Grosse Pointe Times

Published June 27, 2015

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Although their eyes were stinging a bit and the smell wasn’t the most appealing, Rochelle Niemiec and Justin Updyke got the job done.

The pair chopped up a tray full of onions on the morning of June 23 as they prepared a delicious lunch from scratch alongside their classmates in the culinary/pastry arts summer teen academy at Macomb Community College’s Center Campus.

Every summer, the school offers a number of week-long academies in different fields to give local teenagers the opportunity to explore various careers.

Published June 26, 2015

Lake Erie toxic algal bloom may be smaller than last year’s

According to researchers, the annual bloom of harmful algae on Lake Erie is on track to be on par with the 2009-10 blooms, though still smaller than last year’s bloom that saw the shutdown of the Toledo water system.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its preliminary report June 15 on what it expects from Erie’s bloom this year, with a more accurate one coming in early July.

Published June 24, 2015

Shores agrees to extend recycling contract with Rizzo

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — Like some other cities in the consortium, including Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe City, officials in Grosse Pointe Shores have agreed to a three-year extension of their recycling contract with Rizzo Environmental Services.

Published June 24, 2015

New roof, vestibule planned for Grosse Pointe City Hall

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Just like the former house it once was, Grosse Pointe City Hall, at 17147 Maumee Ave., is in need of some improvements.

The building will be getting a new roof, painting, insulation and vestibule at a cost of $207,500. The City Council voted 5-1 June 15 in favor of the low bid from M.L. Schoenherr Construction Inc., one of three contractors who were vying for the job. Public Service Director Gary Huvaere said $245,000 was set aside in the 2015-16 capital projects budget for this project.

Published June 24, 2015

Personalities emerge from artworks in ‘Faces and Figures’

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Portrait painting is a time-honored tradition in art that stretches back centuries, and while it may not be as common now as it was before the advent of photography, many artists still specialize in this area.

Published June 24, 2015

Guard against Lyme disease this summer

METRO DETROIT — Tick bites can have long-lasting consequences.

A specific species of the bloodsucking arachnid, the blacklegged tick — also known as the deer tick — can spread Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that, if left untreated, can cause issues for months or years after the initial bite.

Published June 24, 2015

Demand for new construction, higher interest rates could make housing market tougher for sellers

METRO DETROIT — The housing market in metro Detroit is still flooded with buyers and sellers, but things may get a little more difficult for sellers as interest rates have started trending upward and more buyers are looking to get into new builds.

Keller Williams real estate agent John Kurczak, based in Sterling Heights, said that just as things have changed in the types of homes that buyers are looking at, so too has the way that homes are sold.

Published June 24, 2015

Prevent foodborne illness at your summertime picnic

METRO DETROIT — Hot, humid days spent sizzling under the summer sun are one of the few antidotes to a long Michigan winter.

Soaking up the heat is fine, of course, as long as it’s not your food that’s doing the sweating.

The Oakland County Health Division recently released a list of food safety reminders as residents get ready to head out for summer picnics. Tony Drautz, environmental health administrator for the division, said they like to give cooks a brush-up on the basics this time of year, when meals tend to migrate outdoors.

Published June 24, 2015

Local nonprofits dive in to set record, save lives

METRO DETROIT — After the YMCA helped set a Guinness World Record last year for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson, you’d think they’d take a year off.

Think again.

Last week, the nonprofit teamed up again with World’s Largest Swim Lesson — a coalition of national water safety experts and trainers — to try to set the record for the world’s largest swim lesson in 24 hours. Currently, Team WLSL holds the Guinness record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson, with 36,564 participants in 22 countries around the world.

Published June 22, 2015

16 fall in massive Medicare fraud sweep

METRO DETROIT — Sixteen people around metro Detroit have been charged in what the federal government is calling the largest Medicare fraud takedown in history.

Nationwide, 243 arrests were made as part of the investigation, including doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals for their alleged participation in schemes to defraud Medicare of $712 million through false billings. The investigation also led to the suspension of a number of health care providers.

Published June 22, 2015

GM, local dealership plan new investments in Warren

A stretch of Van Dyke Avenue in Warren is seeing signs of redevelopment as General Motors and a local dealership have committed to investing in the area.

In May, GM announced that its Warren Technical Center in Warren is poised to undergo an estimated nine-figure investment toward renovation and expansion.

GM spokesman Dan Flores said the automaker opened the Tech Center in the 1950s, and it has served as a core hub of vehicle development and design as well as research and development.

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Published June 19, 2015

Officials gather for State of Lake St. Clair

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — With the Pride of Michigan floating in the background, local officials and business leaders touted the impact that the lake continues to have on the local economy during the second annual State of Lake St. Clair address on June 10.

County Executive Mark Hackel said Macomb County’s Blue Water Economy initiative is the reason for numerous accomplishments since its inception in 2013.

Published June 18, 2015

Jail inmates released due to overcrowding

MOUNT CLEMENS — Dozens of prisoners at the Macomb County Jail were released the evening of June 17 and the morning of June 18 due to overcrowding, sheriff’s officials reported.

According to Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, an overcrowding state of emergency was declared on June 2 after the jail population exceeded the rated design capacity (RDC).

Published June 17, 2015

Woods still handling aftermath of trench collapse

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Almost eight months after a trench collapse took the life of a Sterling Heights man in a typically peaceful neighborhood in Grosse Pointe Woods, city officials continue to work on issues related to the tragic incident.

Published June 17, 2015

Labyrinth in memory of Jane Bashara is a path to peace

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — It rained steadily for most of June 14, but for a brief period in the early afternoon, the clouds parted slightly and the sun peeked through.

That was also the time when Jane’sWalkgp, a labyrinth built in the memory of the late Jane Engelbrecht Bashara, was dedicated at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Grosse Pointe Woods.

Published June 17, 2015

New technologies improve flooring options

METRO DETROIT — The flooring scene has changed drastically in the last few years, according to flooring experts in the area.

New types of flooring are available, such as luxury vinyl, which can resemble any other type of floor. And other timeless types of flooring, such as hardwood and carpet, have advanced leaps and bounds in terms of stability, finishes, style and softness.

Matt Pfeiffer, owner of Northern Flooring in Lake Orion, said that hardwood is the No. 1 type of flooring in Michigan and the best investment in terms of resale factor.

Published June 17, 2015

In the summer, families opt for movie nights under the stars

METRO DETROIT — With winters that seem to last most of the year, Michiganders know how to take advantage of the warm weather once it finally rolls around.

Dinner time, exercise routines and daily play all seem to migrate outdoors in the summer months. It should come as no surprise, then, that many families in metro Detroit like to relocate movie night to the open air, too.

Published June 16, 2015

Things are looking up for wing-themed Fairy Tale Festival

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — Attendees of this year’s Fairy Tale Festival should be ready to go on a high-flying adventure.

The fifth annual festival — which takes place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 27 on the grounds of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores — is titled “Things with Wings: Fairy Tales at Ford House.” Along those lines, organizers plan to introduce creatures, characters and creations that fly, from planes to fairies to birds to caped superheroes.

Published June 15, 2015

Court of Appeals upholds original rules regulating charitable gaming

METRO DETROIT — The Michigan Gaming Control Board and 15 plaintiffs, including the Michigan Charitable Gaming Association, have been in a legal battle since the MGCB filed new rules on May 14, 2014, that would significantly limit the amount and type of business conducted in charity poker lounges.

Published June 15, 2015

Don’t let teen drivers become a summer danger statistic

Few things suggest summer like vacations, camping, cookouts and the beach. But AAA Michigan is reminding drivers that summer can also bring increased danger on the roads.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the season between Memorial Day and Labor Day makes up what AAA calls the “100 Deadliest Days.” Teen deaths related to auto accidents tend to rise during this period partly because teens have more time and chances to drive, according to the foundation.

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