St. Clair Shores Sentinel

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

Growing green thumbs

ST. CLAIR SHORES — On a chilly but sunny day, students at Rodgers Elementary School got a firsthand lesson in conservation and the importance of trees to the community by helping the Department of Public Works with its annual Arbor Day tree planting.

This is the 27th year that St. Clair Shores has received a Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. Each year, the city celebrates with the planting of trees at a local school with help from students.

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

Events planned for V-E Day anniversary

WARREN — The 70th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe, will be celebrated locally with several special events planned for May 8-9.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said the city anticipates that more than 200 veterans will attend an event at 2 p.m. May 8 recognizing all those who served in the military. Fouts, who has hosted several programs for veterans in the past, said the May 8 gathering would be a “final great tribute to World War II veterans.”

Published May 4, 2015

Boat erupts in flames in city harbor

Editor's note: This story updated May 7

A man was hospitalized May 3 after the boat he was trying to start in Lac Ste. Claire Harbor exploded.

St. Clair Shores Police reported that three Roseville residents were launching a 20-foot boat in the city-owned harbor around 7:30 p.m. May 3 when it caught fire.

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.

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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

City to honor veterans with ‘Purple Heart’

ST. CLAIR SHORES — With the month of May celebrating both the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Memorial Day, along with the St. Clair Shores Memorial Day Parade, it seems fitting that another military honor be bestowed on the city this month.

St. Clair Shores will officially become a Purple Heart City — in recognition of its large population of highly decorated veterans, including many recipients of Purple Heart medals — during a ceremony at 4:30 p.m. May 12 at Veterans Memorial Park, on Jefferson Avenue at Masonic Boulevard.

Published April 29, 2015

Stories of V-E Day: Wendell Galbraith and Bill Pellegrino

Editor's note: This story was 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. Metro Detroit residents graciously shared their stories in interviews conducted between January and April 2015. Click here for more V-E Day stories from our coverage area.

Wendell Galbraith, 90, St. Clair Shores

Published April 29, 2015

Stories of V-E Day: Josef Hoettel

Josef Hoettel, 90, St. Clair Shores

Published April 29, 2015

Local V-E Day events

• Warren Mayor Jim Fouts will host an event recognizing all military veterans on the 70th anniversary of V-E Day. The program will begin at 2 p.m. May 8 in the atrium of Warren City Hall, north of 12 Mile Road and just east of Van Dyke Avenue. There will be several special guest speakers. All veterans from any city are invited to attend the program, but veterans of World War II can register in advance with the Mayor’s Office by calling (586) 574-4515.

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

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.

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Published April 28, 2015

Kupinski not guilty of murder in second degree

A man accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of an Eastpointe man in December was found not guilty of that charge April 28.

Forty-one-year-old Gerald Kupinski, of St. Clair Shores, was accused of shooting 30-year-old Adam Abraham, of Eastpointe, the evening of Dec. 17 while Abraham was at Kupinski’s home in the 22000 block of 10 Mile Road and faced charges of second-degree murder, a felony firearm charge and possession of a firearm by a felon.

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.

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