The Rock - November 2022

T h e r e s a Y o d e r i s t h e a n s w e r t o s e l l i n g y o u r P l y m o u t h h o m e ! 2 6 y e a r s P l y m o u t h r e s i d e n t 2 5 y e a r s s a l e s e x p e r i e n c e t o u g h n e g o t i a t o

Honest, transparent, and relatable, I make the selling process smooth and painless I will use the same care taken when selling my beloved home of 26 years!

Chris Soutar

Scott Daugherty

Chris has lived in the Plymouth / Canton community since 1994. Some his local favorites are: Campari’s on the Park, Basement Burger, Mexican Fiesta II, Pizza Vino, Spoons Place, Central City Dance Center.

Chris has lived in the Plymouth / Canton community since 1994. Some of his local favorites are: Campari’s on the Park, Basement Burger, Mexican Fiesta II, Pizza Vino, Spoons Place, Central City Dance Center.

csoutrar@billbrownford.com Office:(734) 524-2715 Mobile: (734) 765-8980

Scott has lived in the Plymouth / Canton Community since 2002. Some his local favorites are: Crow’s Nest (Canton), Golf at Pheasant Run Golf Course (Canton), Spoons Place, Palermo Pizza, DCFC Soccer.

Scott has lived in the Plymouth / Canton Community since 2002. Some of his local favorites are: Crow’s Nest (Canton), Golf at Pheasant Run Golf Course (Canton), Spoons Place, Palermo Pizza, DCFC Soccer.

sdaugherty@billbrownford.com Office:(734) 524-2773 Mobile: (555) 555-1212

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NOVEMBER 2022

VOL 3 | ISSUE 11

16435 Franklin, Northville, MI 48168 • 734-716-0783 • kurtkuban@therockmagazine.com

KURT KUBAN – Publisher

Kurt is an award-winning journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for several local newspapers and magazines, including the Plymouth Observer He has been a journalist for over two decades. He founded Journeyman Publishing, which also publishes The ‘Ville, in 2017.

SCOTT BUIE – Advertising Director/Vice President of Sales

Scott has 20+ years creating advertising campaigns for clients in Metro Detroit. After managing sales for radio stations for 17 years he purchased Street Marketing, where he works closely with a variety of businesses and events. Scott and his family have lived in the Plymouth/Northville area for over 23 years.

BRAD KADRICH – Editor

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

JENNY PEARSALL – Creative Director

Jenny has been in the design and print industry for over twenty years, holding various positions in graphic design, print buying, production and print management. She also owns Bovia Design Group, a company specializing in publications and corporate branding.

BRAD EMONS – Writer

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

LARRY O’CONNOR – Writer

Larry is a metro Detroit area journalist whose work has appeared in The Detroit News, Jackson Citizen Patriot and the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers. When he’s not meticulously chronicling people or events, he’s avidly rooting for his favorite soccer teams -- Manchester United and Glasgow Celtic.

TIM SMITH – Writer

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

MICHELE FECHT – Writer

Michele is a longtime journalist whose first post-college reporter position was at The Northville Record before moving on to The Detroit News. 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, including The Rock. -Photo by Kathleen Voss

KEN VOYLES – Writer/Photographer

Ken is an award-winning writer, photographer and designer whose career has spanned nearly five decades in and around metro Detroit. He started his journalism career in Plymouth, working for the Community Crier. He is the author of two books on Detroit history, loves to travel and has finished his first novel.

BILL BRESLER – Photographer

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

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

There's No Grinch In Plymouth

A version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” very nearly played out in downtown Plymouth this year. The only thing missing was Jim Carrey in lots of green makeup whooshing into town to try to steal Christmas.

Luckily for the Penn Theatre, the iconic movie house on Penniman, about 1,000 Cindy Lou Whos showed up and saved the day.

Playing the part of the Grinch was Paramount Pictures, the studio that owns the rights to the classic Christmas film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Paramount had decided, in what looks suspiciously like a money grab, that bookings of the film would be handled by Fathom events.

That presented a problem in Plymouth, where the Penn Theatre has shown the movie faithfully every holiday season since 2007 (the only year it missed was 2020 – the pandemic year).

Ellen Elliott, executive director of Friends of the Penn, who had helped save the Penn years earlier, spent a lot of time trying to convince Paramount to allow the movie to be shown at the Penn.

She explained how Plymouth was really a stand-in for the movie’s fictional Bedford Falls. She told executives of the comparison between what Bedford Falls and the Bailey Building & Loan had gone through and the trials and tribulations of the Penn Theatre, which had been scheduled for demolition until it was saved by Elliott and the Friends of the Penn.

All she was hearing back was crickets, something that doesn’t really faze Elliott when she’s put her mind to something. She did some detective work and discovered that Paramount had been granting exceptions to some smaller movie houses, including Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor and the Redford Theatre.

This is where all the Cindy Lou Whos come in.

Elliott and her supporters put out the word, using social media as a conduit, that the Penn needed yet another rally, this time to save a 15-year-old tradition. The result: What our Tim Smith called a “heartwarming community rally,” on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 27, that for all intents and purposes transformed Plymouth into the fictional town of Bedford Falls. According to Tim Smith’s story on PAGE 4, an estimated 1,000 people flocked to the front doors of the historic, 81-year-old single-screen movie house, demonstrating how much they wanted Paramount to ignore a 75thanniversary moratorium and allow the beloved 1947 film to once again be screened at the Penn.

It worked. Paramount ultimately granted the exception to the moratorium. “It’s a Wonderful Life” hits the Penn Theatre screen over four nights from Dec. 1-4.

“The end of the movie, when George Bailey comes home and there’s all those people in his house, and they just kept coming, that’s what happened on Thursday,” Elliott told Smith. “All those people showed up and they just kept coming. They didn’t stop. It was that movie all over again. I cried as more and more people kept showing up. It was such an emotional experience because we’d only put the word out (on social media) the day before.”

It wasn’t an Elliott-only effort, though. Longtime Penn Theatre patron Vikki Plagens, a Plymouth Chamber of Commerce board member and an annual sponsor of the movie, ramrodded the social media campaign.

“My daughter was tagging Paramount Pictures on everything we did (on several platforms), so Paramount’s Facebook page was probably blowing up because I don’t know how many tags they got,” Plagens told Tim Smith. “That’s why the results happened so quickly. It went viral, not even 24 hours. We were over-the-moon excited (about the response).”

Brad Kadrich is editor of The Rock. He can be reached via email at bkadrich@comcast.net.

Plymouth has the spirit of Bedford Falls

Plymouth voters lean left during pivotal election

NorthRidge’s ‘The Glory of Christmas’ celebrates 30 years

New PARC gallery highlights work of local artists

Local law firm serves those who have served

Popular Pumpkin Palooza turns into Halloween fashion show

CURTAIN

ON THE COVER: Shannon McNutt is surrounded by members of the Park Players, student actors from the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. McNutt is retiring as director of the group. Photo by Bill Bresler

When Ellen Elliott found out Paramount Pictures wasn’t about to let the holiday classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” be shown on the big screen this year at Plymouth’s Penn Theatre, she worried, fretted and went to work.

What the resulting efforts of Elliott and others yielded was a heartwarming community rally on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 27, that for all intents and purposes transformed Plymouth into the fictional town of Bedford Falls.

An estimated 1,000 people flocked to the front doors of the historic, 81-year-old single-screen movie house, demonstrating how much they wanted Paramount to ignore a 75th-anniversary moratorium and allow the beloved 1947 film to once again be screened at the Penn – where it has been shown annually since 2007 (other than 2020, when

COVID-19 stopped the streak).

The bottom line would have made movie co-stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed beam. The Penn ultimately did win an exception to the Paramount Pictures moratorium and will screen “It’s a Wonderful Life” over four nights from Dec. 1-4.

“The end of the movie, when George Bailey comes home and there’s all those people in his house, and they just kept coming, that’s what happened on Thursday,” said Elliott, executive director of Friends of the Penn, the 501(c)3 non-profit organization which at the end of 2021 bought the historic venue located near Kellogg Park. “All those people showed up and they just kept coming. They didn’t stop.

“It was that movie all over again. I cried as more and more people kept showing up. It was such an emotional experience because we’d only put the word

out (on social media) the day before.”

CONVINCING ARGUMENT

A catalyst for the huge turnout, which was captured by WDIV Channel 4 television news crews, giving the event enough publicity to result in a Paramount reversal, was longtime Penn Theatre patron and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce board member Vikki Plagens, who pulled levers of influence and connection to get word out on different social media platforms about the impromptu save-the-movie rally.

Plagens – an annual sponsor of “It’s a Wonderful Life” through her CrossCountry Mortgage business – was all ears when Elliott called her on Oct. 25 with a pitch: Demonstrate to Paramount how much the legendary film means to the Plymouth community.

“My daughter was tagging Paramount Pictures on everything we did (on several platforms), so Paramount’s Facebook page was probably blowing up because I don’t know how many tags they got,” Plagens said. “That’s why the results happened so quickly. It went viral, not even 24 hours. We were over-the-moon excited (about the response).”

Just a couple days earlier, however, Elliott wondered whether anything could be done.

She had spent several weeks trying to convince Paramount to allow the movie to be put back on the Penn Theatre schedule. Her luck was running out. Because this is the 75th anniversary of the movie, bookings have been exclusively handled by Fathom Events.

“I started to explain to them (Paramount Pictures) how important it was to our community, the parallel between the film itself and what the Penn Theatre has gone through – when it was going to be demolished and then it was saved,” Elliott said. “That whole story (of “It’s a Wonderful Life”) is the Penn story. About it being saved and resurrected and people care about it.

“I kept throwing stuff out there and they just ignored it.”

But Elliott – through some tenacious digging – found out other small movie houses (including nearby Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor and the Redford Theatre) were able to get exceptions and thus restore the film to their December schedules.

She requested the Penn get the same consideration, but “they never got back to me.”

Next came an important lightbulb moment.

“I just had surgery and I wasn’t sleeping well,” Elliott said. “So this idea came to me…I thought we would need to put up a

marquee message, because that worked during Covid.

“And then we’d just have the (200 movie goers) watching Abbott and Costello come out and we’ll take this picture. But then I thought, ‘This is a good opportunity for us to really let people know what’s going on.’ If in case we can’t get the film, they (the public) at least know why, so we don’t look like we don’t care about the tradition.”

EPIC RESPONSE

The first person she contacted about with her idea was Plagens. From a single text, the word went out by the thousands.

“I think by the next day we had over 80,000 views,” Elliott said. “It just exploded. And then Channel 4 picked it up. They put it over the top for us, they pushed it and we can’t thank them enough.”

The small-town rally almost was Hollywood-esque, with “WE ARE BEDFORD FALLS” emblazoned on the Penn Theatre marquee and Plymouth’s heartfelt response mirroring how George Bailey’s friends and neighbors came to his side when all looked hopeless.

Also in the Plymouth throng was another longtime Penn Theatre fan and supporter, Andy Zazula.

“Plymouth is like old Bedford Falls, it’s a little

supportive community,” Zazula emphasized. “That Penn Theatre is our Bijou. It’s such a great central point of the city, I can’t imagine it without it.

“To potentially lose (in 2022) being able to show something like that, that is a tradition that families look forward to every year, and pass it along generation to generation, the thought of losing that opportunity was really dumbfounding. Thank God Paramount, with the show of support from the community, reversed their decision. Plymouth gets to move forward, showing a great movie at a great theater to a great community.”

Plagens concurred, noting that “It’s a Wonderful Life” remains totally relevant, year after year.

“If you look at the main points of this movie, there’s love and duty, there’s suicide,” Plagens said. “There’s somebody (George Bailey) contemplating suicide and realized what him not being on the planet would mean to other people. There’s good versus evil.”

There’s even someone trying to help Bedford Falls’ families find hard-to-find housing, which Plagens said resonated with her due to her career in the mortgage business.

“And there’s somebody stealing from somebody and people saving somebody, financially rallying to help somebody. Taking money out of their cookie jars.”

PENN’S SECOND ACT

And like in the movie’s Bedford Falls, people in Plymouth know when to step up to help a friend. What transpired Oct. 27 wasn’t the only time an outpouring of community support surrounded the Penn Theatre.

In 2003, the Penn was closed for “remodeling,” but for all intents and purposes the movie house was slated to shut down permanently.

But then another miracle happened when, in February 2005, Friends of the Penn was born.

A subsequent survey sent out by the non-profit organization demonstrated that saving the dormant historic theater on Penniman Avenue needed to be at the top of any Plymouth to-do list.

The next step in December 2005 proved to be a big one as 10 local business leaders formed Penn Theatre Realty, LLC and took out a loan for the building.

One official share of the LLC was acquired by Friends of the Penn in 2012; then a rollercoaster decade for small movie houses such as the Penn ensued with the advent of streaming services changing how many people view movies, followed by the global pandemic in 2020.

“A lot of people didn’t know that Friends of the Penn didn’t own the building, we only owned one share of it,” Elliott stressed. “But

as time went on, the importance of the non-profit owning it just became much more evident.

“That’s because it’s more protected when it’s owned by the non-profit, because that’s our mission to save it.”

Finally, at the end of 2021, two LLC members (Patrick Olson and Mike Ferrantino) donated their shares. That led to Friends of the Penn buying out the remaining investors, liquidating its capital improvement fund and taking out a mortgage.

Earlier this year, The Wilcox Foundation dipped into its massive “cookie jar” and presented Friends of the Penn with a $300,000 grant to help retire the mortgage. Another estimated $100,000 remains to be paid off.

And now, with 2023 drawing near, the Penn Theatre finally is on solid ground both financially and in the hearts and minds of Plymouth’s movieloving community.

Elliott thinks the recent saga surrounding “It’s a Wonderful Life” will have a carryover glow for months and hopefully years.

“I’ve already had more people reach out for movie sponsorships, they’re asking what we need for volunteers,” she said. “It has re-engaged the community, that little extra spark is back. And people are really excited to be part of this.”

Not too long after Virginia Patton enjoyed a small role in the evergreen 1947 holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” she became disenchanted with the movie business.

After acting in several more movies in the late 1940s, Patton left Hollywood for good in 1949, when she moved to Ann Arbor and married Cruse W. Moss, happily raising a family and never doubting her decision to ditch Hollywood. She passed away in August at age 97; Moss was 92 when he died in 2018.

Several decades later, the actress who portrayed

But for that to happen, it took some super sleuthing of sorts by Andy Zazula – a longtime Plymouth resident and among some 1,000 people who flocked to the historic Penn Theatre on Oct. 27 to protest Paramount Pictures’ decision not to allow the Jimmy Stewart classic to be screened there this year. The well-publicized rally did the trick, as the Penn soon received a green light to run the movie after all.

“I’m a retired police officer (in Ann Arbor), and before I retired I heard a rumor that Virginia Patton, who played a small role in that movie, Harry Bailey’s wife, lived in Ann Arbor,” Zazula recalled. “I’m not a starseeker, but I was intrigued by the fact she lived in that city. It was like, as I’m going out the door (on his last day on job), I’ve got to try to meet this lady just to say hi and say I met someone who was in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ because it’s such a great movie.

“So I spent numerous efforts on my last day, going by the house, hoping to find somebody outside. Every time I drove by there was nobody outside.”

Just before his final shift ended, he decided to make one more trip to the couple’s residence and found a man taking recyclables out to the curb. It was Cruse W. Moss.

Explaining what he wanted to do, Moss allowed Zazula into their home and called Patton to come and meet the uniformed visitor. Minutes later they were all sitting at the dining room table talking for 45 minutes about various topics, including the famous holiday classic.

“I’ll said I’ll come pick you up, we’ll see the movie, we’ll go out to dinner (which they did, at Compari’s on the Park), I’ll drive you back to Ann Arbor. I said this is not a publicity stunt, nobody will know.”

Word got out that Virginia Patton and Moss were going to watch the movie at the Penn. Quite a welcoming committee greeted them, and a very memorable evening ensued.

“She was in her element,” Zazula recalled. “In ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ they show the credits at the beginning of the movie. It was a packed theater, Ellen (Elliott, executive director of Friends of the Penn) had a row reserved for us and she wanted me to sit between her and her husband.

“He had never seen the movie all the way through, believe it or not. And when her name came up on screen the place erupted. I’m looking at them out of the corner of my eye. It was really touching to see the accolades she was getting after all those years of being a non-celebrity.”

Ruth Dakin Bailey finally enjoyed a low-key but special “curtain call” worthy of a heartwarming Hollywood script. Patton and Moss enjoyed a meet-and-greet at the Penn Theatre before and after a December 2012 screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” before an adoring sellout audience.

Before Zazula left, Patton thanked him for coming over and gave him an autographed photograph of her taken at the Bedford Falls train station with Jimmy Stewart.

“Fast-forward a year later, it’s showing at the Penn as usual,” Zazula continued. “So on a lark I called them, to see if they had any interest in coming out to see the movie again on the big screen.

Following the show, they greeted more movie-goers and had pictures taken under the Penn Theatre marquee. Those pictures turned out to be featured on their Christmas card that year.

“It’s a great movie to begin with, and it’s a great theater,” Zazula added. “Having the opportunity to have them out to see it and there being such a big production for her, it was just a great, great memory.”

For someone who never particularly aspired to be the superintendent of a school district, Dr. Monica Merritt is doing pretty well.

Merritt, the superintendent of Plymouth-Canton Community Schools since December 2015, was recently named the Michigan 2023 Superintendent of the Year by the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators.

The honor was bestowed upon Merritt in a surprise ceremony at the district’s Oct. 25 meeting, something she should have thought might be coming when first a representative from Wayne RESA showed up unannounced, followed in short order by Merritt’s family.

“My number one rule is I don’t like surprises…the way I found out was a complete surprise,” she said laughing. “I saw my family come in, and I just lost it. From there, I couldn’t pull it together. I experienced every single emotion.”

The award, given annually by MASA and sponsored this year by Michigan Virtual, is presented to a superintendent who has shown “tremendous effort and dedication to enriching the lives of students and the community as a whole.”

The winner is chosen

from a pool of nominees by a panel representing education stakeholders across the state.

MASA executive director Dr. Tina Kerr called Merritt an “incredible and dedicated” leader.

“In her time at PlymouthCanton, Dr. Merritt has shown her commitment to students, staff, and the community, and it’s reflected in resume and her nomination for this award,” Kerr said. “We are very proud that Dr. Merritt is representing Michigan as this year’s Superintendent of the Year.”

Merritt started her education career as a high school English teacher in Alexandria, Va. She then was an assistant principal at Ypsilanti High School before moving to West Middle School, also in Ypsilanti, as the principal, where she stayed for nine years before moving to the central office.

She came to PlymouthCanton in 2011 as the assistant superintendent for human relations, and became interim superintendent in December 2015, replacing Dr. Michael Meissen. The board removed the interim tag a few months later.

“I really didn’t have an aspiration to be a superintendent …but being in this role has been

so fulfilling, and my life’s work is making a difference in the lives of students,” said Merritt, who earned her PhD in Educational Leadership from Michigan State University in May 2022. “In my career, someone has seen something in me and encouraged me to take the next step.”

It’s been particularly satisfying for her to succeed in what is a male-dominated world. According to Merritt, while some 77% of the total educational workforce is female, only 23% of superintendent positions are filled by women.

“My experience has shown me if you continue to work hard at what you do, as people see things or skills in you and reach out, don’t be afraid to take that risk,” Merritt said. “In my journey, I really loved curriculum and instruction, I knew it’s where I really wanted to land. But having the ability to take on this

role, and…to be able to work with incredible people who are focused on students has been so fulfilling.”

Merritt runs the state’s fifth largest district with more than 16,300 students across 15 elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools, as well as alternative high school, virtual academy, early childhood, and post-secondary programs.

During her seven years, Merritt has embraced the district’s commitment to the success of all students so they become productive citizens in a global community. The district is continually recognized as one of the top districts in the state.

Of course, the job is not without its challenges, none larger than what districts all over the country faced – the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shut down schools in March

2020, districts were forced to figure out a plan to continue to educate students. Working without a blueprint, but with the expectation of teaching, educators not only had to concern themselves with students’ educational well-being, but also with their mental, physical and emotional health, feeding them… all the things for which they’d always been responsible.

“Without having a plan, the whole world was going through this,” Merritt said. “Our common interest is doing what’s best for kids. Navigating that and trying to keep that message there for our families.

“When you’re going through it, you don’t really have the time to sit back and reflect,” she added. “Now, on the other side of it, I think we did a great job with the resources we had available to us, and I’m really proud of the team. We didn’t always get it right, but being able to be vulnerable in that space, to pivot when we needed to…that’s how we got through it.”

“On behalf of the entire Board of Education, I want to congratulate Dr. Monica Merritt on earning the well-deserved honor of Michigan Superintendent of the Year Award,” said P-CCS Board President Shawn Wilson. “Dr. Merritt works tirelessly for the students and staff of P-CCS, and we feel so fortunate to have such a great superintendent leading our district.”

Under Merritt, PlymouthCanton has been recognized with the NASRO Safe School Award, several National Blue Ribbon School awards, Michigan Schools to Watch, and U.S. News and World Report’s Best Schools Ranking List.

“Under her leadership, our staff has supported students as they endured not only the global pandemic, but also national,

state, and local turmoil,” said Beth Rayl, Chief Academic Officer at Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, who

nominated Merritt for the MASA award. “Maintaining the focus on what is best for students at all times, Dr. Merritt helped ensure

that all P-CCS students were supported and cared for during these tumultuous times while consistently maintaining a focus on educational excellence.”

With the MASA award in hand, Merritt is now in the running for the National Superintendent of the Year award from the American Association of School Administrators.

AASA will convene a BlueRibbon Selection Committee to select four national finalists in December. The four finalists will participate in a national briefing and interviews in January.

The National Superintendent of the Year winner will be announced in February at the AASA National Conference on Education in San Antonio, Texas where all state winners are also recognized.

For now, Merritt is happy with the MASA award.

“You don’t do this work for the recognition, you do it because it’s the right thing to do for kids,” Merritt said. “But it really was very validating to have that external recognition.”

I really didn’t have an aspiration to be a superintendent…but being in this role has been so fulfilling, and my life’s work is making a difference in the lives of students. In my career, someone has seen something in me and encouraged me to take the next step.”

Monica Merritt Superintendent, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

A Birchler, CFP® Financial Advisor

1176 South Main Street Ste A Plymouth, MI 48170-2113

734-454-4653

John

The Nov. 8 midterm elections were sometimes characterized as an impending “red wave,” with GOP candidates up and down the ballot favored to flip the political script – owing to President Joe Biden’s underwater poll numbers and the historical tendency for out-of-power parties to dominate.

If there was any wave, it was one of voter urgency – borne out by the record number of voters (combining absentee and at-the-polls voters) – with the controversial Dobbs decision about abortion rights and a number of 2020 election deniers on the ballot ramping up interest to new heights.

The Plymouth area did not stray from that national narrative, with over 67 percent of city voters (5,593 of 8,330) and just under 70 percent of township voters (17,010 of 24,350) either submitting ballots in advance or turning out to the polls.

Residents overwhelmingly

passed three ballot initiatives, including the controversial Proposal 3 which enshrines the right to abortion in the state constitution. The measure won in Plymouth by a 3,707-1,786 margin; in Plymouth Township, that margin was 9,669-6,977.

Also among winners were Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General Dana Nessel (a Plymouth resident), U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (6th District), state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (13th District) and state Rep. Matt Koleszar (22nd District).

Whitmer set the pace for Michigan Democrats and had a strong showing locally. She defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon by margins of 3,5571,929 and 9,264-7,387 in Plymouth city and township, respectively.

Meanwhile, feeling the “voter urgency” wave were candidates for three six-year terms and a single two-year stint on the Plymouth-Canton Board of Education.

“I felt really good about the effort and just connecting with the voters,” said incumbent Anupam Chugh Sidhu, the top-vote getter in the race for six-year terms with 20,905 votes (which also include those cast in Canton Township). “We had more community forums for this election than any other election I’ve had to go through.

“You knew there was a tremendous amount of engagement, which is really exciting. But we also saw some places where it got a little contentious. So you never knew where the audience (at public forums) stood.”

Sidhu won re-election, with Judy Westra and Sheryl Picard also nabbing full terms with vote totals of 20,603 and 19,625. Elected to the two-year term was incumbent Patti McCoin with 25,453 votes. Falling short against McCoin was 2019 Salem High School graduate Sebastien Ostertag, who tallied 15,664 votes.

Incumbent LaRonda Chastang fell short in her bid for a six-year

term with 17,629. Others on the losing side of the vote were Amanda Krinke and Nathan Morris, with 14,450 and 18,371 votes, respectively.

According to Westra, who ran as part of the “MOMS for P-CCS” candidate slate with Sidhu, McCoin and Chastang, the weeks and months of heavy campaigning led to a satisfying result when she found out early in the morning of Nov. 9 that she made the cut.

“I am delighted that I got the chance to meet so many parents, and even had a chance to talk to so many students that were very engaged and active in this election,” Westra said. “I’m excited to serve.”

Westra and Sidhu canvassed all day on election day, handing out literature at polling places located throughout Plymouth, Plymouth Township and Canton Township. Then they hunkered down to learn their respective waits, in both cases getting the news on Wednesday morning.

“I spoke to many voters, and

Judy Westra, who was elected to serve on the Plymouth-Canton School Board

I felt there was a tremendous turnout both on the day of the election and in absentee votes,” noted Westra, who has volunteered for the district’s STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) and robotics programs. “I think that certainly helped. There was tremendous enthusiasm among the younger, newer voters and recent graduates of P-CCS.

SCHOOL BOARD TOTALS* (winners in bold)

(3) Six-Year Terms

Get Kids Back to School, and during the campaign noted that her top goal was to return the district to “the academic excellence for which it was formerly known…I’m concerned there has been a change of focus away from academics.”

She did not respond to a request for comment following the election. However, she did make a post on her Facebook page, thanking voters and referenced Proposal 3’s passage.

decline was projected based on birth rates back when we redistricted the last time,” Westra explained. “It’s not surprising that our enrollment has declined, and I want to do everything that we can to keep the students and families that we have, to increase enrollment.

“I think there’s real opportunities. There’s so much building going on and so many families moving into the district.”

Anupam

Chugh Sidhu 20,905

Judy Westra 20,603

Sheryl Picard 19,625

LaRonda Chastang 17,629

Amanda Krinke 14,450 Nathan Morris 18,371

(1) Two-Year Term

Patti McCoin 25,453

Sebastien Ostertag 15,664

*Unofficial results

“I’m delighted and impressed that they were actively engaged and inquisitive about our platform and offering suggestions about how we could improve the district. I think it’s fantastic.”

Sidhu said the MOMS for P-CCS slate enabled the candidates to work collectively, share expensive costs for mailings, and be united with the common message that “we believe in all of our students, we’re champions for our kids and we believe in diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Picard was formally endorsed by the Matthew Wilk-led PAC,

“Thank you to everyone who supported me, made phone calls, passed out literature and put a sign on your lawn. I will do my best. I'm not sure how Proposal 3 is going to impact the schools, but I will continue to stand for parents' rights, academics and safety for the students,” she wrote.

Westra said the enthusiasm on the ground only makes the winners even more pumped up to begin their terms in January 2023.

“I’m interested in financing,” Westra said. “I’ve been attending the school board meetings, and while we’re in a good situation right not, financially, we will struggle in a few years when the Covid money runs out. I think funding is an issue across Michigan.”

Westra estimated the per-pupil funding shortfall is an estimated $2,000. She also wants to stop the trend of declining enrollment over the past decade – which is a tendency acerbated by the global pandemic and is not unique to P-CCS. Bringing in new students would infuse more money into the district’s coffers.

“Honestly, a good bit of that

Sidhu also underscored future efforts to bring more state funding to the district and said Whitmer’s re-election will only help make that happen.

“It was exciting just to see our governor stay in this position,” Sidhu said. “I’ve been able to work with her on two statewide education committees. I also see her commitment and vision to public education.

“And the fact that (Democrats) took (state legislative) majority, hopefully we can have more education policies that support public schools and students with equitable funding.

“I’m looking forward to having more of a voice in Lansing that works with our school districts on behalf of students, rather than divisive policies. I’m really hopeful.”

Although Sidhu congratulated both Westra and Picard for their election wins, she lamented losing Chastang.

“I am excited to have Judy on the board as a new member, but I’m also saddened by losing a wonderful colleague and a leader like LaRonda,” Sidhu said. “That was a little disappointing for me.”

Judy Westra

I am delighted that I got the chance to meet so many parents, and even had a chance to talk to so many students that were very engaged and active in this election. I’m excited to serve.”

Patti McCoin

Anupam Chugh Sidhu

Sheryl Picard

NorthRidge’s popular holiday production celebrates 30 years

When Brad Powell arrived as the pastor at NorthRidge Church in 1990 – and was followed a year later by musical director Paul Black -- the church’s Christmas program consisted of a nice, popular show called the Singing Christmas Tree.

The 40-foot-tall tree displayed about 60 singers, whose heads appeared to be ornaments on the tree.

It was a perfectly nice program that produced, in Black’s first year, exactly one person who accepted Christ, which was, after all, the purpose of the show.

Following the performance, Powell approached Black and asked for a “compelling reason” the church should do the Christmas show. He charged Black with producing a better idea.

And boy, did he ever.

“I spent time with God on it, and God gave me a crazy idea and said ‘here’s your purpose, here’s why we should do it,’” Black recalled during NorthRidge’s weekly Thursday Live discussion on YouTube. “We came up with an exciting event that would motivate a believer to buy a ticket for a non-believer.”

And Glory of Christmas was born. Three decades later, NorthRidge is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Broadway-style production of its Christmas show that relies on video and technology – and local church talent – to drive as many salvations as possible (the first show in 1992 convinced 131 people to seek Christ, according to Black).

Black, who came up with the concept, called it “crazy and so counterintuitive.” The church, he explained, had given away complimentary tickets (to the Singing Tree).

“They had printed 16,000 tickets (for the Singing Christmas Tree), and I said, ‘what if they all come?” Black recalled. “And they said, ‘oh, they never come.’”

They come now. This year’s Glory of Christmas runs Dec. 1-4 and Dec. 8-11 at the church, located at 49555 North Territorial Road in Plymouth Township. Thursday and Friday performances are at 7 p.m.; Saturday performances are at 3 p.m., and Sunday shows are at 3 and 7 p.m.

The Thursday Live discussion included Powell; Roxanne Powell, who serves as the director of Glory of Christmas;

By Brad Kadrich

Black, the church’s creative arts pastor and the musical director of GOC; and Blake Powell, the creative video director.

Brad Powell pointed out what this year means for Glory of Christmas.

“This is a special year,” he said during their conversation. “This is the 30th year … how many churches have people who’ve been part of the church for 30 years, let alone a particular ministry event as special as Glory of Christmas?”

While Glory of Christmas is a wildly popular, successful show now, it took some convincing on Brad Powell’s part to get church members enthused about it 30 years ago.

“People don’t understand how traumatic that was, just the change from the (Singing) tree to something else that no one knew of,” Powell said. “The people inside the church loved the (Singing) Tree. Plus, church is supposed to be free. When we started talking about charging tickets, I had to stand up and cast the vision to the church.

“I told them, ‘We’ve been inviting people in for free tickets, and no one wants to come to anything free because it sounds like it’s not going to

be any good,” he added. “Why don’t we make this compelling enough for people to buy tickets for someone. People will be motivated to come … and people in the church will be the ones who pay for it. We immediately started becoming more successful at reaching the very people we wanted to share the gospel with.”

Even though people in the church now regard Glory of Christmas as a no-brainer – “It’s never been a no-brainer, it’s always been hard,” Powell said -its organizers don’t rest on their laurels.

“To this day, we’re always evaluating it,” Powell said. “If all it was doing was bringing in people from other churches, we would have canned this thing years ago.

“Every year we evaluate this thing based upon how many people are coming in and hearing the gospel at Glory of Christmas for the first time. That means we’re planting seeds of the gospel in new lives.”

Blake Powell called the work “rewarding.”

“This is so fun for us to do, and we’re blessed to do it,” Blake said. “And we’re reaching new people. It’s very rewarding.”

Longtime P-CEP director nearing the last act of distinguished career

When the curtain fell and the last bow had been taken at the end of the Park Players’ production of “Chicago,” in Salem High School’s Gloria Logan theater Nov. 19, there were a lot of tears flowing.

And many of them were streaming down the face of director Shannon McNutt, who is capping a career that spans more than three decades.

“Chicago” was the final musical production of McNutt’s 23-year tenure at the PlymouthCanton Educational Park. She’ll direct one more play – “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” – in the spring before calling it a career.

“It’ll be 35 years in June. I’m

going to be 65 in April. It’s time,” she said, laughing. “I’m getting tired, I can’t do it like I used to.

“I used to be able to go all day long, have rehearsals, go home, grade papers, and be up at 5 a.m. the next morning and it was all good,” she added. “Now I come out of rehearsals and I’m dragging.”

She chose “Chicago” – a show students have been clamoring for for years – partly because it “would be a draw,” something the program could use after losing money during the pandemic.

Her directing partner, Paul Bird, is putting on “Mamma Mia” for the same reason.

“This is the teen version of the adult version, and the kids have said for years, ‘can we do Chicago,’ and they’ve

always liked Mamma Mia, and we always said, ‘no, it’s too expensive.’

“We thought Chicago and Mamma Mia would be a big draw, the kids would really love it, and they’re fun shows. It’s nice to go out on something that’s…a fun show.”

“Shakespeare” will close out a directing career that started when she put on “Fiddler on the Roof” while student-teaching at Franklin High School in Livonia in 1988.

The first play she did at Plymouth-Canton was Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” for which she put up $5,000 of her own money to establish the Second Stage Players.

She laughed remembering the experience.

“I did it because it was cheap

to do,” she said. “It didn’t require much of a set, just folding chairs and a couple of tables.”

Her first musical was “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which she staged in the DuBois Little Theater at Canton High School.

“We had standing room only,” McNutt recalled “People came out in droves with their children and families.”

She’s been choosing shows for the last 23 years–46 of them, including 23 musicals–by putting students in positions to succeed. She considers their horizon, picking productions where students “would stretch and grow, but something they’d succeed at.”

“I didn’t ever want to do a show that they didn’t have the maturity or sophistication or

Members of the Park Players, student actors from the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, surround Shannon McNutt, who is retiring as director of the group.

Story by Brad Kadrich | Photos by Bill Bresler

life experience for,” McNutt said. “It’s amazing what these kids have and what they can get in touch with. I just wanted to stretch them. I always tried to provide a different genre to introduce them to a variety.”

The drama program brings students together from diverse backgrounds, and they inevitably bond.

“They’re all very different.” McNutt said. “They come

together…they have this common ground, they bond and become a family. It’s a really safe place for them to be. They can take risks and they don’t have to fear failure. They grow from that.”

If you ask Paul Bird, it’s that’s the kind of support for students that makes McNutt so good at what she does.

“Her biggest strength is the way she connects with students,” Bird said. “She loves them, and they love her. They have a great rapport.”

Salem High School junior Zoe Mihalic, who played Roxy Hart in “Chicago,” said she “adores”

McNutt.

“She goes out of her way to make me feel included,” said Mihalic, last seen in “The Theory of Relativity” back in October. “She pushes me to be better than I thought I could be.”

That’s the whole point for McNutt. She considers it a win if “the kids grow.”

“If I see them go from A to Z within the span of the rehearsal time, and they have a really good time and create this kind of love among each other, it is magical,” McNutt said.

By that measure, there’s been quite a bit of success. She’s worked with thousands of actors, coached kids who’ve gone on to prestigious schools and then into the business of acting. She’s even seen her actors make it all the way to Broadway.

“I know I’ve impacted lives because I have students come back to visit, I have lots of Facebook friends,” she said with a chuckle. “I have a lot of working actors who are earning a living at it. I like to hope I made a difference.”

So why give it up now? Mostly, she wants to travel. She’s already booked two Norway cruises, she’s cruising the Mediterranean and she’s taking a Caribbean

who has spent 23 years working with the Park Players

“I didn’t ever want to do a show that they didn’t have the maturity or sophistication or life experience for. It’s amazing what these kids have and what they can get in touch with. I just wanted to stretch them. I always tried to provide a different genre to introduce them to a variety.”

Shannon McNutt,

cruise over the Christmas holiday. There’s even a trip planned to Egypt.

“I love the kids…if they allow me I will probably substitute teach,” she said. “But I really want to travel. I have a bucket list of places I want to go and see, and I want do it before I get too old. You never know about the future.”

The future likely still includes directing – she’s

been approached by community theater programs asking her to direct – but nothing near the full-time gig she has now.

She broke the news to her students before “Chicago.” McNutt said “there were a few tears,” including her own, and a resulting increase in the class size of next semester’s Drama III class – “They wanted to take it before I left,” she said –but McNutt knows it’s time.

“I’ll miss the kids, but I can’t take the grind,” she said. “If I didn’t have to work during the day, it wouldn’t be a problem (she laughs again).

“For them to be my last musical…it was such an honor to work with them,” she said. “I’m going out with a great cast.”

What types of conditions require an ER visit?

New Henry Ford Medical Center in Plymouth offers 24/7 emergency care.

We provide easy access and an experienced team,” says Jennifer Stephens-Hoyer, M.D., Division Head, Emergency MedicinePlymouth. “We can service or begin care for most emergencies closer to home.”

To avoid making an unnecessary trip, it helps to understand the types of conditions that require emergency treatment.

Conditions treated in the ER “People may not realize the variety of conditions we see in our emergency room,” Dr. StephensHoyer says. “Also, depending on the symptoms and severity, we may provide immediate treatment or use radiology tests such as X-rays and CT scans, lab testing or other tools to first make a diagnosis before determining the best next steps for care.”

Some of the conditions that the Plymouth team sees include:

• Chest pain: This symptom should never be ignored, because it could be the sign of a heart attack or a related condition such as heart failure.

• Abdominal pain: While many people experience a

stomachache occasionally, when you get a sudden or severe pain in your abdomen, it could be the sign of a serious issue such as appendicitis or a kidney stone.

• Headache: If your headache is sudden or severe with no known cause, or if you experience symptoms such as a high fever or prolonged vomiting, seek emergency care.

• Flu and other upper respiratory infections: If you have a high fever, trouble breathing, chest pain, persistent vomiting, or are suddenly dizzy or confused, seek emergency care. Flu can also lead to life-threatening respiratory conditions such as pneumonia.

• Cuts: Bad cuts can happen even with normal daily activities. For example, the phenomenon known as “avocado hand,” which happens when someone tries to use a knife to cut out or stab an avocado pit and ends up cutting their hand instead. When a cut doesn’t stop bleeding after applying pressure for 10-15 minutes, it requires emergency care.

• Dental emergencies: Severe toothaches cannot always wait

until the dentist is open, and they may be a sign of abscesses and other conditions caused by serious, and potentially lifethreatening, infections.

• Diabetic emergencies: If you have diabetes and your blood sugar levels spike and can’t be controlled, this could lead to a coma, kidney failure, nerve damage or blindness without treatment.

“These are just some of the common conditions we see,” Dr. Stephens-Hoyer says. “We treat a variety of conditions in patients of all ages—everything from sore throats and back pain to shortness of breath and stroke.” A coordinated team

While treatment may start in the ER, it doesn’t always end there. Emergency room physicians at the new Henry Ford

Medical Center in Plymouth also work closely with other onsite specialists—in cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology and other areas—and can refer you to these physicians for additional care, when necessary.

“However, it’s also important to note that some conditions require the resources of a hospital emergency room,” Dr. StephensHoyer says. “Fortunately, when patients come to our ER and need more extensive care, we can streamline intake to other Henry Ford Health emergency rooms and inpatient settings.”

The new Henry Ford Medical Center – Plymouth is located at the corner of Ann Arbor Road and N. Haggerty. To make an appointment, call (734) 928-1600 or visit henryford.com/plymouth

Broken bones and other sports-related injuries

Fractured or broken bones, sprains and dislocations are some of the other reasons people seek emergency care. And now that children are back to playing school sports, especially contact sports such as football, the risk of getting these types of injuries can increase.

“All fractured or broken bones require immediate attention,” Dr. Stephens-Hoyer says. “The same is true for dislocations. Conditions such as sprains may not need emergency care unless you notice swelling or discoloration around the injured area.”

Both Salem, PCA fall just short of state championships

By Brad Emons

Although both the Salem and Plymouth Christian Academy boys soccer teams fell just short of their ultimate goal of a state championship this fall, it proved to be a banner season for both programs.

Salem finished the year 195-2 overall under seventh-year coach Kyle Karns before being stopped in the state semifinals by eventual MHSAA Division 1 champion Rochester Adams, 2-0.

Meanwhile, PCA (17-3-2) broke new ground and earned its first trip to the Final Four in school history as the Eagles fell to Division 4 runner-up Ann Arbor Greenhills, 1-0.

But it proved to be a memorable season in more ways than one for Salem.

The Rocks captured the (P-CEP) Park Cup, West Division and KLAA championship (a 4-1 win over Dearborn Fordson), as well as its fourth straight D1

district title (2-0 vs. Northville) and regional crown (1-0 vs. Saline).

“That was kind of our goal,” said Karns, who last guided the Rocks to a state semifinal in 2019. “We had 13 seniors on the team. Last year we made it to the regional final and we felt coming up short in that game we had some unfinished business, and that was kind of the mentality for our group, especially our senior heavy team. We just kind of wanted to go out there and finish what we were unable to do last year. So that was kind of the driving force. So that was kind of the mentality.”

Speedy first-team Division 1 All-Stater Foster Garrett, a senior forward, led the team offensively this season with 19 goals and six assists. Karns calls the track standout “the fastest kid I’ve ever seen play soccer.”

Second-team All-Stater Griffin Ellis also enjoyed a special season with 12 goals and six assists, while

Broucek

Among

two other seniors, center-back Bill Broucek and outside-back Logan Harkins, anchored the defense.

“All in all, I categorize the

season as a success,” Karns said. “It’s not easy to make it to a state semifinal. It sounds cliché but only one team is walking away with a win at the end. Of course, we would have liked to be there and we were so close, but to accomplish the things that we did…kind of that checklist for us including the (P-CEP) Park Cup is its own unique rivalry. We were able to win that and the division, conference, district and regional. To give yourself a chance to compete in a semifinal that you are that close among four teams out of 111, it’s tough to do and tough to make that run. That’s a successful year for us.”

Among the team’s underclassmen scheduled to

proved dangerous as an aerial threat with six goals, four coming on headers, while Harkins was adept at serving and crossing balls into the box.

the other seniors for the Rocks included Cameron Riess, Mark Musai, Jack Kroll, Connor Preston, Jose Tostado, Dylan Clayton, Atanas Popov, Adam Andrews and Dario Cela.

return next season include juniors Thomas Veresh, Jonathan Wylie, Jack Macauley, Sumanyu Kotala, Yash Bingi, Kyle Peterson, Bennett Quijano, Cooper Nieuwstadt, Tyler Berezak and Chase Meredith, while Dylan Fletcher was the lone sophomore.

Meanwhile, Adams proved to be a thorn in Salem’s side this season having won an early season match between the two teams, 3-0. The Highlanders proved to be a worthy state champion winning its first state title since 1999 against Rockford, 2-0.

So, what does the future hold in 2023 for the Rocks, who won their lone state title in 1995?

“I have 13 seniors and we have quite a few juniors that were impactful for us this year that had some very meaningful minutes,” Karns said. “For us, we’d like to think just reload and make another run at it this next year.”

EAGLES SOARED IN 2022

After capturing the Blue Division of the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference with an 8-0-2 record, Plymouth Christian made a statement early on in the state tourney with a 1-0 shootout victory in the D4 district tourney final over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist.

That was followed by regional victories over Clarkston Everest

Collegiate (2-0) and Madison Heights Bishop Foley (2-1) to earn its first-ever state semifinal berth.

Several players stood out this season for the Eagles, but it was an unselfish cohesiveness that drove the team to make an unprecedented state tourney run.

For PCA, everybody was on the same page this season according to fifth-year coach Collan Baker.

“We’ve had teams in the past where people were partially on board and you get partial results that way,” he said. “I had guys that didn’t play a minute in the last five games and were just as invested as the ones who played every minute the last five games.

“Between practices, off season stuff and in-season, and games on the road an hour away even though you’re not going to see the field, everyone was just as invested and that allowed us to have a strong team to play against in practice and a strong team to field. Their ability to work together was huge for us.”

As far as postseason honors, senior center-back/captain Joey Weertz (four goals, one assist) and sophomore center-midfielder Caedmon Whipple (five goals, six assists) earned third-team All-State honors, while senior center-midfielder Matthew Johnston (nine goals, six assists) made honorable mention from

the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

The team’s top two scorers were senior center-forward Kris Jovan (14 goals, six assists) and junior winger Ray Weber (13 goals, six assists).

Junior goalkeeper Ty Edwards appeared in 21 games allowing just 10 goals with a save percentage of .922 to go along with nine shutouts.

“At the end of the year when they do the individual awards,” Baker said, “it’s really hard for me to pick out individuals from our team because it was such a strong 11 or 12 that contributed to every single game.”

Rounding out this year’s squad included seniors Ryan Andres (captain), Bradyn White and Riley Brodhagen, along with juniors Zach Blume, Matthew Lindsey, Jacob Young, Evan Sumner and Cameron Bettinger.

Among the underclassman include sophomores Jordan Scott, Seth McDonald and Luke Elliott, along with freshman Grayson Brose, Brock Bushey, John Stepanian and Juan Chacon-Beltran.

Baker, assisted by Jacob Weertz, hinted that he may be stepping down as PCA’s head coach following the team’s historic run to devote more time to his family and personal

training business.

But whatever he decides, Baker leaves the program in capable hands entering the 2023 season.

“We have a big group of freshmen that are coming up that are going to have to step into a new role next year and start to lead the team as well as some juniors that were kind of waiting in the wings this year that will have some big shoes to fill,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to match what we did this year, but some guys have been waiting in the wings this year that will have an opportunity.”

NO LONGER JUST BARREN WALLS

New PARC art gallery highlights work of local artists

Story and Photos by Ken Voyles

Not just fair, or OK or even good. No, we’re talking great, with an exclamation.

That’s right, even though many think the jury’s still out on Plymouth being a strong art community, for one resident there are positive signs everywhere –and growing - that point to the community as a suburban hotspot for celebrating art and the artist.

Between several private art galleries, programs of the Plymouth Community Arts Council, art clubs, the annual Art in the Park and the long litany of artists who call PARC home for their studios, the city’s art traditions are clearly thriving. This fall, art lovers received

another big boost with the opening of an art gallery in the halls of PARC.

For Joan Witte, volunteer cochair of the PARC Art Gallery, that sealed the deal.

“This is a great arts community,” said the 64-yearold Plymouth resident who also manages the Plymouth Arts Collective located inside of PARC. “We have PARC and all our artists, we have the arts council, we get spillover from Ann Arbor and there are groups like Three Cities Art Club.”

When Witte retired from her marketing and communications career a few years ago, she went looking for art studio space in Plymouth. That was in 2019

and when PARC wasn’t like it is today, she said, but things have changed.

“We have the growth of studio space, thanks to PARC. We have events and public art around town,” Witte continued. “Small businesses are willing to hang art and now we have the gallery just for artists from Wayne, Washtenaw and Oakland counties.”

Witte points to a growing arts commitment in Plymouth with many artists renting studio space in PARC. Five full-time artists take advantage of the collective’s space, but PARC has even more, with glass blowing and pottery operations, several photography studios and more.

The new gallery, which can feature more than 40 pieces during any showing, was Witte’s idea. She approached PARC officials over the summer hoping to create something special.

“Really this is an art gallery created by artists, for artists,” she says.

The current show, “Invitation to Inspiration,” will run through early December followed by a second show called “Deck the Halls,” featuring art that celebrates holiday traditions across many cultures. On Friday, Dec. 2 the gallery is hosting a reception from 4-7 p.m. to say thank you to its supporters. It is open the public.

The gallery is a visible reflection of PARC’s own

Really this is an art gallery created by artists, for artists.”

Joan Witte, co-chair of the PARC Art Gallery

mission and commitment to the community, says Gail Grieger, PARC executive director.

“PARC itself is a community, if you think about it,” says Grieger. “We’re not just landlords, we’re about building a community here and being the cultural heart of Plymouth. Frankly, it’s just a great use of our space.”

The gallery’s mission is to offer a way to share the combined works of the PARC community as well as other artists while giving the public a way to get to know local creative talent.

“It’s about connecting,” says Witte one Sunday afternoon in November. As she spoke a mother and young daughter walked by and said to her, “It’s our favorite place.” Witte wondered if they meant PARC or the gallery. They said the gallery – the mom offering this insight: “My daughter just loves art on the walls.”

Witte, who loves to walk or bike to her studio, makes it clear that the gallery she runs with co-chair Virgina Masson is not hers and she is simply a volunteer.

“For me it’s psychic income,” she says. “As artists we need to help each other out.”

As a young girl Witte loved “painting the walls,” eventually getting her first commission at age 17. After she retired from her career she returned to her first love.

“Art as a living is very hard but I made a pact with myself

that when I retired I’d go back to my art,” she says.

Without much formal training Witte is heavily influenced by her rural Michigan upbringing and focuses on nature and loves to focus on rich colors. Flowers are one of her favorite subjects. She also creates pieces that reflect her interest in mental illness, addictions and anxiety in our world.

“Heavy subject manner can be overwhelming after a while,” she says. “Mainly I love art that makes people smile.”

Her dream for the gallery first surfaced as a member of the Huron River Art Collective. She knew they managed a gallery and thought Plymouth needed something similar. She just didn’t want it based on membership in an art club.

“This is for everyone, artists of all styles and backgrounds,” she explains. “There’s a small fee to be in a show, mainly for maintenance, but the artists keep all revenue they might make.”

Looking around PARC on that Sunday, Witte reflected for a moment.

“They love it, you know,” she said.

One wondered who did she mean by “they”?

“The artists. They love it here,” said Witte smiling.

Even though recreational activities may be a mainstay at PARC for young and old alike, art is at its heart and soul, obviously there to stay.

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SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED

Local law firm helps veterans get what they deserve

By Tim Smith

Legal Help for Veterans today is a multi-faceted, engaging communications juggernaut about everything an American military vet might want to know.

But it began life in 1998 as a simple request from retired Michigan Air National Guard Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone to her attorney husband, Jim Fausone.

“Back then, she had some friends who had trouble getting VA disabilities and she said ‘Can you just help this one guy out?’” recalled Fausone. “And there was a second guy, a third guy. It kind of grew from that. She’s had a career in the military and she knew a lot of folks, like ‘Hey, your husband’s a lawyer, can he help me with this?’”

In 1998, Jim Fausone and attorney Paul Bohn already had their then three-year-old community-focused law firm, Fausone Bohn, successfully up and running in Northville Township. Back then, and for the next 23 years, Legal Help for

Veterans was under the Fausone Bohn umbrella.

But Carol Ann Fausone’s suggestion to provide legal guidance for service men and women has proven to be incredibly prescient and successful helping veterans collect an estimated $10 million in future or retroactive benefits.

Today, Legal Help for Veterans is bringing relief and peace of mind to thousands of clients. While Fausone Bohn continues to be a thriving practice, the so-called “spinoff” officially became a firm of its own in 2021.

“We’re certainly the largest Michigan-based veterans disability law firm and one of the bigger ones in the United States,” Fausone said. “We have about 2,000 active clients all over the country. Over time, it grew to a point where it just made sense to have this as a completely separate entity.”

The main role of the firm, of course, is to help veterans wade through tangled bureaucracy and get their claims dealt with from

the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Ideally, you should never need a lawyer to get your disability benefits,” Fausone stressed. “But as the system has gotten more

constantly cranking out veterans out of the military who served their years and got out and then realized, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this problem or that problem.’

“The increasing complexity and needs at the VA has resulted in disability law firms being necessary and quite frankly being fairly successful. Because VA makes -- often in the complicated cases -- they make a lot of mistakes.”

NEEDING TO BE HEARD

Augmenting that key service are various informational prongs intended to enlighten listeners, as well as to reassure vets and their families.

There is a weekly podcast that Fausone produces from his Northville Township office and which can be heard over VeteransRadio.net. He estimates he has produced about 500 podcasts.

Those audio episodes are therapeutic and cathartic, allowing seemingly guarded topics to finally be understood and appreciated.

complicated at the VA, the VA has struggled with the number of claims. And remember, we’ve just concluded 20 years of war (in Iraq and Afghanistan). We’re

“Hopefully we’re providing a larger service to veterans’ families and friends,” Fausone said. “Maybe their veteran never told them about what going

through the Navy Seal BUD/S program (Basic Underwater Demolition) was like.

“But if I can get a Navy Seal guy on who talks about it, then the guy who never went home and talked to his mom, dad, brother or uncle about that learns something from it.”

Fausone recalled doing a podcast about U.S. Navy veteran Craig Grossi, who smuggled his best friend – a dog named Fred –out of Afghanistan.

“I’ve had mothers call me and say, ‘I now understand why my son wanted a dog when he got back from service,’ or what dog therapy was all about,” Fausone said. “I didn’t get it until I heard this other guy (on the podcast).”

One of his recent podcasts was with retired U.S. Navy Capt. Paul J. Ryan, vice chair of the Michigan Military and Veteran Hall of Honor. Ryan delved into stories about several 2022 inductees and talked with Fausone about the Hall and nomination process. The induction takes place Nov. 18 in Lansing.

“(We’re) trying to recognize Michiganders who have done extraordinary things while in military service,” said Fausone, also a board member with the Hall. “But we also introduce into the Hall of Honor veterans who served. And what is really extraordinary is what they did when they got out of service and how they continued to help the community.”

AN IMPORTANT ‘PACT’

Fausone last month welcomed Michigan 8th Congressional House Rep. Elissa Slotkin (who served three tours in Iraq as a CIA Analyst) for a podcast touching on several current topics including the federal PACT Act legislation signed into law in August by President Joe Biden.

The PACT Act will expand

VA health care and benefits for Gulf War and post 9/11 veterans exposed to the toxic horrors of burn pits – which have been linked to serious respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

“It’s an extremely positive effort, it certainly builds on the mistakes we made in the past when we didn’t recognize what Agent Orange (exposure) was doing to guys for decades and decades,” Fausone explained. “We just took far too long to recognize that and so this is, by VA standards, or federal government standards, almost lightning speed to get the PACT Act in.”

At Legal Help for Veterans, Fausone said there are active claims involving burn pits.

“We’re also going back and reviewing those cases where we put in claims for these kinds of problems, historically, and they were denied because the VA didn’t see the medical causation, or nexus, between the service exposure and the disease,” Fausone said. “But the PACT Act

will make that much easier and has given direction to the VA on how to handle it.”

Fausone added that other ways Legal Help for Veterans is connecting both with military families and the general public include a popular You Tube channel (with more than 280,000 views to date) and important resources on the website.

Those include a slew of e-books and topical links from which veterans can find inspiration, information, direction or support. There is also a blog, currently including a piece about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and its impact on veterans’ nightmares. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 60 percent of vets suffer from traumarelated nightmares.

Other features of the website (www.legalhelpforveterans.com) are client testimonials, free claim evaluations and the all-important Frequently Asked Questions.

At the end of the day Fausone would like the “thank you for

your service” sentiment to be prevalent not just on Veterans Day or displayed during major sporting events.

“Veterans Day is an important day where we recognize all those who have served,” Fausone emphasized. “And going out of your way to say thanks is not a waste of time. And it certainly should be a message passed on to our youth, about why do we recognize veterans.”

The adage merely states that “actions speak louder than words.” But when actions and words both resonate in tandem, the way they do with Legal Help for Veterans, that booming sound you hear is the elevation of awareness about serious issues facing American military vets. And Jim Fausone hopes more and more people are listening.

Legal Help for Veterans is located at 41700 West Six Mile Road in Northville Township. For more information, call (800) 693-4800 or visit www. legalhelpforveterans.com.

When it comes to Halloween in downtown Plymouth, a real spirit of cheeky cleverness reigns, as people of all ages and walks of life take to donning such a dizzying array of costumes that one is left reeling from the blizzard of bright colors, odd shapes and sizes, unique ensembles and family party themes.

The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce’s annual Pumpkin Palooza, draws thousands to downtown, this year on a beautiful fall October day. It’s truly one big costume contest as thousands compete for the most fun, and unique, displays. It’s not just scary outfits, super heroes, or other longtime favorites like princesses and police officers. Many come in homemade, original attire, like the lady and her young daughter as painted white ghosts or the family of chia plants. Even many of the dogs wandering the streets with their owners joined in the costume craze.

Yes sir, Halloween in Plymouth, seems a magical

time, especially when the sun is shining and the temperatures push near 80. And when you see a grown man wearing a big blue woman’s dress, matching the rest of his all-girl family, you know something’s up.

So safe to say, the fun of this one day in our community is such a unique event that it draws young and old alike from all across southeast Michigan, not just Plymouth and Canton, but also Livonia, Northville, Garden City, Novi, and even farther, like Chelsea.

They came to enjoy some fun family time, a bit of candy or other little prizes, try some games, hear entertainment, eat and most of all show off their creative design talents.

Here’s to Plymouth’s giant costume party, just make sure to award the prize for best dressed to everyone who showed up wearing something fun and walking the streets for a few hours in outlandish autumn fashion.

The Durbin family of Plymouth.

The Ross family of Canton.

The Koizumi family of Novi.

Rose Floraday, five, of Plymouth.

Tom Young and DeAnna Gilbert, Plymouth Chamber event organizers.

The Eichstedt family of Garden City.

Introducing the new Henry Ford Medical Center – Plymouth. Whether you live in Plymouth or nearby, we’re proud to bring world-class specialty care closer to you, including orthopaedics, cardiology and neurology. Our new facility was built just for you. And it’s just minutes down the road. See a full list of services at henryford.com/plymouth

Corner of Ann Arbor Road and N. Haggerty

We believe all your healthcare solutions should live where you do.

Ryan Berger, M.D. Orthopaedic spine surgeon