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By Mary Meldrum

Deanne Iovan has been a volunteer for over a year at Ferndale’s Cat Shelter. Unlike other animal shelters, this one has no real brick-and-mortar address. The Cat Shelter in Ferndale relies on brisk adoption and wonderful foster homes to take in the cats that it accepts. Along with this support, the Cat Shelter recently opened the Catfe Lounge on Livernois in Ferndale.

The Catfe Lounge is a brick-and-mortar location – actually a large room – where cats, kittens and humans ff15622_di_catcan enjoy each other’s company. Coffee, tea and juice are offered and donations are very welcome here, in this immersive experience of feline and human energy. Deanne explains that the Catfe Lounge was the easiest and least expensive way to give cats exposure to humans and other cats. The socialization is important and works for the most part. Cats learn to tolerate each other and human interaction, and humans can come and really get to know a cat or kitten before deciding to adopt.

There are a few couches, chairs and tables, but the overall focus of the place is geared for the cat’s experience, with beds, ladders, toys, cat playscapes and bowls of food and water scattered about the room. This nonprofit organization has grown a lot over the last year, and the original thought was to build out the Catfe Lounge to include a larger coffee shop and an actual shelter so they could care for more cats. Over time, the Cat Shelter saw that the physical space of the Lounge has been good for the community and good for the cats. While they are still in need of an actual shelter for new quarantines, and kittens and mother cats, the Catfe Lounge has become a home for many kittens and cats while they wait to be adopted, and they wander about at their leisure.

The Cat Shelter recently took in over 50 cats and kittens from a hoarding situation. Cats were locked in a damp, hot basement in cages of a home. Many of the animals were sick and would have been euthanized if given to other rescues. Ferndale’s Cat Shelter is a no-kill shelter, and they scooped up all the kitties they could, calling on several of their veterinarian supporters to help with the initial care of the cats. The local veterinarians stepped up and helped care for the cats that needed medical attention. They are waiting patiently since these vets accepted the fact that the Cat Shelter would have to make payments in order to make good on their vet bills.

Now almost $10 thousand dollars in debt from this rescue of 50 cats, they need your help. To make a donation, please go to: www.youcaring.com/FCSmedical

The Cat Shelter has a goal to get a shelter space in the next year. In order to make that goal, they could use help in other areas, such as more volunteers, more fosters, donations of wet and dry kitten food and KMR ff15622_fcs(kitten milk substitute), cleaning supplies and of course more money. And if anyone has a building or space that they could donate for the shelter, please get in touch with the Cat Shelter.
The Cat Shelter and Deanne would like to extend a special thank you to Liz Blondy, owner of Canine to Five in Ferndale on Nine Mile, for providing much-needed space during the three weeks that the Cat Shelter was rescuing the 50 kittens and cats. Without their own facility, the Ferndale Cat Shelter would not have been able to save all the animals without a place to quarantine and organize the cats and cages that came out of that basement.

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By Nicholas Ray
Photos by Bernie LaFramboise

I met Carol Teegardin at the Rustbelt Market on 9 Mile this past weekend at the annual Funky Ferndale Art Fair to discuss the play she has written, “Strawberry: What Party.” She’d written a book of the same title, published three years rior, chronicling the tragic and mysterious murder of Tamara Greene in 2003. The murder eventually became a major news story, and led to investigations that brought down a political dynasty and changed the course of Detroit history.

“Strawberry: What Party” tells the story of a party that allegedly happened the year before at the Manoogian ff15644_dd_bookMansion, the City-owned residence of the mayor of Detroit at the time, Kwame Kilpatrick. According to press accounts, Ms. Greene was one of several women working as exotic dancers at the private party hosted by the mayor, with several of the mayor’s friends in the house. And, we’d never ave likely heard about it except for the mayor’s wife allegedly assaulting Ms. Greene and the other exotic dancers at that party.

There are few unsolved murders in the history or Detroit more infamous or pivotal as the tragic death of Tamara Greene in the spring of 2003. The 27-year-old exotic dancer and entrepreneur was shot to death by a drive-by shooter that April and the case remains unsolved to this day. Ms. Teegardin spent years as a successful columnist for The Detroit News, but she remained committed to her goal of being an investigative journalist. “I’d always wanted to do the Bernstein/Woodward thing.”

And in Strawberry, she has certainly achieved just that, working as hard in retirement as she ever did for the Detroit News. Over a five-year period, she interviewed dozens of primary sources involved in all areas of the case, many of them more than once. She spoke with friends and family of Ms. Greene, her church pastor, and even attended a number of family events.

When it comes to identifying who actually murdered Tamara Greene, Teegardin doesn’t come to a definite conclusion. This might disappoint some readers, especially those who have their own theories (and there are plenty of those). What she does, however, is infinitely more nuanced and arguably far more interesting. Ms. Teegardin walks her readers through the intricate twists and turns, the seemingly contradicting evidence of the case, and describes how Greene’s murder became such a huge story, and how it led to the series of circumstances that would eventually bring down the Kilpatrick administration and end a political dynasty in Detroit.

No one should be fooled by Ms. Teegardin’s small stature. The book was a monstrous effort on her part, requiring an immense amount of commitment that seems so typical of “old-school journalists” like Teegardin. Not only did she edit the book herself, she also self-financed its publication in a number of unorthodox ways.

“It was the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” she smiled and nodded. “It was a dream come true.”
The Tamara Greene and Kwame Kilpratrick story never seems to go away completely. In fact,  Teegardin sold every book she had on the day I met her. Maybe her dream is coming true.

The stage production will debut at Marlene Boll Theatre on January 20, 2017, and will be about 90 minutes in duration. The production will be directed by award-winning director Mary Bremer-Beer.

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By Maggie Boleyn

Whoever said, “If you remember the ’60s, you weren’t really there” clearly never met Tom Coleman, who has just published a book called “Growing Up in Ferndale: A Baby Boomer’s Memories of Life in Mid-Century Suburban Detroit.” Not only was Coleman really there, his memories are a treasure trove for readers of all ages. “I feel that my experiences in Ferndale – whether good, bad, or somewhere in-between – contributed to who I am today,” he says.

For those who weren’t there, Coleman explains: “The 1960s ushered in an era of social, political, and religious upheaval. Just as these changes had a major impact on the larger society around me, they
also profoundly affected the way I thought and felt about myself and others.”

Baby boomers and history buffs of all ages will enjoy the description of the shopping available in the Nine ff15651_book1Mile and Woodward area in the ’60s. Some familiar names that Coleman mentions are Federal’s Department Store, Kresge’s, F&M Drugstore, Sander’s Candy Store, Winkelman’s Clothing, Hagelstein’s Bakery, Betty Murray Hair Shop, and an A&P Supermarket. A few of these can be seen on the cover picture of the book.

Coleman says he wants readers “to get a sense of what life was like for young people growing up in Ferndale, and America in general, during this transitional and often turbulent era, of the 1960s.” He notes that, “Life for young people today is so much different.” He notes that his life was shaped by “a variety of sources: church, school, family, friends, and television personalities.”

Coleman noted, “I realize that the experiences of my classmates may be much different than mine. But some of our shared experiences and memories will be similar. For memories of mine that are different, perhaps they will help a few dozen Baby Boomers who grew up in Ferndale see those two decades from a different perspective.”

Coleman attended St. James, and remembers his graduation class of 1966 with “deep and lasting affection.” One of his classmates, Sandy Fontiane, remembers Coleman as “an advocate for the underdog.”

Indeed, the idea for this book was born when Coleman decided to attend the 50-year reunion of his graduation from St. James. “Memories started to emerge, and I decided I should do something productive with them. I started writing, and soon realized that a book was emerging,” he said.
Coleman says that it took only two weeks to write the book, writing 60 to 70 hours a week. “It was effortless,” he said.  “It was almost as though I was channeling information from another dimension.”

Coleman says when he’s not writing, “I challenge authority.” From looking at “Growing Up in Ferndale,” this is nothing new for Coleman. Whether he was standing up to the “nuns with yardsticks,” or organizing 35 Detroit Newsboys, Coleman was, and remains, an active supporter of various causes. He has spent the last nine years focused on persons with disabilities in general and on adult guardianship issues in particular.

“For the past three years, I have devoted thousands of hours of professional time, pro bono, to reform the adult guardianship systems operated by the states, particularly in California, but more recently expanding nationally,” he said. “These systems are supposed to protect vulnerable adults but too often unnecessarily take away the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” He plans to write a treatise of standards aimed at legal and mental health professionals. He notes that this scholarly legal text will take much longer to write than two weeks.

“Growing Up in Ferndale.” is Coleman’s third book, and he dedicated his work to his classmates, both living and deceased, from the Class of 1966. “We may be scattered throughout the United States, and have lived very different lives with a wide range of occupational and professional interests, but we share a common bond nonetheless. We spent many of our most formative years together – at St. James and in Ferndale – and, at least for me, those memories endure.”

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By Ferndale Schools Superintendent Blake Prewitt

AS WE BEGIN A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, I am very excited to announce the implementation of a
new reading intervention program at Ferndale High School. The addition of this program is the direct result of Jack and Annette Aronson’s incredible commitment to the students of Ferndale High School. The Aronsons, lifelong Ferndale residents and founders of Garden Fresh Gourmet, reached out to me this past summer about implementing a reading intervention program for the 2016-2017 school year. To fund the startup of the program, the Aronsons generously agreed to pledge $100,000! The costs of the program include a full-time reading specialist, new laptop computers, flexible classroom furniture, and the READ 180 reading intervention program.

The READ 180 program targets individual students’ needs and accommodates instruction (and practice) in the specified areas. It uses multiple methods to reach the students’ goals: whole group instruction, small group instruction, computer activities, and silent reading time. Students are selected for the program based on test scores and previous year’s grades.
“If we can help students with reading skills and get them to read at grade level, we help them with all subjects. That means better grades overall, which translates to more opportunities.  This intervention will help them feel more confident,” said Ferndale Reading Specialist  Stephanie Scobie. “I have explained the program to the students by likening it to circuit training for your brain. The design of the program allows for me to confer and differentiate for each student.”

What an incredible community we have where an alumnus of Ferndale Schools, Jack Aronson, is will-ing to give back to the students in such a substantial way. On behalf of the entire Ferndale Schools family, THANK YOU to Jack and Annette!

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By Jeannie Davis

A FEW YEARS BACK, I WAS READING Don Levin’s first murder mystery, set in Ferndale and titled “Crimes of Love.” The main character, a detective, was interviewing a young struggling artist in his studio. As he turned to go, the detective noted that the artist was good, and the kid lit up. As he left, the detective ponders how we withhold approval and complimentary things just because we can.

That so struck me. Just because I can, I will with-hold telling you something that would make you feel good. I recognized this in myself. That little bit of nastiness that comes out. Do we do it to feel powerful? Are we spiteful? Will we feel threatened if this person feels good?

Whatever the rationale since I read that book, I have endeavored to tell people when I admire some-thing. Whether it is a quality they have, something they are wearing, or something they have accomplished. I sure wasn’t looking to change my outlook by reading a murder mystery, but, there you have it. I only hope that I have made people feel good along the way.

Again, many years ago, I was touring Cranbrook with the seniors. We had been there quite a while, and had seen a good bit of stuff already. Our guide asked if we wanted to see still one more garden. “Why not, we’re here now” barked Virginia. I turned and stared at her as she casually glanced around, completely unaware of the impact her statement had made on me.

I had always been a hurry-up, do-the-tour, get-done-and-go-home kind of person. No side trips, no detours. That incident changed my outlook, and now I can dawdle with the best of them and get more out of my experiences.

These are little things, and in the grand scheme of things not particularly life-changing, but they do help. Also, I am not saying that everything you hear and read necessarily has a message. However, we need to be open to receive these hints when they come.

My grandmother, who helped raise me, was a source of thought-provoking statements. She was a strong woman who tolerated no nonsense. Her husband froze to death one night. He was returning from yet another evening at the local bar. He left her broke to raise seven kids. And she did. She did well enough to be comfortable in her old age.

She always told me not to always be looking for a man. Her claim was that we only needed a man when we had a flat tire, or couldn’t get the lid off the pickles. Now that’s pretty clear advice, and I understood perfectly.

She wasn’t always so clear, and some of the things she said still puzzle me. One day as I was crying because the neighborhood kids wouldn’t play with me, she said: “You can lead a horse to water Jeanette, but before you push him in remember how bad a wet horse smells.” Now if you can figure out what she was saying, let me know. Please. Another thing she said if somebody was a complainer was: “He would kick if you hung him with a new rope.” Never figured out that one either.

I guess, we have to be open to meanings in everything. Not a bad way to be I suppose.

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By: Jeff Milo, Circulation Specialist

Halloween is right around the corner. I can’t think of any other sentence that brings me more joy. As we’ve proven year-in and year-out, you’ve got a library in your community that’s absolutely mad about this time of year, the costumes, the candy, the decorations…

On the last Saturday of October, we always host a SPOOKTACULAR, where kids (and families) can come trick-or-treating throughout the library, winding their way around book shelves and through the Kids Corner on a path that’s populated by friendly Ferndale Library staff and volunteers in spirited costumes, passing out candy. Each year we select a theme for our staff and volunteers to embrace, and this year we’ve blended two perennial favorites. It’s Fairy Tales vs. Super Heroes on October 29. Our SPOOKTACULAR begins at 6:00 P.M., right after the annual Downtown Ferndale Trick Or Treat event. Our regular hours close at 5:00 P.M. that day, but we will re-open at 6:00 P.M. SPOOKTACULAR’s usually wrap up by 7:30 P.M. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. No registration required.

The Youth Department is accepting donations of sealed candy every day leading up to the SPOOKTACULAR. We also are looking for volunteers, so if you love Halloween as much as we do, call Jordan or Ashley (Youth Librarians) at 248-546-2504 ex. 694.

FIRST STOP FRIDAY: Meanwhile, we are marking a full month of being back open on Fridays! We had a great time celebrating the return of Friday hours last month when we hosted a casual carnival for the community, with live music, juggling, activities and games in our courtyard. Let’s keep the festive vibes going with even more live music next month!

Every two months, we host an after-hours concert showcasing two live bands (or musicians) in our community room. This program, spearheaded by our Head of Circulation Services, Kelly Bennett, began in 2010 as “First Stop Friday,” an ideal way to kick off your evening’s entertainment by-way-of a 7:30 P.M. performance in the library. In 2014, when we had to unfortunately cut back our hours, it became “Start HERE Saturdays.” Well…long story short, First Stop Friday concerts have returned! The series re-emerged on October 7. Stay tuned for more lineups, and mark your calendar for December 2.

COMING UP: Our Parent and Teacher Enrichment Series continues on November 15 at 6:00 P.M. These insightful programs are coordinated with Oakland Family Services. This segment features “Reading with Infants & Toddlers.” You can register in advance: 248-858-7766 x. 323.
And don’t forget, parents, to let your teens know about the Teen Advisory Group. Five awesome reasons to join T.A.G.: You can influence Library pro-grams. You get community service hours. You can meet other awesome teens. It looks great on resumes. And, free food. Next meeting: Nov 2nd, at 4:00 P.M.

NEW HOURS:
Monday – Thursday 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Fridays 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Saturdays 12 Noon – 5:00 P.M.
Closed Sunday
Ferndalepubliclibrary.org

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Story by David Stone
Photography by Ed Abeska

It started innocently enough, like any other writing assignment: Find out about the wonderful new bike ff15660_hmf_4repair stations located in Ferndale, including at Geary Park, Schiffer Park, and also at Wolcott and Woodward Heights. Then the story developed into something bigger, much bigger. The bike repair stations are part of what Ferndale City Planner Justin Lyons calls a “multimodal transportation plan” designed to provide “equitable transportation for all users, ages, and abilities.”

Here is the background.

According to the Ferndale Moves! Web site, the City passed what’s called the “Complete Streets” policy in 2010. The City Council decided to create this multimodal transportation plan in 2012. This plan became Ferndale Moves!

Ferndale works with the Woodward Avenue Action Association, which is working on a
“Complete Street Master Plan” that will benefit all of the Woodward Corridor. “The cities of Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak were awarded a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant through MDOT and SEMCOG in 2015.” These funds enabled those ff15660_hmf_3communities to create a bicycle route that “will allow residents to connect with schools, libraries, and downtowns through Woodward Corridor communities without having to ride on Woodward Avenue.” The Ferndale Moves! Web site also points out that ‘the bicycle route will showcase the regional cooperation taken to complete the project.” This project included better “signage, improved pedestrian crossings and bike repair stations.”

So let’s meet one of the many people behind Ferndale Moves, Ferndale City Planner Justin Lyons. He has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and is finishing up his masters in urban planning at Wayne State University. Mr. Lyons has lived in Ferndale for two-and-a-half years, and has been our city planner for most of that time. I was surprised and pleased to learn that Justin Lyons rides his bicycle to work. As he puts it, “I use it as a mode of transportation.”

I asked Lyons why he felt Ferndale was a good place to locate a business. He responded by pointing out the “entrepreneurial character” of the city. He said residents are “receptive to new types of businesses.”  And that “a business can have true identity within a close-knit community.”

The bike repair station at Geary Park is very well located , along the stretch of park that runs parallel to ff15660_hmf_2Pinecrest and the bike route that follows Pinecrest. I must say, the site is amazing. You can hang up your bike while working on it. There is an air pump and a very impressive array of tools available to the knowledgeable biker. If you are like me — ignorant and afraid of tools — a sign gently calms you with a reassuring, “Scan code for detailed repair instructions.” Even the airpump, with its various attachments (Schrader and Presta), encourages you to “Scan code for information.”

Since all the signage isn’t up yet, you might not recognize the stations until you see the bicycle racks and the green post containing all the tools.

These stations are a wonderful way to encourage citizens of all ages, to bike rather than drive whenever possible. And enjoy our beautiful city.
http://ferndalemoves.com/

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Story By Ingrid Sjostrand

Where you live has a major impact on the path your life takes. It can determine where you work, your hobbies and, in the case of Dave Hudson, Kristy Kuehn and the city of Ferndale, the people you fall in love with.

Surely there are plenty of Ferndale love stories, but the thing that makes this one unique is the couple’s love ff15653_dh_kk_1for and personal investment in the city itself. Not only does their story include Ferndale landmarks, each of their careers make Ferndale a better place in two very different ways.

Kuehn moved to Ferndale 12 years ago after finishing her degree in early childhood special education, and immediately took a job working in Ferndale Schools.

“I am a sibling of a person with a disability, I grew up with disability being a part of my life so I always knew that special education was what I wanted to work with,” Kuehn says. “I had just finished student teaching and interviewed with Ferndale right away, and felt my personality and the things I look for in a community matched most with Ferndale.”

Hudson, on the other hand, worked in computer visual effects for 15 years and one day in 2012 decided to ff15653_dh_kk_hitake the leap and start his own furniture company, Hudson Industrial, and chose Ferndale as the home for his small business. He now has a store in Rust Belt Market and a workspace on Hilton Rd.

“I just started making stuff for myself, I think I made a coffee table as the first thing and sold it on Etsy, and that kind of sparked the idea of a business,” Hudson says. “I started making more and more things, and maybe three months after making that table I got a spot at the Rust Belt.”

And Rust Belt Market is a major setting in their love story. Kuehn regularly walked her dog there, located at the corner of 9 Mile and Woodward, to visit a friend and Hudson caught her eye. A few months later, they went on their first date and have been together for more than two years.

“We got married six weeks ago, got engaged at Rust Belt and had a reception there in August,” Kuehn says. ff15653_dh_kk_2“We went to Scotland to get married and it was just him and I so now we have to invite everyone to our party.”

Both say that they couldn’t consider any place but Ferndale home, affectionately referring to the city as their ‘bubble.’

“We don’t even leave Ferndale often, it has everything we need,” Kuehn says. “It’s a place where we feel safe in a lot of different ways – not only personal safety – but we feel like being around a variety of people, being in an LGBT community, it represents a lot more than itself; it means the people here are accepting and open.”
That sentiment greatly influenced Kuehn’s decision to work for Ferndale Schools; where she has taught for ten years now working with students ages two and a half through five years old with a range of disabilities, most frequent being Autism Spectrum Disorder. Initially, she says she was hesitant to work in the same city she lives but the community has consistently proven that she made the right choice.

“The longer I’ve been here the more important I find it to be a part of my community because the kids in my classroom are my neighbors and families,” she says. “It’s so much more meaningful because at the end of the day I don’t just leave my classroom, I see everyone out and about.”

Similarly, Hudson is often reminded of why he chose Ferndale for his business. He gets offers to join larger corporations regularly, but finds it import-ant that his products are custom made exclusively by him with just a small team to help him sell.

“It’s not just what I do – making stuff and having that business – it feeds into being a part of this community,” He says. “I do it all myself and take great pride in that, but it has been a challenge trying to keep up and not get bigger than I am.”

He has even made a few pieces for Kuehn’s class-room at the Early Childhood Center, including a handicap-accessible sandbox. Hudson is now on the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Small Business Council and despite a lack of formal training, he has found the small business and local manufacturers to be very welcoming. He even meets with a group almost every morning at Pinwheel Bakery on 9 Mile to discuss their work.

“We talk about shop and customers and tools, things like that,” Hudson says. “It’s cool to talk about different techniques in how to finish wood and or even business stuff, how to deal with customers.”
“It’s really entertaining, we call it the Coffee Craftsman Crew,” Kuehn adds.

“Other than that, working with the city has been really awesome, running a business here has been really easy,” Hudson says.

He hopes to open a standalone store soon, but continue to keep his space in Rust Belt because of the people he has met there and the connections he has built. Which is what it all comes down to for both Hudson and Kuehn – connections and community.

“I love him being his own boss and being able to be a local business owner,” Kuehn says. “I really love for him that his workspace is two blocks away from my school and he’s so close.”

And Hudson notes, “I like to see the reactions of parents, she’s super humble about it but you remember your teachers. Her kids might not but the parents do. There are certain things you remember your entire life and she has a huge impact on being a part of the community, and I’m super impressed by that.”

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Story and photos by: Malissa Martin

When Suzanne Row and her husband Bill first bought their house she had a vision. She saw kids running and playing in the backyard while she sat watching and smiling. Fast forward 20 years and Rowe said her vision came true. The longtime Ferndale resident and her husband are moving to Florida in October to enjoy their retirement.

Rowe is a real estate agent and her husband just retired after working 20 years as a musical instrument salesman.

Rowe said it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to Ferndale and she recalls how the city has changed over the ff15616_rowe_gardenyears. “I’m an East Side Detroit person, and this felt like the old neighborhood. When we moved here it was kind of cool, but so different. Not so hip, but it still had that charm.” Rowe said.  Taking a stroll to get pizza at Michigo Pizza and Assaggi Bistro or going shopping on Woodward Avenue are activities she said she will surely miss. She will also miss community-enriching events like the Ferndale Perennial Exchange. “Everybody get together and it was bring-a-plant, take-a-plant. It was always a fun event.” Rowe said.

During her time in Ferndale, Rowe was an involved in city politics. She served on the Beautification Commission for eight years. “It was wonderful. Peggy Snow was the chairperson forever and I learned a lot from her; except I’m not real good at naming the plants even after all this experience.” Rowe said. She was also on the Property and Assessing Review board for about eight years on and off. Leaving the garden that took 20 years to create is a treasure Rowe said she has to painfully leave behind. “Every garden has got its own memories. It’s really hard leaving this.” Rowe said. Through the years she’s collected various plants and decorative pieces; most are gifts from friends who feed her green-thumb passion.

Although Rowe has enjoyed good times at her home, she’s had tough times too. The house behind hers caught on fire one night around 1:00 A.M. The fire spread to the garage and eventually crossed the fence to Rowe’s property. “All I could see were flames and my garage.” Thankfully, the wind blew the fire in the opposite direction so Rowe’s garage didn’t burn, but her garden wasn’t so lucky. Half the trees and grass were burnt. “No one could understand what it was like. That’s 12 years, but look how it came back! Isn’t it amazing how plants do that!? It’s just proof about life.” Rowe said.

The hardest part about leaving is saying goodbye to her friends, Rowe confessed. “I’ve met so many people.” Rowe said. She treasures the personal and professional relationships she’s made over the years.

Rowe plans to visit Ferndale, and it will be sooner than later since she’s selling her own home. “I’m still going to be back and forth. I can’t imagine never coming back. I look at it like this: that’s going to be our home base and who knows what will happen.” Rowe said she might do real estate part-time in Florida, but she’s really looking forward to enjoying her favorite pastimes: writing and painting.

Although Rowe is originally from Detroit, she said Ferndale has a special place in her heart. Moving to Florida is the beginning of a new chapter and Rowe said she’s ready. “It’s like a new adventure.”

Saying goodbye is always hard. So, to the beautiful city of Ferndale, Rowe says, “Ferndale you’ve been good to me.

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Story By David Wesley
Photos By Bernie Laframboise

In a novel from 1902, Joseph Conrad wrote, “The two main ingredients of the terroristic personality are vanity and laziness.” Through the scenes we see exploited by the news from tragedies such as the one in Orlando, the public can manage to untangle the villains, dismiss them as crazy, and rush to help he victims in any way possible. Neither news nor hearsay can prevent the sane majority from doing what is humanistic in the wake of public horrors as the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando proved.

Incidents like Orlando are becoming more common in the Western world, especially across pockets in Europe, because of a phenomenon the French call “anomic terrorism,” terrorism bred from alienation over one’s displacement across countries, cultures and religions (and more). And because of shortcomings and handicaps in their personality, as Conrad stated, it brings about a quick and easy impulse to make a violent legacy and raging headlines.

Despite this new type of terrorism, the reaction against it has been nothing short of phenomenal. Globally, people are coming together in ways digitally and physically to support the victims and uphold the new majority mentality of equality and fairness.

No matter how charity or help is done or received, it’s intimate and helpful. Naturally the city of Ferndale, ff14680_bnektar_helpbeing the LGBTQ Mecca of the Mid-West, has raised lots of money to the victims of the Orlando shooting. At their brewery and tap room on the fringes of the city, B. Nektar held a charity drive on July 19th, where 50% of the sales in their taproom went to the Pulse Victims Fund.

The B. Nektar family stands behind the victims and their families in Orlando with heavy hearts. Through the wide bright windows of their spacious taproom, people were gathered in lines buying B Nektar’s notable brews like Zombie Killer and The Dude’s Rug, many glasses and many colors inside. The bartenders were happily busy handling money and beer, while the owner, Brad and wife Kerri, chatted with customers. Everyone was socializing comfortably and the event had a natural, uplifting energy because of its intent.

B. Nektar invited their friends from the Hero-or-Villain Van food truck to bring their food to sell. Their tips were donated to the Pulse Victims Fund, as well. Workers and regulars from Affirmations swirled about, while the people from BrewPass were selling Brew Passports (five dollars from the sale of each book was donated back). Placed before a beaming window, a black canvas with rainbow letters read, “Give-O-Mead-Er,” with the hashtag WeAreOrlando at the bottom. Between the top and bottom there were envelopes that held donations in increments of $250. By the time I left the Give-O-Mead-Er had reached $1000 in donations. Over $2,000 was raised in all.

Ferndale has a right to be proud yet again, but instead it seems Ferndale’s pride is channeled into warmth and inclusiveness towards everyone. B. Nektar had a wonderful idea to bring people out for a good time while doing some impactful charity work. In fact, I know of no other city besides Ferndale that has held a charity event like this, inside a microbrewery, and used the profits for Orlando. The event was as good as the idea, and everyone who stayed around and drank beer and ate food made donations that will make lives deservedly better.

I found the couple piñatas on the wall amusing, and the LGTBQ decorations touching. The spirit of Ferndale ff14680_bnektar_glasseswas an actual living thing inside B. Nektar that evening. The crowd grew bigger and the laughter and the chatter got louder. It was not a somber event despite the tragedy it was for; instead, a sociable positivity held the air together for the evening. People only started to walk home after the dusk thinned around 9:00 P.M..

Hopefully, other businesses in the city will join in and host events like this for other charities near and far. B. Nektar opened its doors in 2008 to Ferndale, and since then the city and the business have had a wonderful love affair that only gets better. Guided by geeky imagination, influenced by sub-pop culture and never satisfied with the status quo, B. Nektar always aims to bring a modern twist on mead as well as diversify craft mead, cider and beer. The people of Ferndale think they’re doing a fine job, and many more glasses are raised to their efforts and success.

Find more information on B.Nektar on their website; bnektar.com

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