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Story & photo by Kevin Alan Lamb

Let us turn back the clock and relive a time where a meal meant to break bread with the artisan who cooked it and the farmer who harvested the grain, a time when we gathered in a celebration of community and progress in the form of shared creation and indulgence, fine whiskey, seasons passed, music and simple food, not made simply.

“The place is called Otus Supply. Otus is the genius of the great horned black owl, and the Supply really works with the industrial flavor, but also it plays from a marketing perspective: we’re supplying good friends, good cheer, good music, good food, good life,” Thom Bloom said with the type of smile that insists you believe him.

Located on 345 E. 9 Mile, Otus Supply opens in December and reminds us of the immense love and magnificence in the minutia with its intentional design, decor, and chef-inspired menu.
“It’s going to be a pretty full menu that’s seasonal, and it’s really inspired by the Great Lakes. Folks you know who have migrated over the last couple hundred years to the Great Lakes you know, whether that’s the Lebanese, the Polish, the German, the Dutch, the French. We drew influence from Chicago over to Cleveland, northern Michigan and Detroit. We call it simple food not prepared simply.

Since first learning of Ferndale’s newest spruce goose in July, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the men behind the mission of inspiring and connecting a community through good food, good music, and art.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the concert business, I have other restaurants I’ve done. I was in the advertising business. Throughout all of these different careers you have a position or takes on different things. I took little bits and pieces of things that I really thought were important, and this is what Scott and I jokingly call our spruce goose.”

Before stepping foot in the newly-renovated, almost 11,000 square foot building, it becomes apparent that you are about to experience something special; something that you may not be able to articulate, but certainly feel and look forward to sharing it with others.

“We went out of our way to find as many recycled and architectural salvaged pieces to not only build the space, but to augment and decorate the space and kind of give homage to the last hundred years in Detroit history and living, prewar and postwar industrial revolution. In our design elements we kind of went back almost 300 years to the founding of Detroit. The French played a role in creating the kind of softer, feminine side of the design aspect.”

“We even went over to Paris and shopped, found pieces and windows and doors. Matter of fact, one of the old doors to a downtown Pairs building entered into a courtyard, a 10-foot door, you’ll see in our foyer. We also brought in three or four main artists who have played a major role in designing the space. One is Alex Morales from Smartmouth Designs out of Chicago, another is Daniel Ross from Detroit who does a very similar sculptural kind of woodworking perspective.”

When the doors open it will satisfy a number of needs in the Ferndale community, bringing in national and international acts to showcase a live room with over 30 taps, high ceilings, state-of-the-art acoustics, a sound booth made from reclaimed remnants of the train station, and music intent on making you move. There isn’t a music venue like it.

“Any music that happens here is going to be from the heart and soul, kind of roots Americana, New Orleans influence. It’s kind of, good old music you know? It’s really about having the musical side tap into the same kind of passion that we put into the food. We don’t want to make a mistake about the order here either, you know? It’s food first, and music a close partner alongside.”

Otus will host the official Greensky Bluegrass New Year’s afterjam with Greg Burns & Friends,  featuring Anders Beck, Mike Shimmin, Mike Lynch, Dave Menzo and special guests, The Kitchen Dwellers and The Whistle Stop Review. A free shuttle will be provided from Royal Oak Music Theatre to the Otus each night.

The building has been expanded with a new foyer and garage door space, along with a patio covered by a steel roof, with steel girders, and three large garage doors that ascend 18 feet in the air to be out of sight.

“It’s a real wide open outdoor space in warm weather scenarios, it’s open if it’s sunny in the winter, as much as possible when it’s warm, it’s a four-seasons scenario, on the Inside as well.”

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New Years Eve has been a humongous celebration across the entirety of the globe, and in the United States, it has been specifically known to be a wondrous party in major metropolises like New York City or Miami.
Add Detroit to the list of party-crazed New Years towns, now! The Drop and the Kids’ Drop are two new traditions that have taken the Motor City by storm. Founded in 2009 by Detroit business owner Tony Piraino and Detroit resident Jerrid Mooney, Motor City New Year’s Eve was conceived to become a major community event, showcasing the center of Detroit with the metropolitan area and beyond. The free family-friendly event by day, and festive gathering for adults at night, grew annually with support from Detroit-based businesses, such as Opportunity Detroit and Meridian Health.

Looking to take the event to new heights, Piraino and Mooney partnered with Michigan-based event producers Ultimate Fun Productions and The Social Connection in 2013. Motor City New Year’s Eve has since grown to become Detroit’s largest and most publicized New Year’s Eve event, drawing up to 25,000 revelers in 2015. Mooney, Ultimate Fun Productions and The Social Connection have continued to host and grow Motor City New Year’s Eve, THE DROP.

The Motor City New Year’s Eve celebration has become the culmination of the ideas and passion of its four team members – who all either live or own a business in the area – and saw an unmet need and opportunity for a positive celebration in the midst of Detroit’s continuing renaissance and revival. This Motor City New Year’s Eve team is proud to bring Detroit and its metropolitan area a proper venue for celebrating the coming New Year with style, substance and a healthy dose of that famous spirit of Detroit, and with it, world-class live entertainment as only Detroit could pull together – plus festive cocktails befitting such an occasion!

This team dedicates the Motor City New Years Eve celebration to that spirit of Detroit and its proud citizens. Symbolically, during The Drop and the Kids’ Drop, the D-Burst sculpture is lowered from the top of the Chase Tower, with the historic Guardian and Penobscot buildings providing a breathtaking background. These historic buildings provide a link to Detroit’s proud past, while the D-Burst evokes a bright New Year and even brighter future.

Additionally, the Motor City New Year’s Eve team believes that there is no better place to celebrate the spirit of Detroit than in the spiritual heart of the city, its award-winning Campus Martius Park, where people of all ages, colors and backgrounds gather from the Detroit metropolitan area and beyond. For tickets and further info, please visit www.MotorCityNYE.com.

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Story by Adam O’Conner

A new holiday tradition is coming into focus in metro Detroit – aptly titled Holiday Spirits. An inclusive celebration, it comes at just the right time for everyone from all corners and walks of life to come together and hoist a holiday cocktail (or two) in celebration. The Royal Oak Farmers Market acts as the festive backdrop for the joyous occasion, which will be decked out in glimmer and sparkle for everyone to enjoy (everyone 21+, that is, of course).

The event takes place Friday, December 16, from 7:30pm through 11pm, with a special VIP entry available at 6:30pm. Ultimate Fun Productions and Real Detroit Events have combined again to showcase another of their successful soirees – they also produce the highly-successful Royal Oak Beer Fest series alongside favorites such as Sip Savor Stomp, Whiskey Business, Tequila Mundo and many others.

The first-time event, happening just over a week before Christmas, promises plenty of holiday-themed cocktails, entertainment, munchies and more in a fun and social setting. Live entertainment, spirits and liqueurs from everyone’s favorite brands, limited edition and seasonal beers and more will all be expected at the event.

Aside from amazing booze options, the event will also be featuring a handful of local food trucks and food purveyors, plus non-alcohol options from local companies like McClary Bros Drinking Vinegars, Faygo and Mary Ann’s Handcrafted Soda. Small Business Saturday is a movement afterall, isn’t it, not just a shopping day in November?

Besides the surely amazed attendees, another group that will benefit from the event is the Royal Oak Farmers Market itself, as they will be the charity recipient for the event. The Market is a member of the ROOTS (Royal Oak Opportunity To Serve) Foundation, a group that was established by the city to accept donations and endowment for the improvement of city institutions.

If you’re looking for a break from the monotony of shopping malls, crowded bars and fast food stops, this will be just the occasion for you. General admission is priced at $50 and comes with 10 cocktail sample drink tickets, a keepsake photo booth photo, a commemorative glass with event branding, and live entertainment. VIP tickets, as previously mentioned, allows for entry a whole hour before general admission, providing first access to limited offerings and special products from vendors, plus the aforementioned and 15 cocktail samples. Tickets and further info are available at www.holidayspirits.com or via any of their social media outlets.

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Story by Rose Carver

The protest at Standing Rock has become a symbolic representation of a hopeful environmental future, as well as one of healthy government dissent.

For the hundreds of Native American tribes (dubbed “Water Protectors”) that have gathered on the land to protest the oil pipeline, it is about protecting the water in the nearby Lake Oahe from the potential for contamination due to a pipeline break, and protecting the ancestral land it would run through, desecrating it ff16614_sr_campin the eyes of those who have dwelled there for centuries. It is a precarious situation for all parties in finding common ground, and it touches on many facets of the world at large; including a government that claims to protect vulnerable populations from the interest of private companies, and to hold true to the treaties and agreements that were made with America’s Native People.

Alan Benchich is a long time activist. He served as delegate for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic Convention, and has been a resident of Ferndale for the last year, moving here from Detroit where he had a 38-year career at GM.

Benchich has been an advocate for environmental, economic and social issues for the last 45-years. He claims that if one needs proof of the interests of big corporations being held over the interests of community, one needs to look no further than this very state. Benchich points out that because of the state’s location, sitting in the middle of the largest mass of freshwater in the world, there are constant environmental threats.

“Fracking, the situation in Flint, the water shut-offs in Detroit, the 60-year-old Line 5 oil pipeline that runs under the Mackinac Bridge, Nestle’s company’s sucking aquifers dry on the west side of the state,” Benchich said, “and the source of the threats are corporations whose main concern is profit.”

“You only have to look at Kalamazoo, where the largest inland oil spill in the country occurred in 2010,” Benchich said. “The company, Enbridge, said that the line was completely safe just one week before the enormous spill occurred.”

Benchich felt drawn to show his support to the Water Protectors at Standing Rock because he felt the importance of what was at stake, and so he made the trek to North Dakota to join up in their ranks. Benchich organized a small, local caravan of supporters who traveled to Standing Rock for a week, around Thanksgiving.

The protest is taking a powerful stand against the assumed power of the almighty dollar, but their peaceful protest isn’t without considerable resistance. “When I saw a video on line that showed militarized police using pepper spray, rubber bullets, long range acoustic devices (LRAD) that cause permanent hearing damage and water cannon against unarmed citizens, it was more than I could take,” Benchich said.

Benchich was welcomed into the Oceti camp, which is one of four camps, and the nearest to where the pipeline is being built. He said that the Water Protectors are absolutely devoted to defending the sanctity of the water on their land, and even though the harsh North Dakota Winter is starting to set in, they will not be deterred. “It is hard to describe the energy at Oceti. The camp is a camp of prayer, peace and respect. Weapons, drugs and alcohol are not allowed,” Benchich said. “There is a spirituality that transcends and permeates. Every morning in the cold, pre-dawn darkness, there is a call to prayer at the sacred fire that continuously burns.  Hundreds of people walk down to the waters edge and are led in the prayers of various native peoples as the sun rises. At the risk of sounding corny, there is a sense of tranquility and love.”

Benchich describes a vibrant scene, with people from all over the country and the world pitching in and helping out however they can, and their peaceful endurance is history in the making. Representatives of hundreds of different tribes and nations had arrived a few weeks before Benchich did, and there had been a council fire gathering of the elders of the seven tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation. This was the first gathering of its kind since the 1850s. With such nonviolent intentions, it is hard to imagine the violence that occurs when the authorities arrive.

“The cops not only used water cannons on people in freezing weather, they added anti-freeze, a toxic substance, to it to keep the water cannon from freezing up,” Benchich said. “Snow has now covered the camp, and the North Dakota winter is setting in.  The authorities will try to freeze out the water protectors. They will not plow the road and are trying to stop supplies. I was recently told that businesses in the area were instructed not to sell propane to the water protectors. But they will not leave. The Water Protectors are committed to stopping this pipeline. They are committed to protecting the sacred.”

If one feels drawn to join the protest on the frontlines, be forewarned. Benchich recommends that you dress for the Arctic, and to go only if you have a skill to contribute, are able to both be self-sufficient and to contribute work.

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/11/23/how-give-and-give-thanks-standing-rock-166566

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By Jill Lorie Hurst | Photos by Bernie Laframboise

“Stand for Love”, “Make Hate Extinct”, “Remember, We’re In This Together”

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These were among the signs carried by folks who gathered on a cold Sunday in November to walk together in the Ferndale Love March. A day about camaraderie and conviction, respect for each others safety. Speaking up. Listening.

There was a definite police presence. Helicopters hovered overhead. It was good to see residents waving to the police, who waved back. A lot might go wrong when a group this diverse gathers. But things went well. ff16613_parade_wide“Wow,” I thought. The Chamber, or the City or whatever organization planned this thing did an amazing job.
And then I learned something that made me even happier I was there. The idea for the march started when three friends – Mindy Domke, Allison Alexander and Laura Hameson Rice – were having a conversation about their post-election fears and concerns. They wanted to speak out in a meaningful way, and thus, the Love March was born.

Originally, they thought they’d walk together from the Planned Parenthood office on Woodward to ff16613_parade_l8Affirmations on 9 Mile Road. They started a private Facebook page to let friends know in case they wanted to get involved. Then they decided (in the true spirit of Ferndale and this country) to make their Facebook page public. In less than 24 hours, over a thousand people expressed an interest in walking. And on November 20th, the head count tally was 1213 walkers with more joining in at Geary Park.

The march route had to be adjusted as it wasn’t possible to close down Woodward on such short notice, so people gathered at Affirmations and walked to Geary Park. The women had nine days to make this event happen. Not easy. Domke, Alexander and Rice were hit by the huge responsibility of keeping the city safe, ff16613_parade_2and also bearing responsibility in that the march itself would be a reflection of Ferndale. A lot of work, a lot of putting out fires and listening to the “many strong opinions of what the event should be,” said Mindy. “That’s why we love Ferndale. It’s a passionate community.”

She says the City itself was nothing but helpful as they planned. In regard to the many voices? “Luckily, we were able to come to a respectful understanding.”

At the end of the walk, people huddled together in the cold to listen to poised and eloquent Sidnie Jackson, a Ferndale High School student. Then Mayor Coulter spoke. Uplifting and encouraging. Coulter: While the election “exposed divisions”… “it’s our job to heal them. The power of the people is greater than the people in power.” Inspiring and comforting words.

Were our organizers happy with the outcome that day? Yes, said Mindy. They were awed by the diversity of the crowd and the level of cooperation. One woman, a new citizen approached the three friends. She was ff16613_parade_1crying. Explained that she is a new citizen. A citizen who was feeling alone and afraid. She told them that the gathering made her hopeful. I’m sure she wasn’t the only one who walked away feeling better, more connected than she did when she approached the group on 9 Mile Road.

I hope we do it again, come out of our houses, away from our computer screens and look at each other. Walk together. Have a conversation like the one that led to the Ferndale Love March.

In the words of Dr. Seuss, who would’ve been a great Ferndalian, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

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Story by Rose Carver
Photos By Bernie LaFramboise

Jerry Vile has been an integral figure in Detroit arts culture for over two decades. Once described as the “Undisputed Kingpin of Detroit’s art racket,” this imaginative mystic has more up his wizard’s sleeve to contribute to the world of creation.

A painter, a photographer, a master party thrower; Vile (or Peterson, which he says is his slave name) has never been one to squander his vision to reach mainstream status.

Many remember him from his time as the founder and publisher of the irreverent Orbit Magazine, while others may know him from his annual erotically expressive and somewhat deviant art showcase, the Dirty Show. Others still may remember his famous additions to Detroit monuments of 2013, such as the giant Crisco can next to “The Fist.”

Vile lived in Ferndale in the ‘80s, and according to him, his presence was the main reason it became cool. Vile says he learned everything from watching TV, but he was inspired early on by comic book artists like Robert Crumb, Max Fleischer and Ralph Steadman.

Orbit Magazine was born at the dawn of the ‘90s, and is now still very alive in legend and in plastic covers of historical preservation. His alternative magazine focused on arts, culture, satire, and stayed out of the realm of the political. One of Vile’s earlier magazines, which served as a starting point for Orbit, Fun magazine, was a “free humor” satirical publication, which was around two years before The Onion. Vile is and always has been a true innovator of Detroit’s alternative arts scene, and he continues his legacy every year with the Dirty Show, which usually occurs in February. It is now in its 18th year, which Vile says is the longest he’s ever done anything. He said that the motivation for the first show was simply to impress his friends and to amuse people.

“The Dirty Show is an accident.  It was just a theme, fortunately it became a hit,” Vile said. “This is our 18th year. We are legal. It takes a lot more now to amuse people, so it is challenging, which is why it is still interesting.” The experience of the Dirty Show, as Vile describes it, is reliant upon the viewer and the way they will view the artwork. Past Dirty Shows integrate a wide variety of types of art mediums. Artwork within the shows theme is chosen by a panel that includes Vile. The true party is during the art shows opening, when one can dress up, and express their subconscious desires with leather or flesh. Every year there is a special guest, and while next years celeb has yet to be announced, in 2015 the show welcomed the likes of such royalty as filmmaker John Waters.

While The Dirty Show may be his magnum opus, sexual themes aren’t the pinnacle of his interests as an artist. Vile says he often draws creatures and rarely starts out with a planned vision going into the process –but no matter what, his conceptions are never textbook.

“I just sit and my hand starts moving with the brush and I figure out what it is after I paint,” Vile said. “Sometimes I will try to paint something, but it is not what my subconscious wants to paint so something different comes out. Its like spirit writing or something.”

Perhaps he is an artist who is truly tapped in. Interested persons will have a chance to discover “The Oracle of Vile.” On November 4th, Vile has an art show called “God’s Mysteries Elucidated” which is a show of illuminated proportions. This night shall prove to be a night of “A Most Curious Re-emergence.” The show stars Vile, walking among his works of paintings, sculptures, photography, and installations. The show guarantees to be the best art show you’ve ever seen, or your money back. The show is at Tangent Gallery, from 7-10pm.

For now, this sorcerous creator can be found at the Russell Industrial Complex, where he works in his studio. As for his future, Jerry Vile could see himself wandering to LA, New York, or London, continuing to follow his artistic aspirations. He said Detroit is a great city for creating art, but not so much for making money or getting known. As for his artistic future; Vile aims to never disappoint the true heart of what he does, never compromising his soul to sell out.

“Artistically, I do not want to be ‘arty band in t-shirt, shoe-gazing while playing highly intelligent music’ – I want to be Alice Cooper, Bowie or Kiss. These are the bands that created punk rock. I don’t need the mainstream viewer, I think there are a lot of disenfranchised art fans art there,” Vile said. “The mainstream can come to me when I am no longer relevant.”

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By: Kim Hart, Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce

WITH FLAVOR AS ITS THEME, the Ferndale Area Chamber is planning its annual 2016 Gala Thursday, November 10 held at The Rust Belt Market. As the Chamber’s largest fundraiser, “Our Local Flavor” will be all about promoting area restaurants and businesses. Chamber restaurants will be featuring some of their best dishes at our event. Also, national and local businesses will donate to our silent auction for the evening. Tickets are limited to 175 people, and are going quickly! Because the Chamber is member-funded, our Gala is extremely important. Members and non-members can get involved by donating to our silent auction and/or signing up to volunteer. This participation not only allows businesses the opportunity to get their faces in the public eye, it helps the Chamber remain a vital organization for our members and for the business landscape alike.

WHETHER YOU ROLLED OR STROLLED, “Sip. Stroll. Roll!” was a hit. Event participants had the opportunity to experience the atmosphere and excitement of the city of Ferndale. The event was not only well-received, but also provided a way for our community to come alive and get involved. With business owner and local organization volunteers, the event was a warm outreach initiative and another way to get Chamber members in front of the community. We appreciated ALL of our volunteers that made time that day to assist us. The event itself was an expansion of our city’s energy.

And, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect,” said Ferndale Area Chamber Executive Director and Event Organizer, Kim Hart. “The local establishments that participated in Sip. Stroll. Roll! were able to show-case signature wines, cocktails and delectable appetizers to entice participants to experience both food and drink in an inviting setting.” We look forward to next year and will continue on the tradition of sampling, taste and flavor.

TO KEEP THINGS ROLLING, A Guide to the Ferndale Area will be hitting the presses soon. Members will be featured in this exclusive resource magazine that includes valuable con-tact information, city maps, profiles, and photographs of our thriving business community and the people who make its heart beat. The publication is a keepsake. Our members look for-ward to sharing the “Guide”’ with their customers and clients.

WE HAVE PUT OUT A “SOFT LAUNCH” of our new web site, www.ferndaleareachamber.com. With the help of Hadrout Design and our Chamber intern Eliza Gogirla, we have been moving forward in executing and making changes to our new site.  We encourage you to take a look!

AS OF NOVEMBER 1, our office will be relocating to the main floor of Credit Union One on 400 East Nine in Ferndale.  We are very excited to enter our new space and we thank Credit Union One for accommodating us. Credit Union One in the process of selling the property we stood on to developers and plans are currently being worked on with the city.  Keep an eye out for this new development in Ferndale! Our phone, fax and emails will remain the same.

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By Ann Heler, President, Board of Directors

On August 7, we celebrated six years as a working clinic. How many readers remember when we opened over at Kulick Community Center? We have so many people to thank: The original group that conceived and created FernCare, the original clinic team that actually put together the medical clinic processes and procedures, all of the volunteers and of course everyone who has supported and donated.

Our next fund raiser is Sunday, November 1 at Le-on & Lulu on 14 Mile Road in Clawson. This will be our fifth fundraiser with them. They kindly donate 10 per cent of every item sold on that Sunday to us. Once again we will (have) our sommelier (wine specialist) pick out three Fall wines for the wine tasting.

If some happened with our soundness, we believe there is a solution to any maladies in a preparation. What medicines do patients purchase online? Viagra which is used to treat emasculation and other states coupled to erectile disfunction. Learn more about “sildenafil“. What folk talk about “viagra stories“? The most substantial aspect you must look for is “sildenafil citrate“. Such problems commonly signal other problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart trouble. Causes of sexual malfunction include injury to the penis. Chronic disease, several medicaments, and a condition called Peyronie’s disease can also cause sexual disfunction. Even though this medicine is not for use in women, it is not known whether this treatment passes into breast milk.

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Revel isn’t just any bar. It’s as unique as Rust Belt Market where it is located, and as dynamic as the couple who own both. Revel Bar & Events has been in the works for a few years now. When Chris and Tiffany Best opened Rust Belt Market in 2011, they were soon receiving requests to hold events, weddings, shows and concerts there, but they had no liquor license. No problem. Event promoters brought their own alcohol. Still, many opportunities were slipping through their fingers, along with an avenue to generate more needed revenue without raising rents. “We do not like to raise the rent on our tenants, and have not done so since 2011,” said Chris.

After some serious negotiations that carried on for months, the Bests were able to secure a liquor license, and initiate another milestone in the evolution of Rust Belt Market

Revel, whose grand opening was July 15, offers Michigan craft beers, signature cocktails, wine and, specialty coffee from White Pine Coffee, a micro-roaster in Lake Orion, MI. Besides a sublime beverage selection and fun ambiance, there is also food to be enjoyed at Revel. It has a licensed kitchen, a food truck. Chef ff14662_pourconsultations are underway, exploring various food options. Revel has a prominent post-industrial theme, and the bar lies adjacent to the entry and event stage, which offers a clear view of the market. The focal point of Revel is the seven-foot terrarium that features carnivorous plants and poison-dart frogs; something unusual and interesting when you want a diversion from people-watching. When asked how they came up with this concept, Chris replied that their basic business philosophy has always been to “Do something cool and interesting, and then figure out a way to make it possible and profitable.”

The concept of Rust Belt, along with Revel Bar & Events, is something of a new twist on an old community model that included a central meeting place or village green, where people could gather to shop and attend concerts, shows and other events throughout the year.

Owning and managing a bar, is something of a brave new world for the Bests, as neither has done so before. But then, neither of them shy away from a challenge. Chris credits the wonderful sense of community between fellow entrepreneurs in Ferndale and neighboring towns that helped this novice to the bar and restaurant business make prudent purchasing and operational decisions for Revel. Paul Fradeneck of Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, Brad of White Pine Coffee in Lake Orion, and Sandy from The Oakland in Ferndale are just a few fellow entrepreneurs toward whom Chris expressed his gratitude. “Their advice helped me get things off on the right track,” he says. “For example, Brad and his staff are complete coffee nerds, and they have trained Revel staff to be proper baristas.”

The wildly popular Rust Belt Market is testament to the Bests’ true entrepreneurial spirit; and there is every reason to believe that Revel will follow suit. As a side note, Tiffany Best also owns the lifestyle shop, “Lady Lazarus,” within the Rust Belt Market. The shop’s name is a metaphor for renewal, reinvention, and well…rising from the dead, like Lazarus. A poignant metaphor that could be applied to the revival of Ferndale’s downtown from years past.

Located inside Rust Belt Market at 22801 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, MI, 48220; Revel is open 10 hours a day, five days a week. Hours will be posted on a sandwich board at 9 Mile and Woodward. To learn more, go to the web site at www.revelbarandevents.com.

If something happened with our soundness, we believe there is a solution to any maladies in a preparation. What medicines do patients purchase online? Viagra which is used to treat impotence and other states connected to erectile dysfunction. Learn more about “sildenafil“. What people talk about “viagra stories“? The most essential aspect you should look for is “sildenafil citrate“. Such problems commonly signal other problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Causes of sexual dysfunction include injury to the penis. Chronic disease, several medicaments, and a condition called Peyronie’s disease can also cause sexual disfunction. Even though this medicine is not for use in women, it is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk.

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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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