Grosse Pointe Times

Published November 5, 2014

Don’t be left in the dark

METRO DETROIT — Feel like you haven’t been getting enough Zs lately?

It’s not just you.

According to experts, the shift in seasons can change more than the color of leaves — it can change our sleep patterns.

Published April 2, 2014

Pro football loses another iconic leader

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — Only weeks after the passing of Detroit Lions football team owner William Clay Ford, fellow businessman, philanthropist, Shores resident and NFL franchise owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. has died.

Wilson, 95, died at his lakefront Grosse Pointe Shores home the afternoon of March 25, with his wife, Mary, and daughters Christy and Edith — better known as Dee Dee — at his side. He was predeceased by his daughter, Linda Bogdan.

Published March 19, 2014

Trial of murder suspect Myron T. Williams begins

DETROIT — It’s hard to believe that someone with as gentle a nature as Sabrina Gianino would have met such a violent end.

Published March 5, 2014

Seedlings deliver the promise of spring

Starting plants like marigolds and tomatoes indoors from seeds helps beat the winter blues.

“It is nice to see things grow,” said Joni Makowski, store manager of Allemon’s Landscape Center in Detroit. “It is a good activity for the family. The longer the winter, everybody thinks about it. I have four kids. We always plant different seeds in eggshells.”

Published February 19, 2014

A dash of this, a pinch of that…

The old saying goes that a little sugar and spice make everything nice. Well, there’s no doubt we’ve got the sugar thing down pat; but are we really taking advantage of the amazing flavors that spices can add to our cooking?

Published February 12, 2014

Love imitates art for real-life couples from ‘Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding’

GROSSE POINTES/WARREN — Valentine’s Day is all about love and romance, and what’s more romantic than two people pledging their lifelong devotion to each other?

Published February 5, 2014

Enjoy art in the great outdoors

DETROIT — Masterpieces by artists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh will be on the move this summer.

For the fifth year, high-quality reproductions of some of the most beloved works in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection will be making their way to local street corners, cafés, parks and other public outdoor spaces as part of the Inside|Out project.

During a press conference Jan. 17, DIA officials announced the list of communities that will be receiving several of the more-than 80 reproductions this year, including at least one new artwork.

Published November 26, 2013

Holiday shows are stuffed with good cheer

The lights, the songs, the anticipation! No, it’s not everyone tearing into their presents on Christmas morning as the holiday music plays in the background — it’s one of the many festive shows you’ll find around town.

And after all of the preparation, stress, spending, wrapping and running around, what better gift to give to yourself than an evening to sit back, relax and be entertained?

Here are just a few of this year’s highlights:

Published November 13, 2013

Presents with presence

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Whether they’re trying to bolster local businesses or support local workers, buying Made in Michigan products is a positive trend that has generated a lot of interest among consumers.

Published November 13, 2013

Memorials created for much-loved teachers

GROSSE POINTES — Students hung orange and yellow leaves on the branches of a fall fiesta maple tree with messages to a teacher who would have loved the crisp, fall atmosphere where family, students and friends gathered to remember his legacy this week.

Parcells Middle School hosted a dedication to teacher Brian Aulph. Aulph died in February at the age of 36 following complications from surgery, according to media reports.

“You’re my favorite teacher,” one student wrote on a leaf during the ceremony.

Published October 16, 2013

Holiday Mart customers can shop the ‘D’ this year

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Early bird holiday shoppers have a lot more reasons to check out Grosse Pointe Holiday Mart this year.

Published October 16, 2013

Looking Back: Cook School

Cook School, pictured here in the 1890s, is a one-room schoolhouse that opened as the Fractional District No. 9 School in 1890. The school was originally built on land at Mack, near Lochmoor Boulevard.

The school initially was built to house 60 students from first-eighth grades, even though only 30 students attended the first year it opened. The school focused on reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, English grammar, U.S. history and orthography (spelling). Physiology and civil government were added later.

Published October 8, 2013

Pierce Middle School hosts 75th anniversary fundraising event

GROSSE POINTE PARK — It was a different world when workers started erecting Pierce Middle School from the ground up; 75 years of history have passed between the first brick being laid and today.

It’s a milestone that will be remembered and celebrated Nov. 9 with a 75th anniversary dinner and auction at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

“This has been a labor of love from many committed parents and staff members past and present,” Pierce Principal Gary Buslepp said.

Published October 2, 2013

Local lore lures history, theater buffs to ‘Legends of the Lake’

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — From trade to food to irrigation, Lake St. Clair played a pivotal role in the decision of early settlers to take up residence in the area now known as the Grosse Pointes.

Published September 11, 2013

GP Art Center members sparkle during diamond anniversary

GROSSE POINTE CITY — What began with an exhibition of works by Grosse Pointe area artists at the Neighborhood Club has grown into one of the most notable regional arts nonprofits around.

The Grosse Pointe Art Center — which started as the Grosse Pointe Artists Association, getting its formal name in 1938 — is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and its 75th Member’s Show, which opened with a public reception Sept. 6, shows the range of its hundreds of members, who now hail from all over metro Detroit.

Published September 4, 2013

Audience gets up close and personal for fall play

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — When Grosse Pointe North students take the stage for their fall play later this month, they’ll face something they don’t normally see in the darkness of a theater — the expressions of the audience.

That’s because the audience will be on the same stage as they perform “Almost, Maine.”

“It’s going to be very cool,” said Kristin Duus, one of the producers. “We’re kind of doing it in, like, a theater in the round. It’s going to be very different.”

Published September 3, 2013

It’s time to fall for VillageFest

GROSSE POINTE CITY — The summer festival season may technically be over, but VillageFest carries those beloved festival staples — from live entertainment and art, to food and activities for the kids — into the start of fall.

Published August 28, 2013

City officials praise revised St. John plan for Borders building

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Although most City leaders soundly rejected a previous proposal, a new concept St. John Hospital Providence Health System officials have for the vacant Borders store in the Village was met with a much warmer reception.

Published August 28, 2013

Fundraiser is an ‘enchanting’ evening in an enchanting garden

DETROIT — With its exotic blooms and tranquil atmosphere, stepping inside the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle is like stepping into a world of natural wonder.

There, visitors will find an acre of cacti, blooming plants, tropical trees, ferns and unusual orchids in the World of Horticulture alone, along with the elegant formal perennial garden and lily pond gardens.

Published August 28, 2013

Oakland County to pull DIA funding if art is sold

OAKLAND COUNTY — The Oakland County Art Authority has sent a strong statement to those handling the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy: hands off the DIA.

During the most recent meeting of the Oakland County Art Authority Aug. 20, the five-member board voted unanimously to pass a resolution that would cancel their existing contract to financially support the Detroit Institute of Arts if the museum’s collection is affected by the city’s bankruptcy process.