Troy – November 11, 2019

Troy – November 11, 2019

Wanted by Troy Police: Donors to Help Residents in Need

The Troy Police Department is again looking for sponsors to help residents in need during the upcoming holiday season. The Troy Police Operation Blue Sleigh, a food and gift drive program, has been operating for 25 years.

“As police officers, we see firsthand how the holidays can be particularly hard for some,” said Chief Frank Nastasi. “This program gives us the opportunity to come together with community partners to help our residents in need.”

Sponsors can contribute by “adopting a family” or making a cash or gift card donation. Recipient families or individuals are provided with holiday gifts and food, delivered via “blue sleigh” by officers and volunteers before Christmas.

Recipients include struggling families and other Troy residents in financial need. Police work with community organizations to identify residents who will benefit from the effort, including children who would otherwise not receive gifts during the holidays.

For the fourth year, Alliance Mobile Health joins the Troy Police Department as a co-sponsor for Operation Blue Sleigh. Faith Lutheran Church joins as a partner for the second year.

Monetary donations can be made in the form of a check made out to Alliance Mobile Health. Checks can be dropped off at the police department, 500 W. Big Beaver Road.

The Department is now matching sponsors and families in need. Those wishing to contribute should contact Officer Greg Pokley, pokleyga@troymi.gov, 248-680-7223, by Nov. 25.

 

Troy Named a Top City for Retirees

According to ChamberofCommerce.org, Troy made the top 10 list of places for retirees to live.

The site used these criteria to decide which cities made the cut:

  • Percentage of the population above 65
  • Percentage of retirees in the 65+ population
  • Overall Poverty rate
  • Percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher
  • Median monthly housing costs
  • Physicians per 100K population
  • Violent crime per 100K population
  • Police Officers per 100K population

“Owing to its low crime, great residential neighborhoods, and quirky local character, Troy is one of the ten best U.S. cities to retire in the United States, and the top retirement destination in the Great Lakes region,” according to ChamberofCommerce.org.

See the full story on why Troy was chosen here.

 

Youth Chess Tournament

Get your strategies in place by Nov. 17 for the Troy Youth Chess Tournament. Hosted at the library from 1 to 5 p.m., this is a rated tournament, open to everyone who has up-to-date USCF and MCA memberships. Players need to be checked in before 1:15 p.m. For more information please email: tyascc.troy@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Wonderland

You’re invited to the 7th Annual Winter Wonderland at City Hall, Troy Public Library and Troy Community Center. Activities are indoor and outdoor, so dress warm and be prepared for a night full of fun for the whole family.

For more information, head to rec.troymi.gov/winterwonderland for full details.

This event is free and open to all!

 

 

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

To share your news, announcements, and events, please email citynewseditor@localbiznews.net
Ferndale – November 11, 2019

Ferndale – November 11, 2019

Lead Levels in Water

In recent weeks, several neighboring or nearby Metro Detroit cities announced that water testing has revealed lead values that exceed the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)‘s Action Level. This led residents to inquire about the state of Ferndale’s municipal water supply.

In January of 2019, the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act announced new water sampling requirements to better detect possible lead in drinking water. These changes require all communities with lead service lines and older housing stock, including Ferndale, to do more sampling than was done in the past. Before 2019, water tests were required from five properties with lead service lines annually; the new requirement is 30. This new sampling method has resulted in higher lead results for some communities—not because the water source or quality has changed, but because of the stricter sampling procedures.

The results of Ferndale water testing shows:

  • three properties out of 30 with lead levels elevated above EGLE’s Action Level (the Action Level is not a health-based standard, but rather a level that triggers the need for additional actions, such as increased sampling)
  • 27 properties out of 30 with safe levels
  • An average 90th percentile lead level—or an average of the three elevated levels—of 15.3 ppb/parts per billion

Click here for more information.

 

Ice Festival Hits Ferndale Dec 14

Ferndale’s traditional Holiday Ice Festival freezes downtown Dec. 14. The fun runs from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Schiffer Park. Come for plenty of traditional holiday activities for the whole family to enjoy including more than 50 ice sculptures, ice carving demonstrations, visits with Santa and hayrides around downtown.

For more information, email the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority at info@downtownferndale.com.

 

 

 

November is Vaping Awareness Month

Ferndale High School is partnering with The American Red Cross, on a “No Vaping” awareness initiative.

Buy a shirt or wristband through the school to raise awareness and money for the cause. Shirts are $10 and wristbands are $5. Purchase these items by contacting FHS Assistant Principal Shaun Butler at shaun.butler@ferndaleschools.org to arrange purchase and pick-up or delivery if you cannot get to the school.

 

 

 

 

Holiday Showplace

Whether you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas or in the market for something crafty, come and check out the Holiday Showplace on Sunday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gerry Kulick Community Center.

Ferndale Parks and Recreation will showcase vendors who specialize in handmade jewelry, art, home decor and so much more.

Interested in being a vendor at the show, submit an application.

 

 

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

Mount Clemens – November 11, 2019

Mount Clemens – November 11, 2019

 

Annual Santa Parade

The 44th Annual Mount Clemens Presents the Macomb County Santa Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23,  at 10 a.m. Bundle up and enjoy this free family event. For additional information, please call 586-469-6818 x325, or visit our website at www. MountClemensSantaParade.com.

 

 

 

Did You Know?

Residents can sign up to receive notifications from the city via email? The email notification allows the city to reach residents in cases of emergency, meeting cancellations and severe weather announcements. Residents can sign up to receive email notifications by going to the city’s website at www. cityofmountclemens.com, clicking on the “Contact” tab at the top of the Home page and “Notification Sign Up.”

 

 

 

Skate Park Survey

TGM Skateboards and the city are working together to determine if the city would be a good location to build a skate park. Have ideas? Take the survey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Clothes Drive

Pops’ Sweets An Treats is partnering with the Mount Clemens Junior Optimist Club to host a winter clothes drive for kids. Donate to a great cause and receive 10% off your purchase in the store. Just drop new or gently used coats, hats, mittens, gloves and more into the collection box at Pops. Then, shop for a sweet treat!

Residents will receive a winter tax bill on or around Dec. 1. It will be due on Feb. 28, 2020. Every resident will receive a tax bill, even if your mortgage company pays them on your behalf. Please keep this copy for your records.

Any balance remaining on your 2019 taxes will be turned over to the Macomb County Treasurer’s Office on March 1, 2020. All payments on or after that date will be payable to: Macomb County Treasurer, 1 S. Main St., Mount Clemens, MI 48043.

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

Auburn Hills – November 11, 2019

Auburn Hills – November 11, 2019

Tree Lighting

Join the community for an evening of holiday celebration as Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the mayor light the Auburn Hills Christmas tree on Friday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m. in downtown Auburn Hills.

Stop by the DEN for pictures with Santa, take a carriage ride through downtown, enjoy s’mores around the fire pit, and see an amazing performance by the Avondale High School Choir.

Questions? Call 248-370-9400.

 

 

 

Let it Go at the Library

Are you excited for the new Frozen movie that comes out this month? Come get ready by watching the original Frozen movie at the library. Because the movie is interactive, you can sing along to your favorite songs and participate along with the movie. Popcorn and maybe a frozen treat will be provided. Put on your Elsa dress and head to the library on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. Get there a little early, so Sven doesn’t eat all the popcorn!

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking: An African Cooking Experience

African cuisine focuses mainly on culture, land and family. Every spice was carefully selected for each dish by the ancestors to enhance the food’s natural flavor. Grab a friend or family member and join in on this hands-on cooking class that explores the earthy flavors of Ethiopian cuisine by learning how to prepare gomen (greens), injera (flat bread) and lentils with yams.

The complete experience includes music and food. All dishes are homemade using only the freshest ingredients. Recipes provided. Everyone is welcome, but the class is structured for people to work in pairs. Parent and child teams are encouraged.

Register through the Community Center or online for the Saturday, Dec. 7, class. It runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The fee is $45 for residents and $50 for non-residents.

 

Fountain Circle Groundbreaking

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the official groundbreaking ceremony took place for Fountain Circle of Auburn Hills. The property is located north of Auburn Road, east of College Drive in Downtown Auburn Hills.

Fountain Circle of Auburn Hills will feature 258 luxury apartment homes in seven, three-story buildings. It will include garages and carports, a clubhouse with fitness center and pool, and park area. The residences will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 575 to 1,375 square feet.

 

 

 

Holiday Extravaganza

Stop by the 38th Annual Holiday Extravaganza Parade and WinterFUN Festival from 8 to 10:30 a.m. for free snacks, crafts and live animals. Then, at 11 a.m., watch for the parade starting at Cesar E. Chavez Ave at the Oakland Livingston Human and ending at the Phoenix Plaza (Pontiac City Square). This collaborative event between Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Waterford and White Lake is open to all and is the perfect way to begin seasonal activities for free.

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

Royal Oak – November 11, 2019

Royal Oak – November 11, 2019

Detroit Zoological Society Helps Give New Life to Old Electronics

Bring your tired TVs, your dusty DVD players and wretched radios from your teeming basements and the Detroit Zoological Society will help give them new life. The Detroit Zoo will collect old and obsolete electronics on America Recycles Day, Friday, Nov. 15.

Electronics can be dropped off for recycling from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the 10 Mile Road parking lot near the gazebo. The DZS will accept all electronics, including radios, printers, computers, televisions, VHS and DVD players and cell phones.

Cell phone production – and its reliance on an ore found in Africa called coltan – is damaging wild habitats and decimating populations of gorillas and other animals. A sustainability talk at the Great Apes of Harambee at 12:30 p.m. will offer guests a greater understanding of how recycling old cell phones can help animals in the wild.

 

 

Beaumont Health Recognized as a ‘Pioneer in Quality’ by the Joint Commission

Beaumont Health has been recognized by The Joint Commission as a 2019 Pioneers in Quality Solution Contributor in electronic clinical quality measures, also called eCQMs. Beaumont is just one of 12 hospitals and health systems to be named in The Joint Commission’s Pioneers in Quality: Proven Practices Collection 2019 for submitting a Proven Practice.

Beaumont’s Proven Practice helps inform Pioneers in Quality program activities and identify trends that help hospitals overcome eCQM and health IT barriers and challenges.

 

 

Public Advisory for Drinking Water Customers

The City of Royal Oak released a public advisory Oct. 27 for nearly 24,000 water customers after testing – which targeted known lead service line locations – found lead concentrations exceeding the Action Level established by the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. This advisory is meant to provide the steps the city will take moving forward, which include more testing and an extensive public education campaign.

 

 

 

 

How to Talk Politics

In an age of painful politics, how do we find what we have in common? Dr. Kevin Deegan-Krause, associate professor at Wayne State University, will discuss the rise in polarization in America’s political system and some practical steps that we as individual citizens can take to strengthen communication with those who see the world in a different way.

Contact Mick Howey at 248-246-3724 or michaelh@ropl.org for more information. Be sure to register for this event.

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor