SEMCOG Approves I-94, I-75, US-23 Amendment to Expand

SEMCOG Approves I-94, I-75, US-23 Amendment to Expand (David Sands, SEMCOG, Dec.7, 2013, orig. http://wearemodeshift.org/node/1055) Although plans to widen the I-94 and I-75 expressways have been generating a bit of a buzz this week, dissenting voices seemed to have little sway over the bulk of the Southeast Michigan Council of Government’s Executive Committee. At a Friday meeting, the…

Police Report: Waterford Man Wanted to go to Jail

Police Report: Waterford Man Wanted to go to Jail (Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, Dec. 6, 2013) INCIDENT:  13:56 hrs, Dec. 5 – City of Pontiac  MDOP Police Property   #13-187102 SUMMARY: A subject entered the Pontiac substation and threw a chunk of asphalt against a window in the public entrance vestibule.  The window was shattered.  The…

Transgender Day Of Remembrance Lists 242 Killed

Transgender Day Of Remembrance Lists 242 Killed (Crystal A. Proxmire, orig. Between the Lines, Dec. 6, 2013) 242. That is the number of transgender individuals whose murders and suicides have been reported in the past year around the world. Groups like Gender Identity Network Alliance (formerly Transgender Detroit) know that this number is low due…

Ferndale’s UHS Partners with Wayne State University

Ferndale’s UHS Partners with Wayne State University (Wayne State University Press Release, Dec. 6, 2013) A group of more than 100 Detroit-area high school students are learning firsthand how to navigate the college experience thanks to a newly formed partnership between Wayne State University’s College of Education (COE) and the Ferndale Public Schools’ University High…

Could Bikeshare Come to Royal Oak? Info Meeting Dec. 11

Could Bikeshare Come to Royal Oak?  Info Meeting Dec. 11 (Tom Regan, Dec. 4, 2013) “Bikeshare” is an automated, dispersed bike rental network that provides free or low-cost access to bikes for short trips. Use bikeshare once and you immediately become an evangelist.  It is such a good idea–inexpensive, convenient, healthy, green, and immensely popular…

Reckless Driving: MDOT’s Lead Foot on Freeway Projects

Guest Column: Reckless Driving: MDOT’s Lead Foot on Freeway Projects (Richard Murphy, Michigan Suburbs Alliance, December 4, 2013) The public appeals to delegates entering SEMCOG’s June meeting. The sign in back, “No new gas tax, Snyder — We don’t need our freeways wider,” demonstrates our trust problem. Over the past few years, Governor Snyder’s Lansing…

Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption Deadline Nears

Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption Deadline Nears (Oakland County Press Release, Nov. 28, 2013) Counselors in Oakland County’s Veterans’ Services Division are ready to help totally disabled veterans meet the Dec. 5 deadline to retroactively claim their homestead property tax exemption for 2013. Under a new Michigan law, Public Act 161 of 2013, totally disabled…

Holiday Extravaganza in Pontiac Dec. 7

Holiday Extravaganza in Pontiac Dec. 7 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 27, 2013) Since 1981, Pontiac has celebrated the holidays with a Downtown parade. The event has grown into a collaborative effort with Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Waterford and White Lake taking part in the planning.  This year’s festivities take place Dec. 7 with the WinterFUN Festival…

December programs at the Berkley Public Library

December programs at the Berkley Public Library (Berkley Library Press Release, Nov. 27, 2013) Three great programs will be taking place at the Berkley Public Library in December. Adopting and Fostering Household Pets  Interested in learning about adopting and fostering household pets?  Laurie Stadther, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan Humane Society, will cover a…

Madison Heights Police Sued in Death of Transgender Woman

Madison Heights Police Sued in Death of Transgender Woman (Crystal A. Proxmire, Between the Lines, Nov. 27, 2013) The October 2011 death and dismemberment of 19 year-old Shelly Hilliard (Moore) sent shock waves through the community and has reappeared in media reports this week, as Detroit investigates another brutal murder of a transgender individual that…

Police Seeking Suspect in Rochester Hills Bank Robbery

Police Seeking Suspect in Rochester Hills Bank Robbery (Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept, Nov. 27, 2013)   At approximately 10:00 AM on Tuesday November 26, 2013, Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a bank robbery at the TCF Bank on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills. A lone robber entered the bank, handed the bank teller a…

Ferndale Resolution Supports Ending Corporate Personhood

Ferndale Resolution Supports Ending Corporate Personhood (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 26, 2013) How much power should corporations have in the Democratic process?  The recent Citizens United court decision gave unprecedented spending ability to big business interests, and across the country Americans are coming together to fight back. This includes Ferndale. At the Nov. 25 Ferndale…

Holiday Magic Parade Brings Communities Together (video)

Royal Oak’s Holiday Magic Parade Brings Communities Together (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 25, 2013) The Royal Oak Holiday Magic Parade brought people from all over SE Michigan together for an afternoon of fun. Students from Southfield, Ferndale, Royal Oak and Detroit marched in the parade.  Many community groups did as well, including Brownie Troops,…