Berkley: Robina Plaza Project Moves Forward (City of Berkley, Aug. 26, 2016) The much talked about Robina Plaza Project will begin with the temporary closure of the north and south corners of Robina Avenue and Twelve Mile Road. The objective of the project is to examine the feasibility of using Robina as a permanent community-gathering…
Oakland County Irish Festival Sept. 10 in Berkley (Event Page) Berkley, MI – The first annual Oakland County Irish Festival is Sept. 10 from noon – 8pm on 12 Mile Road in Downtown Berkley. Small town fair with an Irish Twist. Something for everyone. Irish Music, Dance, History, Bagpipes, Kids Area, Fairy Door, Scavenger Hunt. …
Help Control Rats in your Neighborhood (City of Oak Park, orig. Aug. 31, 2104, republished Aug. 24, 2016) The City of Oak Park sent out the following guidelines to help residents control rats and rodents in the community. The tips are useful for any community: Here are seven actions you can take to control the…
How to Spot Signs of Domestic Abuse (Guest blog by Beth Morrison, HAVEN, orig. Feb. 27, 2015, republished Aug. 21, 2016) Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior including emotional, verbal and physical abuse, used by an abuser to gain and maintain power and control over a current or former spouse, intimate partner or…
Quest to Teach Sidewalk CPR Leads to Video & Dream Cruise Learning Stations (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug, 19, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Whether it’s the disco hit “Stayin’ Alive” or the delightfully nerdy cadence of the “Imperial Death March” from Star Wars, there is a point in Sidewalk CPR where having song in your…
2016 Election: Candidate Interviews and Issues (ongoing main coverage page) Oakland County, MI – Now that the primaries are over, it’s time to think about the 2016 Presidential Election. There are many local races happening as well, plus ballot issues. The official list is not ready from the County Clerk yet, however we’ve been doing…
Troy Community Coalition Gives Safety Tips for Pokemon, Applauds Benefits (Troy Community Coalition, Aug. 10, 2016) Troy, MI – Pokemon GO has taken the world by storm and it’s likely that your children, regardless of their age, are playing it. The mobile phone app has caused a lot of positive effects in communities around the…
Berkley Gearing Up for Cruisefest Classic Car Parade Aug 19 (Event Page) Berkley, MI – Start your engines! Organizers are revving up for the Woodward Dream Cruise kickoff event. The City of Berkley CruiseFest Planning Committee, city officials and volunteers are working hard to finalize arrangements for the 21st Annual Classic Car Parade that will…
2016 Candidate Interview Vicki Barnett for Oakland County Executive (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016) Farmington Hills, MI – The race for County Executive is now down to two people. Democrat Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills is challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for the position. Barnett is the former Mayor of Farmington Hills and…
50 Officials Send Letter to Executive to Encourage Vote on Transit (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 4, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Last week members of the Regional Transit Authority Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties voted no to putting a regional transit plan on the ballot for voters to decide upon. The plan would add many…
2016 Primary Election Results and oc115 Readers’ “I Voted” Sticker Selfies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 2, 2016) Pontiac, MI – The results are in from the Aug. 2 Primary Election. Scroll beyond the “I voted” sticker selfie photos to check out how the voting went. In Oakland County, 97,506 people cast ballots in the Republican…
2016 Candidate Interview Michael Ryan for County Commission Dist. 19 (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Berkley, MI – In the race for County Commissioner for the 19th District there are no competitions in the primary. On Nov. 8 Republican Michael Ryan will be on the ballot against Democratic incumbent Dave Woodward. Ryan is…
Berkley City Manager Invites Residents to Chat Aug. 3 (Event Page, City of Berkley) Berkley, MI – In his first few weeks on the job, Matthew Baumgarten, is excited about his role as Berkley’s City Manager and the prospect of making a positive impact in a well-run, stable community. Baumgarten is getting a crash course…
Regional Transit Plan Blocked from Going on Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Detroit, MI – Plans for a $4.6 billion regional transit system were expected to go to the ballot for a vote of the people in November, but board members from Oakland and Macomb Counties have blocked the measure at the request…
Regional Transit May Not Make it to the Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 27, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Efforts towards a regional transit plan could be stopped in their tracks if representatives on the RTA Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties do not vote to put the 1.2 mil question on the ballot. Oakland County…
Federal Judge Blocks Michigan Ban on Straight-Ticket Voting (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 21, 2016) Detroit, MI – US District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain placed four preliminary injunctions to prohibit Michigan from enforcing a new law that bans straight-ticket voting. According the The Detroit News, “the real question the court must answer, Drain wrote, is…
Patterson Presents Proposed Budget, Announces New 911 System (Office of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, July 21, 2016) There is a major public safety enhancement in County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s recommended three-year budget covering fiscal years 2017-2019. Oakland County provides for replacement of its 911 copper network which has reached the end of…
Renew for the Zoo Offering Free Animal Themed Signs to Promote Detroit Zoo Millage (Renew for the Zoo, July 20, 2016) ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Penguins, frogs and tigers are staking out their territory on lawns across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties to encourage support of the Detroit Zoo millage renewal. The signs read, “Renew…
2016 Candidate Interviews & Ballot Issues (Frequently Updated) The oc115 believes in giving all political candidates a voice and a chance for readers to meet the people who want to represent them. So here is a series of video interviews. Not all races are listed, only those where we have an interview or story. “*”…
Guest Column: The Value of Street Trees (Robert J. Gibbs, AICP, ASLA, July 15, 2016) Trees are an indispensable component of good neighborhoods. When the right species are planted in the right place and cared for properly, many benefits are realized. Street trees soften hardscapes, buffer pedestrians from moving vehicles, and create “outdoor rooms” that…