State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton Honors Sister and Public Education in Farewell Speech (video) (C. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2014) (scroll to bottom for video) At the end of three terms in the House of Representatives, Ellen Cogen Lipton of Huntington Woods said farewell with a sentimental speech honoring her sister and touting the importance of…
Ellen Cogen Lipton’s Final Coffee Hour as State Rep Dec. 9 (Press Release, Dec. 2, 2014) State Representative Ellen Cogen Lipton (D-Huntington Woods) invites residents to attend her upcoming and final coffee hour to discuss state and community issues, including proposals to fund road repairs and other matters expected to come up in the Legislature…
Happy Thanksgiving from Grant School 2014 (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 27, 2014) At Grant School in Ferndale there is a Thanksgiving tradition of a shared meal and a performance by the little ones. The three and four year old preschoolers sang a turkey-themed song before joining their proud parents for a feast of turkey,…
Ferndale Sixth Graders Learn About Giving Through Food Pantry (C. Proxmire, Nov. 26, 2014) Last week the kids at JFK School learned something that many Ferndale area grown-ups may not even know about: a food pantry right in their own community! Sixth graders from Greg Williamson and Elaine Zold’s classes took a field…
Guest Column: Thanksgiving for the Goodness of Regional Philanthropy (Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, Nov. 25, 2014) A November 11 Detroit News Editorial, entitled “Foundations think out of box to aid Detroit,” paid credit to the foundations who came forth to help fund the Grand Bargain and move the Detroit bankruptcy process to…
Transit Summit Connects Business, Faith, Education Communities and More (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 22, 2014) Who cares about public transportation? Judging from the diverse crowd at the Build Business Build Transit summit on Nov. 18 at Ford Field in Detroit, it’s pretty much everybody. The summit brought together people in the faith community,…
Happy’s Pizza Founder Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme (US Department of Justice Press Release, Nov. 21, 2014) On November 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a federal jury after deliberating 4.5 hours convicted the president and founder of Happy’s Pizza of conspiracy to defraud the United States…
Happy’s Pizza Founder Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme (US Department of Justice Press Release, Nov. 21, 2014) On November 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a federal jury after deliberating 4.5 hours convicted the president and founder of Happy’s Pizza of conspiracy to defraud the United States…
Republicans Seek to Change County Elections and Electoral College Vote Distribution (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 17, 2014) Five Republican State Representatives from Oakland County have introduced legislation that would change the election date of the County Executive from Presidential Election Years to Midterm Election Years. HB 5953 was introduced Nov. 12 by Klint Klesto of…
Red Cross Blood Drives – Ongoing List of Opportunities to Save a Life (compiled, updated Nov. 16, 2014) Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Eligible donors with all types are needed, especially those with O negative, A negative and B negative. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment,…
Medicare Changes: Hotline Help and Presentation Dates for General and LGBT Communities (AAA1-B Press Release, Nov. 7, 2014) The Area Agency on Aging 1-B’s (AAA1-B) Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) is partnering with Affirmations to offer LGBT Medicare beneficiaries free information and assistance on Medicare and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plans during open…
Ferndale Schools Closes DLC, Modifies Alt. Ed Program (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 7, 2014) For years anxious neighbors around the Taft Building at Allen and Fielding in Ferndale have complained about fights, drugs, and even incidents of weapons used in and around the building that housed adult alternative education programs for the Ferndale School District.…
Election Stories and Resources for Nov. 4, 2014 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 30, 2014) Nov. 4 is Election Day and there are many resources available to help people make informed decisions. The Oakland County Clerk’s Office provides a wealth of information on their website at http://www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/elections/Pages/default.aspx, including: How to Vote: Find out if you’re registered…
Prosecutor Speaks on Dangers of Sexting, Bullying and other Crimes (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 31, 2014) Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper does not like seeing kids on a professional basis, whether it’s because they have gotten in trouble or because they are a victim. The internet and cell phones make it easy for young…
Prosecutor Speaks on Dangers of Sexting, Bullying and other Crimes (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 31, 2014) Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper does not like seeing kids on a professional basis, whether it’s because they have gotten in trouble or because they are a victim. The internet and cell phones make it easy for young…
A Look at Low Voter Turn Out Rates in the Aug. 5 Primary (Guest Column by Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, orig. Aug. 26, 2014, republished Oct.29 ) Access to more detailed, geographically focused data sets, combined with the developed of more sophisticated mapping (GIS) systems, have made the Redistricting (gerrymandering) process more sophisticated.…
Ferndale School Board Candidates Discuss Issues at CFF Forum (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire and Keith Dalton of TDG “Presents,” Oct. 27, 2014) Candidates for the Ferndale School Board met at a forum on Oct. 25 that was hosted by Citizens for Fair Ferndale. The forum gave candidates a chance to share their views on a…
Bob Daddow to Represent Oakland County on Great Lakes Water Authority (Oakland County Press Release, Oct. 18,2014) Deputy County Executive Robert J. Daddow will represent Oakland County’s water and sewer ratepayers on the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) board, County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced today. Daddow, a certified public accountant, was part of the…
“An Abundance of Caution”: CDC Monitoring Man in Oak Park (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 18, 2014) A Liberian man visiting family in Oak Park is under scrutiny by the Centers for Disease Control and Oakland County Health Division. Although the man has never come in contact with anyone infected with the Ebola virus, and…
Royal Oak Township Seeking Letters of Support for Rec Center Grant (Hiram Harris, Royal Oak Township Supervisor, Oct. 10, 2014) On behalf of the Charter Township of Royal Oak Parks & Recreation Department. I am sending this message as an official request for letters of support for the Recreation Center’s Rehabilitation Project Grant Request. The…