What Once Was Winezilla, Now Birmingham Wine (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 25, 2014) Winezilla once graced Downtown Ferndale with $15 bottles of wine, a no-snobs approach to wine-tasting, and the colorful artwork of local artist Daniel Cascardo. However in a town ripe with mead, craft beer, restaurants and bars even the business’s fun Godzilla theme…
What Once Was Winezilla, Now Birmingham Wine (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 25, 2014) Winezilla once graced Downtown Ferndale with $15 bottles of wine, a no-snobs approach to wine-tasting, and the colorful artwork of local artist Daniel Cascardo. However in a town ripe with mead, craft beer, restaurants and bars even the business’s fun Godzilla theme…
SMART Bus Driver Hits Light Pole in Birmingham (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 17, 2014) On Tuesday afternoon a SMART Bus Driver who had been involved in an accident earlier in the day, hit a light pole and electrical pole in Birmingham, causing major damage to both. According to the Birmingham Eccentric, the 55-year-old bus driver…
SMART Bus Driver Hits Light Pole in Birmingham (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 17, 2014) On Tuesday afternoon a SMART Bus Driver who had been involved in an accident earlier in the day, hit a light pole and electrical pole in Birmingham, causing major damage to both. According to the Birmingham Eccentric, the 55-year-old bus driver…
SMART Bus Driver Hits Light Pole in Birmingham (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 17, 2014) On Tuesday afternoon a SMART Bus Driver who had been involved in an accident earlier in the day, hit a light pole and electrical pole in Birmingham, causing major damage to both. According to the Birmingham Eccentric, the 55-year-old bus driver…
Be Part of the Seeds of Support Campaign Sign up now to get your own custom ad! Conditions are growing worse in the corporate news landscape. Cutbacks in journalism jobs including the shutdown of traditional publications and the de-staffing of AOL’s Patch chain have left news deserts, places where citizens are thirsty for a local,…
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…
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…
Pappageorge Talks Term Limits and More with Berkley Rotary (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2014) With one year left in office, State Senator John Pappageorge (R, Troy) is planning on giving term limit reform one last shot. The 82-year-old Republican met with members of the Berkley Rotary Club on Monday to talk about a…
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…
Mode Shift’s Road Map To Understanding SEMCOG (David Sands, Mode Shift, Feb. 2, 2014, orig. wearemodeshift.org/mode-shifts-road-map-understanding-semcog) It was a noteworthy 2013 for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The organization not only helped jumpstart the new Regional Transit Authority, but it’s been busy developing a regional non-motorized transportation plan and conducting an analysis of rapid transit…
Cold Prompts School Closings for Tuesday (C. Proxmire, Jan. 27, 2014) School administrators across SE Michigan have declared Tuesday a “snow day” due to temperatures and wind chills below zero. Classes and events will be cancelled in many districts, including Berkley, Birmingham, Clawson, Farmington, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Public Schools, Pontiac, Rochester Schools, Royal Oak,…
40 Under 40 Announced, Public to Pick Top Winner (Oakland County Press Release, Jan. 27, 2014) Starting Jan. 27 the public can cast an online vote to choose the winner of the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 under 40 Class of 2014. More than 500 applications and nominations were reviewed by a panel of judges,…
Oakland Chamber Network Learns From National Trends (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 27, 2014) Collaborating to improve the environment for business success is the core strength of Chambers of Commerce in general, and the Oakland Chamber Network doubles up on that principle by bringing 27 local Chambers together. At their annual meeting on Jan. 22, OCN…
Group Seeks Ballot Measure to Increase Minimum Wage (Mothering Justice Press Release, Jan. 27, 2014) Community organizing, social justice and labor groups today formed a committee to explore a ballot campaign to raise the minimum wage in Michigan. The minimum wage in Michigan –currently $7.40 an hour – hasn’t been raised since 2008, leaving many…
The Return on Investment from Michigan Passenger Rail (Dan Sommerville, Michigan Environmental Council, Jan. 26, 2014, orig. Michigan by Rail Blog) Passenger rail has been booming nationwide and in Michigan. Record-breaking ridership was recorded in 10 of the last 11 years (1) (2), and there has been a whopping 78% growth in Michigan ridership since…
Bob Bruner to Leave Birmingham City Manager Position (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 15, 2013) “Don’t believe everything you read,” said Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner about news reports and internet rumors of strife between himself and the City Commission. After weeks of negotiations the Commission decided not to offer Bruner an extension on his contract.…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…