Grace Centers of Hope Thrift Stores Ask For Spring Donations (Grace Centers of Hope Press Release, April 4, 2014) Grace Centers of Hope, one of southeast Michigan’s oldest and largest homeless shelters, is encouraging metro Detroit residents to take advantage of the spring cleaning season and donate gently-used household items to one of its four…
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…
Preferential Polices Stricken from Ferndale Schools Contracts (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 20, 2014) At some point in the 1970s, language giving preference to the hiring and promotion of minorities, including non-Christians, made its way into teacher contracts at Ferndale Schools. The wording “Special consideration shall be given to women and/or minority defined as: Native American,…
Local Celebrities Read to Roosevelt Students (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 18, 2014) To an adult, it is twenty minutes away from their day jobs. But to the youngsters at Roosevelt Primary in Ferndale, the guests who come to their classrooms on Reading Day are celebrities and heroes. The tradition takes place each year in…
Roaring 20s Dinner Raises Money for Ferndale Education Foundation (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 15, 2014) The Ferndale Education Foundation had it’s annual dinner Friday with a Roaring 20’s Theme. With feathers, fringe and furs the fine ladies of Ferndale mingled with dapper gentlemen in suits. They enjoyed a delicious meal, watched dance, band and acting…
Oak Park Mayor McClellan’s 2014 State of the City Address (Marian McClellan, Mayor of Oak Park, March 6, 2014) The following is text of the Oak Park State of the City Address given March 6, 2014 by Mayor Marian McClellan.) Thank you, City Manager Tungate. Since your arrival in 2012, you have brought critical change,…
Collaboration Brings Arrest of Ferndale, Oak Park and Royal Oak Burglary Suspects (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 6, 2014) On March 6, 2014, at approximately 10:00 a.m., members of the Troy Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) arrested two home invasion suspects in Ferndale, according to a press release from the Royal Oak Police Department. The…
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…
Ferndale Schools Take Advocacy Trip to Lansing (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 19, 2014) Dozens of concerned parents, teachers, students, administrators and Ferndale School Board Trustees gathered in front of Ferndale High School for an early morning rally and photo opportunity Wednesday, and to send a caravan off on an advocacy trip to Lansing. Armed…
How Are Michigan Schools Funded: Kevin Deegan-Krause Explains (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 18, 2014) How Michigan schools are funded is a complicated subject, but one that Ferndale School Board Trustee Kevin Deegan-Krause hopes to help the public better understand. Deegan-Krause, who is also a political science professor at Wayne State University, gave two presentations…
Oak Park and Ferndale Declare Snow Emergencies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 18, 2014) Oak Park and Ferndale are among the communities that have established a Snow Emergency to begin at 7am on Feb. 18. This means that vehicles must be removed from the streets so that plows can get through. Those who do not move…
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,…
Oak Park Selling Furniture and Equipment at Low Cost Feb. 14 (City of Oak Park Press Release, Feb. 13, 2014) The City of Oak Park Surplus Furniture and Equipment sale will take place tomorrow, February 14, 2014 from Noon – 2PM at the old Public Safety building (13700 Oak Park Blvd.) Items available: Chairs, desks,…
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…
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…
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…