference to Northville Downs, such as “The Downs” or equine related street names is an affront to the many people and horses who have raced there since 1944.

Unfortunately, many of the current Northville residents do not remember the significant role that the track, the Carlo family, and the Northville Driving Club played in the history and growth of Northville, and the substantial revenue the track produced for the city.

My opinion, which I expressed to Mayor Brian Turnbull, is that when the development is complete, people are wanting to move out of Northville instead of in.

Marilyn Breuer-Bertera

We have a garbage problem

Approach Northville from the east on Seven Mile and the silhouette of the Arbor Hills landfill mountain of waste briefly dominates the horizon. A mile further, one passes the vast tract of the reimagined Downs, with its hordes of newcomers waiting to queue up. The two are mutually incompatible. At the same time that we are being asked to approve a new landfill, we are, by rolling out the welcome mat to new residents, complicating the situation by exponentially multiplying the amount of trash we produce.

Even minus the Downs redevelopment, we have proven ourselves incapable of coming up with a better system of handling waste, other than duplicating the unsightly mound we already have.

Is it possible to do better? Sweden sends less than 1% of its waste to landfills. South Korea’s pay-as-you-throw system levies charges based on amount of waste produced. The Netherlands circular economy turns waste into new products. Japan, with its mountainous terrain, is physically limited with regard to landfills and has incorporated sophisticated waste sorting rules. Its city of Kamikatsu has achieved zero waste. Germany has stringent sorting rules with the end goal of abolishing landfills altogether.

If community fathers can embrace a mega-development with an eye to bolstering revenue, they can also accept the responsibility of acknowledging and taking decisive steps to ameliorate the torrent of garbage that gets hauled out of here on a weekly basis.

Ken Kilpatrick

Bring back senior volleyball

Has Northville Parks and Recreation violated Northville’s Code of Ethics by charging senior volleyball players more than other seniors to use the Community Center facility? It does seem so, and when Northville Parks and Recreation was notified of this violation, their answer was not to adjust the fee schedule and eliminate the discrimination, but to cancel senior

volleyball. So, after almost 30 years of offering senior volleyball to the Northville community, the activity was eliminated just to save a few dollars a week.

This action seems to raise ethical issues itself and raises the question; does Northville Parks and Recreation operate with ethical principles?

Tom Groves

No front page treatment

I am so disappointed by your April issue that featured our local VFW heroes and the re-enactors of Patriots Day. The VFW Post #4012 on South Main in Northville celebrated 80 years. They had a great celebration. Veterans dressed in their honorable hats and T-shirts showing their whereabouts in different conflicts. We should be proud of their service.

We also celebrated 250 years since the beginning of the Revolutionary War which led to our independence that we celebrate on July 4th every year. You had articles in the April 2025 issue of The ‘Ville about both of their celebrations. Neither one had the honor of being on the front page, where one of them should have been. Really? So sad for our true heroes. Susan Klimek

A hard time understanding

I ask my fellow Americans: When did America stop being great? In my lifetime, dating back to 1939, America has been and still is great. For our deranged president to think it isn’t, is absurd. What he is doing, and is attempting to do, is horrible. When he’s finished, sadly, his replacement will have a huge task of “Making America Great Again”.

To my mind, he is attempting to turn our country into his dictatorship. I ask those who voted for him and still support him: What is it that you like most about him? The fact that he was a draft dodger? His criminal record? His business failures? His treatment of women? His alienation of our allies? His love for Putin? His complete disregard of the Constitution? I could go on and on, but I think you get my drift. Help me understand.

Bill Carter

Trans athletes a non-issue

It’s enlightening to see the difference in opinions in the “Your Voice” section. I grew up in Northville and always respected the diversity of opinion here. However, with the increasing division amongst us I think it’s important to call out misinformation when I see it.

I am a transgender man and have always felt welcome here. The March letters, however, showed me that some peoples hatred clouds their ability to look at facts.

I would like to offer this advice to the letter writer, who criticized our Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. The issue he sees with trans people in sports pertains to transgender women. Not men. Less than 0.002% of athletes at the collegiate level identify as trans and 0.001% at the Olympic level. It’s important to help the letter writer redirect his worry on this matter. He’s focusing on the wrong 1%.

Peter Morris

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to Cady Street after the pandemic, but this year, it’s returning to its original home on Main, Center, and Wing Streets, offering a livelier, more accessible experience. “We heard loud and clear that the community and artists wanted it back downtown,” Karol said. “Bringing it back is the perfect way to celebrate our 20th anniversary.”

BUILDING A FOUNDATION

The Northville Art House has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings. Twenty years ago, a small group of

Cultivating Creativity

Cultivating Creativity

For 20 years Northville Art House has showcased community’s artistic talent

By Wensdy Von Buskirk

When a small group of volunteers opened the Northville Art House in 2005, they had a simple dream: create a vibrant space where creativity could thrive. Two decades later, that dream has blossomed into a beloved community hub offering monthly exhibits, art classes, an art store—and now, the highly anticipated return of the summer Art Market to downtown Northville.

On March 4, staff and board members gathered to celebrate the Art House’s 20th anniversary with birthday cake and the launch of a special “$20 for 20 Years” fundraising campaign. “It’s a way for our community to show support with a small donation that makes a big difference,” said Executive Director Shannon

Karol.

Karol, a Northville High School graduate with 18 years of arts education experience, took the helm just days before the 2023 Art Market. “I joked that I didn’t get an onboarding—I got

a hazing,” she says. That hectic experience gave her a front-row seat to the passion surrounding the event, especially from artists who missed seeing it downtown.

The Art Market had shifted

volunteers opened the doors with just one exhibit—and the organization has been growing ever since. It’s been a labor of love, excitement, frustration, and hard, dedicated work, according to Board President Sue Taylor, who has been around from the beginning.

Since 2005, the Art House has presented monthly exhibits featuring local, national, and international artists in its own gallery. It now also showcases emerging artists at Tuscan Café in downtown Northville, offering even more opportunities for artists to share their work.

Beyond exhibits, the Art

The Northville Art House, located on Cady Street, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Shannon Karol, executive director of the Northville Art House, stands in the main gallery area before the opening of the annual Members Exhibition in April. Photo by Bryan Mitchell

Northville Art House Board President Sue Taylor at the Art House’s opening back in 2005. Photo courtesy of Sue Taylor

House has expanded into offering hundreds of art classes and workshops, reaching nearly 1,300 students in 2023 alone. It has hosted lectures, afterschool programs, art therapy workshops, an annual Young Artist Art Fair, and creative family events like Painting with Paws and the popular Cemetery Walk with live actors.

“Becoming our own independent nonprofit allowed us to apply for grants and diversify our programming,” Karol said.

Recent partnerships with organizations like Northville Public Schools, Maybury Farm, and the Northville District Library have further expanded its impact. Summer camps for kids continue to be a staple, providing creative enrichment during the school break.

WHAT’S ON EXHIBIT

The Art House’s gallery calendar remains packed with exhibits that celebrate creativity and community.

In May, the Annual Members Exhibition—a fan favorite— invited visitors to vote for their favorite works by member artists. Next, Stories and Stitches opens May 30, showcasing fiber and textile art juried by Joan Potter Thomas.

In August, Living and

Learning: The Art of Possibility will feature vibrant paintings, ceramics, and mixed media by artists from the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, celebrating the limitless possibilities of creative expression.

September’s Hines’ Lines exhibit, timed with the Northville Victorian Festival, highlights artworks inspired by road pioneer Edward N. Hines, connecting the area’s history with modern artistic interpretations.

October brings Off-Center: Art That Pushes Boundaries, a national call for works that defy norms and provoke strong

affordable gifts for the holidays.

Each exhibit reflects the Art House’s mission to inspire, surprise, and engage the community through art.

LOOKING AHEAD

As the Art House moves into its next chapter, its team— including Creative Director Ryan Kaltenbach—is focused on keeping the momentum going. “Our staff are truly the pulse of the Art House,” Taylor said. “They are driving us forward as we honor the past and embrace the future.”

The 2025 Art Market promises to be a can’t-miss event, featuring more than 80 artists across a range of media — from ceramics and jewelry to

NORTHVILLE ART HOUSE ART MARKET

When: Fri., June 13: 3–8 p.m. Sat., June 14: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun., June 15: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where: Main Street, Center Street, and Wing Street in downtown Northville.

What:

• 80+ artists exhibiting ceramics, painting, fiber, photography, sculpture, and more

• Food trucks and local vendors

• Art activities hosted by the Detroit Institute of Arts

• Free admission

Learn more: Visit northvillearthouse.org for full event details, spring/summer class registration, and to donate to the $20 for 20 Years campaign.

2025 GOALS FOR THE NORTHVILLE ART HOUSE

The Northville Art House is building on its success with exciting new initiatives for 2025:

• Senior Outreach: Expanding arts programs to retirement communities and senior centers across the region, thanks to a second grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

• Healing Arts: Introducing mindfulness workshops, yoga in the gallery, and talks on the healing power of art.

emotional responses.

Finally, Small Works in November will showcase original 2D and 3D pieces, all 16 inches or smaller, offering visitors a chance to find unique,

mixed media and photography. Food vendors and nonprofits like the Detroit Institute of Arts, which will host a children’s artmaking area, will round out the festivities.

Whether you visit to shop, create, or simply soak in the atmosphere, the Northville Art House’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and community spirit. As Karol said, “We are truly honored to be a pART of Northville’s story—and we can’t wait for what’s next.”

• Artist Support: Open Studio hours have returned, offering local artists a space to create on Tuesday afternoons.

• Emerging Artists: Monthly exhibitions at Tuscan Café will feature Art House students, with teen artists highlighted on the Emerging Artist Wall throughout the year.

These goals reflect the Art House’s commitment to fostering creativity in all its forms.

In 2005, the Art House held a grand opening celebration that was attended by local officials and art supporters. Photo courtesy of the Northville Art House

Spontaneity Works by Teesha Lieber, who will participate in the upcoming Art Market.

Paul King, of Paul King Art, will also have a booth at the Art Market next month. This is his Stevie Nicks 1978, hand drawn with a digital airbrush.

“ Life Is Short ,

(Back Row) Justin Ballard, Daryl Cross, Mike Tripoli, Scott Craver, Rob Duzak, Joe Lamerson. (Front Row) Amity Rice, Jessica Hammond, Krisity Wassenaar, Brittany Thomas. (Not Pictured) Amanda Hoff, Lisa Cusumano, Tom Casha, Amy Petryczkowycz, Bryan Young, Amber Johnson, Jennifer Bobby.

Real People, Real Estate

Local Realtors share insights about Northville’s highly sought after market

By Ken Voyles

This was going to be a fairly simple real estate piece full of statistics, community metrics, useful info and comments from various real estate people throughout the Northville community. But having interviewed a number of these realtors, agents and brokers - most of whom live in the community - there’s another powerful story going on here.

That’s the story of people who are key players marketing the overall Northville community. They are on the frontline helping “sell” the area across the region, the state, and frankly the country, to those who want to move to, live in and be a part of this unique community with

its mix of people and beautiful homes.

The stats and metrics for the area’s housing market can certainly be interesting, but are pretty slim. Sure there are trends, and like most trends, are educated guesses based on things happening lately, like home values still continuing to go up, or a lack of single family building permits and land to build on, and the trend with smaller lots and older homes, especially in the city, to “tear down and rebuild.”

Trends are interesting, but so are the people who know what’s going on, including realtors. In other words, the exciting “small town” feel - not

small market or small minded - among Northville real estate professionals reflects the very community they work and live in.

So let’s start there.

If you don’t know them, or maybe have seen their advertising here or in other places, we’re talking about people who are your neighbors, attending high school sports events or dining at downtown restaurants.

There are brokers and agents like Mike Tripoli or Whitney

Gesch, and pros like Cynthia Lynn Nicholson and Mike Kaczmarczyk. And there are others worthy of your time, if you are either a buyer or seller, people like those at Proper Real Estate or the National Realty Center, and even newcomers creating The Downs that will transform the housing landscape in the city.

“We’re here for our customers,” says Tripoli, who is the broker owner of Opul Realty in Northville. “We’re not alone in this, there are certainly a lot of us and we are quite competitive, but we’re more boutique or mom and pop kind of shops.

“Most of us live here,” he continues, “and have experienced what makes Northville so special. It’s a down-to-earth, tight-knit community. I’ve seen the other side of it in communities with a real snobby attitude, but Northville is different. That’s reflected in the real estate world as well.”

Tripoli moved to Northville nearly 25 years ago, selling exclusively in the community for 11 years before opening Opul three years ago.

“Since we know Northville, I always tell people to get an agent who knows the community, and in this town that matters maybe more than in some places,” says Tripoli, who has 17 agents working with him. “We know the city and the township. We know the school boundaries -- we have info that can actually help people.”

And people need help to get into the Northville housing market.

“It’s currently very hot,” says Tripoli. “Northville is highly sought after.”

A lack of inventory is a common theme among these pros and Tripoli sometimes

Northville-based Realtors gather downtown. They are (bottom row from left) Regina DeSanto, Whitney Gesch, Brittany Thomas, Angela Jaafar, Cynthia Nicholson, Sue Shields, Kathy Schaumburg, Carol Schrauben, (top row from left) Scott Craver, Mike Tripoli, Bob Greenlaw, Bill Gardner, Amity Rice and Krisity Wassenaar. Photo by P.A. Rech

Cynthia Nicholson of Cynthia Lynn Luxury Homes

Broker Mike Tripoli of Opul Realty

worries that there isn’t a lot of affordable housing in the community.

“Even the fixer uppers are selling for a lot of money,” he says. “Older homes are in demand because there’s just not a lot of new ones being built. A nice home of any kind, priced accordingly is gone in days.”

Tripoli calls Northville a “tough nut to crack,” though he knows The Downs project will play a big part in transforming the city and housing values.

“It will give us some inventory and I believe will raise the average price of homes around here,” says Tripoli. “There’s a lot of work to be done, and getting in there will not be cheap, but I will say Northville is going to look different in 10 years.”

Like his colleagues Tripoli says Northville’s array of attributes are superb – fantastic schools and sports programs, a small-town feel with a quaint downtown that houses shopping, theaters, restaurants, community events galore and excellent public safety departments. And there’s a rich history including being a place of horse farms, rolling hills, Victorian architecture and its own state park.

TOP TIER CHALLENGES

People line up to get into Northville. By most metrics, like household income and home values, Northville ranks right at the top.

According to SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) and U.S. Census data, Northville’s median household income is right around $144,000, though the cost of living in Northville is more than 20 percent higher than the national average.

There are 10,800 owneroccupied “units” in Northville, including nearly 8,000 valued between $500,000 and $1 million. Nearly 8,900 homes are worth more than $200,000, reflecting the nature of ownership, which shows nearly 9,000 properties are single family homes, or “units” to use data language.

Most sources say Northville’s median sale price for a home is $555,000 (with a listing median at $670,000). This continues to rise annually by nearly 13 percent.

When it comes to building new homes, The Downs aside, only a handful of new housing permits have been recorded in 2025 compared with, for example, some 95 permits in 2021 and 107 in 2018.

According to Zillow, and other sources, the market is “considered balanced, meaning supply and demand

The Northville real estate market is an anomaly. As a Realtor, I’m not focused on national trends or headlines, nor am I distracted by local state housing data. I concentrate on what makes Northville special: our top-rated schools, public services, and beautiful homes. This is what drives consumer interest and demand, making us a sustainable market-no matter what.”

Angela Jaafar, Remax Dream Properties

are relatively equal.” Pending sales typically happen in five days or less, and a key number – the number of homes for sale in 2025 – hovers under 80, compared with 250 in Livonia and 55 in Plymouth. The average home value in Northville is just over $550,000.

All that being said, Northville remains, as Tripoli noted, “hot” when it comes to the housing market.

With such numbers at hand, “selling” Northville seems simple, and yet it’s truly complex.

Whitney Gesch, of the Gardner Gesch Group in Northville, has specialized in luxury real estate in this community for 15 years. She lives and often sells in the Northville Hills Golf Club, one of the area’s most sought-after communities with its lavish homes and Arnold Palmer public golf course.

“The demand there remains incredibly strong,” says the realtor and neighborhood expert who grew up on a horse farm in Hillsdale County. “It’s not just the architecture or lots – buyers fall in love with the lifestyle.”

Like her colleagues she loves Northville and what she does.

“I’m a driven person. I absolutely love sales,” says Gesch. “I also love working with people. Real estate is a relationship. I’m a therapist, a marriage counselor, a creative marketer. It requires a lot of time and effort. It’s a whole production.”

With the “crazy” stranglehold sellers seem to have in the current market, prices are constantly shifting higher and bidding “wars” tend to dominate, notes Gesch.

“With low inventory, if a home is priced correctly it’s going to sell, but it’s critical still to get the price point right and work with a Northville agent,” she adds.

Interest rates make an impact on sales trends but agents that thrive use new and old-school marketing techniques to sell homes. Gesch loves social media, producing videos and marketing online, especially since fewer people walk into a real estate office for help, instead turning to the internet,

Continued on Page 12

Jamey Kramer, a Northville resident, has been a realtor for 30-plus years.

Continued from Page 11

and online sites that track what is happening.

“Investing heavily into marketing for these luxury homes is critical,” says Gesch.

Gesch says she has sold more than $100 million in real estate, though she admits the old real estate adage of location, location, location still rings true, even over and above marketing.

The Northville dynamic plays a big part in whether people like Gesch are successful or not. She cites the Victorian feel of Northville, its history and beauty as well as rural feel that can still be felt in the area.

But she still knows the power or marketing, especially with the clash of high demand and low inventory.

“I love the creative side of it,” she says. “That’s new to real estate. We’re seeing interest

from buyers all over metro Detroit and beyond.”

SELLERS MARKET

Mike Kaczmarczyk, with Max Broock and DeGrandchamp Real Estate in Northville, has noticed a kind of repetition in how the housing market has played out recently.

“This year seems like it’s still repeating the patterns of the past few years,” he notes. “We have been on this incredible

Beyond the Rate

Unlocking homeownership with inventory low and prices high

If you want to buy a home, having good information at your fingertips and experts at your side will go a long way in Northville, where the average sales price is sitting well north of $500,000, inventory is low, and most sellers are receiving multiple offers.

At the same time, the average interest rate for a 30-year conventional mortgage is about 6.88% as of publication. It’s a far cry from the 5% and lower rates that buyers saw between 2015 and 2021, according to Bankrate.

The historic average loan rate is 7% or higher, according to Joshua Hudson, a loan officer with Movement Mortgage in Northville.

“We were spoiled for a long time with low rates that were taken for granted. I don’t think we will see those types of rates again,” says Hudson, who has been in the residential mortgage business for 15 years and was a realtor before that.

Still, Hudson believes rates will eventually ease. Clark Sexton, owner of Iron Mortgage in Northville, agrees.

“I believe rates will start to go down in 6-12 months and then more buyers

will come into market,” says Sexton.

Many of those buyers will likely be current homeowners who have mortgages with rates below the current level and a lot of equity in their homes.

Realtor Craig Lescoe, owner and broker at National Realty Centers, an independent real estate brokerage, says a recent national mortgage study shows about 40% of homeowners own their homes free and clear, while 31.4% of them are “equity rich,” meaning they have 50% or more equity in their home.

“We have seen so much appreciation since Covid,” explains Lescoe. The Northville resident’s firm

incline for four or five years with 15% increases in value year to year. We keep expecting it to plateau but I don’t think it’s stopping.

“There is so much energy in this market,” he continues. “We put it on the market and it’s gone. Inventory is low, and it’s a seller’s market. We had a short break in February but things have not settled down. It’s crazy. Tons of showings, tons of buys. There’s no plateau even with

has 625-plus agents spread across offices in Northville, Ann Arbor, Birmingham and Clarkston.

What this all means is that homeowners who want to move are hesitant because of those pesky interest rates.

“There are a lot of people with low rates who want to move, but they can’t justify moving with rates where they are at,” says Hudson.

Seller hesitation also means there are fewer homes for sale – resulting in very low inventory, especially in Northville.

Jamey Kramer, a broker with RE/MAX Classic in Novi, sees this challenge every day.

“There are a lot of people with low interest rates who do not want to move because of current rates so there’s a lack of inventory. It’s a good sellers’ market because of that, but it’s rough on the buyer’s side. Often, if it’s a decent house, buyers are competing,” says Kramer, a Northville resident.

“In April, the number of homes for sale in Northville was 78. With home supply at 1.8 months, this means if no one lists a home for sale, in less than

By Sue Voyles

two months there will be no homes to sell,” explains Lescoe. “Northville has been under two months’ supply the past three years.”

Even with few homes for sale, the demand from people who want to call Northville home remains strong. That means buyers are looking to the experts for advice.

For the Mike Miller Building Company, working with individuals

who want a new custom home means finding good partners who can provide financing.

“We don’t do any financing internally. We follow the banks that have the best programs for our customers,” says owner Mike Miller, who has built 70-plus homes in

Clark Sexton of Iron Mortgage

Mike Miller of Mike Miller Building Company

interest rates.”

Kaczmarczyk and his partner have sold in Northville for over 20 years. Both grew up in Dearborn, moving to the area in 2010 to raise their families.

“Inventory needs to catch up to values,” he says. “You’d think it would loosen up a bit but not really. We’re talking about lots of million dollar sales and if you want to get anywhere near downtown Northville it’s starting at $500,000.”

Northville and more than 600 in the greater Detroit area. He sits on the board of the Home Builders Association of Southeast Michigan, a network he uses to learn about the best banks for funding.

“We connect our customers with bankers. Most banks do mortgages, but not all do construction lending.”

Miller, a Northville resident who specializes in custom and semicustom-built homes as well as renovations, works closely with clients to create a preliminary estimate for construction that they take to the

bank as they seek funding for both the building and land.

Darren LaLonde of Huron Valley State Bank in Plymouth says the bank works with both homeowners and builders.

“If you are looking to build a home, the construction loan is closed for the total of the land and construction

The good news remains the community itself, and demand for it. Amazing schools, a great downtown, newer housing stocks (plenty from the 1990s and more recent), plus a bevy of historic homes and new development like the Downs, continue to drive the real estate world.

“This area can’t have enough housing,” he says. “There’s so much to offer here. It’s unique too, with the downtown, the

costs, with the funds paid out as the house is being built,” says the Northville resident, adding that sometimes a builder will get the loan, and the owner will buy the home from the builder at closing.

When it comes to financing existing homes, Kramer, who has been a realtor for 30-plus years, encourages buyers to get pre-approved. “Unless they are cash buyers, we give clients the names of 2-3 different lenders so they can get pre-approved. We develop those relationships by doing business together, based on track record and

historic district, keeping the small town feel.”

Spring will bring more movement, with plenty of new listings once school wraps up, he says, and families begin to consider downsizing or other changes.

STABLE BUT EVOLVING

For 15 years Cynthia Lynn Nicholson, of Cynthia Lynn Luxury Homes, has been selling Northville. She is a preferred

we can do to make their offer more attractive,” Lescoe said.

For Sexton at Iron Mortgage, having flexibility to find the right loan for clients is key.

“We are registered with over a dozen different lenders so we can shop lenders on your behalf,” he explains, adding that as a wholesale lender, his firm’s rates can be a half percent lower.

Then there are the buyers who are what Sexton calls “equity rich and cash poor.” They have a lot of equity in their current home, but do not have a lot of money to put down on a house – or

The Northville Market is still sizzling and great for sellers. Though a bit competitive for buyers, they are still getting homes when their offer is positioned properly. I don’t see things changing much for the balance of 2025.”

Carol Schrauben, Remerica Hometown One

realtor in the Blue Heron condominium community, where she lives, and was recently honored by Hour magazine as a “best of” realtor in metro Detroit.

While those years have been steady she wonders about the changing dynamic of the housing market.

quality of service.”

Lescoe, who has also been in the business for more than three decades, gives options to clients as well.

“It’s a very competitive market right now and I educate them as to how the process works and what sellers can and cannot do in multiple offer situations. We also talk about what

don’t want to dip into their retirement funds to buy a house.

“In those cases, we may look at a bridge loan, which lets you qualify without a contingency because a contingent offer will go to bottom of the pile,” says Sexton.

Buyers who are hesitant to jump into the market due to current interest

Continued on Page 14

rates may want to consider a floatdown mortgage. When a buyer finances a home at the current 6.88% rate and then sees interest rates drop to lower levels 18 months from now, they may consider refinancing but will face expensive closing costs, says Sexton.

“A float-down lets people take

advantage of lower rates without going through the entire qualification process of a mortgage loan. Their rate goes down to the new lower rate for a flat fee. So you can take advantage of rates today and benefit later from lower rates,” explains Sexton, adding that not all lenders offer the floatdown option, but Iron Mortgage has a relationship with a lender that does.

The big takeaway for home buyers? Don’t be intimidated by the current interest rates. Act now because there are financing options.

Craig Lescoe is the owner and broker at National Realty Centers, located in downtown Northville.

Continued from Page 13

“It changes minute by minute,” says the Northville realtor. “I have to be on top of it all the time. We’ve cooled a little bit but sellers who emphasize curb appeal and work with agents like me that know the area are really positioned well.”

Nicholson’s strength is pre-existing homes and condos; she understands local neighborhoods and the strengths of the community.

“This is a safe, loving community and there’s a lot of people tied to taking care of our children. I was an educator for 25 years and know that it takes a town to raise a child and in real estate it equally takes a town to raise a community. That sets us apart.”

Terri O’Brien, an agent with Century 21Curran & Oberski, has been a Northville resident for more than three decades. Having moved to several different homes in the community, she feels she is indicative of many in the community.

“I sometimes refer to Northville as a musical house community. As a Northville resident for over 30 years, I’ve personally played musical houses five times in Northville,” she said. “As a realtor, I see this happening all the time.

Residents love this community but their housing needs change and a move is in order. First time buyers are looking for their first home, then a few years later they seek out a larger home for their growing family.

And then there’s the empty nesters looking to downsize from their larger home to a smaller first floor living home, frequently a condo is their preference.”

That’s why it’s imperative to work with a local agent.

“Because of the lack of inventory, it makes sense to have a realtor that is connected to the community and other agents. Crafting an appealing offer and knowing how to negotiate, and having a seasoned agent are the keys to buying or selling a home,” O’Brien said.

So when it comes to selling or buying a home in Northville, who are you going to call?

Numbers, and so-called stats or current trends aside, there are real people behind those real estate signs along Main or Center streets, or on Six Mile or Beck roads. And like the community itself, they reflect Northville’s uniqueness, and the people who live and work here.

Northville resident Terri O’Brien is an agent with Century 21Curran & Oberski.

INTRODUCING GARDNER & GESCH

SIGNATURE LUXURY HOMES

A Powerhouse Partnership Redefining Luxury Real Estate in Northville

In the heart of Northville’s premier real estate market, a bold new alliance has emerged. Top-producing agents Whitney Gesch and Bill Gardner have joined forces to create Gardner & Gesch Signature Luxury Homes — a team built on trust, visibility, and results.

With over $200 million in combined closed sales, a commanding local presence, and a national network, Gardner & Gesch is setting a new standard for luxury real estate representation.

Rooted in Excellence, Backed by Global Reach

Gardner & Gesch operates from @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, located in the historic Detroit Edison Building in downtown Northville. The office’s blend of timeless architecture and modern sophistication mirrors the luxury homes they represent.

Through Christie’s and the recent merger with Compass Realty, Gardner & Gesch leverages award-winning technology, global marketing platforms, and a powerful international network — showcasing Northville’s finest homes to qualified buyers worldwide.

Relentless. Strategic. Proven.

What makes Gardner & Gesch exceptional is more than their experience — it’s their mindset. Whitney and Bill are known for their unmatched responsiveness, fierce negotiation skills, and relentless work ethic.

They fight for their clients with unwavering commitment, whether it’s outmaneuvering competing offers for buyers or securing record-breaking prices for sellers. One client famously dubbed Whitney the “bulldog in lipstick” for her tenacity with negotiations.

Every listing is backed by bold, strategic marketing. This includes paid social campaigns, digital ads, proactive agent outreach, and cinematic, high-impact video content designed to captivate and convert. Their reputation is built on winning in multiple-offer situations, securing recordbreaking sales, producing viral listing videos, and investing heavily in social marketing. Add to that their ongoing networking and brandbuilding efforts, and it’s clear this is a team that doesn’t wait for buyers to come to them — they go out and find them.

A Signature Approach to Buying & Selling

Gardner & Gesch Signature Luxury Homes offers deep expertise in Northville’s most prestigious neighborhoods, combined with global exposure through Christie’s and Compass networks. Their dual-state licensure in Michigan and Florida expands their reach, while their bold marketing and innovative strategies set them apart. From listing to close, Whitney and Bill deliver unmatched service, redefining what luxury real estate representation means.

WHITNEY GESCH COMMUNITY LEADER & LUXURY EXPERT

•Over $105 million in real estate sales

•Multi-year Hour Detroit Magazine Top Agent

•Featured in Real Producers magazine

•Numerous 5 star Zillow reviews

•Resident of Northville Hills Golf Club

• Vice President of the Northville Hills HOA and Social Committee Chair

•Member of Meadowbrook Country Club

•Top-selling agent in Northville Hills Golf Club

Whitney’s leadership roles in Northville Hills Golf Club make her the most connected agent in the subdivision — a trusted advisor who lives, works, and gives back to the community she represents.

BILL GARDNER

STRATEGY, PROFESSIONALISM & TRUSTED TIES

•Over $100 million in real estate sales

•Multi-year Hour Detroit Magazine Top Agent

•Featured in Real Producers magazine

•Licensed in both Michigan & Florida

•Longtime Northville resident

•Children attend Our Lady of Victory Catholic School

26 seconds into the second overtime, in a 3-2 semifinal win April 10 over Denver University.

“We’re still on Cloud Nine a little bit,” said Michaels, who finished the season with 18 goals and 18 assists. “It was obviously really special to just be with the guys after that moment and embrace it with them. Just so proud of them and so fortunate to spend the full year with them and love each other as well.”

Ironically, Michaels had gone scoreless in the 16 previous games dating back to Feb. 8, but he didn’t let that bother or deter him.

‘The New Mayor of Kalamazoo’

‘The New Mayor of Kalamazoo’

“It wasn’t for lack of chances or lack of quality play,” WMU third-year coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t, but he didn’t get frustrated or change his game and kept doing the things to help the team win and obviously them going in during the Frozen Four was the best time for them to go in. But his quality of play never dropped.”

leads WMU to its first ever hockey National Championship

By Brad Emons Northville’s Owen Michaels

F

ollowing his clutch performance in the Frozen Four where he earned tournament MVP honors leading Western Michigan University to its first-ever NCAA hockey championship, Northville native Owen Michaels might as well be dubbed “The New Mayor of Kalamazoo.”

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore forward came up big when it counted the most leading the 34-7-1 Broncos to the coveted title on April 12 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.

“It’s been super special and super cool seeing all the support that we are getting,” Michaels said three days after the national title game. “And it hasn’t been these past couple of days and weeks. It’s the same support that we’ve been feeling and receiving all year. It’s been so special to come back and share this championship and season with this whole community

and university . . . it just means a lot to this program and this university as a whole.”

Michaels scored his team’s fourth and sixth goals in a 6-2 championship game victory over Boston University after tallying two goals, including the game-winner,

Michaels played a pivotal role in the Broncos’ dream season as they captured the National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season title with a 19-4-1 record along with the NCHC Frozen Faceoff playoff championship.

Earning the fourth overall seed and headed to the NCAA Regional in Fargo, N.D., WMU won two closely-contested games beating Minnesota State, 2-1, in OT, and UMass, 2-1, to earn a trip to the Frozen Four.

And by the time Michaels arrived in St. Louis playing for the No. 1 scoring team in the nation, he was long overdue for some puck luck.

“Little bit of a scoring drought obviously, but our group is so deep and so close that we just continued to kind of rack up those wins and there was never a doubt,” Michaels said. “It could have been any of us putting the puck in the net and we’d be just as happy and just as excited. The most important points are the ones that come after wins and we were fortunate to be a team that strung together a lot of wins especially towards the end of the year.”

CONCENTRATING ON HOCKEY

Michaels’ journey to Kalamazoo is certainly a lesson in perseverance.

Growing up, he played all the sports

Northville native Owen Michaels celebrates Western Michigan University's first-ever NCAA hockey championship at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. WMU Athletics

Sisters Bridget and Maggie, along with parents Dan and Judy, celebrate in the aftermath of Western Michigan University winning its first-ever NCAA hockey title. Photo courtesy of the Michaels family

including hockey, soccer, basketball, football and baseball.

His father Dan, a WMU grad, was a member of the Broncos’ 1989 MidAmerican Conference championship baseball team and played high school hockey at Detroit CC where was on the

went to the local high school,” said Michaels, who graduated from Lincoln Southeast.

“It was obviously tough moving away from home for the first time, kind of having to live on your own a little bit . . . but it was a great group of guys and a lot of fun and a great experience that I’ve always liked to look back on.

Shamrocks’ 1983 Class A runner-up team.

Dan was CC’s varsity baseball coach at the time when Owen arrived as a ninth-grader on the Novi campus.

“He was a hell of a good baseball player,” Dan said. “He’s actually a really good athlete. He played one year at CC his freshman year when I was coaching there and then that summer, he pretty much stopped playing other sports and just concentrated on hockey.”

While playing locally for AAA Little Caesars, Owen decided hockey was his main sport.

“Grew up playing just about everything, I think that was great for my development and childhood and falling in love with sports, and the love for the game,” Michael said. “I feel I kind of have that love and drive for the game. I knew pretty early on I wanted to play hockey. It’s kind of all I wanted to do right from the moment I stepped on the ice the first time.”

During his sophomore and junior years Michaels attended Northville High and then took a leap of faith spending his senior year playing the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons with the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars of the United States Hockey League.

“I lived with the billet family there and

“I pretty much went there every morning at about 7 to 7:30 a.m. if I remember correctly, and we were pretty much out by 10:30. So just a couple of classes each day and head to the rink right after for practice.”

From 2020-22, Michaels spent the next two seasons with the Bismarck (N.D.) Bobcats of the North American Hockey League where he collected 53 points on 14 goals and 39 assists, including five points in 11 playoff games with +8 plus-minus rating.

In 2022-23, Michaels moved back to the USHL with the Dubuque (Ia.) Fighting Saints where he tallied 26 points on 15 goals and 11 assists, including eight points in five playoff appearances.

“I’ve been a little all over the place, but it’s been a blessing being able to cross paths with so many great people and great families, and always a lot of experiences and times that I look back on with a smile on my face,” Michaels said.

Michaels admitted he got a little homesick being away from his parents, including Dan and mom Judy, along with two older siblings Bridget and Maggie. But his four-year experience overall in juniors turned out to be a plus.

“Obviously being away four years from home, being away from my family and parents . . . it was tough,” he said. “But they’re such an unbelievable family that has shown so much support to me and sacrificed so much for me . . . I definitely couldn’t do this without them, so I love each and every one of them.”

WMU COMES CALLING

After his season in Dubuque, Michaels caught the eye of the WMU coaching staff as 22-year-old freshman recruit.

“What I really loved about Owen was his competitiveness mixed with his playmaking ability,” Ferschweiler said. “And when we got him on campus, he was exactly what we thought he was. He’s a warrior. He’s a winner and blended that with a mix of skill and hockey ability as well. True leader on this team.”

And WMU just seemed to be the right fit, right away in Michaels’ eyes.

“I was a little bit older when I committed to Western Michigan,” Michaels said. “There was a couple of schools that maybe had some interest in me. But it was pretty quick after speaking to Coach Ferschweiler and the rest of his coaching staff that I knew I wanted to be a Bronco. Just hearing them talk and the knowledge they have for the game, just the experiences that they have ... they’re all winners, so it was an easy choice after speaking with them to come here.”

In his first season (2023-24) with the Broncos, Michaels played in all 38 games collecting seven points on two goals and five assists with a +6 rating and 49 shots on goal as WMU finished 21-16-1 overall and 11-13 in the NCHC,

Western also earned a spot in the NCAA Maryland Heights Regional where Michaels handed out an assist in a 5-4 OT opening-

Continued on Page 20

Owen Michaels played different sports as a kid, but hockey became his passion early on. Photo courtesy of the Michaels family

Owen Michaels, surrounded by his parents Dan and Judy, along with sisters Bridget and Maggie, holds the NCAA championship trophy. Photo courtesy of the Michaels family

Continued from Page 19

round loss to Michigan State.

“Freshman year I came in, a little bit of an older guy, had a little bit more of an older group, older team, and it was great to learn from some of those guys,” said Michaels, who was also named a NCHC Distinguished Scholar Athlete studying sales and business marketing. “Kind of went into last summer knowing I wanted to take that next step and really help this team and push to win some championships. So fortunate to play with these guys and so many unbelievable players, unbelievable talents . . . it was so easy to be a part of and so much fun coming to the rink every day knowing I’d be seeing these guys.”

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Michaels felt something special was brewing early on.

“We were here – pretty much the whole team – couple of weeks and months in the summer and you could tell right away just how close this group was,” he said. “There was really no awkward phase for the new

guys whether it was transfers or freshmen. We kind of just clicked and meshed right away. That’s a big reason why we were able to find the success that we had this year.”

One of Owen’s biggest advocates is Ferschweiler, who signed him to a scholarship.

“Owen is just a great kid and loved by his teammates and loved by his coaches as well,” the WMU coach said. “He’s an easygoing kid, but he’s got a warrior’s heart.”

Meanwhile, Dan Michaels sees his son as quiet, determined, and well-focused.

“I’m sure I was like every dad back in the day, but as he’s gotten older, I try to stay out of the way,” Dan Michaels said. “I love talking about the games with him. I don’t do any coaching with him. But when he’s in the mood, I just love sitting down and listening to him about the games, the little plays and all that.”

With key players like goaltender Cameron Rowe (Chicago), captain Tim Washe (Anaheim) and assistant captain Alex Bump (Philadelphia) already signing NHL entry level contracts, the WMU roster

will change and be retooled entering the 2025-26 season.

But “The New Mayor of Kalamazoo” is looking forward to the challenge.

“Going to take a couple of weeks off and just kind of reset and let the body heal up from the kind of grueling playoff push we had,” Michaels said. “Then kind of hop back into it and really looking forward to getting back into the off season and just get bigger and stronger, and faster, and putting in a good summer’s worth of work, so that I can come back to school next year and defend our national championship.”

Sophomore Owen Michaels was named tournament MVP of the Frozen Four where he had four goals in two games. WMU Athletics

It's Your Business Varsity Lincoln

Built on Trust. Driven by Heart.

Supporting the community is a big part of Varsity's mission

While it is always great to know you’re doing business with a company that values you as a customer, it’s even better knowing that the organization is committed to the community where you live. That’s an important philosophy behind Varsity Lincoln in Novi.

Since opening its doors in 1994, Varsity Lincoln has put a focus on customers and causes that matter to their community, including Northville.

“We want to build relationships and our customers to be family,” says Nicole Smerecki, director of events and sponsorships, adding that it’s not just about providing donations.

The Sylvan Lake resident started at Varsity Lincoln 30 years ago as a receptionist, then moved into business development and sales before assuming her current role. For the last 12 years, she’s been overseeing the dealership’s sponsorships with a wide variety of local nonprofits. “I love people and the outreach, hearing people’s stories and

seeing them smile.”

Varsity’s attention to people is no surprise, since the entire team focuses on exceptional customer care and service, where each customer encounters the Varsity Lincoln Luxury Experience. Those values have earned Varsity status as a top volume Lincoln Dealer and as one of the few Lincoln Black Label Dealers, which gives customers unique service and membership privileges.

“We always want to make sure we are listening to

“I attend a lot of galas,” she says with a smile. “Some are raising money for schools for books, computers and so forth to make life easier for teachers and students. We will often sponsor a table, and our general manager and team members will attend. Our Vice President Michael Stanford often attends golf outings we are sponsoring.”

Supporting health care in its many forms has also been a priority for Varsity.

customers and giving them our time, especially in these days of online interactions. We want to help them make the best decision when it comes to their vehicle,” explains Smerecki.

While organizations can apply online for support, Smerecki says a lot of support comes from word of mouth and relationships that Varsity has built over the years.

“We do a lot with kids, schools and sports, because we know how important those are to the communities we serve,” she says. Some of those organizations include Catholic Central High School, Mercy High School, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Northville Mustangs Football and Novi Heat Baseball.

Not surprisingly, Smerecki attends many fundraising events, often with others from the Varsity team.

“Being at these events is important to show you care. It’s a huge priority for us, not just giving, but also being present and attending as many as we can,” says Smerecki.

“We also help Angela Hospice. We have had people who have gone to Angela and we want to give back to those who are living out their final days there,” she says, adding that Varsity provides sponsorships to local hospitals and cancer organizations, as well as MakeA-Wish Foundation.

There are many more organizations Varsity partners with – too many to list by name. And the giving spirit also extends to the dealership’s team.

“During Christmas, our employees raise money and present a donation to Hospitality House, a food pantry. Whatever we raise, Varsity Lincoln matches it,” says Smerecki.

No doubt Varsity Lincoln’s team takes pride in its focus on giving back, but it’s also great for current and future customers who are looking for new and pre-owned Lincolns to know that their local dealership is a generous community partner.

Varsity Lincoln is located at 49251 Grand River in Novi. For more information visit Varsitylincoln.com or call (248) 305-5300. They also operate Varsity Ford Ann Arbor, which is located at 3480 Jackson Road. (www.varsityford.com).

Varsity Lincoln is located at 49251 Grand River in Novi. Nicole Smerecki (above) oversees all of the dealership’s sponsorships including a wide variety of local nonprofits. Photos by Ken Voyles

Michael Stanford (left), VP and GM of Varsity Lincoln, attends many community events including as many golf outings as he can. Photo courtesy of Varsity Lincoln

Past Tense

Lost at Sea

Northville teen among WWII crew on the tragic USS Indianapolis

By Michele M. Fecht

Memorial Day carries a particular poignancy in its recognition of those who did not come home. Unlike Veteran’s Day, which pays tribute to all who served in the Armed Forces, Memorial Day pays homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. The survivors of that cataclysmic conflict are now in their 90s and 100s. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that approximately 66,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII were alive in 2024. Michigan’s living WWII veterans number around 2,500.

U.S. Military casualties in WWII numbered approximately 407,000 in all branches. The Army and Air Force had the most casualties with approximately 318,000 followed by the Navy with more than 62,000 deaths.

This is the story of one Navy seaman, a 17-year-old from Northville, who would perish in one of the U.S. Navy’s most harrowing tragedies resulting in the greatest loss of life at sea from a single ship in U.S. history.

A SMALL-TOWN LIFE

Robert Louis Stueckle moved to Northville in 1940 with his widowed mother Ida, brother Paul, and sisters Mildred and Dorothy. Little is recorded of Robert’s early life other than the family moved from Detroit to Novi before taking up residence at 115 Walnut Street in Northville. Born in 1928, Robert was the youngest of the Stueckle children.

The war in Europe was under way when the family settled in town. Their life centered around their involvement in St. Paul Lutheran Church, Ida’s work at Eastlawn Sanatorium, and the activities

of a small town. In 1940, Northville’s new recreation center had opened a state-of-the art bowling alley, movies were showing four times a day at the Penniman-Allen Theatre, and the Northville-Wayne County Fair drew crowds for horse shows, baseball games, fireworks, and exhibits.

In June of that year, Henry Ford brought Charles Lindbergh and WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker to the Ford Valve Plant to tour the site. Speculation among the locals was that the visit was a prelude to convert the plant for warplane production. That speculation was prescient.

AMERICA ENTERS THE WAR

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, jettisoned the United States into the fight with President Franklin Roosevelt’s declaration of war on Japan on December 8. In turn, Germany and Italy — Japan’s allies — declared war on the United States on December 11.

Like every community across the country, Northville turned its attention to the war effort. Paul Stueckle, three years older than Robert, joined the Marine Corps in 1943, doing his boot training in San Diego before being stationed in the Southwest Pacific. Robert remained at home; he’s pictured among classmates in the 1943 NHS Palladium yearbook. In February 1945, he enlisted in the Navy training at the Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. He would have a nine-day leave in April before

heading to Camp Shoemaker in California, where he would be assigned to a ship and head out to sea. That short leave would be his final visit home.

The July 6, 1945, issue of The Northville Record showcased the two Stueckle brothers in side-by-side photos in a weekly frontpage feature titled “Northville Servicemen . . . American Heroes.” A column along the left side of that front page shared news of the servicemen featured in the photos along with others serving from Northville.

WARSHIP’S FINAL MISSION

Robert Stueckle, Seaman Second Class (S2c), was assigned to the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser. The length of two football fields and loaded with armaments, the ship was the pride of the fleet earning 10 battle stars. In 1943, it became the flagship of the U.S. Fifth Fleet under Vice Admiral Raymond Spruance. It participated in the bombardment of the Japanese island of Iow Jima in February 1945.

The following month a Japanese kamikaze plane severely damaged the ship, killing nine crew members and injuring 26. The ship was sent to San Francisco for repairs, and then sent back out for its most important and what would ultimately be its final mission.

On July 16, 1945, the Indianapolis with a crew of 1,196 men, was assigned a top-secret mission to deliver the key components of the atomic bomb “Little Boy” from San Francisco to Tinian Island in the South Pacific. The ship’s crew was unaware of its cargo. Powered by eight boilers that turned four steam turbines, the ship could reach speeds of more than 32 knots (nautical miles per hour). It arrived at Tinian on July 26 setting a speed record for its leg between

Robert Stueckle

San Francisco and Pearl Harbor (for refueling) that still stands today.

FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL

After delivering its top-secret cargo, the Indianapolis was sailing to Guam without an escort toward the Leyte Gulf. On July 30, two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine struck the ship’s starboard side, causing massive damage in both the bow and in the ship’s middle (amidship) near the powder magazine. The ship was effectively split in two.

Top heavy with armaments, the ship

VICTORY AND HEARTBREAK

On August 14, 1945, President Harry Truman announced the unconditional surrender of Japan. WWII would officially end September 2, 1945, in the Pacific Theatre with the official signing of surrender documents by Japan aboard the USS Missouri.

The banner headline in The Northville Record on August 17 declared: Northville Celebrates the End of the War. Inset in that story is a small photo of Robert Stueckle in his navy uniform under the headline Missing. Ida Stueckle had received the telegram the day before the surrender that her youngest son was missing in action.

listed, rolled over completely with its stern in the air and sank in just 12 minutes. It is estimated that 300 of the 1,196 crewmen aboard were trapped inside and went down with the ship. The remaining 900 crew members were set adrift in the sea.

With little time to grab life jackets or lifeboats before the ship sank, crew members clung to pieces of the ship’s wreckage over thousands of yards in the open water. Many crew members suffered severe injuries or were badly burned from the explosion. The attack knocked out the ship’s electrical power, so no distress signal was sent. For five days, men fought dehydration, exposure, hallucinations from drinking sea saltwater . . . and sharks.

On August 2, a Navy plane flying overhead spotted the sailors and radioed for help. A second seaplane arrived and dropped rafts and supplies. The plane’s pilot defied orders and landed in the water to help the wounded. The USS Cecil J. Doyle arrived the next day to rescue the remaining survivors.

Of the original 1,196-man crew, only 316 survived.

Recovered Plaque Honors 71 Michigan sailors lost on the USS Indianapolis

FThe same photo of the young Northville sailor would appear at the top of the October 12 Record front page beneath the headline Casualty

A telegram had been received at the Stueckle home that Robert was officially listed as “killed in action.” Ida passed away on September 13, never knowing her son’s fate. Robert died a month before his 18th birthday.

Stueckle and the crew of the USS Indianapolis were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. On July 30, 2020, the U.S. Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal — its highest civilian honor — to the final crew of the USS Indianapolis during a ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. The USS Indianapolis National Memorial in Indianapolis lists all the names of the ship’s final crew.

In 2017, a search team financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen located the wreckage in the Philippine Sea lying at a depth of 18,000 feet.

The Northville Memorial Day Parade will kick off in downtown Northville at 10 a.m. and make its way to Rural Hill Cemetery, where there will be a ceremony honoring those who lost their lives defending America, including Robert Stueckle.

or Robert Stueckle and the 70 other Michigan sailors who perished in the USS Indianapolis sinking, a plaque honoring their sacrifice has been recently found and will be put on display at either the Detroit Historical Museum or the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

Jeff Ortiz, a native Detroiter now living in Iowa, has been searching for the plaque ever since he took possession of the WWII artifacts of his uncle, Orlando Robert Ortiz, some 15 years ago. His uncle was among the USS Indianapolis crew members who died.

Among the artifacts was a 1946 program on the dedication of the plaque which was presented to the Detroit Naval Post No. 233 VFW at the Veteran’s Building. The unveiling of the plaque on July 30, 1946, the first anniversary of the ship’s sinking, was paid for by the families of the 71 lost Michigan sailors. It was to be placed in the proposed Detroit Civic Center. The program had a photograph of the plaque containing the 71 names and the hometowns of the Michigan boys lost at sea.

Ortiz had searched for years and most recently reached out to the War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms who connected him with the Detroit Historical Museum.

Bill Pringle, Curator of Collections for the museum, found the plaque in the Detroit Historical Museum’s off-site storage at Historic Fort Wayne. Pringle confirmed that the plaque will be placed in one of the two Detroit museums.

He said his hope is that the plaque will be on display by July in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

- Michele M. Fecht

The USS Indianapolis sank on July 30, 1945. Of the original 1,196-man crew, only 316 survived.

Myth #1: Sunscreens cause skin cancer

There is no evidence for sunscreen causing skin cancer. There is proof that sun damaged skin is more likely to develop skin cancer. Patients who wear sunscreen are 50% less likely to develop skin cancer than those who do not use sunscreen. Skin cancer often develops from sun damaged skin cells that undergo changes due to the radiation from ultraviolet light. Sun rays contain ultraviolet light. Broadspectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with at least SPF 30 should be applied 15 minutes prior to sun exposure, and reapplied every 2 hours.

Myth #2: I don’t need to treat skin cancer since they grow very slowly Skin cancers can grow very fast. Melanomas on skin can increase in size and depth aggressively and reach lymph nodes within weeks to months. Merkel cell carcinomas can double in size in 2 months. Squamous cell skin cancer can progress within days and grow from a little bump to a bleeding ulcer within days to weeks. Once skin cancer has spread beyond the skin, survival rate can drop fast. Treat skin cancer early, or they become life threatening.

Myth 3: I don’t need skin exams because my skin cancer has already been treated If you’ve had skin cancer, you have a higher likelihood to be detected with another skin cancer. So having had skin cancer means check in with your dermatologist more often because you are at higher risk for subsequent skin cancer, and your old skin cancer may recur if it behaves aggressively.

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

A Father’s Legacy, A Son’s Mission: Full Body MRI Scans Without a Doctor’s Referral

(Southfield, MI) The late Dr. Warren Ringold knew firsthand the devastating impact of late-stage cancer diagnoses. As a respected family physician, he witnessed countless patients battling illnesses that could have been detected earlier. His own grueling battle with late-stage cancer ignited a passion, leading him to create Michigan’s first MRI full body screening center called Bionicc Body Screening.

SOFTBALL SIZE TUMORS SILENTLY GREW

Softball Size Tumors Silently Grew

Dr. Ringold discovered he had stage four cancer with tumors as large as softballs silently growing inside his body after experiencing shortness of breath. His treatment was brutal. He su ered cruel side e ects. After his cancer went into remission, it returned a year later as a brain tumor. Dr. Ringold believed there had to be a better way. He envisioned a future where individuals could take control of their

Dr. Ringold discovered he had stage four cancer with tumors as large as softballs silently growing inside his body after experiencing shortness of breath. His treatment was brutal. He suffered cruel side effects. After his cancer went into remission, it returned a year later as a brain tumor. Dr. Ringold believed there had to be a better way. He envisioned a future where individuals could take control

of their health and detect potential problems before they escalated. In his final days, Dr. Ringold passionately advocated for MRI full body screenings, a proactive approach he believed could empower individuals to take control of their health.

FULL BODY MRI SCANS WITHOUT A DOCTOR’S ORDER

(South eld, MI) e late Dr. Warren Ringold knew rsthand the devastating impact of late-stage cancer diagnoses. As a respected family physician, he witnessed countless patients battling illnesses that could have been detected earlier. His own grueling battle with late-stage cancer ignited a passion, leading him to create Michigan’s rst MRI full body screening center called Bionicc Body Screening.

health and detect potential problems before they escalated. In his nal days, Dr. Ringold passionately advocated for MRI full body screenings, a proactive approach he believed could empower individuals to take control of their health.

Raising Awareness

Full Body MRI Scans Without a Doctor’s Order

RAISING AWARENESS

Today, his son Ryan carries on this mission. ough not a medical professional himself, Ryan’s dedication to his father’s legacy drives him to raising awareness of this service for families of Michigan.

Today, his son Ryan carries on this mission. Though not a medical professional himself, Ryan’s dedication to his father’s legacy drives him to raising awareness of this service for families of Michigan.

“Every week I learn of another person who felt perfectly ne, only to wake up with an unexplained symptom and discover they have stage four cancer. Once symptoms manifest cancer is usually advanced,” says his son Ryan. “My father never wanted another family to su er the emotional and physical hardships that our family and he endured. He wanted to save lives.”

Bionicc Body Screening o ers elective, full-body MRI screenings that provide a comprehensive picture of your internal health, going beyond what traditional checkups often reveal. State-of-the-art technology can detect tumors as small as a pea, aneurysms, risk of stroke and a multitude of other conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Screenings include scans of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, hips, shoulders and spine.

A Life Saved

“Every week I learn of another person who felt perfectly fine, only to wake up with an unexplained symptom and discover they have stage four cancer. Once symptoms manifest cancer is usually advanced,” says his son Ryan.

Bionicc Body Screening offers elective, full-body MRI screenings that provide a comprehensive picture of your internal health, going beyond what traditional checkups often reveal. State-of-the-art technology can detect tumors as small as a pea, aneurysms, risk of stroke and a multitude of other conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Screenings include scans of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, hips, shoulders and spine.

Mark B. and his younger brother decided to visit Bionicc Body Screening last spring for a proactive screening because cancer ran in their family. Mark was skeptical until his results returned a 3-centimeter mass on his lung, which tested positive for cancer. He had three-fourths of his lung removed. He credits the scan for saving his life. Meanwhile, his brother’s results were clean.

“My father never wanted another family to suffer the emotional and physical hardships that our family and he endured. He wanted to save lives.”

A LIFE SAVED

Mark B. and his younger brother decided to visit Bionicc Body Screening last spring for a proactive screening because cancer ran in their family. Mark was skeptical until his results returned a 3-centimeter mass on his lung, which tested positive for cancer. He had threefourths of his lung removed. He credits the scan for saving his life. Meanwhile, his brother’s results were

safe, non-invasive, emit no radiation and are available without a doctor’s referral.

The late Dr. Ringold founded Bionicc Body Screening in 2022 after battling cancer twice. He believed MRI full body screenings could empower individuals to take control of their health.

‘

The Perfect Location

Farmers market opens at new, permanent site on Seven Mile

Most gardeners will tell you picking the perfect location goes a long way to determining if a garden will grow and flourish.

Well, Northville leaders believe they have found the perfect location for our historic farmers’ market, one that will allow it to thrive not only for the present but for future generations.

Surrounded by members of the Farmers Market and Sustainability task forces, as well as officials from the city and township, and even some of the farmers and vendors who are regulars at the weekly market, Mayor Brian Turnbull and Township Supervisor Mark Abbo led a May 1st ribbon cutting to christen the new site on Seven Mile just west of Northville Road.

Despite some morning rain, the crowd was upbeat about the new site and new season.

“It’s a good sign that the gods are blessing us with their tears of joy to open up the market,” Mayor Turnbull joked.

“This has been a labor of love

for four or five years to find the perfect location,” Turnbull said, noting how the site will be a hub and connecting point for a number of trail systems.

“We’re connecting city parks with township parks to county parks and a state park. It’s an outstanding day. It’s a day we’ll remember for years to come.”

Like Turnbull, Abbo praised the partnership between the city and township to purchase the roughly 4-acre site, which cost about $2.5 million. He said it was worth it.

“It’s a beautiful site,” Abbo said. “This is the epicenter of so many things that are going to be happening over the next couple

years.”

James Gietzen, a board member of the Northville Chamber of Commerce, which operates the weekly market, is thrilled with the site for what he called “one of the most successful, largest and longestrunning” markets in the area. He said the site has plenty of parking and space for all its vendors, though it may take a few weeks to work out the kinks.

“Give us a little break while we try to figure out how it all works. We’ll make it better over the next few weeks,” Gietzen said at the ribbon cutting.

A few of the vendors said they were definitely happy with the

’

new location.

“There’s better parking, and everything is together and not so spread out like it was last year,” said Matt Hall of Hall’s Herb Garden, who has been coming to the Northville market for 14 years. “We liked the market when it was on Sheldon, and this is like that. I’m hopeful this will be better for the vendors.”

Jim Roth, owner of Custard Time and Good Time Party Store, which are located across the street from the new site, attended the ribbon cutting. He’s excited about the prospect of getting additional business from new people wandering over. But overall, he’s just glad community leaders found a permanent site located near downtown.

“This is a big win for our community,” Roth said.

The Northville Farmers’ Market, located at 550 W. Seven Mile Road, runs 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays through the end of October. For more information, visit www.northville.org.

It was pretty soggy on the May 1 season opener for the Northville Famers’ Market, at its new site on Seven Mile. Photos by Bryan Mitchell

Mayor Brian Turnbull and Northville Township Supervisor Mark Abbo led a May 1st ribbon cutting to christen the new site, surrounded by city and township officials, Chamber members and several farmers and vendors. Photo by Kurt Kuban

Sparking Innovation, Excitement and Creativity

NEF classroom grants augment traditional school funding

By Tim Smith

When Moraine Elementary School won the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award last autumn, students and teachers did more than just celebrate.

They applied for a Northville Educational Foundation grant, with hopes of demonstrating yet again exactly why Moraine is considered among the cream of the crop of Michigan public elementary schools.

There’s no resting on laurels, just a renewed sense of giving back.

“We thought it would be really neat if we could celebrate achieving this National Blue Ribbon Award by paying it forward,” said Moraine second grade teacher Jennifer Frederick, part of the school’s grant-writing Lighthouse team. “Because, so many teachers, so many parents, so many students, for years have supported Moraine and have been part of this … it didn’t

happen overnight.

“It’s something that’s been part of our culture, it’s something that other teachers have been part of. We felt it was really important for kids to see ‘Hey, it’s not just us, there’s a community out there that supports you too.’”

STUDENT LEADERS ABOUND

Moraine won a $3,000 NEF grant, part of an estimated total of $57,000 in grants over two cycles during 2024-25 (including an annual gift of $10,000 earmarked for Cooke School, a special education center program). Grant money is comprised from annual giving efforts, donors, sponsors and fundraising events such as the recent “Neon Night for Northville Glow Gala.”

With their grant, Moraine students throughout the school voted to support C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Leader Dogs for

the Blind and Pomeroy Senior Center in Northville.

“We do something called leadership tickets, which is part of our Leader in Me (initiative),” Frederick said. “And our theme this year was ‘Welcome to Habit Land’ because we follow the eight habits of the Leader in Me.”

Students really got into the philanthropic swing and had extra wind in their sails thanks to the NEF grant, which ultimately matched the efforts made by students themselves.

“We gave them a list of organizations that we could maybe support,” Frederick noted. “Our goal was to reach 3,000 tickets and we wanted to find funding (for those tickets), whether it be a quarter a ticket, a dollar a ticket.”

Frederick said students dropped their tickets into one of three available buckets, to determine how much of the grant money would go to each project.

On April 11, during Moraine’s “Leadership Day,” students partnered with their Penguin Pals (multi-age class partners) to make large no-sew blankets for the Fleece and Thank You organization. Those blankets will be given to children now

hospitalized at C.S. Mott’s.

Fifty smaller no-sew blankets were made for Leader Dogs for the Blind while 36 art bags and 36 puzzle bags were assembled for Pomeroy Senior Center.

“I feel that the kids are seeing that their efforts are going to effect their community,”

Frederick stressed. “It was part of that inspiring others, seeing their little act of kindness or being proactive or working with others.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

NEF executive director Kate Mitchell said an overwhelming number of top-quality applications were submitted for the 2024-25 grant program.

“Part of our mission is sparking innovation, and sparking excitement and creativity,” said Mitchell, asked why there was a second cycle of grants this time around. “So we thought, why not try to get students involved? It can be a classroom student or a club that applies. They just need a teacher, staff advisor and principal that signs off on it (grant request).

“We have had a lot of creativity with these grants. Some individual students may partner up with a teacher, or

Moraine Elementary teacher Jennifer Frederick talks to her second grade class about the fleece blankets they finished making and packing on April 11. The project was funded by a NEF grant. Photo by Bryan Mitchell

Leona Gerwatowski (left) and Giselle Hamed, both Moraine second graders in teacher Jennifer Frederick’s class, work on some fleece blankets that will be donated to children at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Photo by Bryan Mitchell

the whole IB (International Baccalaureate) chemistry class applied for a grant with their teachers. Meads Mill (Middle School) sixth and seventh graders applied for grants from their science class.”

Mitchell said grants also have been earmarked to build sensory rooms for students, to enhance STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programs and to assist social-emotional learning.

“We’re trying to help develop the students as a whole instead of just focusing on one thing,” Mitchell continued. “It’s innovation as a whole.”

For the October 2024 grant cycle, projects needed to be completed by May 1; projects in the second cycle, which were awarded in March, must be implemented by next September.

“These two cycles combined, we had over $100,000 in asks,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, there’s a want, a wish, an excitement to bringing new and creative ideas into these classrooms.”

Northville Public Schools

Superintendent RJ Webber applauded the NEF program for “augmenting and enhancing” what is being done from a curriculum standpoint.

Since 1999, the Northville Educational Foundation has donated more than $2.5 million in grants.

“It’s amazing and it’s absolutely nothing that any of us take for granted,” Webber said. “It says that this community cares deeply about their public schools, cares deeply about the students that are served in these public schools.”

FULFILLING WISH LISTS

Moreover, Webber said NEF grant money always goes “to kids who need it, supporting teachers who are innovative and deeply care about their kids. I love the process of teachers applying for grants, for things they see that they could use in their own (classroom) spaces.”

Mitchell said another $10,000 grant was awarded to Cooke School, which serves special education students from a dozen Wayne County school districts (including Northville).

“At Cooke, we’ve helped with bringing in work-related jobs for them,” Mitchell said, “like a hot dog stand, a juice bar, so they have hands-on experiences right inside their building.”

Webber said the NEF grant money earmarked for Cooke “serves the physically, cognitively, neediest 1 percent of students” in western Wayne County.

The various Cooke endeavors receiving a portion of the $10,000 NEF grant are wideranging.

For example, more than $2,600 is earmarked for a project to turn a teacher’s office into a sensory room for students to experience.

About $1,600 each will go to Cooke’s Cardinal Juice Bar and towards “empowering all students” through technology for the physical education program.

Cooke Supervisor Jennifer Bugar stressed that NEF grants keep dreams alive – and help students maintain a real connection to the world of work due to money supporting microbusiness opportunities such as the Coffee Cart, Hydration Station (a mobile water store) and Hot Spot (a snack store).

“Advances in the classroom

business provides real work experience for our students,” Bugar said, “which is important to build skills and independence in vocational skills, social skills, and supports positive learning opportunities for our students.

“Without our donors and the support of NEF, these innovations wouldn’t be possible. The financial resources allow our incredible education team to individualize and dream big for each student’s individual needs.”

In prior years, NEF grants have helped Cooke develop its music therapy program, a very successful and ongoing endeavor.

“Previously, a private donor provided funds for which we brought music to every classroom at Cooke,” Bugar explained. “And when this was an area we needed support, NEF worked closely to provide additional funds to allow our music therapy to continue for every Cooke student.”

OTHER GRANT RECIPIENTS

Meanwhile, Cooke and Northville High School teamed up for the “Music for All” grant application, which was awarded about $2,300. Teachers Jordan Sutherby, James Davis and student Saamaja Krishnan collaborated on writing the application.

Another NHS application,

submitted by teacher Gabe Pak, was to help fund 3D scanning for custom product development, reverse engineering and creating accurate models. An estimated $3,500 was granted for that program.

Pak also was successful in getting nearly $1,900 for an innovative design program dubbed “revolutionizing cardboard prototyping in engineering.”

Among other NEF grants, Amerman Elementary School received $1,430 for new headphones for use on iPads and Chromebooks. Another $1,300 will enable Amerman students to “identify structures of life through plant growth.”

Northville High School garnered a grant for $1,525 for a science program (titled NASA Student Launch Initiative –High Powered Rocket Build Materials).

Some of the smaller grants were $440 for a Gators Grove at Thornton Creek Elementary, $175 for Hillside Middle School’s Rubik’s Cube Club and $150 slotted to buy wipe boards for Silver Springs Elementary’s vertical thinking and group problem solving initiative.

For more information about the Northville Education Foundation, including how you can donate to the organization, visit www.supportnef.org.

The Northville Educational Foundation provided roughly $57,000 in grants across the district during the 2024-25 school year. Photo courtesy of the NEF

Top honors from Northville Township Department of Public Safety’s eighth annual Recognition of Excellence Ceremony:

BULLETIN BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

State Champs! ENVY FC Select Soccer Tryouts

The Northville Travel Basketball Association’s 4th grade girls team captured the Fourth Grade State Basketball Championship March 2 at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, running off four consecutive victories over three days to bring home the trophy. They defeated Ann Arbor in the championship game, 23-16. All 10 players are 4th graders in Northville Public Schools. They include Bella Beglin, Brynn Eiseman, Emma Faysal, Norah Goldbaum, Evie Krogman, Norah Leslie, Reese Redman, Emi Savala, and Clara Schleh. The team is coached by Josh Krogman, and assistants Dave Leslie, Lou Savala, and Clark Ballew.

ENVY FC, a Northville-based soccer club built on skill development, teamwork and appropriate competitive balance, will be hosting tryouts June 7-8, offering players the chance to join a program that values effort and attitude both on the field and off. Free registration for tryouts is available at envysoccer.com. ENVY FC offers competitive travel soccer for boys and girls (birth years 2012-2018). The teams will have two practices per week and weekend games in the fall and spring seasons, as well as weekly winter indoor practices and 10 indoor games. There will be two tournaments each year. There’s also optional summer agility and skill training.

For more information, and to register for the tryouts, visit envysoccer.com.

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YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTHVILLE THIS MONTH

Northville

May 23-24

Flower Sale

The 38th Annual Northville Flower Sale will take place in downtown Northville from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24. Vendors will be set up in Town Square and East Main Street. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce at (248) 349-7640 or maddy@northville.org, or visit www.northville.org.

Memorial Day Parade

May 26

The annual Northville Memorial Day Parade will kick off in downtown Northville at 10 a.m. The parade is an observance to honor and mourn the US military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The parade route begins on Griswold, goes west on Main, south on Wing, west on Cady, south on First and ending at Rural Hill Cemetery, where there will be a ceremony at the conclusion of the parade. If you wish to participate in the parade, send an email to maddy@northville.org. For more information, visit www.northville. org/memorial-day-parade.

Planting Workshop

May 28

Northville Parks and Recreation will host “Growing and Using Herbs: A Planting Workshop” from 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.. Experts will discuss growing a variety of popular herbs as well recipes and ideas on how to incorporate them into your cooking. Participants will plant a variety of herbs in a planter to take home. Cost is $20 for residents, and $23 for non-residents. You must register by May 23 by calling (248) 305-2851. For more information or register online, visit northvilleparksandrec.org.

Orin Rocks!

Kick off your Memorial Day weekend with the annual Orin Rocks Block Party, which takes place from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 in downtown Northville’s Social District. This free event, sponsored by Orin Jewelers, will feature plenty of family-friendly activities and entertainment, including face painting, photo opportunities, balloon twists, fire performers, and a kids art project, and more. The Love Junkies will perform and there will be food trucks and prizes available.

For more information, contact Orin Jewelers at (248) 264-3080.

Shakespeare Riots Presentation

May

28

Mill Race Historical Village will host historian Kevin Peshick, who will present “1849 Shakespeare Riots in New York City” beginning at 7 p.m. in the New School Church. The presentation will focus on what happened in 1849 in New York -- a riot over a grudge between favorite Shakespearean actors and what impact still lingers? The Bowery Boys, armed with cobblestones, rioted against the aristocrats of Astor Place Opera House over a grudge between their favorite Shakespearean actors, leading to the militia firing on the crowd. The presentation is co-sponsored by the Northville District Library. For more information or to sign up for the event, visit www. millracenorthville.org.

Class of 2025 Car Parade

May

31

The Northville High School Class of 2025 Senior Car Parade will begin at 4 p.m., starting at Ward Church and

traveling west on 6 Mile Road to the high school. Seniors are encouraged to decorate their vehicles, wear spirit wear or their cap and gown, and community members are invited to cheer them on from the north side of 6 Mile Road. Westbound 6 Mile will be closed from Ward Church to Beck Road during the event. Eastbound traffic will remain open.

Historical Society Garage Sale

June 9-13

The Northville Historical Society will host its 25th annual charity garage sale June 9-13 at 218 W. Dunlap Street. Proceeds from the “Mother of All Garage Sales” will benefit the historical society and the Dr. Karl Stockhausen Medical Scholarships. To donate items or for more information, contact Carole Jean Stockhausen at (248) 349-2833

Ernie Harwell Presentation

June

12

The Northville District Library will host Jeremy Dimick of the Detroit Historical Society, who will present “Detroit’s

Voice of Summer: Ernie Harwell” beginning at 7 p.m. in the Carlo Meeting Room. Dimick will discuss Harwell, the beloved broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers. He will discuss Harwell’s life, legendary career, public persona, and endearment to Michiganders. To register for the event, contact the library at (248) 349-3020.

Kick Off to Summer Barbecue

June 13

Northville Senior Services will host this luncheon from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at the Northville Community Center. The event will include a BBQ meal, games, and entertainment from The Sirens. Cost is $15 for residents and $18 for non-residents. Must register by June 6 by calling (248) 305-2851.

Hopes & Dreams Gala

June 13

The Living and Learning Enrichment Center’s 4th Annual Hopes & Dreams Gala will take place from 6:3011:30 p.m. at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth. The event includes a chef-curated dinner, live and silent auctions, live music by FiftyAmpFuse and more. Proceeds will benefit Living and Learning, which is celebrating 10 years of providing vocational training, life skills development, job placement services and social connection opportunities for children and young adults with autism. General admission tickets are $225 and VIP tickets are $300. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Dennis Howie at (248) 308-3592 ext. 122, or visit www.livingandlearningcenter.org.

Tina Mazzoni and Antoinette Kramar of Orin Jewelers.

‘It Was That Quick’

NHS grad’s

short but fatal melanoma cancer fight is a cautionary tale

By Maria Taylor

About 8,000 people die of melanoma a year. In 2024, one of those was Northville native Meghan Burke.

According to her dad, Gerry Burke, Meghan’s family was “Northville through and through.” Meghan went to

Northville High, graduated in ’07, and went on to a career in nonprofit fundraising, moving to Grand Rapids with her husband, Ian, and son, Gary. Her last job was at Meijer Gardens.

In fall 2022, Meghan noticed

SIGNS OF MELANOMA

a mole on her arm that hadn’t been there before.

“It was just basically a circle on her arm, and then it got darker, and then it got raised,” Gerry said. It got to be about the size of a pencil eraser. “At that point, we said, ‘Hey, we better have somebody take a look at that.’”

Meghan couldn’t get in to see a dermatologist until the following spring. The spot was removed, along with two lymph nodes under that same arm, and she got 23 stitches on the outside of her bicep.

That mole turned out to be stage 4 melanoma and then, she found out it had jumped to her spine and liver.

“In June ’23, she was diagnosed,” Gerry said. “It was that quick.”

By July 4th, Meghan couldn’t get out of bed. She started on steroids, and the family kept hoping for a miracle and hoping it wouldn’t get worse, because melanoma usually attacks the brain first, and her CT scan came back fine. But the cancer continued to spread elsewhere in her body and did not respond to treatment. Meghan passed away on February 5, 2024. She was just 34.

“It was crazy that a little mole just turned into this,”

Gerry said. “I’ve had things cut off on my neck and my chest, and never thought anything of it. We love the beach, but, you know, we’re Irish. We’ve got a 50-gallon drum of sunblock next to us, and everybody’s got two umbrellas. It’s not like we were sitting in the sun all day or going to tanning booths.”

Part of the problem, Meghan’s parents say, is the lack of dermatologists and the long wait times to get an appointment.

“As soon as we saw it raised, we said, ‘OK, something’s sideways on this. You’ve got to go take a look.’ But then you can’t get in,” he said. “And that’s what we’re really trying to push, because it goes fast.”

Some families have fundraisers in honor of children gone too soon. Meghan’s parents have dedicated themselves to spreading awareness of the disease, encouraging everyone they know to make an annual dermatologist appointment.

“If we can save the next person, or the next three people, it’s worth it,” Gerry said.

They started off with a Facebook post that got shared and reshared.

“People have let us know that because of Meghan, they went

According to the Mayo Clinic, some moles have certain characteristics that indicate melanomas or other skin cancers. Characteristics may include:

• Asymmetrical shape. Look for moles with unusual shapes, such as two very different-looking halves.

• Changes in color. Look for growths that have many colors or unusual color patterns.

• Changes in size. Look for new growth in a mole larger than 1/4 inch.

• Changes in symptoms. Look for changes in symptoms, such as itchiness or bleeding.

• Unusual border. Look for moles with unusual, notched or scalloped borders.

Moles that become cancers can all look very different. Some may show all of the changes listed above, while others may have only one or two unusual characteristics.

To reduce your risk of melanoma and other types of skin cancer, you should avoid tanning lamps, avoid the sun during the middle of the day, wear protective clothing and use sunscreen year-round.

The Burke family (top row) Janet, Ian, Jack, Gerry, (bottom row from left) Meghan (holding son Gary), Barry and Jenny during their last Christmas together. Photos courtesy of Gerry Burke

to see a dermatologist for the first time,” Gerry said. “It gives us comfort knowing Meghan is still having an impact on people’s lives, as she always did.”

Her dad knows of at least two people who have taken action as a direct result of her story and found out they had early-stage melanoma themselves.

One of those was Meghan’s cousin, Lauren Sexton, from Grosse Pointe Woods. The two overlapped at MSU and spent a lot of time together in college.

Last year, following Meghan’s death, Sexton did her first-ever full body skin check. It came back clear. A year later, this February, she went in for her second annual check “which, again, only happens because of Meghan,” she said and ended up getting a spot removed on her upper arm. It just so

happened to be the anniversary of Meghan’s funeral.

A couple weeks later, the dermatologist called her with an update that the spot had been mild dysplastic atypia. This type of spot, the doctor explained, has minor, low-grade changes and is hard to recognize, but it can develop into melanoma.

Sexton had them email her a picture they’d taken before it was removed, and studied the circled dot in the photo.

“It looks like a completely normal spot it’s not irregularly shaped,” she said. “It looks like a sunspot. I never would have recognized this spot, and who knows what it could have developed into. You need a professional eye on all of your skin to make sure that you can be ahead of it.”

Linda Deskins, who lives in

Farmington and is good friends with Meghan’s aunt, Lisa Barton, has a similar story.

“She was telling us about her niece, which was very so tragic, and I’m a senior, and I’m thinking, ‘You know what? I never had a full scan,’ so she inspired me to get a checkup with a dermatologist,” Deskins said.

Sure enough, they found skin cancer.

“It was just a little freckle next to my nose it just appeared out of nowhere,” she said. “Of course, when I was younger, I did the baby oil, all the things we used to do when we were teenagers to suntan and not take good care of my skin.”

Deskins got it removed right away, while it was still in very early stages. Her dermatologist told her that once you’ve had

melanoma once, there’s a 50% chance you’re going to get it again, so she goes in to get checked every six months.

Meghan’s story may just have saved her life.

“I had always heard that you should get the scan, and I just never got around to it. And I thought, you know, this is my sign,” she said. “I will forever be thankful to her.”

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Meghan Burke holds her son, Gary.

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On the Road With

Perfect Day at CocoCay

The Son Hing family from Northville recently went on cruise in the eastern Caribbean that included stops in the Bahamas. They were aboard the Icon of the Seas cruise ship. According to Christine Son Hing, one of the best stops was at CocoCay, Bahamas. “At this stop, we enjoyed snorkeling and seeing tropical fish, hermit crabs, starfish and a stingray,” she said.

Pictured are Madelyn, 10, and Cole Son Hing, 8, who are holding their copy of The ‘Ville.

Visiting Family in Japan

Northville’s Bruce and Kumiko Leonard took a trip to Japan in January and took along their copy of The ‘Ville. Kumiko is from Japan, and they went to visit her mom and brother in Setouchi, just outside the larger city of Okayama. During the trip they visited Tokyo and the ancient city of Kyoto to learn the art of Kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with gold). "We also went to class at a famous swordmaking museum in Setouchi where we worked on sharpening our own small sized swords," Bruce said.

Here they are pictured in a small mountain community just outside of Bizen where they visited Kumiko’s uncle and his family, and the birthplace of Kumiko’s mother, uncle, grandmother and great grandmother.

Exploring Spain & Portugal

In September, Northville’s Phil and Pat Dennis took a two-week trip to Spain and Portugal. Travel through Spain included stops in Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and a day trip visiting the beautiful “white towns” of Zahara, Setenil, and Ronda. Their daughter and her husband joined them for the Portugal portion of the trip, which included time in Lisbon, Sintra, and a stop in Obidos (“who knew cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup was a thing?”).

Here they are pictured with their copy of The ‘Ville at the National Palace of Pena, in Sintra, Portugal. “Although that day started out a little misty, the day turned out great as we also visited Colares and stood at the western most part of the European continent,” Pat said.

Florida Reunion

Northville’s Rick and Ginny Engelland recently traveled to Punta Gorda in Florida where they met up with friends and former Northville residents Terry and Linda Nadeau, who moved to Wisconsin after a job transfer. “We had not seen them in many years,” Ginny said. “It was a nice reunion in a beautiful part of Florida. Golf, tiki bar, sunset.. what’s not to like.” Here the four of them are pictured with The ‘Ville.

On Stage in Orlando

The Northville High School Orchestra took their spring break trip to Orlando, Florida, where they took part in a Disney Pixar studio session and performed on the center stage at Universal’s City Walk. They are pictured here after the performance with their copy of The ‘Ville. “It wasn’t all work though,” said Ann Ryan, a parent booster. “They enjoyed two days at Disney and two days at Universal. Bravo!”

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

WDishin’ With Denise

Denise Jenkins, who is a board member with the Northville Historical Society, is an avid writer and proponent of the arts. She is also plugged into what’s happening in Northville. Contact her at denisemjenkins@aol.com.

Celebrating Mom in May

e have a new team member at my workplace. She is the mother of two and she has decided to cut working hours in favor of more mom hours. Kudos to her!

She has a paper day planner with color coded notes. Another one of our team has babies –and she uses her phone calendar. She told me the other day, she’s “gotta get a planner.” It’s already a job keeping the schedules for a family of four. I know a lot of people use the “Google” share-system. It works okay – but any one person can change everyone’s life with a single keystroke. At my blended household there is a white board on the side of the family fridge. From the planner comes “the list” of things to do -- the grocery list, the Christmas list, etc. This month we celebrate Mom. The master of the planner, the queen of the list. Let’s celebrate with a dish-list!

and somehow it all gets sorted and stickered and hopefully sold! The proceeds benefit the Northville Historical Society and the Dr. Karl Stockhausen Medical Scholarship Fund.

grader, came up with the slogan. Thanks to Wendy Mutch – the Mill Race Village archivist extraordinaire – for sharing the story.

Take a walk with Mom in Mill Race Village. Suddenly, she looks down and sees her name on a brick in the lane.

The “Mother of All Garage Sales” is coming up. It runs June 9-13 on the corner of Dunlap and High Streets. I think everyone has driven by once or twice and feels the need to stop. It’s fun to simply look, but isn’t it the thought that you might find a treasure that is priceless that drives us all to the hunt? Folks can drop off “stuff” from their attics, basements and kids toy bins the week before

I donated some Christmas decorations for the garage sale. It seems I put boxes in the attic, and they multiply. Sometimes I wonder who bought all that stuff? Other times I feel so sentimental. I know many of you know exactly what I am saying. If you put your heart and soul into decorating your home, why not share the joy? It’s that time already – when the Community Foundation is looking for homes to participate in the Holiday Home Tour. It is one of the most beloved events in our Hallmark town. This year it is November 21-22. Executive Director Diana Wallace would love to hear from you. Contact her at diana@mayburyfarm.org. When I look out the windows at my office, I see the beautifully renovated Engerer Law Building. It is a joy to behold. There’s so much history to the house, but it was so disheveled for so long. The Engerer family are good

stewards of many Northville properties. This one is the crown jewel. We owe them a big “Thank you!” for doing their part helping keep Northville beautiful.

You may have seen some blue flags flying around town. It is the official Northville flag. Did you know we had one? It does fly in City Hall Council Chambers. The flag reads “Beautiful Past… Promising Future”. Back in the 1960s there was a contest – sponsored in part by the Beautification Commission. They had hundreds of entries. Tom Hutcherson, a 10th grader submitted the winning design and Julie Brown, also a 10th

Wow! What a great gift. Stop by Mill Race to pick up an order form or purchase it on the Northville Historical Society’s website at millracenorthville. org. The Village is open yearround, but from June 22October 5 many of the historic buildings are open Sunday afternoons from 1-4 p.m.

100 Women Who Care met this month and Northville’s New Hope Grief Center was the recipient of potentially $10,000-plus. I am proud to be a part of this incredible group of women. The next meeting is August 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Genitti’s. Mark your calendar.

No matter how busy she is, no matter how long the list, or how jammed up the calendar, young or old, she’s always Mom and always there in mind or body. Remember to say “Thanks!”

The Holiday Home Tour is seeking homes for this year.

Dennis and Joseph Engerer

The May meeting of 100 Women Who Care at Genitti’s.

-Lisa Cotton