2016 Candidate Interview Vicki Barnett for Oakland County Executive (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016) Farmington Hills, MI – The race for County Executive is now down to two people. Democrat Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills is challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for the position. Barnett is the former Mayor of Farmington Hills and…
50 Officials Send Letter to Executive to Encourage Vote on Transit (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 4, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Last week members of the Regional Transit Authority Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties voted no to putting a regional transit plan on the ballot for voters to decide upon. The plan would add many…
2016 Primary Election Results and oc115 Readers’ “I Voted” Sticker Selfies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 2, 2016) Pontiac, MI – The results are in from the Aug. 2 Primary Election. Scroll beyond the “I voted” sticker selfie photos to check out how the voting went. In Oakland County, 97,506 people cast ballots in the Republican…
2016 Candidate Interview Michael Ryan for County Commission Dist. 19 (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Berkley, MI – In the race for County Commissioner for the 19th District there are no competitions in the primary. On Nov. 8 Republican Michael Ryan will be on the ballot against Democratic incumbent Dave Woodward. Ryan is…
Royal Oak HS Hall of Fame to Induct 12 People Dec. 4 (Royal Oak Schools, July 31, 2016) ROYAL OAK, MI. – Ten alumni and two educators have been named to the 2016 Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame. The public is invited to the ceremony on Sunday, December 4, 2016 in the Royal Oak High School…
Regional Transit Plan Blocked from Going on Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Detroit, MI – Plans for a $4.6 billion regional transit system were expected to go to the ballot for a vote of the people in November, but board members from Oakland and Macomb Counties have blocked the measure at the request…
Search for Bats in Royal Oak Aug. 3 (Event Page) Searchng for Bats Event – Date & Time: Wednesday, August 3, 2016 – 10:45am “Searchng for Bats” is being held at the arboretum on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016 beginning at 8:45 pm. Meet at the north end of the Royal Oak Senior/Community Center (3500 Marais)…
Regional Transit May Not Make it to the Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 27, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Efforts towards a regional transit plan could be stopped in their tracks if representatives on the RTA Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties do not vote to put the 1.2 mil question on the ballot. Oakland County…
Royal Oak Center Street Summer Concert Series Aug. 18 (Event Page) Summer Concert Series Returns to Center Street The Royal Oak Commission for the Arts summer concert series, sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, returns to a ‘pop-up park’ on Center Street through Aug. 18 For six consecutive Thursdays, music enthusiasts are encouraged to grab a…
Royal Oak Center Street Summer Concert Series Aug. 11 (Event Page) Summer Concert Series Returns to Center Street The Royal Oak Commission for the Arts summer concert series, sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, returns to a ‘pop-up park’ on Center Street through Aug. 18 For six consecutive Thursdays, music enthusiasts are encouraged to grab a…
Royal Oak Center Street Summer Concert Series Aug. 4 (Event Page) Summer Concert Series Returns to Center Street The Royal Oak Commission for the Arts summer concert series, sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, returns to a ‘pop-up park’ on Center Street through Aug. 18 For six consecutive Thursdays, music enthusiasts are encouraged to grab a…
Federal Judge Blocks Michigan Ban on Straight-Ticket Voting (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 21, 2016) Detroit, MI – US District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain placed four preliminary injunctions to prohibit Michigan from enforcing a new law that bans straight-ticket voting. According the The Detroit News, “the real question the court must answer, Drain wrote, is…
Patterson Presents Proposed Budget, Announces New 911 System (Office of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, July 21, 2016) There is a major public safety enhancement in County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s recommended three-year budget covering fiscal years 2017-2019. Oakland County provides for replacement of its 911 copper network which has reached the end of…
Renew for the Zoo Offering Free Animal Themed Signs to Promote Detroit Zoo Millage (Renew for the Zoo, July 20, 2016) ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Penguins, frogs and tigers are staking out their territory on lawns across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties to encourage support of the Detroit Zoo millage renewal. The signs read, “Renew…
Community Mourns Loss of LGBT Rights Activist Jeff Montgomery (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 19, 2016) Detroit, MI – Jeff Montgomery, LGBT rights activist and longtime Executive Director for Triangle Foundation (now Equality Michigan) has died. Sean Kosofsky, Executive Director of The Tyler Clementi Foundation and former Policy Director for Triangle Foundation, shared the news Tuesday…
2016 Candidate Interviews & Ballot Issues (Frequently Updated) The oc115 believes in giving all political candidates a voice and a chance for readers to meet the people who want to represent them. So here is a series of video interviews. Not all races are listed, only those where we have an interview or story. “*”…
Lake Orion Couple Playing Pokemon Go Saves Royal Oak Home from Fire (City of Royal Oak, July 16, 2016) A couple playing Pokemon Go is credited with saving a Royal Oak home. Patrick Awdish, 24, of Lake Orion, and Katelyn Zack, 21, of Ray Township were in Royal Oak looking at wedding venues and —…
Guest Column: The Value of Street Trees (Robert J. Gibbs, AICP, ASLA, July 15, 2016) Trees are an indispensable component of good neighborhoods. When the right species are planted in the right place and cared for properly, many benefits are realized. Street trees soften hardscapes, buffer pedestrians from moving vehicles, and create “outdoor rooms” that…
Royal Oak Has Two Local Issues on Aug. 2 Ballot (City of Royal Oak, July 15, 2016) Local Issues on August 2 Ballot City officials are asking residents to remember to vote on two local issues in Michigan’s August 2 primary election. Solid Waste & Recycling Millage Renewal The millage, popularly known as the recycling…
Celebrity Softball Helps Raise Money for Boys and Girls Clubs (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 11, 2016) Ferndale, MI – Abraham Lincoln taking a selfie. Boxing legend Thomas “the Hitman Herns” sitting in the bullpen of the neighborhood park watching local TV anchors playing softball with 1968 Detroit Tiger Ike Blessit and Royal Oak Mayor Jim…