The Great Fracking Debate in Oakland County (video)

The discussion took place in West Bloomfield Township, a community that passed a moratorium on fracking last year after Township Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste sat in on a land auction where rights to Michigan’s resources were bid out to oil and gas companies.

With some of the land being in Oakland County, municipal and county officials like Economou Ureste had concerns about the potential for fracking so close to home. Northern Oakland County has several lakes…

Funeral Arrangements for Melissa Sue Balogh

In her 22 years of life, Melissa Sue Balogh was a beloved Ferndale resident. She was born on December 23, 1990 to John and Deann Blaogh, and had three sisters Vanessa, Crystal and Ashley. She passed away on Feb. 25, 2013 due to health issues possibly related to an asthma attack or food allergy. She is also lovingly remembered by classmates from Ferndale High School, and by her nieces Faith Thomason, Keara and Dravyn Fournier,

Snow Day: Hazel Park and Ferndale Schools Closed Due to Weather

Both of the School Districts that serve our community (Hazel Park and Ferndale) are closed on Feb. 27 due to snow.

Residents are encouraged to review our “Stuff to Know for the Snow” article, which reminds people to keep their sidewalks shoveled and to move cars from the street for snow plows. It also gives tips for “green” snow removal. https://oaklandcounty115.com/2012/12/27/stuff-to-know-for-the-snow/

Free Parking Extended, More Meters Ordered

In order to quell some of the uproar, Ferndale City Council has extended a parking holiday until the next City Council meeting, March 11. Parking is free in Ferndale during that time, and the rates will be discussed at that meeting. Council has also approved the purchase of 14 more multi-space meters to help with the congestion. The machines have been rush ordered so they will come within the next two weeks.

Data on Income Disparity in Ferndale and Beyond

For some the grass really may seem greener in someone else’s neighborhood, especially if it’s on a color-coded map based on income. The website www.Richblockspoorblocks.com provides maps with neighborhoods color-coded based on data from US Census American Community Surveys for the past several years. The maps can show income or rental costs for communities across the country. By clicking on an area one can retrieve the specific data.

Do You Want to Help Rust Belt Grow?

To make this happen, the Bests have launched a Kickstarter Campaign to raise $20,000 towards the building materials they need to make the renovation. On the site they explain the need for funding, “In order to have successful artists we need to offer them two things: Lots of foot traffic and low costs. If we’re in a hip spot with high foot traffic we’ve got high rent, if we have high rent we need to figure out a way to keep our costs down. That means finding other ways of bringing home the bacon to keep the doors open. This means using the space we have in ways we haven’t. …

Affirmations Offers Daily Free HIV and STD Testing

“Expanding free HIV and STD testing services with our strategic Health and Wellness partners is key to our desire to commit the state’s largest LGBT community center to efforts to ending the spread of HIV/AIDS among the most vulnerable in our community”, said Johnny Jenkins, Affirmations’ Director of Programs.

HIV and Syphilis testing will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6pm-9pm and will be conducted by Michigan AIDS Coalition. They will also offer …