Photos from the 2016 Oakland County Fair (C. Proxmire, July 16, 2016) Davisburg, MI – The Oakland County Fair is not just a day of rides, shows and animals. It’s actually a 9 day fair with many people camping at the fair itself for the whole experience. Kids from all over Oakland County come to…
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…
Reporter Food: Four-Cheese Baked Spaghetti at Villagers Restaurant in Holly (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 13, 2016) Holly, MI – I spent some time “up north” in Oakland County on the fourth of July weekend and had an incredibly good lunch at Villagers Family Restaurant at 11121 N. Saginaw Street in Holly. The menu is full…
Police Chief’s Recommendations for Avoiding Traffic (Auburn Hills Police Chief Doreen Olko, July 2, 2016) We are all looking forward to a fun holiday weekend, I know I am. One concern we share with you is about traffic. Last weekend we heard from folks who got caught up in traffic northbound on I-75 north of…
Drivers Stop to Help Baby Deer in Springfield Township (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 24, 2016) Springfield Twp., MI – This kind of thing probably happens all the time, especially in northern Oakland County, but experiencing a group of strangers coming together to act quickly, get messy, and save an animal in distress was a…
Musket Fire on Main Street Part of Civil War Muster (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 29, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Men in the Union uniform stood on the lawn of the historic Orson Starr House at 3123 N. Main Street firing muskets into the air. For the day the historic home site was transformed into…
Claws and Paws Brings Doggie Fans Together (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 22, 2016) Clawson, MI – Jennifer Seidl of Farmington found Bat Girl tied to the fence of a shelter in Redford with a little black cat at her side, also tied. The ebony colored bulldog with large ears that look like bat wings had…
Ferndale DPW Saves Ducklings from 8 Mile Road Traffic (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 13, 2016) Ferndale, MI – What would have been a day of spreading wood chips ended up in a mad dash to save the lives of nine ducklings who were orphaned in the median of 8 Mile near Woodward. Crew members…
Horse Visits New Way Bar for Derby Day (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 7, 2016) Ferndale, MI – There may have been a time in history when it was not uncommon to see horses waiting outside of watering holes along Woodward Avenue, but these days it is a pretty rare thing. But once a year, on…
Reporter Food: Wedge Salad and Texas Burnt Ends from Rosie O’Grady’s (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 7, 2016) Ferndale, MI – Rosie O’Grady’s is pretty great. They are part of the Kramer Restaurant Group, who recently came on as an advertising sponsor of oc115. This means I get to enjoy Rosies, One-Eyed Betty’s, Pop’s for Italian,…
Birds of Prey Wow Youngsters at Southfield Library (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 7, 2016) Southfield, MI – Nancy Sloan of the Howell Nature Center likes bringing a taste of the wild to groups of children, and on May 2 the Southfield Public Library was graced with her expertise. But the stars of the evening were…
Reporter Food: A First Timer Tries Detroit Bubble Tea (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 9, 2016) Ferndale, MI – This one time while visiting a Chinese bakery a friend of mine’s kid got a “bubble tea.” It was made out of iced green tea and little tapioca balls at the bottom. At the time I was…
Madison Hts. Fire Dept. Gets Donation of Oxygen Masks for Pets (Paws for Life, April 8, 2016) Madison Heights, MI – Paws for Life Rescue recently donated two pet oxygen masks to the Madison Heights Fire Department. “Industry sources estimate 40,000 to 150,000 pets die each year in fires,” said Courtney Protz-Sanders, executive director of…
Reporter Food: Plenty to Share with Friends at Pop’s for Italian (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 1, 2016) Ferndale, MI – Pop’s for Italian opened about two weeks ago with lots of good feedback online. I attended the ribbon cutting when it happened, but did not get to stick around to eat. It was great to…
Oakland County Population Grows, but is Passed by Franklin County, Ohio – Home of the Buckeyes (Kurt Metzger, March 25, 2016) The Census Bureau released new July 1, 2015 county population estimates today. While Oakland County experienced the 5th straight year of population growth this decade, the 2014-2015 growth was the smallest of the five,…
The Past, Present and Future of Ernie’s Market in Oak Park (Cheryl Weiss, March 18, 2016) Oak Park, MI – With the Jefferson Oaks development project in Oak Park beginning this summer, rumors have been circulating about Ernie’s Market. Will Ernie’s building be demolished to make way for new construction? According to owner Ernie Hassan, that…
Ferndale Cat Shelter Launches Furever Fosters Program (Ferndale Cat Shelter Press Release, March 16, 2016) FERNDALE, Mich. – Ferndale Cat Shelter (FCS) is offering a new program, Furever Fosters!, to place homeless cats with people who would like the companionship but may not be able to afford the cost, according to Deanne Iovan, FCS executive…
Scent of Love Spices the Air: Romancing the Skunk (Jonathan Schechter, Destination Oakland, March 11, 2016) Courtship is well underway for Mephitis mephitis, the often maligned striped skunk, and that means the scent of love is in the night air. Romance for the skunk is a simple affair: wander about under the cover of darkness…
Stuff to Know When it Snows (C. Proxmire, Feb. 2, 2015) Did you wake up to find your neighborhood covered over with a layer of sparkly white frozen precipitation and a Facebook feed full of various warnings, advisories, and complaints? Though it can be disconcerting, don’t worry. It’s called snow, and it’s something we’ve dealt…
MSU Extension Creates Resource about Lead Exposure (MSU Extension Press Release, Feb. 24, 2016) EAST LANSING, Michigan – The national spotlight is on Flint as it deals with wide-ranging issues related to lead in the water supply, but lead exposure is not just a Flint problem. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents, including…