Help Control Rats in your Neighborhood (City of Oak Park, orig. Aug. 31, 2104, republished Aug. 24, 2016) The City of Oak Park sent out the following guidelines to help residents control rats and rodents in the community. The tips are useful for any community: Here are seven actions you can take to control the…
2016 Election: Candidate Interviews and Issues (ongoing main coverage page) Oakland County, MI – Now that the primaries are over, it’s time to think about the 2016 Presidential Election. There are many local races happening as well, plus ballot issues. The official list is not ready from the County Clerk yet, however we’ve been doing…
Troy Community Coalition Gives Safety Tips for Pokemon, Applauds Benefits (Troy Community Coalition, Aug. 10, 2016) Troy, MI – Pokemon GO has taken the world by storm and it’s likely that your children, regardless of their age, are playing it. The mobile phone app has caused a lot of positive effects in communities around the…
2016 Candidate Interview Vicki Barnett for Oakland County Executive (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016) Farmington Hills, MI – The race for County Executive is now down to two people. Democrat Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills is challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for the position. Barnett is the former Mayor of Farmington Hills and…
2016 Primary Election Results and oc115 Readers’ “I Voted” Sticker Selfies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 2, 2016) Pontiac, MI – The results are in from the Aug. 2 Primary Election. Scroll beyond the “I voted” sticker selfie photos to check out how the voting went. In Oakland County, 97,506 people cast ballots in the Republican…
2016 Candidate Interview County Commissioner Helaine Zack 18th District (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016) Huntington Woods, MI – County Commissioner Helaine Zack is running for re-election in the 18th District, which includes Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Oak Park and Royal Oak Township. She is unopposed in the Democratic Primary and on Nov.…
Regional Transit Plan Blocked from Going on Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Detroit, MI – Plans for a $4.6 billion regional transit system were expected to go to the ballot for a vote of the people in November, but board members from Oakland and Macomb Counties have blocked the measure at the request…
Regional Transit May Not Make it to the Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 27, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Efforts towards a regional transit plan could be stopped in their tracks if representatives on the RTA Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties do not vote to put the 1.2 mil question on the ballot. Oakland County…
Federal Judge Blocks Michigan Ban on Straight-Ticket Voting (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 21, 2016) Detroit, MI – US District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain placed four preliminary injunctions to prohibit Michigan from enforcing a new law that bans straight-ticket voting. According the The Detroit News, “the real question the court must answer, Drain wrote, is…
Patterson Presents Proposed Budget, Announces New 911 System (Office of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, July 21, 2016) There is a major public safety enhancement in County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s recommended three-year budget covering fiscal years 2017-2019. Oakland County provides for replacement of its 911 copper network which has reached the end of…
Renew for the Zoo Offering Free Animal Themed Signs to Promote Detroit Zoo Millage (Renew for the Zoo, July 20, 2016) ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Penguins, frogs and tigers are staking out their territory on lawns across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties to encourage support of the Detroit Zoo millage renewal. The signs read, “Renew…
2016 Candidate Interviews & Ballot Issues (Frequently Updated) The oc115 believes in giving all political candidates a voice and a chance for readers to meet the people who want to represent them. So here is a series of video interviews. Not all races are listed, only those where we have an interview or story. “*”…
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…
FOIA Turns 50. Here is Why That Matters. (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 4, 2016) Washington DC – The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the law that requires the Federal Government to operate with transparency and to disclose information that is requested by the public (including the media). There are exemptions to what information can…
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…
Self-Care Isn’t Selfish (Guest blog, Nkenge Burkhead, Prevention Education Specialist, HAVEN, July 1, 2016) People often ask, “How did you get involved in this work?” This is a question advocates working to end domestic and sexual violence have been asked countlessly. Their answers are often filled with personal experiences. Many advocates identify as both survivor…
Summer Food Program for Kids Locations (SE Michigan United Way, June 21, 2016) Meet Up and Eat Up – Summer Meet Up and Eat Up is a collaborative movement to ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals 3 times a day, 365 days a year. For kids who rely on free and reduced…
2016 Candidate Interview Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 10, 2016) Huntington Woods, MI – Democratic Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner is seeking re-election on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot. He was first elected to the position in 2012. Republican John P. McCulloch is running against him. Meisner talked about…
2016 Candidate Interview: Robert Buxbaum for Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 9, 2016) Oak Park, MI – In the County-wide race for Water Resources Commissioner (formerly titled Drain Commissioner), the Democratic Incumbent Jim Nash faces Republican challenger Robert Buxbaum on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot. “I’m an engineer and I…
2016 Candidate Interview: Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 9, 2016) Farmington Hills, MI – In the County-wide race for Water Resources Commissioner (formerly titled Drain Commissioner), the Democratic Incumbent Jim Nash faces Republican challenger Robert Buxbaum on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot. Nash was elected to the position…