St. Clair Shores Sentinel

Published March 3, 2015

Crowds warm up to frozen fun at Aqua Freeze

ST. CLAIR SHORES — With visitors coming from as far as Florida and France, the 2015 St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze Festival was bigger and better than the inaugural event.

“I think, on the whole, we learned a lot from last year,” said organizer Geri Hofmann. “You never can bank on the weather. ... You can bank on having fun. We tried to make it so that it was something for every age group, and I think it was a success.”

Published March 2, 2015

Warm or cold, cars require care when traveling

While millions of Michiganders shiver through the winter, other people have temporarily fled for warmer climates down south.

But auto experts say those who choose to travel to more affable temperatures by car should pay attention to the challenges that both colder and warmer weather may bring to the road and to the vehicle.

According to AAA Michigan Public Affairs Director Susan Hiltz, Michigan has quite a few “snowbirds” who dwell in the southern states during the winter months.

Published February 27, 2015

Food standards change in school districts

METRO DETROIT — By now, schools should be putting the final topping on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new nutritional standards in the national school lunch and breakfast programs.

Published February 26, 2015

Little pets, big love

You know, not all beloved pets let out a woof or a purr.

Some of the very best friends have scales, tails or even eight legs. The world of small pets is vast, and it can also be pretty darn convenient for on-the-go animal owners who don’t have tons of time to devote to a little pal.

Mike Palmer, owner of Premier Pet Supply in Beverly Hills, said there can be lots of benefits to owning a smaller animal like a hamster, a gerbil or — believe it or not — a rat.

Published February 25, 2015

Making the dream happen

NOVI — Coming in on the heels of the Detroit Boat Show, the eighth annual Cottage and Lakefront Living Show taking place this week in Novi will reinforce the belief of many Michiganders that the state’s spring and summer months are the best in the country.

The Great Lakes State offers almost unending choices of outdoor recreational activities during the warmer months — though ice fishing during the winter also has a huge following — and that especially holds true for those who live or own a cottage on one of those great bodies of water.

Published February 25, 2015

Historical exhibit will focus on what made Michigan

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for civil rights supporters to meet in Selma, Alabama, in March 1965 for a peaceful march, Detroit homemaker Viola Liuzzo didn’t hesitate.

The white activist felt so strongly about the Civil Rights Movement that she left her five children and husband, got in her Oldsmobile, and made the trip to demonstrate for the rights of black Americans.

It ultimately cost Liuzzo her life when she was gunned down by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Published February 24, 2015

Frozen February puts cold-weather car tips to test

As temperatures recently fell below zero across metro Detroit, the arctic air has taken a toll on some vehicles too, according to AAA.

AAA Michigan Public Affairs Director Susan Hiltz said her association has seen an increase in service calls during a particularly cold night and morning following the Valentine’s Day weekend and culminating on Presidents’ Day, the Monday afterward.

“We had a 154 percent increase in the morning for service calls compared to the same time period last week,” Hiltz said.

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Published February 18, 2015

Tips to avoid tip-overs

In the last decade, Safe Kids Worldwide Director of U.S. Programs Tareka Wheeler said that there has been a 31 percent increase in the number of children who have been killed or injured by TV tip-overs.

“We know we can prevent these things. Many families just don’t think about it. It’s an emerging issue — we call it a hidden hazard — in homes, but there are simple things families can do,” Wheeler said.

Published February 18, 2015

Don’t just think spring; taste it

Heavy layers of clothes, heavy layers of snow and heavy layers of blankets.

It’s no wonder that when it comes to food, many diners are longing for something that’s anything but heavy.

As soon as temperatures begin to take a dive in September, restaurants start pulling out their repertoire of comfort food recipes chock full of spices, rich flavors and hearty ingredients designed to keep your tummy full and your body warm.

Published February 16, 2015

Festival to freeze town this weekend

St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze
Festival Musical Acts

Friday, Feb. 20
5-6:30 p.m. — The Detroit Hemis
7-10 p.m. — The Orbitsuns

Published February 16, 2015

Dealership gives car to long-distance walking commuter

A Detroit man’s hours-long walking work commute is over now that he can put his foot on the accelerator of a new Ford Taurus, courtesy of Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights.

James Robertson, who regularly walked more than 20 miles when he ventured out to his Rochester Hills employer and back to his Detroit home because he owned no car, recently shared his story to local media.

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Published February 9, 2015

Award-winning car and truck greeted at showrooms

The North American International Auto Show’s exhibits and displays have left Detroit’s Cobo Center until next year, but some local dealerships say the intense public interest has made an impact on selling award-winning vehicles in the showroom.

At the most recent auto show in January, the Volkswagen Golf won the award of 2015 North American Car of the Year, and the Ford F-150 took North American Truck/Utility of the Year. The announcement was made at a Jan. 12 press preview day.

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Published February 4, 2015

Working in the kitchen depends on space, preference

METRO DETROIT — Many adults probably remember coming home from school in their youth, slinging their backpacks on the kitchen table and then getting a start on their homework.

While some children and adults still do that today, it’s not as prevalent as it used to be.

It really comes down to how a house is divided. Older homes are notorious for not offering the abundance of space that new homes today have, especially in the form of cabinets and countertops.

Published February 2, 2015

Car exhibits shift to tech-assisted driving future

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Detroit’s Cobo Center in January during the North American International Auto Show to get a driver’s seat perspective of upcoming cars and concept vehicles.

Published January 28, 2015

After the dress — what next?

Being a bride isn’t what it used to be.

Once the flowers are chosen and the gown is found, the styling for her big day isn’t over — it’s only just begun.

A wedding dress is only part of an overall look, according to experts, and each detail needs to be planned to perfection from head to toenail.

Published January 28, 2015

Test for radon to avoid health risks

Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, and high levels of the gas in a house meet the equivalent of smoking eight cigarettes a day, say World Health Organization officials.

Radon gas invades homes and buildings through foundation cracks and openings, and is invisible with no scent. If a test kit determines high levels of radon in a home, simple fixes can lower health risks.

Published January 26, 2015

The future of auto design has some curves

The North American International Auto Show is all about the visuals: the screens, the exhibits and, of course, the design of the vehicles themselves.

During the auto show, which was open to the public Jan. 17-25, the College for Creative Studies in Detroit maintained an exhibit presence while displaying some models of aerodynamic vehicles that its students made.

On a Jan. 12 press preview day, Paul Snyder, CCS chair of transportation design, was on hand to answer questions and make observations about the future of auto design.

Published January 21, 2015

House hunters can have city life or square footage, but not both

If you’re house hunting in metro Detroit, you’ll inevitably come to a point where you need to make a major decision — what means more to you, having a big house or living near Woodward?

That was the question Royal Oak native Karly Wingart had to ask when she started shopping for a home.

“We bought our house in September. We had only been looking for a couple of months, maybe three months,” she said.

Published January 21, 2015

Looking Back: Otto Weber’s and Bill Frasard’s General Store circa 1920s

One of the earliest general stores in St. Clair Shores was located on Defer Road (now called Nine Mile Road) near Jefferson Avenue. It was operated by Otto Carl Henry Weber and William “Bill” Frasard. The store was built around 1914. Otto’s wife, Theresa, ran a boarding house on the second floor. Otto Weber’s World War I draft card from 1917 listed his occupation as a merchant in St. Clair Shores. The Weber family was living in Grosse Pointe Farms at that time.

Published January 20, 2015

Judge orders state to recognize 300 same-sex marriages

METRO DETROIT — Three hundred same-sex couples who married last spring in Michigan are celebrating after a federal judge sided with them and said the state must recognize their marriages as legal.

In his ruling Jan. 15, Judge Mark Goldsmith, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, said that the couples’ rights to due process and equal protection had likely been violated by the state’s actions. He granted a preliminary injunction and put it on hold for 21 days, at which point the decision will take effect.