Winter Storm Update: Schools Closed, Snow Emergencies Declared (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 5, 2014) With low temperatures and high snowfall predicted, many cities have issued snow emergencies and school districts have taken the day off Monday. The National Weather Service is predicting snowfall of 3-7 inches tonight, and temperatures dropping to about 1 degree tomorrow,…
Twenty Notable Michigan Books for 2014 Announced (Library of Michigan Press Release, Jan. 3, 2014) The Library of Michigan today announced the 2014 Michigan Notable Books – 20 books celebrating Michigan people, places and events. “Michigan is rich in talented writers, history, and resources,” said State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. “Our Notable Books for 2014 express…
School Closings and Snow Emergencies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 2, 2014) There has been a lot of snow in SE Michigan, prompting many districts to cancel school and cities to declare snow emergencies. In snow emergencies people must keep their vehicles off the street until the street is plowed, or they could face ticketing or…
The Rose Bowl and Parade, Through the Eyes of a Loyal Spartan (Crystal Proxmire, Jan. 1, 2014) Dedicated Spartan fan and former Michigan State student John Taylor was able to go to Pasadena, California for the 100th Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. There he watched his green-and-white-clad favorite team beat the Stanford Cardinals with…
Area Libraries Switch to New Inter-loan System (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 26, 2013) Beginning Jan. 1, the system through which patrons can check out items from libraries other than their own will be changing throughout Michigan. Those who wish to borrow items will need to stop by their home library and get either a new…
Berkley Caring and Sharing Feeds 175 Families (Berkley Public Schools, Dec. 25, 2013) Caring and Sharing, a PTA Council initiative, was a success this year. The food collected throughout the District provided food for 175 families in the District including turkeys, bread, potatoes, apples, oranges, peanut butter and jelly, breakfast foods and a wide variety…
Berkley Public Library Offers Winter Storytimes (Berkley Library Press Release, Dec. 23, 2013) Winter storytimes will take place in January and February at the Berkley Public Library. These storytimes are reserved for Berkley residents. Preschool Storytime Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. on January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 11. The program includes 30 minutes of…
Christmas Tree Recycling in Oakland County (Oakland County Press Release, Dec. 23, 2013) Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers free Christmas Tree Recycling at 11 park locations. Dec. 26, 2013 – Jan. 20, 2014 Free Self-Serve Christmas Tree Recycling, seven days, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Please remove all decorations, metal, plastic and string. Locations: Addison Oaks near…
More than Just a Pretty Trunk: How Trees Enhance Complete Streets (Jeff Prygoski, orig. Transportation for Michigan, Dec. 19, 2103) Roads and sidewalks have undergone dramatic transformations in communities with complete streets policies. More than 90 Michigan communities have passed complete street policies, which contain a variety of design elements that foster a safer, more…
DNC Chair, Michigan Dems Rally For LGBT Equality (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Between the Lines, Dec. 18, 2013) As Republicans continue to condone the hateful, anti-gay comments of their Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema, Democrats brought out the big guns for a community forum at Affirmations featuring Democratic National Committee Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “In…
Deadlines For CDL Drivers And Their Medical Providers Fast Approaching (Michigan Secretary of State Press Release, Dec. 12, 2013) Secretary of State Ruth Johnson strongly encourages Michigan residents with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) to self-certify to which type of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operation they perform to avoid losing CDL privileges after Jan. 30.…
EAA Expansion to be Voted On (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 11, 2013) Michigan legislators are considering bills this week to expand the State’s authority to take over schools and run them as part of a State-controlled school district known as the Education Achievement Authority. The EAA takes over failing schools and puts them in a…
How Michigan Funds Schools (Kevin Deegan-Krause, orig. Ferndale Friends/ KevinDeeganKrauseForFerndaleSchools.com, Dec. 10, 2013) Please put away your notes and let’s begin our discussion of school funding with a high-stakes multiple choice test: 1. Does Michigan fund schools from: A. Local sources B. Federal sources C. State sources 2. Does the revenue come from: …
SEMCOG Approves I-94, I-75, US-23 Amendment to Expand (David Sands, SEMCOG, Dec.7, 2013, orig. http://wearemodeshift.org/node/1055) Although plans to widen the I-94 and I-75 expressways have been generating a bit of a buzz this week, dissenting voices seemed to have little sway over the bulk of the Southeast Michigan Council of Government’s Executive Committee. At a Friday meeting, the…
Berkley Kids Get SMART in the Classroom (Berkley Public Schools, orig. Berkley Beat, Dec. 6, 2013) Classrooms at Rogers Elementary School look, for the most part, the same. But what’s happening in the classrooms has changed since the arrival of the SMART Interactive projectors. In November, each K-5 classroom received a SMART projector that is…
Meet the Mayor: Kurt Metzger of Pleasant Ridge (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 29, 2013) With less than a month on the job, Pleasant Ridge Mayor Kurt Metzger has one main goal on his mind – how to get people more involved in a more transparent government. The 66-year-old data specialist is part of a…
Holiday Shopping Legal Tips (Guest Columnist Atty. Tim Burns, Nov. 29, 2013) It’s November and for many people that ushers in the start of the Holiday shopping season. As you are hitting the stores and shopping on the Internet it’s important to be proactive in knowing your legal rights so that your gift giving experiences…
Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption Deadline Nears (Oakland County Press Release, Nov. 28, 2013) Counselors in Oakland County’s Veterans’ Services Division are ready to help totally disabled veterans meet the Dec. 5 deadline to retroactively claim their homestead property tax exemption for 2013. Under a new Michigan law, Public Act 161 of 2013, totally disabled…
December programs at the Berkley Public Library (Berkley Library Press Release, Nov. 27, 2013) Three great programs will be taking place at the Berkley Public Library in December. Adopting and Fostering Household Pets Interested in learning about adopting and fostering household pets? Laurie Stadther, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan Humane Society, will cover a…
Small Turtles Not a Good Pet Choice: Risky and Illegal (Oakland County Health Dept. Press Release, Nov. 27, 2013) According to the Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) small turtles with shells that measure less than four inches in length…