Rochester Post

Published May 12, 2015

Shopping in downtown Rochester goes to the dogs

ROCHESTER — You don’t have to wait until the dog days of summer to bring your four-legged friend to downtown Rochester.

Nearly 20 downtown Rochester merchants are now officially welcoming dogs.

Stephanie Hellebuyck, events coordinator of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority, said downtown Rochester is already a dog-friendly place, and now more of its businesses are, too.

Published May 11, 2015

State, federal governments issue car seat guidelines

Auto safety experts are inviting parents to sit down and review the facts of properly securing small children in the back seat to avoid accident-related injuries.

Alyson Kechkaylo, occupant protection program coordinator for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, is also a certified child passenger safety technician.

She said Michigan law basically requires kids to be secured in a car seat until they are at least 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. But parent compliance often varies depending on the child’s age, she explained.
Read More

Published May 7, 2015

Asthma’s in the air

METRO DETROIT — May is Asthma Awareness Month, and local doctors and the American Lung Association are urging the approximately 25 million people in the United States who suffer from asthma to learn how to take control of the disease.

Published May 6, 2015

Before buying a home, get some tips from the pros

METRO DETROIT — Embarking on the search for a new home can be daunting, especially for first-time buyers, so C & G Newspapers asked several experts, including real estate agents and a representative from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, for guidance.

John Kurczak, a Keller Williams Realtor, said the best way to start is to find out what you can afford.

Published May 6, 2015

C & G staffers share stories of moms’ warmth and wisdom

METRO DETROIT — Mother’s Day is just around the corner. But when a special lady in your life has given you cherished memories or sage advice to take with you through the years, isn’t every day Mother’s Day just a little bit?

Published May 5, 2015

Voters say no to Proposal 1

Michigan roads are a disaster. That’s no surprise, as residents in C & G Newspapers’ coverage area have voiced their concerns about the dilapidated roads and growing potholes.

Voters were asked to decide on a proposal to amend the Michigan Constitution, increasing the sales/use tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. And on May 5, 80 percent of voters turned down Proposal 1, 1,405,716 votes to 349,813 votes, according to the state of Michigan’s unofficial election results.

Published May 5, 2015

Detroit Jazz Festival strikes the right chord with famed guitarist Pat Metheny

DETROIT — The Detroit Jazz Festival has been attracting some of the top jazz players in the world for years, but the 36th annual festival scored a particular coup this year with artist-in-residence Pat Metheny.

The jazz guitarist and composer, who has won 20 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 20 million records, will be performing with a number of other jazz greats — including Kenny Garrett, Ron Carter and the Gary Burton Quartet — during the festival, which takes place over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-7, in downtown Detroit.

Published May 4, 2015

Stamping out hunger

MACOMB COUNTY —
Last year’s magic number was 300,000.

That was approximately how many pounds of food Macomb County residents donated during the National Association of Letter Carriers and U.S. Postal Service “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive held in 2014.

Macomb Food Program coordinator Linda Azar said the donations fed more than 140,000 Macomb County residents and that without the Postal Service’s food drive, “I don’t know what we would do.”

Published May 4, 2015

Motorcycles require extra attention in traffic

Warmer weather means it’s more likely for bikers to take their prized possessions for a ride on Michigan’s roads. And that means everyone on the road needs to be cautious, whether on two wheels or four.

AAA Michigan Public Affairs Director Susan Hiltz said drivers should never tailgate a motorcycle or abruptly change lanes in front of one.

Read More

Published April 30, 2015

Legislature considers changing no-fault system

Michigan’s no-fault insurance law, which has existed for around four decades, could face significant changes if the state Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder pass through pending legislation, according to activists on both side of the debate.

Senate Bill 248 passed the Senate April 16, and a state House version passed in a House committee April 23. A full House vote is expected to take place soon.

Published April 30, 2015

U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on marriage equality

The eyes of the nation were on the U.S. Supreme Court on April 28 as it heard arguments for and against same-sex marriage. The cases were brought forth by Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

The first issue, directly involving Michigan, is whether it’s constitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. The other issue is whether all states must recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states.

Published April 29, 2015

When it comes to decorative art, the writing is on the wall

Walking into a home without wall art would be almost as jarring as stepping inside an observatory and seeing no telescopes, or eating at a Mexican restaurant and not being served chips and salsa.

People sense the ambiance when standing inside a building. And no matter what the setting is or what is taking place in that particular environment, people often expect to see aesthetically pleasing and visually stimulating art.

Published April 29, 2015

From the heart: Grad gifts mean more when they have a personal touch

It’s so easy to honor a new graduate’s accomplishment with a gift card, a fancy tech device or even just some cash tucked into an envelope.

But there are other gifts you can give that student starting a new chapter in his or her life that involve a bit more thought and creativity. Those gifts, of course, mean so much more than their monetary value.

Published April 29, 2015

Local defense industry recalls ‘Arsenal of Democracy’

METRO DETROIT — As artillery and troops traveled overseas to fight in World War II, metro Detroiters who remained at home stayed productive by making the equipment needed to defeat the Axis powers.

Ron Lamparter, who owns the Defense Corridor Center for Collaboration and Synergy in Sterling Heights, said dozens of books and tens of thousands of pages have been written about Detroit’s role as the “Arsenal of Democracy” in World War II.

Published April 29, 2015

The women who won the war: Connie Brown

Editor's note: This story about a local 'Rosie the Riveter' is one of a handful included in a full-length C & G Newspapers feature commemorating the 70th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe. The war in Europe ended with the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. Click here for more V-E Day stories from our coverage area.

Connie Brown, 89, Rochester

Published April 29, 2015

The women who won the war

METRO DETROIT — Not every American who fought for victory during World War II wore a uniform on foreign shores.

You won’t find their tales often in history books, but rather in journals and family photo albums.

The work done and sacrifices made by women during the war are heroic in their own right, though those ladies aren’t always given the full credit they’re due.

Published April 28, 2015

Downtown Rochester Farmers Market to open May 2

ROCHESTER — The vibrant colors and flavors of Michigan’s growing season will soon make their way to downtown Rochester, officially signaling the arrival of spring.

The Downtown Rochester Farmers Market will open for its 16th season May 2 at the corner of East Third and Water Street, a block east of Main Street. The outdoor market will continue from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 31.

Published April 28, 2015

The end and the beginning

METRO DETROIT — The most destructive war ever fought in Europe ended on May 8, 1945. That point in time will forever be known to history as V-E Day.

For those who lived through the war, it was both the end and the beginning.

Gone forever were millions of lives. Millions more were left grieving, homeless and hungry, struggling to pick up the pieces of their shattered world. Towns that had stood for centuries were obliterated. It was a cataclysm never before seen, the end result of maniacal nationalism and industrialized war.

Read More

Published April 27, 2015

Detroit Zoo crowdfunds to harness energy from poop

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoological Society is seeking $55,000 through online donations to construct a “biodigester,” a device that would collect the methane from animal waste and turn it into electricity.

The money is part of the final effort needed to construct the digester, Detroit Zoo Chief Operating Officer Gerry Van Acker said. The zoo already has raised $900,000.

Published April 27, 2015

List of intersection accident data released

Several of Michigan’s traffic intersections with the most total accidents or related injuries or deaths in 2014 were found in Oakland and Macomb counties, according to top 10 lists recently compiled by a law firm.

Using data from the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, the Michigan Auto Law firm’s website posted in March that the Michigan intersection with the most accidents last year was South State Road at West Ellsworth Road in Ann Arbor, with 170 accidents.

Read More