Meet for a Nature Walk

On Tuesday, July 23, “Meadow of the Arboretum” is being held at the Royal Oak Arboretum at 7 p.m. Meet at the Royal Oak Senior/Community Center at 3500 Marais and use the north end of the parking lot. There is no preregistration or cost for this walk.

Save Money, Raise Money

If you have been thinking about membership at the soon-to-open BJ’s Wholesale Club, join now and help raise funds for Tim’s Kitchen at the Mahany-Meininger Senior Center.

For every membership purchased between now and July 10, BJ’s is donating $5 to Tim’s Kitchen. Memberships can be purchased at the M/M Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reserve Your Seat Now For Schallert Talk

The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority, in partnership with Main Street Oakland County welcomes nationally-known destination downtown expert Jon Schallert to downtown Royal Oak on Wednesday, July 24, at the Hyatt Place Hotel. He will offer insights on how local businesses can transform into consumer destinations.

Schallert is a destination expert. He developed his 14-step “Destination Business” strategy during 30+ years of consulting with small business owners in more than 500 communities across North America. He shares his trademarked approaches with thousands of entrepreneurs every year — transforming their businesses to be more profitable.

The presentation will address:

• Avoid major marketing mistakes
• Target and attract your most profitable customers
• Make your customer love your business in the first seven seconds after they enter your space
• Increase customer loyalty while maintaining profit margins even if competitors are using price discounting
• Create free publicity for your business in newspapers, magazines, television and online

The morning session begins at 8 a.m. and Schallert will present his 14-step destination downtown strategy.

The 12:30 p.m., 60-minute “Marketing Roundtable” is open to Royal Oak businesses only. Attendees will breakdown their business’ components, strengths and weaknesses and compare them with the Destination Businesses discussed in the morning.

“This year, we wanted to provide business owners with something they could use to launch themselves to the next level of success. I think people who attend this workshop will be inspired to take some bold and creative steps,” said Sean Kammer, DDA Downtown manager.

The event is free to attend. Seating for the event is limited to 80 people RSVP on Eventbrite.

Students Learn About Bike Safety Through Community Partnership Program

Royal Oak third-graders learned about bike safety with help from the city, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Optimist Club.

Students at each of the elementary schools heard from Donna Bucciarelli, Beaumont trauma injury prevention education coordinator, and Joe Yerke, Royal Oak Police Department school liaison officer, about the importance of keeping their heads protected, plus how to navigate the roads on a bicycle.

“The impact of the program is that the kids have new awareness about how important it is to take personal responsibility to keep themselves safe,” Bucciarelli said. “They are at an age where mom and dad might not always be with them and that they need to know and take responsibility for what will keep them safe.”

At the end of the presentation, the more than 350 third-graders each received a bike helmet. The helmets were donated by the Royal Oak Optimist Club.

Royal Oak Named No. 2 in the State

Royal Oak has long been a local favorite (spoiler alert!) for nightlife, culture and as a great place to live. But now, there’s official recognition.

Chamberofcommerce.org released a list of Michigan’s best cities to live.  Right there at the top, is Royal Oak:

2. Royal Oak

The regally named Royal Oak ranks #2 on the list. A bit smaller than Troy, which is the No. 1 city, Royal Oak is more affordable, boasting cheaper real estate prices and a lower cost of living, yet is nevertheless safe with a lower than average crime rate. Of note is the Detroit Zoo, which is located in the city.

Namaste at the Detroit Zoo

Local yogis are invited to bring their cows, cats, camels and downward dogs to the Detroit Zoo this summer. Yoga at the Zoo will be held on Mondays and Thursdays, 7:30 to 9 a.m., beginning July 8 through Aug. 29. Guests 13 years of age and older are invited for the unique opportunity to participate in an early-morning meditative flow with a certified yoga instructor.

Yoga at the Zoo sessions will take place at various animal habitats, followed by a zookeeper talk. Guests should bring their own yoga mat and water bottle. Yoga participants can enter the Zoo starting at 7:15 a.m. Yoga at the Zoo is a rain-or-shine event; the rain location will be the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery.

The cost per session is $20 and includes Detroit Zoo admission; parking is $8. Child care will be available for $8; children must be 4 years of age or older and potty-trained. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.dzoo.org/yoga.

More Zoo News: Polk Penguin Conservation Center to Close Temporarily Beginning Sept. 9 for Repairs to Faulty Waterproofing by Contractor

The Detroit Zoological Society will temporarily close the Polk Penguin Conservation Center beginning Sept. 9 through mid-June 2020 to make repairs due to faulty waterproofing by the construction contractor. Approximately 9 gallons of groundwater are seeping into the building and being pumped out each day.

“Unfortunately, the contractor failed to properly waterproof the foundation, was aware that groundwater water was seeping into the building throughout construction, didn’t fix the problem and failed to inform us,” said Ron Kagan, DZS executive director and CEO. “What we initially observed as a leaky basement was more serious. We only learned of the faulty waterproofing through an independent investigation by a team of engineers and through the legal process.”

The Polk Penguin Conservation Center will remain open throughout the summer before work begins Sept. 9. The penguins will live in the former Penguinarium at the Detroit Zoo while their home is being repaired, but that facility will not be open to visitors.

Student Improv Camp Takes the Stage Jul 15-26

“1000 Hats” is a metaphor for the many characters, roles and personalities a student of improvisation plays. One moment she’s a superhero tossing a fireball around a circle of other superheroes, and the next an explorer, trying to figure out how to fit your souvenir yeti into a suitcase.

Through games, role-playing and performances, 1000 Hats improv students have fun exploring different roles and challenging their imaginations as they try on the many hats an improv performer.

Call Stagecrafters at 248-541-8027, or email info@stagecrafters.org with the subject line “1000 Hats,” for more information.

Take Advantage of 30-Minute Parking on Main Street

In December 2018, Royal Oak implemented a pilot program for 30-minute parking spaces, to allow for faster, more convenient short-term parking, including food delivery, in the downtown area. The program includes five designated parking spaces with 30-minute meters along Main Street between 11 Mile Road and Fourth Street, located near Diamonds Steak and Seafood, Bruegger’s Bagels, Starbucks, FedEx Office Print & Ship Center and Verizon Wireless.

The 30-minute meters have designated signage and take coins or credit card payment via ParkMobile. The cost is 50 cents for 30 minutes.

Oakland County Fair Returns to Springfield Oaks County Park July 5-14

Make plans for one of the highlights of the summer – the Oakland County Fair, coming to Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg July 5-14.

This year, the fair features, “Walking with Giants,” a dinosaur and dragon encounter, Presented by Prehistoric Adventures. The creatures are 8 feet tall and 16 feet long and are anatomically correct, with incredibly realistic eye blinking, tail swooshing and a mighty roaring sound.

The fair will also feature The Birdman – Condor Show with three flights daily; Barnyard Express, a mobile educational farm center; Racing Pigs; and Show-Me-Safari Petting Zoo along with other main arena events, contests, fair food, Big Rock Amusements carnival, fireworks, a free concert and livestock.

Fair parking, which includes admission, is $12/vehicle and $6/motorcycle. Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers free parking Friday, July 5, and Thursday, July 11, with a 2019 Oakland County Parks and Recreation Vehicle Permit. Fireworks will begin after dusk following the Friday night, July 5, concert.

Main arena events in the evening include an off-road demolition derby, horse pull, KOI Drag Races, Figure Eight Races, Superkicker Rodeo, Night of Destruction and Monster Trucks. Tickets for these events may be purchased at OakFair.org.

Springfield Oaks County Park is located at 12451 Andersonville Road in Davisburg.

For a complete fair schedule, visit OakFair.org.

Increase Your Sales and Make Your Business a Draw

Learn how to turn your business into a uniquely positioned destination capable of pulling in customers from hundreds of miles away.

Jon Schallert is an internationally-recognized speaker and business expert specializing in teaching businesses and communities how to turn themselves into consumer destinations. Schallert speaks to thousands annually on his proprietary 14-step “Destination Business” process. His methodology has been used extensively by towns, cities, villages, downtowns, seasonal tourist locations, shopping centers, retail chains, franchises, and independent small business owners.

This free event is July 24 at the Hyatt Place Royal Oak.

Event Schedule 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

8 to 11:15 a.m.
Workshop (open to everyone)

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Lunch on your own

12:30 to 2 p.m.

Marketing Roundtable (Royal Oak business only please)

Contact 248-914-4589 for more information.

Register on Eventbrite here

Sign Your Child Up for STEM Summer Camps

Registration is now open for middle school students looking to participate in a hands-on, project-based learning program centered around science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM concepts.

Each camp is grade-specific and enables students to experience culinary arts, engineering, health sciences, information technology, robotics and visual imaging. Students will also have the opportunity to visit STEM-related programs at Oakland University and will create professional portfolios during a career day.

The camps are held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free after-camp care is available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The camp is for incoming sixth graders from June 24 through 28, for incoming seventh graders from July 8 through 12 and incoming eighth graders from July 15 through 19.

The camp is housed at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southeast, 5055 Delemere Avenue in Royal Oak. The cost is $190 a week, including lunch and snack. Dinner is provided to students who stay for after-camp care. Click here for more information.

An Open Letter from the Department of Public Services About Park Maintenance

Most of the 50 parks in Royal Oak are hideous overgrown messes right now. As are the boulevards and islands. Many of the soccer and baseball fields haven’t been mowed in over a week. It’s unacceptable.

Every spring we have flooding due to rain, but this year has been especially bad. Hopefully, this week will be our saving grace. Not only is there finally decent weather for the most part, but high school seniors graduated last Friday! That means this week, in addition to our four full-time employees cutting grass, there are now 11 part-timers as well. That’ll help.

We’re also waiting to start pouring concrete and putting four highway guys on mow crews when they’re not cold-patching until we’re caught up.

In the last two days, we had to have ‘stuck’ mowers towed out of parks seven times. The ground is still saturated. It’s a two-week cycle from start to finish to mow our 50 parks. That’s with good weather and dry ground.

Please bear with us folks. It’s gonna take a couple weeks, but we’ll get there. We’re putting up tennis nets in between striping soccer fields and ball diamonds. We’re picking up park rubbish once a week, and we’re keeping the cans close to the road where possible, so we can do it as quickly as possible and get back to mowing.

Many of you had trees planted in front of your homes a couple weeks ago. We’ll be sending two of our arborists out next week to inspect the planted trees. I know some will need replacement, and some need to be moved. The contractor gives us a year warranty, so we have time. July/August once the grass starts growing slower, we’ll focus on the much-needed maintenance in some of our parks.

We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please feel free to call or email me any time. I can generally respond the same day. I do not make job assignments or respond to requests via Facebook. Sorry.

Lee Collick
RO Highway/Parks & Forestry Supervisor

Police Department Starts Cracking Down on Woodward Cruisers

Royal Oak police will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to illegal activity involving cruisers on Woodward Ave.

It falls on the police every year, once the weather turns warm, to depress any unlawful behavior along the city’s nearly six miles of curbs on Woodward Avenue. Speeding, loud music, and littering are just some of the complaints the police department fields.

Woodward Avenue – one of only 31 byways to be designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration – hosts the Woodward Dream Cruise annually in August. Royal Oak is widely considered the epicenter of the one-day event.

“We are proud of Woodward’s strong heritage and the role we play in keeping the Dream Cruise a safe event for its fans,” said Chief Corrigan O’Donohue. “But the neighbors and businesses along Woodard have had enough with the summer-long activity. For the last few years, we have tried just asking motorists to move along and enforcing the more serious infractions, however, it has become like herding cats and it is pulling a tremendous amount of police resources. There is no question that our residents and business owners would like us to take a more aggressive approach to resolve this issue.”

In addition to the more obvious violations, the Royal Oak Police Department reminds motorists that it is illegal to park on private property without the owner’s permission. Most of the businesses along Woodward have granted police permission to enforce this activity.

To report witnessed infractions, call the police non-emergency line at 248-246-3500.

Oakland Elementary to Host Summer Food Program, Activities

This summer, Oakland Elementary will be a Meet Up and Eat Up location, providing breakfast and lunch to those 18 and under. The program runs Monday through Friday, June 19 – Aug. 9, with no meals on July 4-5. Breakfast will run from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and lunch will run from 11 a.m. to noon. No pre-qualification is necessary. Meet Up and Eat Up is open to students and children of any city or school district. In addition, the site may host some special activities around breakfast and lunch. Oakland Elementary is located at 2415 Brockton Avenue in Royal Oak.

June Board of Education Meeting to Feature Former Lincoln Elementary Time Capsule

At the June 13 Board of Education meeting, administrators and board members will open a time capsule from the former Lincoln Elementary. The capsule was put together in 1965, and it was recently rediscovered. All are invited to attend the meeting to see what was preserved in the 54-year-old capsule. The meeting is Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at the District Administration Office, 800 Devillen in  Royal Oak. Golfers invited to join Royal Oak Schools Foundation Golf Outing On Monday, June 24, the Royal Oak Schools Foundation is hosting its 26^th annual golf outing to benefit the students of Royal Oak Public Schools. The event takes place at Red Run Golf Course, a private club, but for this occasion, golfers don’t need to be a member. Sign up for the Golf Outing or entering and paying online.

‘Zoom to the Zoo’ with a SMART – and Sustainable – Transit Option

The Detroit Zoological Society and SMART are protecting the environment one bus ride at a time – while improving accessibility for Detroit Zoo-goers – with its partnership called “Zoom to the Zoo.” Now through Sept. 30, each visitor who rides the SMART FAST bus to the Zoo will receive a $2 discount on Zoo admission with proof of their ride shown at the gate, a wristband for free fountain drinks at Zoo concessions on the day of their visit and a free return bus ride.  Detroit Zoological Society Members and guests who Zoom to the Zoo with pre-paid admission tickets will receive a free ride on the wildlife carousel. “This is a great way to improve accessibility for guests who may have trouble getting to the Zoo and it also eases the challenges associated with traffic, parking and construction,” said Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoological Society executive director and CEO. “The best part is that by riding SMART, Zoo visitors can both save money and reduce their carbon footprint.” One bus has the potential to eliminate 60 vehicles on the road, according to SMART, Michigan’s only regional public transportation provider.

Blast Into Summer and Celebrate the Opening of the New Parking Structure

Celebrate the grand opening of the new 11 Mile Road parking structure on June 15 with giveaways, yoga and more. From 7 a.m. to noon, the first 100 people who park in the structure will receive free reusable market bags, plus the chance to win “market bucks,” which are redeemable with any vendor at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. At 9 a.m., Namaste Yoga will host rooftop yoga, and from 2 to 4 p.m., children can enjoy a pop-up park with games and crafts. Learn more at romi.gov/blast

New Parking Garage Now Open

The new parking garage at 11 Mile Road in downtown Royal Oak is now open. It features 581 new parking spaces and is accessible off 11 Mile Road. A future entrance will be accessible off of 2nd Street.

Take advantage of free parking in the garages every Thursday through Sunday beginning June 6 throughout this month.

Free pedicab rides are also available to anyone for the duration of the promotion, courtesy of the Royal Oak DDA. Special thanks to SKOOP for bringing their East Lansing Fleet to Royal Oak.

Downtown Business Owners Meeting June 13

The June 13 stakeholders meeting will be at the Royal Oak Public Library. These meetings are designed to create conversations around issues facing business and property owners in downtown Royal Oak.

Due to the frequency of questions from business owners downtown about the issue, this month’s meeting will focus on a discussion about homelessness in Oakland County and its impact on downtown Royal Oak. Special guest Benjamin Ogden from Welcome Inn Day Center will briefly discuss the issues as well as explain the purpose of Welcome Inn.

Michigan Aiming to be a Hotspot for Job Growth as Older Workers Retire

Trade jobs are looking to be a bright spot in the Michigan economy as older workers retire. Estimates show that 545,000 skilled-labor jobs will be available by the end of 2026.

In response to the anticipated need, the Talent and Economic Development Department jump started a campaign called “Going Pro” to raise awareness for the growth potential in skilled trades fields and to inspire younger workers to consider the trades as a career.

“There is a big gap to fill, but we think that presents an opportunity,” said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, speaking at a press event at Lansing Community College’s West Campus. “There are a lot of talented hardworking people in Michigan, and we want to make sure there’s a pathway for them to have a high-wage, high-quality career.”

Trade careers include jobs in construction, manufacturing, health care, automotive and information technology. The jobs typically require some training beyond high school but not necessarily a four-year degree, which is appealing to many because they graduate from their programs with little, if any, debt.

Detroit Zoo Boosts Local Economy with Impact of Over $167 Million in 2018

Five-year study shows average annual economic impact of $175 million

Who knew monkeys, zebras and a few aardvarks could drive the local economy to the tune of $167 million?

An analysis of the economic impacts of the Detroit Zoo found that the largest paid family attraction in Michigan had a total economic impact of $167.6 million in the Metro Detroit community in 2018. The study by Conventions, Sports and Leisure International showed an average annual economic impact of more than $175 million over a five-year period from 2014 to 2018.

Over the past five years, the Detroit Zoo has attracted a total of nearly 7.5 million visitors, or an average of approximately 1.5 million annual attendees. Zoo visitation reached a high of nearly 1.7 million in 2016 with the opening of the Polk Penguin Conservation Center.

Clay, Glass & Metal Show Takes New Name, Look

Clay, Glass and Metal has a new look and a new name. The award-winning art show features works created from heat using fire and earth.

Held in the heart of the downtown, the only mediums presented in this June show are Clay, Glass & Metal pieces, ranging from jewelry to large, decorative pieces. Entrees are juried by a group of artists to ensure only the best of the best are presented.

Save the date:

Clay, Glass & Metal

Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Washington Avenue, between 5th Street and Lincoln.