Guest Column: Thanksgiving for the Goodness of Regional Philanthropy (Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, Nov. 25, 2014) A November 11 Detroit News Editorial, entitled “Foundations think out of box to aid Detroit,” paid credit to the foundations who came forth to help fund the Grand Bargain and move the Detroit bankruptcy process to…
Baby Makes Her Move: Pleasant Ridge Deer Transported to Nature Preserve (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 24, 2014) Baby is now safe. The fawn born this spring in Pleasant Ridge has finally found a new home, away from the traffic of 696 and Woodward Avenue. The doe had been the darling of the community…
Transit Summit Connects Business, Faith, Education Communities and More (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 22, 2014) Who cares about public transportation? Judging from the diverse crowd at the Build Business Build Transit summit on Nov. 18 at Ford Field in Detroit, it’s pretty much everybody. The summit brought together people in the faith community,…
Happy’s Pizza Founder Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme (US Department of Justice Press Release, Nov. 21, 2014) On November 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a federal jury after deliberating 4.5 hours convicted the president and founder of Happy’s Pizza of conspiracy to defraud the United States…
Happy’s Pizza Founder Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme (US Department of Justice Press Release, Nov. 21, 2014) On November 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a federal jury after deliberating 4.5 hours convicted the president and founder of Happy’s Pizza of conspiracy to defraud the United States…
Republicans Seek to Change County Elections and Electoral College Vote Distribution (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 17, 2014) Five Republican State Representatives from Oakland County have introduced legislation that would change the election date of the County Executive from Presidential Election Years to Midterm Election Years. HB 5953 was introduced Nov. 12 by Klint Klesto of…
Red Cross Blood Drives – Ongoing List of Opportunities to Save a Life (compiled, updated Nov. 16, 2014) Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Eligible donors with all types are needed, especially those with O negative, A negative and B negative. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment,…
Pleasant Ridge Neighbors Consider How to Help Baby, the Deer, Through the Winter (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 12, 2014) An orphaned fawn has found a pleasant home among the beautiful trees, and lush backyards of Pleasant Ridge, where residents bring her food each day and track her whereabouts online. Though the doe, named Baby, is…
Garden at JFK Grows Vegetables and Community Spirit (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 11, 2014) The last of the kale has been harvested. The samples of farm fresh foods have all been consumed by curious and hungry children. And the Friday afternoon produce stand has been packed away for the winter as the community…
Huntington Woods Tops Pleasant Ridge with 66% Voter Turnout (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 8, 2014) Just before the Nov. 4 elections, Pleasant Ridge Mayor Kurt Metzger challenged residents to have a higher voter turnout than their neighbors in Huntington Woods. He shared this challenge with the oc115, along with years of data that showed the…
Medicare Changes: Hotline Help and Presentation Dates for General and LGBT Communities (AAA1-B Press Release, Nov. 7, 2014) The Area Agency on Aging 1-B’s (AAA1-B) Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) is partnering with Affirmations to offer LGBT Medicare beneficiaries free information and assistance on Medicare and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plans during open…
Ferndale Schools Closes DLC, Modifies Alt. Ed Program (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 7, 2014) For years anxious neighbors around the Taft Building at Allen and Fielding in Ferndale have complained about fights, drugs, and even incidents of weapons used in and around the building that housed adult alternative education programs for the Ferndale School District.…
SOCRRA Offers $6 Recycling Bins in November (SOCRRA Press Release, Nov. 3, 2014) SOCRRA and its 12 member communities are pleased to offer a special sale on recycle bins during the month of November, 2014. Residents of Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Troy…
Election Stories and Resources for Nov. 4, 2014 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 30, 2014) Nov. 4 is Election Day and there are many resources available to help people make informed decisions. The Oakland County Clerk’s Office provides a wealth of information on their website at http://www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/elections/Pages/default.aspx, including: How to Vote: Find out if you’re registered…
Prosecutor Speaks on Dangers of Sexting, Bullying and other Crimes (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 31, 2014) Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper does not like seeing kids on a professional basis, whether it’s because they have gotten in trouble or because they are a victim. The internet and cell phones make it easy for young…
Prosecutor Speaks on Dangers of Sexting, Bullying and other Crimes (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 31, 2014) Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper does not like seeing kids on a professional basis, whether it’s because they have gotten in trouble or because they are a victim. The internet and cell phones make it easy for young…
PR Mayor Issues Voter Turnout Challenge to Beat HW (Pleasant Ridge Mayor Kurt Metzger, Oct. 31, 2014) Historically, Oakland County Voter Turnout has been higher than any of the other 82 counties in the state. Within Oakland County, I am happy to say that Pleasant Ridge has always been at the top or slightly behind…
A Look at Low Voter Turn Out Rates in the Aug. 5 Primary (Guest Column by Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, orig. Aug. 26, 2014, republished Oct.29 ) Access to more detailed, geographically focused data sets, combined with the developed of more sophisticated mapping (GIS) systems, have made the Redistricting (gerrymandering) process more sophisticated.…
Ferndale School Board Candidates Discuss Issues at CFF Forum (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire and Keith Dalton of TDG “Presents,” Oct. 27, 2014) Candidates for the Ferndale School Board met at a forum on Oct. 25 that was hosted by Citizens for Fair Ferndale. The forum gave candidates a chance to share their views on a…
Woodward and 696 Complete Streets Study to Begin (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 23, 2014) As transit plans develop along the Woodward Corridor, one particularly sticky area is the intersection of I-696 and Woodward. Here, where Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods and Royal Oak meet, there are over and underpasses, bus stops, and precarious crosswalks leading…