WONder Women Recognized for Changing the World (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 1, 2014) One of Women Officials Network WONder Women Award winners carries little silver acorns around with her to give to strangers who cross her path. “When we reach out to other people…it does evoke the metaphor of the acorn. Everything that an…
Be Part of the Seeds of Support Campaign Sign up now to get your own custom ad! Conditions are growing worse in the corporate news landscape. Cutbacks in journalism jobs including the shutdown of traditional publications and the de-staffing of AOL’s Patch chain have left news deserts, places where citizens are thirsty for a local,…
Ferndale Area Fundraisers for Murdered Fighter’s Family (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 29, 2014) Family and friends from Detroit to LA are remembering Justin Schalk who was murdered on April 14 in California. The 40-year-old Ferndale native went to school in both Ferndale and Berkley and has ties throughout the area from his family’s involvement in…
SEMCOG Releases Traffic Crash and Fatality Report, Urges Safety (SEMCOG Press Release, April 29,2014) The number of traffic crashes in Southeast Michigan increased by more than four percent in 2013 compared with the previous year, according to an analysis of traffic crash data by SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Traffic Crashes, 2009-2013 The…
Commission to Vote Wednesday on SMART Funding (Sherry A. Wells and Crystal Proxmire, April 29, 2014) Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, April 30 at 9:30 AM, the Oakland County Commission votes on whether to join Wayne and Macomb County Commissions for a vote to keep the SMART bus system running in the midst of vastly reduced property…
Democrats Pack Cobo for Fmr. President Bill Clinton Speech (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 27, 2014) Raising over $500,000 for the Michigan Democratic Party, the 2014 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at Cobo Hall featuring Former President Bill Clinton was considered “a rousing success” by Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson. Johnson and others took time to share their…
Berkley Approves New Bike Routes (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 22, 2014) Calling it a “pedal in the right direction,” Berkley City Councilperson Steve Baker and fellow elected officials approved new bike routes for the city. The old bike route, established years ago, took residents on a leisurely, aimless path. In 2011 several cities got together…
Oak Park and Hazel Park Get Pot Petitions Turned In, Berkley Next (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 23, 2014) City by city, pro-marijuana activists have been placing decriminalization ordinances on the ballot. On Tuesday Andrew Cissell and Debra Young turned in petitions in both Oak Park and Hazel Park, putting the issue on the ballot for…
Giving the Gift of Reading: Berkley Librarian to Take Part in Giveaway (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 20, 2014) Two things that Berkley Library Director Matt Church loves: reading and backpacking. Those interests merge beautifully in the book “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, and thanks to a program by World Book Night, he’ll be sharing these interests…
Be Part of the Seeds of Support Campaign Sign up now to get your own custom ad! Conditions are growing worse in the corporate news landscape. Cutbacks in journalism jobs including the shutdown of traditional publications and the de-staffing of AOL’s Patch chain have left news deserts, places where citizens are thirsty for a local,…
President Obama Visits Ann Arbor to Promote Minimum Wage Increase (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 2, 2014) The move is on in Michigan and across the country to raise the minimum wage, and to help promote the effort President Barack Obama came to Ann Arbor for a speech at the University of Michigan. Stepping off Air…
Local Districts Named 2014 Best Communities for Music Education (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 27, 2014) The NAMM Foundation rates school districts across the county in music programs, and this year they have named 376 districts to their 2014 Best Communities for Music Education List. In Oakland County, Berkley, Bloomfield Hills, Ferndale, Oxford and Rochester Schools…
O’Mara’s: 20 Years of Irish Spirit (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 17, 2014) Irish heritage has long cherished the importance of sitting amongst neighbors and discussing meaningful topics while breaking bread and warming one’s belly with drink. The owner of O’Mara’s in Berkley explains that the true Irish feel resonates beyond the idea of green décor…
WA3 Welcomes Mayors Metzger and Waterman to Board (Adapted from WA3 Press Release, March 12, 2014) 2014 and the recent mayoral elections bring three new leaders to the Board of the Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3), a collaborative effort to promote the 11 communities along M1. From the far north is Pontiac’s mayor Deidre Waterman. …
MEAP Scores Released, Improvement in Reading Celebrated (Michigan Dept. of Education Press Release, Feb. 28, 2014) Reading test scores for Michigan fourth graders improved for the fourth consecutive year, the Michigan Department of Education reported today. Results from the Fall 2013 Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) are reflective of what children had learned the previous…
Running Home Author Visits Berkley Third Graders (Berkley Schools, Feb. 14, 2014) Jennifer Charron Ward, a local Berkley author, visited Angell third graders this week to talk about her book, Running Home. The book is a work of fiction loosely based on two separate events in her life that she has woven together in her…
Pappageorge Talks Term Limits and More with Berkley Rotary (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2014) With one year left in office, State Senator John Pappageorge (R, Troy) is planning on giving term limit reform one last shot. The 82-year-old Republican met with members of the Berkley Rotary Club on Monday to talk about a…
Bridge Magazine Ranks Michigan School Districts (Crystal Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Bridge Magazine looked at public school districts and public charters and compared them based on performance weighted by economics to determine how schools are performing compared to expectations. The publication used three years’ worth of data and ranked the schools. A score of 100…
Computer Classes for Seniors a Popular Berkley Service (Berkley Press Release, Feb. 6, 2014) The Berkley Parks and Recreation Senior Center is proud to announce the continuation of computer classes. These classes feature: Laptop 101 Don’t let that new laptop scare you. Laptop 101 Class is designed with beginners in mind. Learn everything from the…
Computer Classes for Seniors a Popular Berkley Service (Berkley Press Release, Feb. 6, 2014) The Berkley Parks and Recreation Senior Center is proud to announce the continuation of computer classes. These classes feature: Laptop 101 Don’t let that new laptop scare you. Laptop 101 Class is designed with beginners in mind. Learn everything from the…