Veterans Day Ceremony at Berkley War Memorial

On Veterans Day, Berkley American Legion Stanley J. Fons Post 374 will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Berkley War Memorial just outside City Hall. In addition, the Berkley Historical Museum will have a special display on the Berkley Troops during World War II. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to noon for people attending the ceremony.

Berkley Chess Club

Players of all ages and ability levels are welcome to play with the Berkley Chess Club on Monday, Nov. 18. If you have a board, go ahead and bring it, but if you are a new player, there will be spares. If you have any questions, email the organizer at Christopher_m_payne@yahoo.com.

Mindfulness & Meditation

Relax your mind with Berkley Public Library‘s Mindfulness Meditation class featuring Greg Sherburn starting Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m. Learn techniques on how to open up the world and be in the present moment. Click for more information.

Firefighters go to Kindergarten

Last week, Berkley firefighters went back to kindergarten to teach the students at Rogers Elementary School about fire safety. The kids learned about firefighters’ equipment and even got to try it on.

America’s Classiest Cars

Presented by Russell Doré, historian, learn about the most luxurious classic cars built by American companies. Find out how the Eckhart Brothers, E.L. Cord, the Duesenberg Brothers and Harry Stutz built their companies. Follow mergers between some of these companies and how the companies finally ended their production.

The presentation is Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the library. Register online or call 248-658-3440.

First Responder Basketball Game

Join your Berkley Public Safety Officers as they take on the traveling First Responder’s Tour; connecting local high school youth, and police agencies through basketball. There will be plenty of laughs, hoops and amazing competition to be had.

Be at Berkley High School on Friday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. for the fun.

Get Out and Play

Berkley Parks and Rec offers a wide variety of classes and programs for everyone. Be sure to check out the online catalog for classes that include drawing for children, photography and self-defense for adults, and a whole calendar of events for seniors.

Students Sponsor Military Appreciation Day

U.S. History students from Berkley High School are sponsoring the eighth annual Military Appreciation Day on Nov. 4. This event brings military personnel, both retired and active duty, together with high school students for a day filled with great conversations, amazing entertainment and thoughtful connections.

Register by Oct. 31, for veterans and active-duty members who would like to attend.

Friends,

We had a beautiful fall day this past Friday, so my kids and I played hooky and went to the cider mill.

The weather was perfect: cool temps, blue skies and the sun was warm on our backs. The apples were plentiful on the trees and the pumpkins were picture-perfect in the fields.

Going to the cider mill is so romanticized in my head. I always think about how cute I’ll look in flannel and boots; how adorable my kids will be running through the orchard; how wholesome we’ll be out in nature gathering our food. In reality, I look like an actual farmer (not the goal), the kids are running because they’re afraid of bees and our farm-to-table apples cost a whopping $26 for a half of a bushel. The doughnuts are even insanely expensive at nearly $9 a dozen.

But some aspects of the cider mill are priceless, such as convincing my kids we have to pick doughnuts off the trees because they’re best when fresh. They weren’t 100% persuaded, but they didn’t want to take any chances either, so they saved a produce bag just in case we rolled by any doughnut trees.

It’s always best to be prepared.

Rebecca

Electronics Recycling

SOCRRA and the Berkley Environmental Advisory Committee will be hosting a recycling event on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Berkley Community Center in the old ice arena parking lot.

SOCRRA staff, the BEAC, and DPW will be there to assist residents.

Wondering what electronics are accepted?

Monitors
Laptops
Printers
Radio
Fax
Portable CD Player
TVs
Scanners
Fans
Power Tools
Calculators
Small Appliances
Digital Camera
Video Recorder
Phones

Residents must remove any sensitive or personal information from all devices. SOCCRA does not provide the service.

On-Site Paper Shredder
We are requesting residents only bring sensitive documents. Make sure to remove all plastic covers, metal binders and paper clips. Staples are okay. 

For more information, please contact our Public Works at 248-658-3490.

Library Introduces Hoopla

The Berkley Public Library now offers Hoopla, a new library app, to all patrons. Free ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, comics and more—without a wait. Head to hoopladigital.com or come to the library to sign up and get more info.

Charity Basketball Rolls Into Berkley

Cheer the Berkley Public Safety Officers as they take on the traveling First Responder’s Tour in a game of basketball. The game is supposed to connect local high school youth and police agencies.

There will be plenty of laughs, hoops and amazing competition to be had. This event allows youth to get closer one-on-one friendly contact with local law enforcement.

Tip-off is Friday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. at Berkley High School.

Veterans Day Recognition

On Veterans Day, Berkley American Legion Stanley J. Fons Post 374 will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Berkley War Memorial just outside City Hall. In addition, the Berkley Historical Museum will have a special display on the Berkley Troops during World War II. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to noon for those attending the ceremony.

I got my flu shot today. It came with a spiffy purple bandage with some weird design on it. I figured if I was going to take my kids to get their vaccination, I should lead by example.

It’s not going to help put their minds at ease, though. It will be a battle to get them in the car, out of the car, and then when it’s over and they’ve undoubtedly survived the ordeal, they’ll be mad at me for a while.

My conscience is clear.

However, if this year is anything like last year, I’m not sure who was more traumatized—them or me. They gave me a run for my money. When kids don’t want to do something, like get a shot, they suddenly become slippery, wet noodles with superhuman strength that can fit in any crevasse. I had no idea it was going to be so hard to get a 50-pound kid out of a Ford Fusion. By the time we got in the doctor’s office, we were all sweaty, some were crying, and no one was happy.

I guess this is part of the reason I run 5ks. Wish me luck.

Rebecca

19th Annual State of the Cities

Learn about the state of your local communities on Friday, Oct. 25. The event starts with breakfast at 8 a.m. The program begins at 8:45 a.m. at Farina’s Banquet Center, 2485 Coolidge Hwy. in Berkley.

The 19^th Annual State of the Cities is presented by the Berkley Area Chamber of Commerce. This event gives an opportunity for local government entities to report out to the community about the activities for the year. In addition, the Chamber is able to honor business people and organizations that are supportive of the community.

Guardians of Detroit

Listen to Jeff Morrison, author of Guardians of Detroit, as he presents his photos of Detroit. He has more than 100 spectacular close-up pictures of architectural sculpture from throughout Detroit. The event is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the library. You will also learn about the symbolism behind the ornamentation and hear some of the untold stories of the artists, artisans and architects involved in its creation, all drawn from the book.

Be sure to register for this event to hold your spot.

Inside Berkley

Have you checked out the latest edition of Inside Berkley? Watch City Manager Matt Baumgarten as he talks about upcoming events, news to know and plans in Berkley.

Drug Take-Back Event

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. To combat these tragedies, the Berkley Department of Public Safety is hosting a drug take-back event on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring in your old, expired drugs or medications to be disposed of properly. No questions asked.

Join the Berkley Chamber Chat

Business owners and customers in and around Berkley are invited to attend the Berkley Area Chamber Chat on Friday, Oct. 18. The conversation will be at Annabelle’s at 3369 Robina Ave., Berkley.

Election Workers Needed

Interested in working elections? Our City Clerk’s office needs election workers for the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Learn how to apply.

Tale on the Trail – Halloween Edition

Join Berkley Parks and Recreation and the Berkley Public Library for a spooky fun time. Read pages from Click, Clack, Boo! while enjoying treats along the way. The fun is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Jaycee Park on Bacon in Berkley.

Costumes are encouraged. Staggered start times begin at 6 p.m.

New City Clerk Hits the Ground Running

Victoria Mitchell started her first week as Berkley city clerk.

In her first week on the team, she already began preparing for the local elections that are just around the corner. Victoria is very excited to serve Berkley and to meet many residents in the coming weeks.

Friends,

It’s officially autumn. Beyond the pumpkin spice debate lies a more important topic in my house: Halloween.

My 7-year-old twins have been planning their costumes since August, so I’m very aware of how critical Oct. 31 is in their world. I’m not the only one, either. So many communities are planning trick-or-treat events, that I can’t possibly list them all. As a PTO mom, I’m helping plan a trunk-or-treat at our Eastside elementary.

Enjoy the fun of October. In addition to getting juiced up on candy, there are apple orchards to visit (try convincing your kids that you’re going doughnut picking, too, it’s fun), pumpkins to carve, chili to make and football to watch. What’s your favorite activity?

Enjoy autumn,

Rebecca

Touch-A-Truck

Berkley Parks & Recreation is teaming up with the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Works to bring you Touch-A-Truck 2019. A variety of trucks will be on hand for kids to explore and enjoy on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Community Center.

Berkley Schools Celebrate New Administrative Offices

On Monday, Sept. 16, Berkley Schools celebrated the official grand opening of the Administrative Offices at a ribbon cutting and open house ceremony. The community was invited in to see the transformation from an early childhood center (formerly Tyndall Center) to an office building focused on professional development and collaborative spaces.

Berkley Schools also dedicated the largest conference room in the Administrative building to Larry Gallagher, who is the district’s deputy superintendent of Finance, Facilities and Operations.