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Story By Ingrid Sjostrand | Photo By Bernie Laframboise

WHEN WARMER WEATHER APPROACHES, also with it comes the many orange barrels and road closings of looming construction. One such project expected to cause some disruption this summer season is the resurfacing of Livernois St., and it has many business owners concerned.

The construction is currently slated for June 1st through November 10th and, while its main purpose is repairing and resurfacing road conditions, plans are also set to incorporate protected bike lanes, improve pedestrian crossings and move bike racks. Justin Lyons, planning manager for the City of Ferndale, explains:

“The overall project area includes Livernois from W. 9 Mile to 8 Mile Road. The intersection at W. 9 Mile and Livernois will be improved with a new mast arm traffic signal (similar to the signals at Pinecrest, Bermuda, etc.) and a public plaza,” Lyons says. “A small amount of striping work will also be completed on the Detroit side of the Livernois/Eight Mile intersection.”

The long length of the project is intended to avoid closing the entire stretch of road at once.

“Construction efforts will be staggered/phased so that only one section is being fully disrupted at any given time, which is why the construction period lasts until November,” he says. “There will always be a minimum of one lane open in each direction on Livernois.”

FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO AS THE “UP-AND-COMING” area of Ferndale, Livernois is a street with a variety of light industrial businesses and a growing retail and restaurant presence. Siouxsan Miller, co-owner of Green Daffodil located at 624 Livernois, has run her retail storefront since 2009 and knows the area well.

“We are windows on the world for what goes on there on a daily basis. For a long time we have been the only business with an actual open sign, so we talk with a lot of business owners and folks who live in the area,” Miller says. “We have lots of thoughts and concerns about the proposed street project and the time frame that it might occur.”

These concerns include available parking during construction, the length of the project and if these changes are even necessary. Many of these sentiments are mirrored by other business owners like Je Donna Dinges, who moved her women’s clothing store Margaux & Max to 561 Livernois in September of 2016, and Dan Riley of Axle Brewing, which opened at 567 Livernois in June 2017.

Riley is most concerned about the availability of parking since his brewery and biergarten can accommodate over 150 people and summer will be their busiest season.

“If all street parking on Livernois is impacted for the duration of the project, as opposed to in phases, it will definitely have a major impact on our business during our important summer season.” Riley says. “We are the only hospitality business on the street and one of a few open to customers relying on street parking.”

Dinges echoes these fears, and hopes the City will provide some solutions, “There are already parking issues on Livernois due to the limited number of parking spaces. How will the city ensure that customers can reasonably get to the businesses on Livernois?”

THE MOST RESOUNDING FRUSTRATION was the lack of information available and communicated with businesses. Dinges didn’t even hear of the project until talking to other businesses and never heard back after reaching out to City officials.

“That was two weeks ago, and I have not heard one word,” she says. “The City needs to communicate with the businesses impacted by this construction every step of the way.”

“We really don’t want overkill done to our area, but we do want things done that make sense to the area’s real needs and would like to have a voice,” Miller says. “We are all small, professional business owners who need to know what type of construction might go on this year. We need the ability to plan and make changes to our business models to be able to weather construction pains.”

Lyons says the City has presented plans for the project at City Council meetings. He hopes to remedy much of the concern through an information and question-and-answer session scheduled for Thursday April 26th at the Gerry Kulick Community Center, and they have already started brainstorming solutions to many of the problems, including parking.

“More information will be provided at the April meeting, but the City is exploring options to help provide temporary parking solutions, including providing off-street spaces at the Kulick Community Center, wayfinding signage, and rideshare promotions.”

Lyons says many factors went into the timing of this project including the City’s Master Plan and the recently passed Road Improvement Bond, but the main reason is due to Federal funding that expires at the end of 2018.

“Construction is never easy for small businesses and homeowners, but the end result will make Livernois a greatly improved street for all users. Livernois is a key corridor for the entire city, and already has a number of great small businesses, artists, and long-time residents that has grown and changed over the years.” Lyons says. “This investment by the City (with federal funds) demonstrates a commitment to the corridor with a street design that encourages people to visit Livernois by multiple modes of transportation and continue to be a walkable district.”

More information and updates about the Livernois resurfacing project can be found at ferndalemoves.com/project/livernois-street.

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Story & Photos By: Jon Szerlag

WITH A DESIRE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, and the State of Michigan, one local resident has taken her passion for mysteries and puzzles to try to give unidentified remains in Michigan their name back, and possibly bring closure for their family.

Leslie Merritt recently started a group that meets in person to go online and perform research of unidentified remains in Michigan, and try to match them with missing persons in the state. “I want to give peace to families,” said Merritt. “I want them to not have to think every day of their lives if their (family member) is alive and out there.”

Merritt started by going to the web site www.NamUs.gov which lists missing people and information regarding unidentified remains. There are thousands of missing people and unidentified people throughout the United States, and Merritt focuses on only ones that are missing in Michigan, and in the Metro area if possible. She also likes to look at older cases.

The family and friends of those missing are never contacted while poring over the databases and doing other research. But if Merritt believes that she has a good case for a match, she will reach out to the detectives working the case and provide the information to see if they believe it should be followed up or not.

OE OF THE FIRST CASES MERRITT WORKED ON was the remains of an unidentified woman from the late 1980s. She went through all the minute details of the information provided and thought she had a good match. She also reached out to a forum, WebSleuths.com, to have them look over her investigation.

The detective working the case told Merritt that they checked the dental records of the woman she thought was a match, but they were not the same person. But it was going through these cases and having discussions on associated forums that made Merritt want to start a group.

“Whenever I would do a case, I would post on Web Sleuth so other people could take a look at it before I would send it to the police,” said Merritt. “That is why I thought a group would be a good idea, to have a lot of eyes looking at it.”

Merritt asked people on her personal Facebook if anyone would be interested. She did not get a response, so she decided to try Ferndale Forum. The response was much more than she was expecting.

“I was thinking it would only be a few people, but a ton of people were interested,” said Merritt, whose Facebook group has 85 members already. “It is really amazing with all the people who are here and their replies. They were really excited about it.”

NOW THE GROUP MEETS IN PERSON to go over cases and bounce ideas off one another. Merritt also has her own method, which involves a spreadsheet she created to help find similarities between the missing and unidentified persons.

“The whole point is to exclude the missing from the unidentified,” said Merritt. “If there is anything that is big that excludes the person, then you are done and have to go on to the next.”

Which can be hard, when dealing with missing people and after getting personally invested in the case. “It can be hard to give up because it definitely becomes personal,” said Merritt. “When you are really focused on a case, you really get to know the missing or unidentified person. I really felt like I was the voice for that girl (her first case), and I feel like I let her down. And there are no other leads in that case.”

Merritt remembered her first case where she thought she found a match, and how she started to wonder how no one could be looking for this person, or if the missing person was from another state or even Canada.

“I just want to bring peace to people, and I want to be the one who helps do that and solve that mystery,” said Merritt. “There are a ton of people that are identified, and it is hard to make sense of it because there are all of these missing people, as well. There have to be matches.”

The Facebook group is currently called The Ferndale Cold Case Group, and people can visit www.NamUs.gov to view cases of missing and unidentified people.

Nineteen people showed up for the first group meeting in Ferndale to look over a case involving the remains of an African American man found in the Detroit River in Ecorse, Michigan in 2014.

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By Jennifer Goeddeke

RELAY FOR LIFE IS A NONPROFIT, WORLDWIDE ORGANIZATION set up to benefit the American Cancer Society (ACS). This event is a celebration of the lives of people battling cancer, and also a remembrance of lost loved ones. It began in 1985 with Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon from WA who walked and ran around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the ACS.

Since that time, the event has grown into the world’s largest movement to end this prevalent and relentless disease. The Relay for Life mission statement is to “Celebrate those who have won the battle against cancer, remember those we have lost, and fight back through research and early detection.”

Every year, teams of people literally camp out at local schools, fairgrounds or parks, and the participants take turns in walking or running around a path/track. The atmosphere is family-friendly and upbeat. Be-cause “cancer does not sleep,” these events always run overnight.

Founders of the Ferndale area event, in 2007, were Jackie Koivu, and Beth Collins from ACS. Then in 2008, Michele Sibula – a lifelong Ferndalian – was asked to help, and she accepted the challenge.

I recently took the opportunity to talk with Sibula, who has been successfully running the Relay for Life events in the Ferndale ar-ea for almost a decade. During that time-span, over $460,000 has been raised for the ACS! Sibula’s personal mission is “to have a world where no one dies from cancer.”

Sadly, Sibula explained, the total donations are down this year, so the main Relay for Life event is not running. (The organization will be changing its name soon to: “Ferndale Area Fights Cancer.”) Sibula added, “it’s important for us to evolve with the times and to stick with what works.”

Meanwhile, the current team of volunteers is led by Sibula, and she is assisted primarily by Tammy Dengate and Sonia Ross. They continue to work hard on smaller fundraising events to benefit the ACS. They just raised $3,000 through a drag queen bingo event at the Royal Oak’s Elk Club in March. Previous popular events have included a “Pizza Palooza” at Ferndale High School, and a bus trip to the Dark Horse Brewery & Firekeepers Casino.

Promotion is through social media/regular media, flyers, and general word of mouth. More volunteers are needed, because lots of work is always involved! Sibula mentioned that their team has a great Community Support Manager from ACS: Chris Rettich. He is effectively guiding their team into the next chapter. Additionally, the Ferndale Upper Elementary School still does fundraisers for them, and the whole Ferndale community has been very supportive. Sibula wishes to express her total gratitude for everyone’s amazing support over the years!

MANY PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS HOW THE ACS FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED. A good portion goes to research, both nationally and locally (as in Wayne State University; the ACS is second only to the U.S. government in providing money for cancer research.)

Resources through the ACS are plentiful too, for both patients and their families. For example the 1-800-227-345 line is staffed by specialists 24/7/365. Anyone can call with any questions , even if it is regarding a friend or loved one. Sibula mentioned that, “it is great someone is there all the time…even if it’s just to talk!”

Patients can also receive a free ‘personal manager’ from the ACS, to stay organized during treatment. Lodging is provided for patients who must travel a distance to receive their treatment. Via the ‘Road to Recovery’ program, volunteers provide rides to much-needed treatment locales. Sibula emphasized that, “having a

support network is crucial for patients, as it is a strong indicator of rate of success in recovery from cancer. It is frightening how many people cannot get to treatment without this volunteer service…they just do not have that kind of support in their lives.”

Naturally, we hope the team keeps up their hard work to raise funds, as almost all of us have been affected by cancer, either directly or indirectly. It is inspiring to see what a huge difference just a small team can make in the battle against cancer. Sibula hopes more local individuals will get involved in the ACS volunteer work, after reading this article!

Visit the Ferndale Area’s Relay for Life website at: www.relayforlife.org/ferndalemi.

Chris Rettich of the ACS can be emailed at: chris.rettich@cancer.org or called to answer any questions: 586.216.9471. The ACS 24/7 helpline# is: 1-800-227-2345.

For all updates and for more information, visit the Ferndale area Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/relayferndale/

The team office is located at: 22742 Woodward Ave, Ferndale 48220

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Ferndale Library

By: Jeff Milo, Circulation Specialist

ACCESS UPDATES
The Library is getting some new technology for circulation services after April 6, making your next visit here quick, convenient and efficient. With updates to our Envisionware software, a new self-checkout station that will be simpler to use (than the previous equipment). Plus, we’re adding a second print-release station for folks working on our public computers, to expedite individual access to documents. We’re also excited to activate new Mobile Printing software, eliminating an extra step of having to log-on to a desktop to retrieve documents that are on your personal laptop or smartphone. With Mo-bile Printing, patrons won’t even have to physically be in the library. A downloadable app will let you link up to our print station ahead of time and you can pick them up later that day. And finally, we’ll have a new Document Station for faxing and scanning. Call us if you have any questions, and rest assured that staff can walk you through the intuitive operation of each of these new features.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
Exemplifying the collaborative relationship between our role as a District Library with Ferndale Schools, Head Youth Services Librarian Ashley Lehman played an integral role in reestablishing Battle of the Books. This competition culminated on March 28, a two-month literacy-boosting initiative designed to spark students’ enthusiasm for reading with a tournament of trivia pertaining to six diverse and enriching novels for upper elementary grade levels. On top of that, our Youth Services Librarians continually partner with the schools throughout outreach programming throughout the year.

SUMMER READING & OTHER PROGRAMS
Just a reminder to always stay tuned to our Face-book page, where you’ll get updates on all of the interesting programs and fun events happening at your library. In mid-April, we capped off an innovative fusion of four libraries (including Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park) for a quad-city book club series of presentations and discussions with participants reading and experiencing one book together. Stay tuned, because our Summer Reading 2018 program is coming up in June—the theme is “Libraries Rock!” Summer Reading pro-grams will be kicking off in late June with a series of enlightening events and fun activities for kids, as well as a Bingo-style reading challenge for adults.

BOOK DRIVE
As part of Clean the Ferndale Up on Saturday, May 19, we’ll be having a book drive from 9 AM-11:45 AM, that day. Bring any and all books that you want to get rid of. We’ll take what we can use. We’ll give the rest to SOCCRA, who will be in our parking lot that day. Bring your books to the back of the parking lot on the east side of the Library.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
This will be no “First-Stop-Friday” concert event until October. Our monthly local music showcase goes on hiatus to make room for a separate Summer Concert Series. The Ferndale Library’s Summer Concert Series has always strived to expose library visitors to music that is new and exciting in a setting that is both lively and thoughtful. FADL’s biggest music event features three free, family-friendly concerts spread across the season. Stay tuned for a lineup announcement for Summer Concert Series 2018.

More info: ferndalepubliclibrary.org or facebook.com/ferndalepubliclibrary.

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The City of Oak Park has evolved tremendously since City Manager, Erik Tungate, took office in 2012. “The City government operation has been fully modernized, and there is a new spirit among our residents and business owners. There is also a greater awareness for the role our community plays in the greater Metropolitan Detroit area,” Tungate explained. Much of this is due to his view that “You can’t cut your way out of a bad situation. You have to grow your way out,” a quote referenced in last year’s State of the City Address. Tungate is a proponent of sustainable growth.

Tungate explained, “For a city that is almost entirely built-out like Oak Park here in the inner ring suburbs of a major city like Detroit, there are only so many ways you can find new sources of revenue and maintain vibrancy. In local government, we have to make sure we are as fiscally responsible with our taxpayer’s hard-earned tax dollars as possible while staying focused on investing in quality of life amenities, attracting new development, and seeking strategic partnerships in our region in addition to finding cost savings. There is no question a proactive approach like this has proven to be more successful than simply cutting city expenditures and expecting the market to come to us.”

The theme of Oak Park’s 2017 State of the City Address was “Bridging the Past, Present and Future.” Tungate offered some insight. “At the address, we unveiled our bridge overpass project on the overpass at I-696 and Coolidge. We wanted to tie in all of the things we’ve been doing with that, since it is an infrastructure that most people in the State of Michigan will know us by once it’s installed.” He said over the course of the next year and looking even further ahead, “I want the City of Oak Park to be able to maintain its fiscally sound financial practices, and I would like to see us moving in the direction of even more walkability.”

Tungate is hopeful that the 2018 State of the City Address will bring even more exciting news. “We may be able to unveil some great new projects during our 2018 State of the City Address. In any event, when these projects are ready for prime time, we will be releasing information to promote the positive impact they will have on our growing community. I can safely say we are actively pursuing multiple mixed-use developments. In fact, this is one of our prime goals for 2018.”

As far as other goals for the city, “We are pursuing new housing developments through our economic development arm as well as investing in our infrastructure to build the kind of quality of life amenities that attract new residents from other areas. While it may seem counter-intuitive given how communities have dealt with attracting new development and residents in the past, we strongly believe that our investments will pay off versus the traditional mindset of giving tax incentives only,” Tungate explained. “This is a fairly new approach for Oak Park and there is no doubt we’ve seen this approach work in communities like Detroit, Ferndale, and Birmingham, who have invested heavily in creating one-of-a-kind places where people want to live and work.”

Tungate said his favorite thing about Oak Park, in general, is its residents and business owners. “I’ve worked in many other communities throughout my career and there is no question we have one of the most supportive groups of residents and business owners anywhere. Whether it’s Public Safety or economic development, they are always there for us and ready to provide a helping hand. It’s amazing to witness each and every instance. When you combine that with the amazing and talented team we have at the City, it is something truly special.”

Tungate said residents should know, “We are ready to lead and are not waiting for things to happen to us. Rather, we are shaping the future for ourselves and making things happen. Our city government is setting new standards and aggressively pursuing excellence in every way.”

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Story by Mary Meldrum
Photo by Bernie Laframboise

Marian McLellan, Mayor of the City of Oak Park since 2011, is part of an enthusiastic municipal team that is focused on creating a vibrant and progressive future for Oak Park.

Two big strides that the City made that contributed to the progress, according to Mayor McClellan, have been establishing an Economic Development Department and jump-starting the City’s communications department. New infrastructure projects, business development, affordable housing options, clear and upbeat City messaging and exciting activities have all strengthened the quality of life that Oak Park offers. And all of this is turning heads.

The housing market is robust and gaining momentum, with market trends showing a 23 per cent increase in median home sales over last year. The commercial real estate market is following this trend. With many properties available at a good value, businesses are shopping the selection.

“Our population is going up and we have multi-family housing moving in. Oak Park is still the last good bargain for wonderfully built homes,” says McClellan. “We see more and more young people deciding to make Oak Park their home. I see retail getting renovated. And, as we finish the renovation on the Nine Mile Redesign project, we’ll attract more and that will bring people from other cities in.”

One other piece of big news that will give Oak Park an economic boost: after 60 dry years, licensed Oak Park restaurants can now sell beer, wine and mixed drinks. Under the Michigan Liquor Control Commission guidelines, a liquor license can be issued to one business for every 1,500 residents. This gives Oak Park the ability to issue approximately 20 licenses. Only two licenses have been issued out of the 20, with a third in consideration at the time of this writing. This will catch the attention of restaurant chains that previously would not consider Oak Park as a viable location for their business. Liquor licenses uncap potential in Oak Park and will bring in more jobs, tax dollars, more traffic and revenue from residents inside and outside the City.

Mayor Marian McClellan says, “This allows family restaurants to serve beer, wine and mixed drinks with meals, and shows promise in attracting the type of commerce that can spur economic development within our city while serving the citizens who would love to patronize businesses close to home.”

The economic profile of Oak Park has a great foundation with sidewalks on all the roads, LED street lights, a mature tree canopy, and three public school districts in the city–Ferndale, Berkley and Oak Park schools. Additionally, the housing stock is beautiful, solid mid-century modern brick homes that are in high demand.

“Oak Park has always maintained infrastructure,” Mayor McClellan describes. “We have the best city services in the area. Our Public Works employees take a lot of pride in what they do. There is a lot of good will in the city. Police officers do triple-duty in Oak Park; the same officer is police, fire and medical first-response.”

One noteworthy thing that separates Oak Park from many other communities in the area is their very stable diverse population. There is a lot of attention paid and energy put into supporting and promoting its valuable diversity. This is reflected in their events as well as the private Montessori and Jewish schools located in the city. There is also an accredited Rabbinical college where people all over the world come to study.

Economic development is on a breakneck pace and gaining steam. People are waking up to the City’s blooming potential, its great location and the value of the City’s real estate.

Mayor McClellan is excited when she envisions the city’s future: “I see new energy and excitement. There will be businesses right up to the sidewalk – not behind a parking lot. There will be many storefronts that are mixed-use construction with a place to eat, a place to live, a place to shop and a place to play,” envisions McClellan. “They will have two and three stories, all within walking and biking distance. There will be boulevards, green spaces and parks.”

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Story by Ingrid Sjostrand
Photo by Bernie Laframboise

Taking a meditation class, learning to use a 3D printer, and sewing on a button aren’t things you would typically think of doing in a library. But, as the needs of a community grow, so do the available resources. Oak Park Library is a perfect example of this transformation.

No longer known just for stacks of books, the Library has evolved in the 60 years since its opening in 1958, and Director Brandon Bowman has been crucial in navigating the transition since his start in 2014.

“Basically, libraries in the 21st Century are becoming community hubs. It’s not just print materials anymore,” he says. “They are still going to be a place for the books, but we are kind of reinventing ourselves to become something better. It’s technology, programs and community meeting centers – libraries are encompassing all these things.”

One of the best examples of the changing landscape of Oak Park Library is their programming. A variety of programs are available to teach new skills, highlight a business or even just discuss an interesting topic. Programs are free at the Library, although there are some charges for services.

“The neat one I really like is our program, which is basically teaching things that don’t necessarily get taught in school but are very valuable skills to have. Like, cooking without a stove and not a lot of money; Sewing on a button and hemming your pants. These are some of those classes,” Bowman says.

Other programs include learning basic computer skills, joining book club activities, attending movie nights and visiting with guest speakers. On March 21 an Oak Park Public Safety Officer conducted a presentation on crime scene investigations. “It’s having this community knowledge and passing on knowledge, not in a book but in person,” Bowman says.

Aside from new programming, libraries have always been a place of resources. As technology becomes more and more of an essential part of everyday life, the Library works to ensure they always have technology available to patrons. “When people don’t have access to the Internet or the fast speeds of access that we have, they come up here and use our computers. We just added ten new computers last year to meet that need, so that’s huge for us,” Bowman explains.

It’s not even necessary to come to the Library to get access to their offerings anymore. Through digital loaning programs like OverDrive and Zinio, members can view online books, audiobooks and magazines to their phones, tablets and computers. The Library is even making efforts to bring its resources out to homebound members of the community and to students in school settings. They’ve started a book club in collaboration with Ferndale, Huntington Woods and Berkley public libraries.

“We are not confined to our building anymore, we’re going out,” Bowman says. “With our new operating system coming in May, we are going to be able to use tablets to do mobile checkouts so we can take a cart full of books out on the road. Getting out in the community and being more visible is something people don’t realize the Library is going to be doing, even within the next six months.”

With all the new offerings and developing changes you might think that the Oak Park Library has a large team on hand or that they use a ton of tax dollars for their growth. In reality the majority of their effort is accomplished with a small but dedicated staff, grant applications and the Friends of the Oak Park Library (see next page), a nonprofit organization that offers funds through volunteer efforts.

“We are ironically one of the bigger libraries in the area – Huntington Woods, Berkley and Ferndale are all smaller communities than us, so we actually have the largest library – but we have the least amount of staff and the smallest budget,” Bowman says. “What we do offer is a lot of innovation, and our staff is phenomenal.”

Some of the grants the Oak Park Library has received include the LSTA grant through the Library of Michigan, which they used to purchase 10 iPads. They also received the Ezra Jack Keats grant; and the Detroit Book and Author Society Grant.

“Another grant we just got was the Harwood Institute grant. We took a three-day seminar provided by the Library of Michigan that taught us to go out and ask the questions, obtain input and better meet the needs of our community,” Bowman says. “That’s what we want to do over the next couple years; we want to fine-tune our model of getting the input back to us, and fine-tune our communication out to the community.”

Their efforts seem to be paying off with circulation and usage numbers showing an increase over last year. In 2017, 103,592 items were circulated, almost six per cent higher than 2016; 23,000 reference questions were answered; and 3,000 visitors attended programs. Bowman hopes to see these numbers continue to grow and has no plans of slowing down efforts to improve the Oak Park Library.

“Consistently, our statistics are going up. I think that’s because more and more people are becoming aware of what we do. I would love to see those continue to get higher and get more people involved,” he says.

The Library’s 60th Birthday Anniversary that is coming in June presents a wonderful opportunity. “We want to use the birthday party as the catalyst to say, ‘We’ve come to this point and now we’re going to kick it into high speed.’ And go and do all these things – adding more online stuff, more program offerings,” Bowman says. “Look at how we can meet the needs of our community better.”

According to Bowman, the most important thing the Library can do is make sure it’s a valuable resource for the community and that they are indeed meeting the needs of Oak Park. He says he can’t think of a better community to put the work in for.

“I cannot say enough good things about Oak Park!” he exclaims “There has never been a community where I’ve gone in and been so welcome as I have when I came here. I think all the staff agree: We go above and beyond because we feel the people deserve that. They are such good people and the community is such a nice place that we want to give, and make this the place they envision.”

And, he wants to make it clear that the things people request don’t have to fit in the normal definition of what a traditional library has been. If it will better the community they are willing to work to make it happen.

“We are currently out in Oak Park, asking what community members aspire for the city. They are invited to tell us anything and we will tailor our mission to what they are asking for. It is a more open-ended question,” Bowman says. “With the community that we have, we need to have a good, strong library. We can draw a lot of people to Oak Park by using the Library as that showcase by saying this is what we can do and we are taking these steps to get there.”

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Story by Ingrid Sjostrand

One of the most anticipated additions to the City of Oak Park in 2018 will be the revitalization of the WWJ Transmitter building into a restaurant. Why the hype? The American comfort-food-style restaurant tentatively named 8MK will be the ninth venture for restaurant group Union Joints – joining The Clarkston Union, The Union Woodshop and Vinsetta Garage, among other eateries throughout Metro Detroit.

The art deco structure, located east of Coolidge Hwy. on 8 Mile Rd., has occupied the lot since 1936 when the Scripps family built the transmitter building as a full-service radio station for WWJ-AM (950). Designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn, the building contains a lot of art and Detroit history, which Union Joints plans to preserve.

“Maintaining the original design and character of the building was extremely important to the City,” says Kimberly Marrone, Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Oak Park. “With past experience on projects with this developer, we knew we were leaving the building in good hands with Union Joints.”

The company is almost as famous for their repurposing of historic buildings as they are for their Union mac and cheese. Several of their existing restaurants are based out of unique locations, like turning an old automotive shop into Vinsetta Garage in Berkley and revitalizing a volunteer fire station into Fenton Fire Hall.

“Part of our purpose is repurposing. We’re drawn to buildings that have always served one purpose and are destined to serve another,” Union Joints co-owner Curt Catallo said at Oak Park’s State of the City address in February of 2016, when the project was announced. Ann Stevenson, wife of Catallo and co-owner/head designer for Union Joints, will work with Von Staden Architects on the design of 8MK.

“Our approach is to really just simply…let it be. We’re working hard to honor the building by not introducing a drastic change. It’s such a grandly handsome space with such a commanding presence—one which doesn’t require a tremendous amount of adjustment to its footprint,” Stevenson said. “The architect on this project, Tamas Von Staden, has a really wonderful way of working with the building and not against it.”

Construction will begin this summer on the 5,228 square-foot building that has been vacant since WWJ shut their doors in 1995, but planning has been in the works since 2014 when the City of Oak Park decided to attempt to purchase the building.

“We started working on this project in the Fall of 2014 when we tried to envision what could be done to the long vacant building. We began working with the property owner to see if they would sell the building to the City. We came to an agreement that they would,” Marrone says. “In the meantime, we reached out to Ron Campbell, Principal Planner and Preservation Architect for Oakland County’s Economic Development and Community Affairs Department, to see if he had any ideas or leads. As it turns out, he worked with Ann and Curt before on their other restaurant projects and set a meeting for them to meet with us on site.”

Plans for expansion on the five-acre lot include an addition of a 5,103 square-foot space for a kitchen. The restaurant will have approximately 140 seats, two outdoor spaces, and a large parking lot with a 160-car capacity.

“The restaurant is creating a destination restaurant in our community that will draw people far-and-wide to visit Oak Park,” Marrone says. “It gives us the opportunity to showcase what a great community we are and hopefully see some additional economic development activities because of it.”

The Union Joints team is just as excited as the City to highlight the great community of Oak Park, and has benefited from the involvement of the economic development team.

“The City of Oak Park has a dynamic vision for their future and we are so honored that they’ve entrusted us with its gem. Happily for us, they have a keen understanding of how bogged down and unnecessarily complicated a project like this can be, and they’ve duly paved the way to make everything smoother and more efficient,” Stevenson says. “A warmer, more accommodating group than Oak Park does not exist. It’s been a joy.”

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Story by Sara E. Teller

FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., recently opened a 304 thousand square foot distribution center in Oak Park, as part of a larger, nationwide expansion plan. The facility took about 18 months to build. The primary purpose for expanding was to accommodate a growing need for FedEx Ground services, which has doubled in volume over the past ten years. The new site offered a boost to Oak Park’s commerce and career opportunities for its residents.

FedEx is a leader in cost-effective package ground shipping, offering service to businesses and residential customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. “All shipments move via trucks across the country to and from a network of 590 facilities,” explained David Westrick of the FedEx Ground Media Relations team. Westrick explained the strategic process that went into selecting the perfect location for the center and why the site of the former Detroit Artillery Armory was eventually chosen.

“As we always do for projects of this size, we conducted an exhaustive search for the right location. The site [of the former Detroit Artillery Armory] was chosen because of its ease of access to major highways, proximity to customers’ distribution centers and a strong local community workforce for recruiting employees,” Westrick said. “The new facility is part of a nationwide network expansion to boost daily package volume capacity and further enhance the speed and service capabilities of the FedEx Ground network. Since 2005, the company has opened 15 new hubs featuring advanced material-handling systems, and expanded or relocated more than 500 local facilities.”

Keyon Laws is the senior manager of the Oak Park FedEx Ground distribution center, which covers 54 of the former Artillery site’s 100 acres. Laws loves the warm and welcoming façade of Oak Park. He said, “The Oak Park community has been exceptionally welcoming to us. I have become involved with the Tri-Community Coalition, an organization that provides preventative substance abuse programs for at-risk teens. One of the reasons FedEx is one of the world’s most admired companies is that we are encouraged to give back to the communities where we work and live. I do it and I encourage all of our employees to do the same.”

The Oak Park location opened with 235 employees, and leadership continues to add positions as demand for FedEx service grows. “FedEx is proud to be recognized as one of the world’s most admired companies, and we take seriously our commitment to be a safe and responsible neighbor. Our operations will create jobs for local citizens, many of whom will benefit from our company’s promote-from-within philosophy, and additional benefits in terms of financial investment, volunteerism and other community support,” Westrick explained. “Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain ‘absolutely, positively’ focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities.”

He added, “We are frequently hiring, but just coming off our busiest time of the year we do not have many positions open at this time.” There are, however, a few open opportunities in various departments for interested candidates.

For more information, interested parties can visit the company’s site at
www.fedex.com. For career opportunities, job seekers should navigate to careers.fedex.com.

 

 

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By Mary Meldrum

The brain-child of Oak Park resident Doug Craig, the nonprofit organization Fathers Being Involved, was launched in Pepper Elementary in September of 2015. Craig’s previous involvement with a fatherhood organization in Detroit at the Children’s Center led him to recognize that there was a missing fatherhood component, when he enrolled his son in kindergarten in Oak Park. Doug Craig asked Principal Emanuel Haley if he knew of any structured fatherhood initiatives in Oak Park. Haley’s reaction conveyed that Craig’s timing
was very good.

“Mr. Craig, just last night I had five mothers who have children with discipline issues who approached me for help. I can’t do this by myself,” said Haley. “Yes, I need your support.” That was all Craig needed, and he fired up a plan to connect people with purpose. “I work in divine purpose, and every time I work with this drive it works out perfectly in the right moment,” shared Craig.

DOUG CRAIG EVOLVED FROM a marketing director in the music industry to connect fathers with their children. He does this by connecting them with the Oak Park schools and within the community. Fathers Being Involved (FBI for short) has attracted approximately 280 fathers since its inception. Their mission is to create stronger fathers, stronger families, and stronger communities.

Fathers Being Involved is partnered with schools to help create a safer and more positive overall school environment. They also look to expose students to positive images and actions of men. They do this by encouraging fathers to play a more active role in their child’s education. They also help fathers find ways to support the efforts of teachers.

Craig serves as the Executive Director and co-founder of the FBI organization, and acts as the outreach spokesperson. He also serves as co-chair of the Wayne County System of Care Community Outreach where they reach out to various cultures. Craig sees the fatherhood piece in need of support and reinforcement in every culture in Detroit.

Craig gives big praise to the City of Oak Park –and in particular, Mayor Marian McClellan – and Mr. Haley of Pepper Elementary for the spirit and the early insight to ignite a fatherhood organization that supports and promotes its members. Because of the success of the FBI program in Oak Park, Craig reports that they are initiating a pilot program with Detroit Public Schools, as well as a couple of charter schools.

Oak Park is the heart and center of this operation; every-thing for the FBI program is birthed out of the city. In conjunction with the FBI initiatives, Craig is looking into having Oak Park host a fatherhood festival this coming Summer.

ONE OF THE GREAT SUCCESSES for Fathers Being Involved program is an event called the “Morning Roll & Go.” Men are stationed outside Pepper Elementary school in the morning, opening doors for women and children. Church Street, next to the school, was a congested raceway in the morning and afternoon. The fathers help with the traffic flow on Church Street. Fathers take the lead role in demonstrating how to be gentlemen.

They model good behavior, organize, and keep things moving along. Their presence calms the chaos and puts extra adult eyes and ears amongst the children adding a layer of security in the school drop off-process.

Fathers in the Morning Roll & Go interact with the kids. They ask about and encourage kids to achieve grades and complete homework; often stepping in to be the “community father” for all the children. They genuinely invest in the children and show them how to be little ladies and gentlemen.

Fathers Being Involved also get involved with the discipline of the troublemakers and encourage all the children to go forth in their day with upbeat attitude and self-esteem. Craig himself had conversations with one parent about vulgar rap music playing in their car that set their children up for disrespectful behavior and failure. He was so successful in explaining how rap lyrics create a bad attitude in children that the father not only changed the music choice, he also joined the FBI.

THE BOTTOM LINE FOR Fathers Being Involved is creating a prominent place for fathers in their children’s lives where they are seen and valued. Craig has frequently observed that men will see something and talk about something, but few men will do anything about it. He says that once a man is respected in a space, he feels like he is making a difference and becomes a leader in that space.

“We have to condition these children to respect themselves, respect adults, and to respect their community so that five years down the road when they are in high school they will be disciplined, and prayerfully, more academically accomplished,” proposes Craig.

Fathers Being Involved also encourages fathers to be attentive to their health and be a role model for their children. FBI is working on a monthly feature where a father talks about his career to inspire the kids. They are also working on a program to have fathers come in and read to the children.

The Michigan Fatherhood Alliance has asked Doug Craig to be part of their restructuring. His initiatives have grown from one elementary school to the whole Oak Park Public School system. He is now being invited to carry his programs and events through to other schools in other cities.

Craig credits the City of Oak Park for the organic growth of the FBI organization. He cites the public response, the neighborhoods, and the inclusive spirit of the people for his successful fatherhood initiative.

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