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Story By: Maggie Boleyn
Photos By: Bernie LaFramboise

HAVE YOU EVER COME HOME FROM A workout only to find yourself undoing all your effort by pigging out on junk food just because it was handy? Do you wish you could come home to a healthy meal prepared and waiting for you? If so, you will want to check out Clean Plates Detroit, a new meal-management option located at 149 West 9 Mile Road in Ferndale.

Clean Plates operates on the idea that a busy lifestyle does not always go hand-in-hand with healthy eating habits. Clean Plates Detroit aims to provide healthy, cost effective, meals for residents in the Metro Detroit delivery area. Manager Omario Matti said that the concept of healthy, clean eating on-the-go first originated in Toronto, at the sister company of Clean Plates Detroit. “It was not long before we saw an influx in the demand of healthy eating in the United States,” he said.

Ferndale was a natural fit for the concept, Matti said. “The city of Ferndale was an obvious decision,” he said. “Clean Plates represents a variety of things, one being diversity. Our menu offers clients an assortment of meal options including foods from various ethnic backgrounds and dietary restrictions. We cater to individuals who want to meet their goals and at the same time, offer a variety of meals that will accommodate their taste palate. The city of Ferndale is a direct reflection of that. We at Clean Plates believe our menu and motto replicates the demographics of Ferndale—multiplicity and full of energy.”

Matti is enthusiastic about his Ferndale location. “The energy here is a quality you cannot find elsewhere in Michigan. The city of Ferndale is exquisite in that the majority of residents are really in sync with the concept of health and wellness—something we promote so profoundly. Everything from our store design to our menu was a well-thought-out process, and we wanted to make sure our concept fit well with its surroundings.”

Clean Plates combines a passion for good food, and a commitment to the perfect balance between nutrition and taste. An assortment of meal choices were developed with this concept in mind. Also, Clean Plates offers to customize any of their meal plans to meet individual preferences. Popular menu items are always kept in rotation, and specialty meals change every 60 days.

According to the website, vegetarian customers can send an email to Info@Clean-Plates.com, and Clean Plates can work with any of your dietary needs.

Clean Plates promises a variety of high-quality foods delivered right to your door, giving you a leg up on a healthy lifestyle. Ingredients are sourced from Amish farms in Michigan and Indiana, and purchased at local markets. Poultry is all natural, cage-free and grain-fed, and free from hormones and steroids. Beef is grass-fed, also without using hormones and steroids. Meals are hand-delivered during a delivery time window. A text message or phone call is made approximately 15 minutes prior to delivery.

If you cannot be at home during your scheduled delivery window, place a cooler with ice by your door and Clean Plates will leave your delivery there. If you prefer, you can pick up your meals from the retail shop in Ferndale during business hours. However, if you miss your delivery, and you do not pick up your order at the retail store, a re-delivery fee will be charged.

Clean Plates Detroit meal management is on the web at www.CleanPlatesDetroit.com.

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By Anne Heler, Board of Directors

SMILE! FERNCARE CELEBRATED seven years as a working clinic on August 7! So many hugs and banquets of flowers for everyone who has supported the clinic. Thank you from all of us; the Board of Directors, clinic volunteers and very, very grateful patients.

Ferncare is still scheduling appointments for new patients a month out. 248-677–2273. If you cannot wait that long, there are two free clinics that have available appointments much sooner than that:

Bernstein Community Health Clinic, 45580 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, MI 48314, 248-309–3752.

HUDA Clinic,  13420 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit, MI 48213, 313–444–5490.

A sliding–fee scale clinic is Covenant Care Clinic – 27776 Woodward, Royal Oak, MI 48067, 248–556-4900 across the street from the Westborn Market. It’s a full service clinic in open 40 hours a week. They also take Healthy Michigan and Medicaid insured patients as well as other insurances. They also have dental services at the clinic on Detroit’s east side.

Change in Medical Collection
Bring medications and some equipment to the clinic on either the first or third Saturday of each month or anytime weekdays between 9 AM and 2 PM. We take medications only from people not medical clinics, physicians office, or nursing homes.

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Story by Sara E. Teller

FERNDALE FAMILY PHARMACY, LOCATED ON 9 MILE BETWEEN PINECREST AND LIVERNOIS, first opened its doors on October 17th, 2016. “We are embarking on our first-year anniversary, although it feels as if we opened last week! Man, is time flying!” exclaims owner Amin Khraizat who was determined to offer patients a more friendly, one-on-one experience than some big-name competitors.

“Poor experiences with big-box chain pharmacies and even local independent pharmacies served as the foundation and motivation that produced Ferndale Family Pharmacy into realization,” says Amin. “With inspirational support from my family, friends, as well as from healthcare professionals in the field, I chose to begin a true ‘Family Pharmacy’ which would cater to needs of individuals and families.

So, what makes the pharmacy unique? “Ferndale Family Pharmacy is a full-service retail pharmacy offering wide varieties of prescription medications, vitamins, and other cosmetic products. Our customer base is typically individuals and families from Ferndale and surrounding communities who strive to improve their health through prescription medication and vitamin supplements. With growing support from our customer base and increased referrals, Ferndale Family Pharmacy is here to stay,” says Amin. “Our pricing on products excluded from insurance coverage really does set us apart from all competitors, sometimes saving a patient hundreds of dollars.”

The pharmacy’s over-the-counter product line is also priced significantly lower than health-food stores in the area and the team offers a same-day free delivery service. “We are unique because our operations are man-aged differently than others. We operate well within federal, state and insurance guidelines, but do not have a corporate agenda to follow,” Amin explains.

The Ferndale Family Pharmacy team can access manufacturer coupons for patients to use on brand medications, and actively communicates with prescribers on substitute medications to dispense when others are not covered by one’s insurance carrier. “We are driven by our ‘No Patient Left Behind’ motto,” says Amin. “Although the opportunity for profit is there, we do not carry chips, soda, and other snacks that may be detrimental to one’s overall health. We are dedicated to improving health.”

“I chose Ferndale for a number of reasons. Having tried almost every restaurant in the city, I was exposed to the wonderful and positive atmosphere the city offers to its residents and tourists. I remember driving home one day and reading “#StayCoolFerndale” on the Ferndale Fire Department Sign and simply thinking
‘wow'”.

Amin manages Ferndale Family Pharmacy’s day-to-day operations, while his brother Sam acts as a patient advocate. Manager Alex enjoys “extended time and confidence managing a patient’s prescriptions and enhanced medication counseling, leading to guaranteed quality of care,” according to Amin, who adds, “Our enhanced patient counseling is a service rarely seen in the pharmacy world these days. Patients develop a true relation-ship with our team.”

Ferndale Family Pharmacy can be found across the road from Bigby Coffee and the Red Olive Restaurant. For more information, please visit the pharmacy’s web-site at http://ferndalefamilypharmacy.com or call 248.565.8031

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OCTOBER 11TH IS NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY, and this year, Kristi Faulkner Dance is hosting an “Empty the Closet” fundraiser for their project titled “Not in My House” – a collaboration with the Ruth Ellis Center to engage and inspire LGBTQ youth through performance and storytelling. “Not in My House” is an original dance production representing the authentic voices and coming out stories of Ruth Ellis Center youth and Detroit-based professional dancers who identify as LGBTQ.

The “Empty the Closet” fundraiser will take place from 6:00-9:00 P.M., October 11, 2017 at Fred Astaire Studios in Bloomfield Hills. The evening will include food, drinks, and an open salsa dance lesson with Fred Astaire Studio professional teachers. Partygoers who donate a bag of gently used/new clothing or new toiletries at the door will be entered into a raffle to win a prize. Attendees will also have an opportunity to learn more about the Ruth Ellis Center and their exciting collaboration with Kristi Faulkner Dance.

“Not in My House” is made possible partially through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The Knight Arts Challenge funds the best ideas for engaging and enriching Detroit through the arts. Through this fundraiser, Kristi Faulkner Dance hopes to complete the rest of their $30,000 match as part of the Knight Arts Challenge. Information about the event, as well as information about the “Not in My House” collaboration, can be found at KristiFaulknerDance.com.

Kristi Faulkner Dance is a contemporary dance company based in Detroit, known for their highly physical and humorously theatrical work that em-bodies difference and challenges gender roles. Community engagement is integral to their practice. Through performance, workshops and community based projects, KFD pursues their mission of creating though-provoking, visceral experiences.

The Ruth Ellis Center (REC), incorporated in 1999, is a youth social services agency with a mission “to provide short-term and long-term residential safe space and support services for runaway, homeless, and at-risk lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.” As LGBTQ youth continue to be disproportionately affected by homelessness, the Ruth Ellis Center remains dedicated to ensuring that these vulnerable youth and young adults receive the services and inherent protections available to all citizens. While the Center emphasizes serving LGBTQ youth who are often ostracized, shamed, and denied services by other agencies, no youth, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation is turned away or denied services.

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

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EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU IS INVITED TO COME HELP paint the second in a series of community murals, themed on inclusivity,” according to Mark Loeb, a member of the Ferndale Arts and Cultural Commission. “And that’s the point. Our community is best served when we all are involved and work together.”

This year’s mural, entitled Human is designed by local teen artist, Heaven Guty. Her work was selected from more than 30 submissions. Artist Nevik Monet is working with her to convert it into large scale and the public will paint it during this year’s Funky Ferndale Art Fair, September 22-24.

Guty feels that her work is inspired by her relationship with God. She explains “Inclusivity means that we are one. Mankind, that is. We are made in the image of God, made equally in his worth. In perspective, this should mean that we should look at each other void of differences and allow love to have its way.”

Her work will join last year’s mural designed by Desaree Emmi, portraying tennis shoes in multiple cultural themes with the laces tied together to show unity.

“Our goal is to place four inclusivity murals on the wall of the Cupcake Station on Allen at Nine Mile Road to create a display reminding each of us how important we are to each other,” explains Loeb.

“The Michigan Council for the Arts has funded half of the costs of the first two, and the community has come together to support the balance.”

This year the Funky Ferndale Art Fair and the DIY Street Fair will be on September 22-24. The mural painting project is open to all, and will be near the corner of Nine Mile and Allen.

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Story By Sarah E. Teller

THE PURPOSE OF THE ONE NATION FESTIVAL IS TO SHOWCASE a variety of cultures and genres of music, and to celebrate the diversity in music,”according to Steve Gamburd, of The Phoenix in Hazel Park and the Hazel Park Arts Council, who curates the show along with Been Frank. “In a nutshell, One Nation Festival represents the open-door aspect of The Phoenix. The five-night concert represents diversity by including a number of music genres from local, regional and touring bands.”

Steve and Been have an ear for quality, and they’ve been looking for quality of music throughout the years. “We weren’t the School of Rock, but we understood which bands had both the talent and the drive and have included many of these youth bands in our festival line-ups over the years.” When they like what they hear, “we provide them with the show date of their choice as well as the option to network and reach out to local bands to be added. When mixed genre and multi-cultured bands that are not punk, metal, rock or hip hop contact us about whether or not their music fits here, we fit them here with an idea of how to curate the bill accordingly.”

Many of the bands this year have performed in years past. “We have seen them a number of times and believe in them,” Steve says. “We will keep providing these opportunities for those that love being part of our events. Exposure is the key in the music industry.”

The One Nation Pre-Party will be held on Thursday, August 31, 8:00 P.M. at New Way Bar, 23130 Woodward, Ave., Ferndale, and is set to feature funk rock, hard rock, and reggae bands Off The Ledge (Lansing), Static Factory (Flint), and Speakeasy (Detroit).

The concert will be held at The Phoenix September 1st through 4th, and will include the Phoenix Gallery stage and the outside Garden Stage. The event breakdown is as follows:

Friday, Sept. 1 features classical and folk acoustic, Latin, Afro-Cuban, acoustic singer songwriter, acoustic folk rock, and indie rock.

Saturday, Sept. 2 features acoustic emo, folk and soul rock, pop punk, art pop, Bangladesh psychedelic, Industrial grunge, thrash punk and metal.

Sunday, Sept. 3 features acoustic pop, folk rock, hard rock, emo-core, theatrical punk, and alternative punk.

Monday, Sept. 4 features a mix of groove, soul, DJ, hip hop, poetry, funk rock, blues rock, experimental dance and singer songwriter pop.

“Inside and outside, we will also include a variety of art vendors, live painting, and variety acts,” Steve says. “There will be a BBQ of hot dogs and hamburgers as well as complimentary side dishes – a potluck.”

“The first year of One Nation was quite ambitious, and we ran it for nine days straight,” Steve explains, adding, “It was a fantastic opportunity for youth bands to have their first venue concert and bring their family and friends. The second year, Dally In The Alley kept them from doing a Saturday show, but, “That was all fine and dandy since we support The Dally every year and remain closed.”

By year four, Steve and Been began to push the diversity of music genre. “We began to gain interest from a number of bands and performers that wanted a new outlet,” he says. One Nation represents a diversity in ages of performers as well.

This year, there will be two stages, so the festival will be larger than in years past.  There will also be an art show to view inside the gallery The Female of The Species – The Art of Steve Czapiewski. “We are very eager to get more people involved to be part of our art and music endeavors,” Steve says. “It is a shared experience that all interested parties should benefit from. Please come and support the bands, but especially the bands on tour!  They need an audience and to feel welcomed in a Detroit-area festival.”

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By David Wesley

BRIAN MILLER: SON, BROTHER, LOVER, FRIEND, musician, writer, goofball, host at the New Way Bar…he was a guy who touched more lives in his 32 years than most people do in a lifetime. Jamie D’Angelo, owner of the New Way Bar, is devastated and heartbroken by Brian’s passing, like everyone else who knew him. Brian hosted the open mic night there, and started a live music scene seldom enjoyed anywhere else in or around Ferndale. Jamie gave us his thoughts about Brian and his legacy.

“I met Brian when I bought the bar four-and-a-half years ago. He was running the open mic on Wednesday. At that time, the open mic was not very well-at-tended, but Brian changed all that. Week-by-week he stuck with it, and something really special happened. A music scene was created every Wednesday. It was really something special. I will remember Brian as a kind person.
He was very thoughtful and caring. He was a gifted musician and songwriter too. Brian has left a lasting impact on New Way Bar and Ferndale in so many ways. He was one of the things that makes life in Ferndale so wonderful.

You could always count on seeing him riding his bike around town. And he would stop to chat every time I would see him. He really helped me turn the New Way into what it is today. It’s completely different than what it was four years ago.”

Jamie’s devastation is shared by all of us in Ferndale who knew him. Because of people like Jamie, Ferndale has become one of the best cities in the country. We’re hoping the people who knew him will cherish his memory for the years to come, and help colorize Ferndale with a lasting effect.

A group of musicians who loved, and were inspired by Brian Miller came together to create an album of songs that celebrate his beautiful, talented, kind, goofy soul. The album contains both songs that Brian Miller wrote, and other songs that Brian loved, or that remind us of him. This album is a tribute to, and celebration of, his beautiful soul. It was released April 29th of this year. Each song has credits listed individually on the track. The hope is that the album will continue to grow larger as more of the musicians who loved Brian Miller record more songs. It can be heard here:
thebrianmillercelebration.bandcamp.com/releases

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By Maggie Boleyn
Photos by Bernie Laframboise

HAZEL PARK IS A RESILIENT CITY, able to weather what Edward Klobucher, City Manager, termed a “quadruple whammy” during the early years of the new millennium. The four disasters: Decreased housing values, declines in the racing industry, cuts to revenue sharing and a “broken municipal financing system” were met in traditional Hazel Park style — with a strong sense of a community pulling together to meet difficulties head on.

“The tremendous sense of community, combined with volunteer efforts in the city, is the secret sauce,” Klobucher said. “We came through these chal-lenges in a way that other, similarly situated cities did not,” he continued.

“Hazel Park is the only city of its type to remain masters of our own destiny.” Klobucher is a lifelong Hazel Park resident, Hazel Park’s longest-serving city manager and one of the longest-serving in Oakland County.
The 2008 collapse of the housing market, followed by “The Great Recession,” decreased housing values nationwide. Most of Hazel Park’s homes were built between the 1920s-1960s, and it is a challenge to keep those older homes maintained. “It’s a never-ending battle keeping up with the aging housing stock,” Klobucher said. Lower property values are problematic because this leads directly to lower tax revenues, making it difficult to fund City services.

Declines in the horse racing industry in general, and the Hazel Park Raceway, in particular have been another hurdle for Hazel Park. Klobucher said the City has had a long, “symbiotic relationship” with the race track, and declining revenue took a toll. In the 1950s, the Raceway provided nearly one-half of Hazel Park’s tax revenue. Today, the track revenue is only two per cent.

The Headlee Amendment of 1978 and Proposal A of 1994 interact in such a way as to keep Hazel Park’s revenues obtained from its taxes in a vice. The City can only significantly improve its tax base with new construction. Unfortunately, Hazel Park is a fully built-out inner ring suburb with no avail-able land; thus the City tax revenues will fail to rise significantly no matter how high Hazel Park’s property values rise.

The 2014 flood dealt another major blow to Hazel Park, once more testing the mettle of residents. Again, community members stepped up and boldly faced the catastrophe. “It was a unifying, community-based response,” Klobucher said. Any interruption to garbage collection would have wreaked havoc with public health. However, members of the Public Works Department, the Water Department along with Police, Fire and other city employees immediately pitched in to avert further disaster. Three dump trucks were quickly obtained, and over one-third of the garbage was swiftly removed, ahead of scheduled pickups. “That was done on our own resources,” Klobucher said.

Klobucher outlined three approaches he considers key to moving forward into the future: Bringing new development to Hazel Park, encouraging education through the Hazel Park Promise Zone, and improving property values via participation in Land CURE, Inc. (Cities for Urban Revitalization and Enhancement, a non-profit public charity established for the purpose of “creating better neighborhoods in the inner-ring suburbs of Detroit.”)

NEW DEVELOPMENT IS CRUCIAL TO THE FUTURE of Hazel Park. New businesses contribute to tax revenue and attract people to the city. Klobucher noted it is extremely challenging to “shoehorn new development” into existing spaces.

One very exciting new business in Hazel Park is Mabel Gray, located on John R between Hamata and Chestnut, in a rehabilitated diner. Mabel Gray opened to stellar reviews, and was named one of the best new restaurants in America. Chef James Rigato presents adventurous fare which changes with the seasons.

New construction continues apace at 10 Mile and Dequindre, using space from the Hazel Park Raceway to build a 575-thousand square foot commerce center. Klobucher says that new construction is occurring in “nearly every corridor” in the city. Plans include adding new stores and a Secretary of State’s office at 8 Mile and Dequindre.

Education plays a key role in maintaining the viability of the community. Klobucher said that Hazel Park is becoming a “learning community,” and the “Promise Zone” has a prominent role. According to the City’s web site, The Promise Zone guarantees all resident graduates of Hazel Park Schools “a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree, often through pre-existing scholarships.” Promise Zone tuition monies can be used at any accredited trade school, community college, college or university in the state of Michigan. Promise Zone monies are paid directly to a student’s institution, and cover tuition and fees, excluding books. “Other places talk about providing education,” Klobucher said. “In Hazel Park, we are already doing it.”

The Land CURE program aims to upgrade existing housing stock in Hazel Park. “It’s most important function is to raise property values,” Klobucher said. He points out that improved property values benefit all residents. Klobucher is a co-founder of Land CURE and has served as Board President since Land CURE’s inception.

Drawing on the past and present spirit of Hazel Park, Klobucher is upbeat. “When I look to the future, working with the Mayor and City Council, I want to position Hazel Park to be sustainable; to survive and thrive.”

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