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: …
Girls Share Whiskey at Ferndale Sleepover, Sending One to Hospital (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 10, 2013) Three fourteen-year-old girls are in trouble after sharing a fifth of Canadian Club Whiskey at a sleepover on E. Breckenridge in Ferndale Friday night. According to The Daily Tribune, police were called to the home at about 11:45 pm…
Finnegan’s Monsters are Invading Ferndale! (Jacki Smith, owner of Candle Wick Shop, Dec. 7, 2013) Home by home, room by room, child by child, monsters are invading! Finnegan’s Monsters! Don’t worry, these adorable, handmade plush monsters by Finnegan Mueller are the kind of monster Ferndale, MI likes. He is making a special, friendly batch that…
Downtown Ferndale Holiday Ice Fest, Dec.14 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2013) The Downtown Ferndale Holiday Ice Fest returns this year for a day of seasonal fun, community and commerce. Store will feature ice sculptures done by World Champion Tajana Rakaur, this year with a superhero theme. Rakaur will also do live demos through the…
Ferndale Considering Council Meeting Time Change (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2013) The Ferndale City Council is considering moving meetings to earlier in the evening, and is looking for public input on that potential change. The City’s website now has a survey where residents can chose between 6:30pm, 7pm, and 7:30pm for their preferred meeting…
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…
Transgender Day Of Remembrance Lists 242 Killed (Crystal A. Proxmire, orig. Between the Lines, Dec. 6, 2013) 242. That is the number of transgender individuals whose murders and suicides have been reported in the past year around the world. Groups like Gender Identity Network Alliance (formerly Transgender Detroit) know that this number is low due…
Ferndale’s UHS Partners with Wayne State University (Wayne State University Press Release, Dec. 6, 2013) A group of more than 100 Detroit-area high school students are learning firsthand how to navigate the college experience thanks to a newly formed partnership between Wayne State University’s College of Education (COE) and the Ferndale Public Schools’ University High…
Guest Column: Reckless Driving: MDOT’s Lead Foot on Freeway Projects (Richard Murphy, Michigan Suburbs Alliance, December 4, 2013) The public appeals to delegates entering SEMCOG’s June meeting. The sign in back, “No new gas tax, Snyder — We don’t need our freeways wider,” demonstrates our trust problem. Over the past few years, Governor Snyder’s Lansing…
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…
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…
Ferndale Resolution Supports Ending Corporate Personhood (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 26, 2013) How much power should corporations have in the Democratic process? The recent Citizens United court decision gave unprecedented spending ability to big business interests, and across the country Americans are coming together to fight back. This includes Ferndale. At the Nov. 25 Ferndale…
Senator Stabenow Speaks to Women Elected Officials (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 25, 2013) In her over 34 years in public office, Senator Debbie Stabenow has seen the faces of leadership change in Michigan and in the nation. In particular she’s witnessed the impact of increasing the number of women holding elected office. On Nov.…
Ferndale Launches Quick Zone Free Parking Option (City of Ferndale Press Release, Nov. 25, 2013) Beginning on Wednesday December 4, select parking spaces in the downtown district will be designated as “30 – minute free” quick zones. The purpose of the free 30 minute parking spaces is to help local store merchants whose customers need…
Royal Oak’s Holiday Magic Parade Brings Communities Together (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 25, 2013) The Royal Oak Holiday Magic Parade brought people from all over SE Michigan together for an afternoon of fun. Students from Southfield, Ferndale, Royal Oak and Detroit marched in the parade. Many community groups did as well, including Brownie Troops,…
Think Small Exhibition at Lawrence Street, Reception Dec. 6 (Lawrence Street Gallery Press Release, Nov. 25, 2013) 22620 Woodward Ave. Suite A Ferndale, MI 48220 248-544-0394 Artwork no bigger than 12″ x 12″ x 12″ November 27 – December 20, 2013 Opening Reception – December 6, 2013 6-9 P.M. Gallery Hours are Wed & Sat, noon…
Free Kids Environmental Calendar, Order Online (Oakland County Water Resource Commission Press Release, Nov. 24, 2013) For the ninth year in a row the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s office (WRC) is proud to offer its 2014 Kids’ Clean Water Calendar free of charge to the public. The Kids’ Clean Water Calendar was designed to…
Metaliclaus Given Key to City at Tree Lighting Ceremony (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 23, 2013) With an denim vest, rock star glasses, black beard and howling headbanger voice, Metaliclaus has endeared himself to the Ferndale community by becoming a part of the holiday tradition. On Saturday night the big guy joined city officials and…