Main Street Communities Honored with Awards (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 28, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Twenty two communities through Oakland County take part in Main Street USA, a program focused on thriving downtowns and community centers. Thursday night people from those Main Street Programs came together for their annual awards program, this year held…
Ferndale Celebrates Good Neighbors (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 20, 2016) Ferndale, MI – When Alyssa Atkinson was presented with her Good Neighbor = Strong Community Award, the presented talked about one Atkinson’s strongest traits, her vulnerability. “Being a volunteer means two things, one is showing up, showing up and putting yourself out there,” said Councilperson…
Pontiac Gets Expert Advice on Developing Downtown (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 18, 2016) Pontiac, MI – In advance of the upcoming Congress of the New Urbanism Conference in Detroit June 8-11, 2016, CNU hosted development charrettes in Pontiac and Hazel Park to build examples of how thoughtful planning can help revitalize communities. In Pontiac that…
MML #5: Making the Economic Case for Place (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 4, 2016) Lansing, MI – What do communities need to thrive? This is the question explored in depth by The Michigan Municipal League and Public Sector Consultants in 2015. They came up with eight elements of prosperous communities, and explored what research had…
Pontiac Gains Back Power as State Keeps Some Oversight (Dept. of Treasury, March 31, 2016) Pontiac, MI – State Treasurer Nick Khouri today, signed off on amendments to two existing emergency manager orders that will provide additional authority to the City of Pontiac’s mayor and city council, following a recommendation approved by members of the…
OU CARES Autism Event Empowers Families (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 19, 2016) Auburn Hills, MI – What gives me joy? Where do I fit in? Where do I belong? These are the three questions that Beth Kimmel of Autism-Ask.com wants the youth and adults in any of the ASK programs to consider when making choices…
The Future of Ferndale Discussed at Master Plan Open House (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2016) Ferndale, MI – The city of Ferndale put all their ideas on the table, literally, for the Master Plan Open House on Feb. 6. The event, held at the Rust Belt Market, welcomed residents and visitors to share their…
Ascension Brewing Company Brews Up Craft Beer Niche (Nathan Mueller, Jan. 30, 2016) Novi, MI – Fifteen Mile Porter. Scotty Knows. H.O.M.E.S. 2.0. The Phoenix. 800- Pound Gorilla. Adam Czap is either a director of an eclectic mix of Hollywood movies, or running a brand new microbrewery. Fortunately, for craft beer lovers, it’s the latter.…
Tough Conversations, Deep Commitments Come Out at Affirmations Board Meeting (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 27, 2016) Ferndale, MI – It’s no big secret that Affirmations, the LGBTQ community center in Downtown Ferndale, has some issues. But it also has a mix of people who care enough to continue being part of discussions and solutions, even…
Oakland County Executive Announces 40 Under 40 (Oakland County Press Release, Jan. 25, 2016) Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson has officially announced the 2016 Elite 40 Under 40 class. Three finalists have been chosen out of the highly talented class, and public votes are needed to decide the winner for 2016. The winner will…
The Grand Opening of Green Space (Crystal A. Proxmire, some photos courtesy of Ann Warner, Dec. 2, 2015) Healthy food. Plant-based diet. These are not labels that necessarily makes the average diner’s mouth water, but cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn and his son Daniel are making that happen with the grand opening of Green Space Café…
Analysis of Voter Turnout in South Oakland County, 2015 (Guest View: Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, Nov. 5, 2015) Now that the results are final and the celebrations are over, it is time to reflect on Tuesday’s election results across communities in southeast Oakland County. As one would expect in an off-year election, the…
Law: Protecting Transgender People in the Workplace (Guest View by R. Scott Oswald and David Scher, The Employment Law Group, Nov. 1, 2015) In recent years, the United States has experienced a seismic shift in cultural attitudes towards what we have come to know as the “LGBT” community. The distinct groups that comprise this alphabet…
CFF’s Ferndale Candidate Forum Video and Live Blog Thread (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 26, 2015) On Oct. 24 candidates for Ferndale City Council joined Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter for a candidate forum hosted by Citizens for Fair Ferndale. Oakland County 115 reporter Crystal Proxmire posted live updates from the forum. And Keith Dalton of…
Regional Master Plan RTA Public Meeting, Detroit Zoo Oct. 22 (EVENT page) Regional Master Plan RTA Public Meeting @ The Detroit Zoo Oct. 22 Thu, October 22, 4pm – 8pm Detroit Zoo 8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 The next round of RTA public meetings will be starting this September for…
Artists Mariuca Rofick & Carl Wilson Featured at Ferndale Library, Reception Nov. 5 (EVENT page) Artists Mariuca Rofick & Carl Wilson Featured at Ferndale Library, Reception Nov. 5 “What We See” is the latest art exhibit on display this month at the Ferndale Library, featuring linocut prints, digital prints and photographs by local artists…
Local Art Love: Hazel Park’s New Art Park (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 15, 2015) In homage to the blossoming of Hazel Park, Richard Gage’s creation “Petal Parts” is the newest piece of the puzzle in the quickly-changing community. The blue collar inner ring suburb has been forging ahead with an influx of artists, hipsters, hippies…
Orange Barrels Part of Traffic Study at Woodward & 696 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 8, 2015) As drivers speed towards the curve just before 696 on northbound Woodward, they may be surprised by the extra wide swoop they must make coming around the bend. With orange construction barrels marking off a lane, drivers must slow…
Jane Bais-DiSessa to Leave Berkley for Pontiac (Compiled, Sept. 24, 2015) After 14 years as the City Manager for Berkley, Jane Bais-DiSessa is ready to take on a bigger challenge – working as Deputy Mayor in the City of Pontiac, according to various reports. Bais-DiSessa has been the City Manager of Berkley for 14 years.…
Zoo Breaks the Water Bottle Habit, Puts Health of Planet in Perspective (Detroit Zoo Press Release, Sept. 16, 2015) The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) has successfully weaned 1.3 million Detroit Zoo visitors off the bottle. In August 2013, the DZS launched a three-year initiative to discontinue the sale and use of bottled water –…