Ferndale Changes Council Meeting Start Times (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 18, 2014) After weeks of surveying the community and discussion at council meetings, Ferndale City Council has voted to move council meeting start times to 7pm from their traditional 7:30pm. Councilperson Melanie Piana voted against the earlier start time, having stated in earlier discussions that…
Hazel Park Schools to Expand Great Start Program, Restructure K-5s (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 17, 2014) Students at Webster Elementary in Hazel Park will be assigned to other schools in the fall so that the district can expand the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) which gives four-year-olds a pre-school learning and childcare experience. The decision…
School Funding Discussions Feb. 18, Advocacy Trip Feb. 19 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 16, 2014) The Ferndale School Board and other advocates are focusing some of their efforts on Lansing as they grapple with the problem of less funding for public education. On Tuesday, Board Trustee Kevin Deegan-Krause will give two presentations on school funding,…
Jim O’Donnell’s State of the Ferndale Schools Address (Jim,O’Donnell Ferndale Schools Board President, Feb. 14, 2014) NOTE: Ferndale School Board President Jim O’Donnell presented this speech on Feb. 12, 2014 to the community through a Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce gathering held at Local Kitchen and Bar. Below is the full text of the speech…
Ferndale Police Report: Burglar Tracked by Footprints in Snow (Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police, Feb. 13, 2014) On 02/11/14 at about 1:40 p.m. officers responded to a home on Ardmore where residents reported their home was burglarized. The couple reported they left their home in the morning and when they returned, found somebody had broken…
Ferndale Superintendent Takes Pay Cut, Hopes Others Will Too (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 12, 2014) Concessions continue as Ferndale Schools tries to negotiate their way out of a $2.4 million budget shortfall by asking employees for temporary pay cuts. Superintendent Gary Meier and Director of Finance Maureen Adams accepted 7.38% reductions in their contracts for…
Oakland University Freshman Died in Ferndale Home (Oakland University Press Release, Feb. 12, 2014) The Oakland University community is mourning the loss of an 18-year-old freshman, who passed away at his home in Ferndale on Monday, Feb. 10, as a result of cardiac arrest. DeMal Coleman was a resident in Hamlin Hall and a participant…
DEQ Called in for 390 Gallon Ethanol/Gasoline Spill in Ferndale (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2014) Extremely cold temperatures have helped the Ferndale Fire Department in their efforts to contain a chemical spill at Gage Products at 625 Wanda at around 10pm Tuesday night. Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan said that 390 gallons of ethanol from…
Ferndale Police Report: Teens Tried to Steal Car (Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Department, Feb. 10, 2014) On 02/10/2014 at 0431 hrs, a Ferndale Patrol Officer observed a silver Dodge Intrepid in 1700 block of Channing with its four ways on. Upon closer investigation, he discovered someone attempted to steal the vehicle. The driver’s door…
Cost of Winter Grows for Ferndale DPW (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2014) With six snow emergencies under their belts so far this winter, the Ferndale Department of Public Works is struggling to figure out how to meet demands for salt and how best to convince residents to move vehicles off the streets for them…
Ferndale Lowers Water Rates (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 10, 2014) Water bills will be a little smaller later in the year for Ferndale residents and businesses, as City Council has approved a 10% rate and fee reduction starting July 1. The move comes after months of evaluating the water fund and system, including comparisons with…
Investigation Continues in Northland Mall Death (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 10, 2014) Southfield Police continue to investigate the death of a 25-year-old Ferndale man who was pepper-sprayed and restrained by private security guards on Jan. 28. The man’s death was captured on cell phone videos where he could clearly be heard telling the security…
With Love from the Oak Park/Ferndale Daddy Daughter Dance (Jennifer Howard, Feb. 9, 2014) Recreation Departments from Oak Park and Ferndale combined for a fantastic Daddy Daughter Dance on Feb. 7. Shawnie Stamper from Oak Park Recreation reported that attendance for the dance last night was 123 people, combined between Oak Park and Ferndale Recreation…
With Love from the Oak Park/Ferndale Daddy Daughter Dance (Jennifer Howard, Feb. 9, 2014) Recreation Departments from Oak Park and Ferndale combined for a fantastic Daddy Daughter Dance on Feb. 7. Shawnie Stamper from Oak Park Recreation reported that attendance for the dance last night was 123 people, combined between Oak Park and Ferndale Recreation…
With Love from the Oak Park/Ferndale Daddy Daughter Dance (Jennifer Howard, Feb. 9, 2014) Recreation Departments from Oak Park and Ferndale combined for a fantastic Daddy Daughter Dance on Feb. 7. Shawnie Stamper from Oak Park Recreation reported that attendance for the dance last night was 123 people, combined between Oak Park and Ferndale Recreation…
Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak Urge State to Restore Funding (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Elected officials in Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak have a message for the legislature in Lansing: restore municipal funding. At the most recent Council and Commission meetings, each City passed a nearly identical resolution calling on state leaders to…
Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak Urge State to Restore Funding (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Elected officials in Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak have a message for the legislature in Lansing: restore municipal funding. At the most recent Council and Commission meetings, each City passed a nearly identical resolution calling on state leaders to…
Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak Urge State to Restore Funding (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Elected officials in Southfield, Ferndale and Royal Oak have a message for the legislature in Lansing: restore municipal funding. At the most recent Council and Commission meetings, each City passed a nearly identical resolution calling on state leaders to…
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…
Ferndale Schools State of the District Address Feb. 12 (Ferndale Schools Press Release, Feb. 9, 2014) Wednesday, February 12, 2014 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM 5:30-7:00 Meet the Board | 7:00 Address (Free and open to the public) Local Kitchen and Bar, 344 W. Nine Mile Rd, Ferndale The Reception will feature an opportunity to…