south oakland eccentric 121111
Post on 23-Mar-2016
248 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
-
SERVING ROYAL OAK, FERNDALE, BERKLEY, CLAWSON, HUNTINGTON WOODS, PLEASANT RIDGE, SOUTHFIELD, LATHRUP VILLAGE
PRICE: $1 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2011 hometownlife.com
Home Delivery:
(866) 887-2737
Return Address:
41304 Concept Dr.
Plymouth MI 48170
The Observer & Eccentric
INDEX
Volume 63 Number 29
MONEY SAVING
Coupons
Look inside for
S
P
E
C
I
A
L
S
E
C
T
I
O
N
HOLIDAY
GIFT GUIDE
Shop local and celebrate
the season of giving!
USA WEEKEND
CHARLIZE
THERONS
LOW-KEY
LIFE
Jazz benefit
Get in the zone. Field
Zone Youth Center in
Southeld is hosting its
rst Jazz Benet Concert
5-8:30 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 17, in the lower
level of the Southeld
Pavilion, 26000 Ever-
green Road, south of 11
Mile.
The eveningwill
include samplings from
local restaurants. Talent
for the night will be the
John Arnold Trio, the
Southeld Jazz Ensemble
and Frank Lee & the KDJ
Trio.
Tickets start at $25.
Group rates are avail-
able. Low-cost child care
will be provided. Spon-
sorship packages begin
at $100, and souvenir
program ads begin at $5.
Proceeds from the event
will directly benet Field
Zone Youth Center.
To purchase tickets,
place an ad ormake
a donation, call (248)
395-9663 or e-mail eld-
zone@eldzone.org.
Safe decisions
For the past four years,
the Royal Oak Coalition
has been partnering
with local businesses to
offer freemocktail (tasty
non-alcoholic beverages)
samples to encourage
people tomake safe and
healthy decisions this
holiday season. This year
as well as last year, ROCK
on Third provided all the
ingredients tomake the
beverages.
The taste sampling
was held at the Royal
Oak High School Holiday
Craft show, sponsored by
the Royal Oak PTSA. The
Be the Change youth
group staffed the table
and collected needed
donations for future ser-
vice projects. Therewere
200 beverage tasters.
The coalition is appre-
ciative of Carrie ONeil,
owner of ROCK on Third,
student servers from
the youth group, youth
adviser Carrie Lawrence
and host Royal Oak High
School PTSA, according
to a press release.
This Thursday, Dec.
15, parents can attend
the Coalitions Third
Thursday event 7:30-8:30
p.m., when Jack Salter, a
17-year probation of-
cer from the 44th District
Court, will discuss the
impact of teenage drink-
ing and drugs on their
future and the nancial
consequences.
Third Thursdaymeet-
ings are held at the
coalition ofce, 1500 N.
Stephenson Highway,
just south of 12Mile
Road.
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
BERKLEY BettySmith
wouldntmind amerg-
er of Our Lady of LaSa-
lette Catholic Churchwith
two churches in neigh-
boring cities, as long as
her church is the one that
absorbs the other two.
Smith, 76, has been a
parishioner at Our Lady
of LaSalette, on Coolidge
between 11Mile and 12
Mile, formore than 50
years. She and her hus-
band, Lysle, sent all four
of their children through
the churchs school.
Whether a recommend-
edmergerwith St. James
in Ferndale andOur Lady
of Fatima in Oak Park
would take affect remains
to be seen, according to a
regional study by anArch-
diocesan Pastoral Council
given to ArchbishopAllen
Vigneron.
If its in her lifetime,
Smith is hoping the church
atOurLady of LaSalette
will be theworship site.
The Smiths like to trav-
el during retirement, and
Merger plan targets local churches
JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Lysle and Betty Smith talk with fellow parishioner, Thomas Cusick (left), after Thursdays
Mass at Our Lady of LaSalette in Berkley.
In this issue, the South
Oakland Eccentric takes
a look at parishioners
reaction and plans
for merging churches,
including Our Lady of
LaSalette and St. Dennis.
Next week: Check back
for a report on the pos-
sible sale of St. Bede in
Southfield.
FAITH IN THE
PROCESS
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
ROYAL OAKAmin-
ister speaking at a Dec.
4 vigil for an 80-year-old
woman, who police say
was murdered inside
her home last month,
reminded residents to
look out for one another
and maintain a sense of
community.
Two suspects are in
custody after being
arrested in connection
with the Nov. 20 homi-
cide, in which Nancy
Maureen Dailey was
found with a slit throat
and her hands bound,
according to Royal Oak
police.
The Rev. John Miller, a
Royal Oak resident and
pastor of First Congre-
gation Church of Roy-
al Oak, at Crooks and
Webster, less than one
mile from the homicide
scene, presided over the
vigil.
This was a terrible
loss, a significant trag-
edy, Miller said. It
was a cohesive eve-
ning, emphasizing Nan-
cy as a wonderful per-
son, appreciated by
many, known to all. I
ran into some folks who
didnt realize exactly
A significant tragedy
Residents grieve at vigil
for Royal Oak woman
JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Residents gathered at a vigil last week to mourn the
80-year-old woman who greeted them on her neighbor-
hood walks on Trafford Street in Royal Oak.
By Sandra Armbruster
Eccentric Staff Writer
BERKLEYAfter
being encouraged by
Mayor Phil ODwyer
to vote on a new coun-
cil member according to
what is best for Berk-
ley as we see it, a unani-
mous vote selected John
C. Blanchard to fill the
post vacated by Dan Ben-
ton.
A retired engineer, for-
mer colonel with the U.S.
Army and a volunteer
for the city and Berkley
Schools, Blanchard in his
interview had told coun-
cil that he wanted to keep
its good work going on in
the city. He said that he
wants to make sure that
the city is there to sup-
port his two grandchil-
dren growing up in Berk-
ley.
Councilwoman Eileen
Steadman led off the
voting by nominat-
ing Blanchard, and she
was quickly followed by
Councilman Alan Kideck-
el and Councilman Steve
Baker in saying that they
would vote for him as
well.
Baker said he liked the
diversity of perspec-
tive that Blanchard
would bring to the coun-
cil, including his involve-
ment in public securi-
ty and having led large
projects.
Blanchard
to round
out Berkley
council
The main (problem) is people are real comfortable to not come and worship God.
Rev. Patrick Connell, LaSalette pastor
JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Welcome, Santa!
Santa Claus receives the key to the hearts of Berkley youths from Berkley Mayor Phil ODwyer. For more photos,
see page A6.
Please see VIGIL, A2 Please see COUNCIL, A3
Please see MERGER, A5
Business...................A13
Crossword Puzzle ....B6
Homes.....................B6
Jobs.........................B5
Obituaries................A11
Opinion ...................A14
Services ...................B6
Sports......................B1
Wheels ....................B7
IN B IR M IN G H A M O V E R 44 Y E A R S
33700 W oodw ard Ave. B irm in gh am , M I 48009
w w w .abbottscorp.com (248)644-8565 S in ce 1956
Find UsOn
OE08749945
AA bbbboottttssA bbotts
BBUUYY IINN GG && LL OO AANN IINN GGBBUUYY IINN GG && LL OO AANN IINN GGBUY IN G & L O AN IN G
CO INS-JE W E L R Y -DIAM O NDS-P L ATINUM -SILVE R -G O L D
S ELL NOW -G old A n d S ilver Near A ll Tim e High!
-
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A2 Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
who (Dailey) was until
they saw a picture of her
and realized thats who
walked past their house
every day and said hi.
Nancys life was tak-
en, taken from that
neighborhood. The chal-
lenge is not letting (the
homicide) take their
sense of neighborhood,
neighbor. Continue to
be involved, connected,
stay strong as a neigh-
borhood. (The neighbor-
hood) has a long histo-
ry of caring for each oth-
er and people who pass
through the neighbor-
hood. Thats a very diffi-
cult challenge they face
at this point. They have
to lean on history, on
each other.
Little dynamo
Dailey lived alone in
the 2900 block of Traf-
ford, about one block
west of Dennis Cowan,
the citys former may-
or, and Laura Harrison, a
business owner who also
served on the city com-
mission. Both of the for-
mer elected officials also
addressed the crowd of
about 60 who gathered
on the lawn of Daileys
home to remember her
life.
There were lots of
hugs, lots of talking,
Harrison said.
Dailey has few sur-
viving family members,
with a cousin and the
cousins husband among
those grieving at the vig-
il, according to Harrison.
Harrison said she
cherished her friend-
ship with Dailey, a for-
mer neighborhood asso-
ciation board member
and an avid walker, even
up until her death. Dai-
ley was a lifelong single
person who lived in the
home on Trafford with
her sister until her sister
died several years ago,
neighbors said.
Nancy kind of speed
walked, quick, fast steps,
moved like a little dyna-
mo, Harrison remem-
bered. Shes see me and
say, Well, Laura whats
going on?
Neighbors concerns
Harrison said she
cant remember as chill-
ing of a crime commit-
ted against a neighbor in
four decades of living in
Royal Oak, and before
that in Detroit, where
she was born and raised.
When I first found
out, for four days after I
had goose bumps, Har-
rison said Monday. Why
did (the intruders) have
to kill her? The woman
weighed (like) 90 pounds.
I just came from the
Royal Oak Womens Club
today. A lot were ask-
ing me questions, Was
(Dailey) your neigh-
bor? Everyone is just so
stunned. Its not (Roy-
al Oak). We dont want
(a murder) to define our
city.
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
(313) 222-2047
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
ROYALOAKA for-
mer city commissioner
has renewed her opposi-
tion tomotels alongWood-
ward
Avenue,
between
11Mile
and 13
Mile,
after one
of her
neigh-
bors on
Trafford
Street, 80-year-old Nan-
cyMaureenDailey, was
killed inside her home
Nov. 20.
Neighbors say the sus-
pects were transients who
stayed inmotels along
that strip ofWoodward
Avenue in Royal Oak and
whowere known to walk
the streets of theWood-
ward Side subdivision.
The two suspects, aman
andwoman in the 40s
arrested by police Nov.
22, reportedly offered to
do yard work and other
odd jobs in exchange for
money, the neighbors say.
WhenHarrison was on
the Royal Oak City Com-
mission, between 1991-
99, the city was proactive
in shutting down a half-
dozenmotels alongWood-
ward Avenue for code
violations, but four still
remain.
The first thing we need
to do is get rid of the rest
of themotels, said Har-
rison, who lives on Traf-
ford, about one block east
of where Dailey lived.
Our quality of life is
threatened now.
While shes happy that
themotel owners pay tax-
es, Harrison said three
of themotels are a mag-
net for transient people
who contribute zippo to
the city.
A person who answered
the phone at Sagamore
Motor Lodge, onWood-
ward south of 13Mile,
said she refused com-
ment when told of Harri-
sons critique of themotel
scene alongWoodward
Avenue in Royal Oak. Of
the fourmotels, Harri-
son said she has themost
respect for the Sagamore,
a two-storymotel near
13Mile andWoodward.
Rooms at the Sagamore
reportedly are often occu-
pied by guests who have
relatives who are patients
atWilliamBeaumontHos-
pital, on 13Mile just west
ofWoodward.
Harrison was critical of
those whom she said are
guests at the Seville and
Saranacmotels, between
11Mile and 12Mile, and
the Palmsmotel, north of
13Mile.
Amanwho identified
himself as Mr. Patel,
owner of the Palms, about
three blocks south of
Trafford, confirmed the
two suspects in the homi-
cide of Dailey paid for
a room at the Palms. He
said they did not cause
trouble as guests.
(The suspects) stayed
in everymotel, Patel
said. We try to stay away
from troublemakers, but
were not perfect. I dont
have no bad people com-
ing here.
Vera Prljic, owner of
the SaranayMotel on
Woodward between Catal-
pa and 12Mile, was on
vacation and unavail-
able for comment last
week, according to the
front desk person who
answered the phone. A
person who answered the
phone at the Sevillemotel,
next door to the Saranay,
said the owner was not
available for comment.
Harrison said the
motels alongWoodward
at one timewere popu-
lar family destinations,
becausemany came from
out of town tomake a pil-
grimage to the National
Shrine of the Little Flow-
er, at 12Mile andWood-
ward.
A lot of themotels
were built because of the
Shrine, somany people
from out of town needed a
place to stay, she said.
Motel perception
As the decades
advanced, Harrison said
themotels alongWood-
ward becamemore of
an attraction for desti-
tute people. Many of the
motels the city helped
shut downwere known
for prostitution and
drugs, she said.
Among themotels razed
while she was on the City
Commission was the
Comfort motel, at the cor-
ner of Trafford andWood-
ward, Harrison said. The
corner is now occupied
by restaurants, PeiWei
Asian Diner on the south
and Olgas FreshMarket
Grille to the north, which
attract large crowds,
includingmanywalkers,
according to Harrison.
If themotel owners
insist on staying, they
shouldmake renovations
and attract more than just
transient people, Harri-
son said.
Why dont you spend
somemoney and change
your perception? Harri-
son said.
Patel said the struggling
economy is not conducive
tomaking large-scale ren-
ovations.
In this economy, youve
got to have thatmuch
money, too, Patel said. I
spendmoney (on renova-
tions).
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
(313) 222-2047
Former commissioner
renews fight against motels
Harrison
VIGIL
Continued from page A1
Check us out on the Web every
day at hometownlife.com
-
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A3Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
It takes aminimum of
four yes votes to name a
new council member.
No other namewas
placed in nomination;
there were a total of four
men who had applied to
serve as a council mem-
ber. The four besides
Blanchard, Marc F. Her-
ron, Ryan Lawson and
Gary Polk addressed
council before the voting
began.
Councilman Dan Ter-
brack acknowledged
in his comments to the
audience that with those
three council members
supporting Blanchard,
there was the likelihood
of a fourth vote, mean-
ing Blanchard would be
selected before any other
name could be placed in
nomination.
Eventually the entire
council voted for
Blanchard, some with
slight hesitation before
casting their votes.
It has been a year of
change for the Berkley
elected city leadership,
with formermayorMar-
ilyn Stephan deciding
not to run for re-election.
ODwyer left his post
as councilman, running
unopposed for mayor.
Also running unopposed
was Kideckel for what
was ODwyers seat.
Terbrack addressed
the lack of people run-
ning for office in the
November election, say-
ing that is what scared
me, worrying that no
one would express inter-
est in the office. He said
that council members
were extremely serious
in thanking the four can-
didates for coming for-
ward.
We are a blessed com-
munity, ODwyer said.
sarmbruster@hometownlife.com
COUNCIL
Continued from page A1
Oakland County Reps.
Vicki Barnett, D-Farm-
ington Hills, and Jim
Townsend, D-Royal Oak,
say that a House bill, if
approved, would allow
county
commis-
sioners to
redraw
district
maps
in their
favor.
House
Bill 5187
is a vio-
lation of the state con-
stitution, the legislators
say, and it would undo
Oakland Countys coun-
ty commission reappor-
tionment map that has
already survived a court
challenge and has been
found to be fair and legal.
This is a shameless
attempt to use the state
Legislature as a tool of
the Republican Party.
This bill is in violation of
the state constitution, and
would essentially over-
turn aMichigan Court of
Appeals decision in order
to allow the GOP-con-
trolled (Oakland) Coun-
ty Commission to redraw
the district maps in their
favor, Barnett said.
This is exactly the kind
of blatant partisan over-
reach that the public is
sick of and I am disgust-
ed bymy Republican col-
leagues complete lack of
integrity on the issue.
The county reappor-
tionment maps have been
drawn by the five-mem-
ber reapportionment
committee. Themap has
already been challenged
in theMichigan Court of
Appeals, which deemed
themap to be consti-
tutional and in compli-
ance with the law. The
bill would throw that map
out and require a second
reapportionment plan
drawn up by the GOP-
controlled county com-
mission.
The size of the county
commission would be cut
from 25 to 21members,
according to the two leg-
islators.
This bill is not about
doing what is best for
Oakland County resi-
dents. Its about doing
what the Oakland County
Republican Party thinks
is best for them and
that is unconscionable,
Townsend said. Legisla-
tors should not be in con-
trol of choosing their dis-
tricts at any level of gov-
ernment.
The House Republi-
cans rejected Democrat-
ic efforts to reform the
reapportionment pro-
cess at the state level and
now theyre meddling in
Oakland Countys pro-
cess. Bad policy such as
this has no place in our
deliberations here in
the House. Themap was
drawn and then upheld in
a court decision and that
decision should stand.
Townsend blasts
reapportionment bill
Townsend
VOICES & VIEWS:
COMMENT ONLINE
hometownlife.com
OE08762930
OE08763133
36534 P lym outh Roa d
L ivonia ,M I 481 50
(L oca ted jus tW es tof L eva n,between L eva n a nd N ewburg h)
Hours : Tues d a y-Frid a y 1 0a m -7 pm ; S a turd a y 1 0a m -5pm
Michigans Newest POLARIS Off-Road Dealer!
887777--338888--99550088
BUY O N E , G E T O N E FR EE
Appa rel,G ea r& M ore
O n s electitem s w ith coupon. E xpires 1 2-23-1 1
W E W IL L
N O T
BE UN D E RS O L D
G rea tS election Ava ila ble Friend ly,K now led g ea ble S ta ff
201 2 RAN G E R
Cla s s -lea d ing 50 HP
P L Y M O UTH RO AD
FARMINGTON
ROAD
LEVAN
ROAD
201 2 S P O RTS M AN
M os tP owerin its Cla s s
*
STAR T IN G AT
$5 6 9 9
*
STAR T IN G AT
$8 ,2 9 9
D ick ScottsAnnua lHolid a y
Sa ving sSpecta cula r!
G etEVER Y TH IN G
you need forthe
R ID IN G
EN TH USIAST on
yourholid a y lis t!
Buy AN Y
FULM ER H ELM ET
a nd receive a
FR EE PAIR
of Cold wea ther
Rid ing G loves
*W ARNING !ATVs ca n be ha za r d ou s to ope r a te .F or you r s a fe ty a lw a ys w e a r a he lm e t, e ye prote ction , a n d prote ctive clothin g a n d n e ve r ca r r y pa s s e n g e r s u n le s s the
a d u lt ATV ha s be e n d e s ig n e d by the m a n u fa ctu r e r s pe cifica lly for tha t pu rpos e .Pola r is a d u lt m od e ls a r e for r id e r s a g e 16 a n d old e r.Be s u r e to ta k e a s a fe ty tr a in in g
cou r s e .F or s a fe ty a n d tr a in in g in form a tion in the U.S ., ca ll the S VIA a t (8 00) 8 8 7-28 8 7.Y ou m a y a ls o con ta ct you r Pola r is d e a le r or ca ll Pola r is a t (8 00) 324-3764.
Plu s ta x, title , lice n s e , pr e p, d e s tin a tion , DOC fe e s .C on ta ct d e a le r for com ple te d e ta ils .Pictu r e m a y n ot r e pr e s e n t a ctu a l ve hicle .
FIN AN C IN G
AS L O W AS
2.99
%
www.DickScottClassicMotorcycles.com
OE08763169
-
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
SOUTHFIELDWhen
Church of the Transfig-
uration opened in 2007
in Southfield as amerg-
er of four Catholic par-
ishes, there already were
growing pains, according
to Jon Fox, a member of
the reorganization com-
mittee.
St. Michael Church, off
of 10Mile between Lah-
ser and Telegraph roads
in Southfield, became
the renamed Church of
the Transfiguration. A
reorganization commit-
tee of eight people, with
two people represent-
ing each of the four par-
ishes, came to a consen-
sus following ameet-
ing with the Archdio-
cese of Detroit. The for-
mer St. Michael was des-
ignated the worship site,
and a decision wasmade
to close and sell the prop-
erties at the other three
parishes: St. Ives, St.
Beatrice and St. Bede.
Themerger was part of
a 2004 Together in Faith
Phase One downsizing
plan in the Archdiocese
of Detroit, whichmerged
and clustered about 40
churches in the tri-coun-
ties, due to a priest short-
age and declining church
attendance.
We were the guinea
pig, said Fox, a longtime
parishioner of St. Michael
prior to themerger. Up
to the point where the
merger took place, there
was a great deal of pain
from all four parishes.
No one wanted to give
up their place of wor-
ship. Once the decision
wasmade, once they
went through the rituals
of closings, we formal-
ly opened the new par-
ish and the priest (the
Rev. William Ollendick)
made the transition very
smoothly.
Model to consider?
The Southfield merg-
er, and the cluster of
three churches in Ponti-
ac under the name of St.
Damien ofMolokai, may
be among themodels to
consider in the future
when Our Lady of LaSa-
lette Catholic Church in
Berkley and St. Dennis
Catholic Church in Royal
Oak face similar downsiz-
ing challenges, according
to officials at the church-
es and with the archdio-
cese.
Regional committees of
the Archdiocesan Pasto-
ral Council recommended
themerger of LaSalette
with Our Lady of Fatima
in Oak Park and St. James
in Ferndale, according
to the report. The same
committee recommend-
ed that St. Dennis become
one community with St.
Vincent Ferrer ofMadi-
son Heights and St. Mary
Magdalen and St. Justin
of Hazel Park.
How, and when, the
combinations will take
affect remains to be seen,
the report said.
The parishes may
merge, which would
mean one remains open
as the worship and
administrative site, while
the others are closed and
sold. Theymay also opt
to cluster, whichmeans
multiple sites for wor-
ship and administrative
reasons, but more shared
resources, according to
Joe Kohn, spokesman for
the archdiocese.
Kohn described Church
of the Transfiguration as
a vibrant parish com-
munity, an active Catho-
lic parish right now, one
of the larger mergers
in recent years, maybe
the largest. He cited its
count of 1,296 registered
families.
Fox said amajority of
the St. Michael parishio-
ners stayed when Trans-
figuration was formed.
He said none of the reor-
ganizing committee
members from the oth-
er churches came over to
the new church, and he
isnt sure why, or wheth-
er they chose to attend
another church.
The fact of themat-
ter is, whenever a parish
merges, youre going to
find some that choose not
to follow that merger,
Kohn said. Some gravi-
tate toward parishes that
are like their own instead
of themerged parish.
Youmay seek a nearby
parish, one that is not as
close, but one that feels
most comfortable.
SharonMyers, busi-
ness manager for Church
of the Transfiguration,
said some people from
the closed parishes came
over to Transfiguration
for a time, then left and
no longer attend.
There were some hurt
feelings, because people
had to leave parishes they
had been a part of for all
their sacramental lives,
Myers said. Its diffi-
cult for a lot of people,
difficult for a lot of St.
Michael people as well. A
lot of healing took place.
Now its a very cohesive,
unified parish, a lot of
people very positive.
Fox said the current
makeup of Transfigura-
tion has a fair number of
former parishioners from
the closed parishes, but a
majority were already St.
Michael parishioners.
We have full pews
on (weekends), espe-
cially at 4:30 Saturday
and 10 a.m. Sunday,
Fox said. Everyone has
to embrace themerg-
er if its going to happen.
The best way would be
embrace it, deal with it.
In our case we had won-
derful clergy, fantastic
instrumental in the tran-
sition, so good at dealing
with the entire process.
The difference in the
merger is how the priest
deals with the people.
The people that came
over became active, par-
ticipated in all organiza-
tions and administration
of the parish.
Uniting
communities
In an effort to make the
new parishioners from
the closed parishes famil-
iar with their new sur-
roundings, many of the
statues and other unique
characteristics of the
closed churches were sal-
vaged and brought over
to Transfiguration for dis-
play, according to Fox.
The downsizing of par-
ishes in the archdiocese
is in response to declining
numbers of priests and
parishmembers, and to
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A4 Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
Churches may consider Southfield merger model
JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Transguration Catholic Church in Southeld is the merger
of St. Michael, St. Ives, St. Bede and St. Beatrice.
Please see CHURCHES, A5
WW ee SSeellll,, SSeerr vviiccee aa nn dd
WW ee SSeellll,, SSeerr vviiccee aa nn ddW e Sell, Ser vice a n d
IInn ssttaa llll AA llll BB rr aa nn dd ss
IInn ssttaa llll AA llll BB rr aa nn dd ssIn sta ll A ll B r a n d s
OE08748763
Serving the entire m etopolita n a rea .
E a s t:
58 6 -274-1155
D ow n rive r:
734-28 1-3024
W e s t:
734-422-8 08 0
North W ood w a rd :
248 -548 -9 56 5
D e troit:
313-79 2-0770
S e rvic e c ha n g e s & u pg ra d e s
O u tle ts a d d e d G e n e ra tors
In s ta lla tion offixtu re s ,
c e ilin g fa n s , hot w a te r
he a te rs , g a ra g e s , pools ,
& ou td oorlig htin g
S
A
V
E
$
2
0
.
0
0
.
.
.
N
O
W
O
N
L
Y
!
$$
$$$
66
99
..
99
55
66
99
..
99
55
6
9
.
9
5
W
i
t
h
t
h
i
s
a
d
.
N
o
t
v
a
l
i
d
w
i
t
h
a
n
y
o
t
h
e
r
o
f
f
e
r
s
.
E
x
p
i
r
e
s
1
2
-
3
1
-
1
1
FF
UU
RR
NN
AA
CC
EE
CC
LL
EE
AA
NN
&&
FF
UU
RR
NN
AA
CC
EE
CC
LL
EE
AA
NN
&&
F
U
R
N
A
C
E
C
L
E
A
N
&
CC
HH
EE
CC
KK
SS
PP
EE
CC
II
AA
LL
CC
HH
EE
CC
KK
SS
PP
EE
CC
II
AA
LL
C
H
E
C
K
S
P
E
C
I
A
L
R
E
G
.
$
8
9
.
9
5
FF UULL LL EE LL EE CC TTRRIICC AALL
FF UULL LL EE LL EE CC TTRRIICC AALLF UL L E L E C TRIC AL
DD EE PP AARRTTMM EE NNTT
DD EE PP AARRTTMM EE NNTTD E P ARTM E NT
MM AA SSTTEERR
MM AA SSTTEERRM A STER
EELL EECCTTRRIICCIIAA NNSS!!
EELL EECCTTRRIICCIIAA NNSS!!EL ECTRICIA NS!
FF UURRNNAACC EE
FF UURRNNAACC EEF URNAC E
SS AA LL EESS,,
SS AA LL EESS,,SA L ES,
SSEERRVVIICCEE,,
SSEERRVVIICCEE,,SERVICE,
PPAA RRTTSS &&
PPAA RRTTSS &&PA RTS &
IINNSSTTAA LL LL AA TTIIOONN
IINNSSTTAA LL LL AA TTIIOONNINSTA L L A TION
LICE NS E D &
INS UR E D
#71-16061
OE08762358
M ICH A EL J. FIS H ER
O w ner
Com passionate
Affordable
Caring
24501 F iv e M ile R oa d R ed for d
(Betw een Beech D a ly a n d Telegr a p h )
313.535.3030
w w w .fis h er fu n er a l.n et
TR A D ITIO N A L S ER V ICE
W ITH CR EM A TIO N
includes ca sket fa ca de,
view ing & service
$2195
B A S IC C R EM A TIO N
includes crem a tion process
a nd county perm it
$695*
*$200 a d d ition a l for M em or ia l Ser v ices
TR A D ITIO N A L S ER V ICE
W ITH B U R IA L
includes m eta l ca sket,outerburia l
conta iner,view ing & service
$2895
Traditionalfunerals& alternatives
tailored foranybudget
O
E
0
8
7
6
2
7
6
3
-
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A5Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
have found other parish-
es they like, but therewill
always be a special place
in their hearts forOur
Lady of LaSalette, they
said.
This is still our home,
Smith said afterMass
Thursday, the celebration
of the Immaculate Con-
ception on the Catholic
calendar. Im notmoving.
I dont live (in Ferndale or
Oak Park). I live (in Berk-
ley).We sent our four kids
to LaSalette, have a lot of
greatmemories.
The school at LaSa-
lette is not being consid-
ered for closure ormerg-
er, according to the plan,
though regional schools
may eventually replace
some parish schools, the
report said.
Smith is hoping that
LaSalettes total ofmore
than 1,000 registered
parish families, which
is about 150more than
St. James (850) and four
timesmore than Fatima
(280), will be the factor in
keeping its church doors
open.
Weve got the biggest
church (membership
wise), so I would hope so,
Smith said.
St. Dennis Church in
Royal Oak, which closed
its school after the 2009-
10 school year, because of
declining enrollment, is
recommended to be part
of amergerwith four
churches: St. Vincent Fer-
rer inMadisonHeights
and St.MaryMagdalen
and St. Justin inHazel
Park.
A spokeswoman at St.
Dennis ChurchWednes-
day directed all calls
about the proposedmerg-
er to the archdiocese.
Just proposals
Themergers are among
tentative proposals to
cluster, close andmerge
some four dozen parish-
es in the next five years,
according to a Together in
Faith Phase Two downsiz-
ing plan for the Archdio-
ceses 270 parishes. Phase
One, in 2004,merged
and clustered about 40
churches, including four
in Southfield that became
Church of the Trans-
figuration, formerly St.
Michael.
The downsizing is in
response to declining
numbers of priests and
parish members, and
in response to financial
considerations in indi-
vidual churches, accord-
ing to Joe Kohn, spokes-
man for the archdiocese.
Approximately 40 groups
conducted individual
studies, with 1,500 Cath-
olics from across the
archdiocese assisting,
Kohn said.
What weve done is
release recommendations,
this is not a final plan,
Kohn said. Its not a neat,
tidy package of This
church is going to do this,
this church is going to do
that. Therewas a conflu-
ence of factors. Nomat-
ter the church, we looked
at the demographics in
the area: Are theremore
or fewer people show-
ing up every Sunday, the
financial picture, number
of priests available, con-
tingency plans on priests
retiring.
The plan is not just
merging churches but
sharingministries, best
practices, a food pantry
(and other Christian ser-
vice), Kohn said. Its
done to be themost effi-
cient, to look beyond par-
ish borders, figure out
howwe as Catholics can
best use the resources of
the church: human,mon-
ey, priests and programs.
Shrine, schools
remain
Among the 11 church-
es in the South Oakland
Vicariate PlanningGroup
Two are theNational
Shrine of the Little Flow-
er and St.Mary, which are
expected to stand on their
ownwith registered fam-
ilymemberships of 3,582
and 1,061, respectively,
according to archdiocesan
records. None of the four
Catholic grade schools in
the South OaklandVicar-
iate PlanningGroup Two
will be affected, includ-
ing Shrine, St.Mary and
LaSalette, according to
the report.
LaSalette DeaconDan
Darga said the parish is
currently financially sta-
ble. Amerger of three
parishes could give the
new community bet-
ter financial footingwhile
improving its outreach,
he said.
When churches close
andmergewith other par-
ishes, the properties and
buildings are placed on
themarket, or rented out,
according toKohn. The
remaining parish absorbs
any debt or revenue from
the sale of the closed
buildings, Kohn said.
Change is a normal
part of all of our lives,
and should still allow us
to dowhat were called to
do: worship, education,
formation and service,
Darga said. Any parish,
church community should
do those things.
TheRev. Patrick Con-
nell, pastor of Our Lady
of LaSalette for 13 years,
said the churchwill know
more about its fate in Feb-
ruarywhen the archbish-
op givesmore details. He
said thewait to determine
when themerger takes
place could be sixmonths,
up to five years, contin-
gent on retirements of
priests.
LaSalettes pewswould
become a bitmore full, if
it becomes the home par-
ish for amerger of three
churches, according to
Connell.
Were feeling the same
thing all parishes are feel-
ing, and also our Prot-
estant brothers and sis-
ters are dealingwith, and
thats a decline of peo-
ple attendingMass in the
Catholic Church, and few-
er people attending Prot-
estant services, Connell
said. Themain (problem)
is people are real comfort-
able to not come andwor-
shipGod.
Themedian age of those
who attendMass is steadi-
ly increasing, and those
who have died are not
being replaced by young-
er faces, according to
Darga.
Some of our older
parishioners have gone
home to bewith the Lord,
saidDarga.
Connell said hes seen a
trend in recent years he
didnt experience in his
previous assignment at St.
Regis Catholic Church in
BloomfieldHills.
Ive (presided over)
a fair amount of funer-
als in my time here,
said Connell, recalling
58 funerals of parishio-
ners last year. I (per-
form) more funerals than
weddings and that was
not the case at my last
assignment.
Room for growth
TomCusick, a Berkley
senior and parishioner
for 53 years at LaSalette,
where all six of his chil-
dren attended school, said
getting a seat atMass is
never a problem.
We used to have a full
church, now its about half
full, Cusick said, leaving
church after Thursdays
Mass.
DonnaBuckley, aHun-
tingtonWoods resident
andmember of LaSa-
lette parish formore than
40 years, said the declin-
ingMass attendance has
actually become an added
attraction.
(LaSalette) is not ful-
ly crowded like Shrine,
Buckley said. Thats why
I like it. Its peaceful and a
nice community.
Since she also has an
emotional tie with LaSa-
lette, marrying her hus-
band, Richard, there.
Buckley said shewas
encouragedwith a homi-
ly she heard fromConnell
Dec. 4.
Our pastor (Connell)
last week gave his inter-
pretation and told us
to be at peace, there is
nothing written in stone,
it will work out the way
its supposed to, Buck-
ley said.
If LaSalette closed, the
Smithsmay bemore like-
ly to transfer to St.Marys
Church in Royal Oak,
where theywed, than to
St. James or Fatima, Betty
Smith said.
Nothings going to hap-
pen in the near future,
Smith said. I guess I am
not going to get concerned
until I know it happens.
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
FERNDALETheRev.
StevenWertanen, pas-
tor of St. James Catholic
Church in Ferndale, has
released a statement in
which he emphasizes that
amergerwith Our Lady
of LaSalette in Berkley
andOur Lady of Fatima in
Oak Park doesnt neces-
sarilymean the closing of
St. James.
TheArchdiocese of
Detroit released a study
last week inwhich there
are recommendations to
cluster, close andmerge
about four dozen parish-
es in the next five years,
according to a Together in
Faith Phase Two downsiz-
ing plan for the archdio-
ceses 270 parishes.
Due to retirements,
Wertanen said it is pro-
jected therewill be
approximately 100 few-
er priests than the current
number serving the Arch-
diocese of Detroit in the
next 10 years. The par-
ish consolidation plan is
in response to the priest
shortage, a decline in
church attendance and
financial considerations
in individual churches,
according to JoeKohn,
spokesman for the arch-
diocese.
St. Jameswas found-
ed in Ferndale in 1919 and
has been at 241W. Pear-
son, offWoodward south
of NineMile, formany
decades. Its parish school
closed a couple of decades
ago, according to a history
link on its website.
Wertanen emphasized
patience to his parishio-
ners, as the findings so far
are only recommenda-
tions, not decisions!
Here, in part, isWer-
tanens statement:
These initial recom-
mendations came from
the efforts of laity gath-
ered from the parishes of
the Archdiocese.
In February (2010),
each parishwas asked to
send representatives to be
a part of this Together In
Faith process. The repre-
sentativeswere gathered
with other parish repre-
sentatives by vicariate.
Since February, repre-
sentatives gathered to dis-
cuss various topics con-
cerning the future ofmin-
istrywithin the Archdi-
ocese andmake recom-
mendations.
Theywere also asked
tomake recommenda-
tionswith regards to
if and which parishes
should cluster, merge and/
or close.
It is the recommenda-
tions from these lay gath-
erings that have been
announced in the past cou-
ple of weeks.
These recommenda-
tionswere, then, present-
ed to ArchbishopAllen
Vigneron for him to con-
siderwhen hemakes deci-
sions, which he plans on
having determined by
February 2012.
Much ofwhat has been
recommended could
change. St. Jameswas
groupedwith Our Lady of
Fatima in Oak Park and
Our Lady of LaSalette in
Berkley tomerge into one
parish.
Nowhere does it say
that it is recommend-
ed that St. Jameswould
close!
Based on the recom-
mendation, if applied,
therewould have to be
a process inwhich it is
determinedwhich one
parishwould remain open
andwhich two parish-
es would close andmerge
into the one
In addition, I suspect
that any decisions that
may bemade in Febru-
ary, would not necessar-
ily happen right away. It
could be that these deci-
sionsmay be implement-
edwithin a 5-year time-
framebut, I dont
know!
The bottom line, worth
stating again:
What has been pre-
sented are (his emphasis)
RECOMMENDATIONS,
NOTDECISIONS!
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
(313) 222-2047
Pastor not ready to shut parish doors
financial considerations
in individual church-
es, Kohn said. Approx-
imately 40 groups con-
ducted individual studies,
with 1,500 Catholics from
across the archdiocese
assisting, Kohn said.
You typically think
of one church and the
community that wor-
ships within, Kohn said.
Thats not necessari-
ly the case anymore. You
can have a parish involv-
ingmultiple sites, more
than one church and a
former parish acting as a
chapel (for instance).
Any time you keep a
building open, you have
maintenance costs. Thats
a factor, and also a fac-
tor is the ease with which
(parishioners) can get to
church.
Options to consider
Deacon Dan Dar-
ga of LaSalette Church
said that, when the time
comes to consider a
merger or cluster, LaSa-
lette will weigh all its
options.
Darga said LaSalette
already has experience
consolidating buildings
on its campus for new
purposes. The former
rectory was converted to
the Song and Spirit Insti-
tute for Peace, an inter-
faith organization to edu-
cate and promote good-
will between Christians,
Muslims and Jews, Dar-
ga said.
In general, where
mergers go, there is not
one pattern, Darga said.
Youve got to ask ques-
tions. Do you need three
church buildings, three
residences (for priests)?
In Southfield, it decided
having one church build-
ing for the whole commu-
nity was the best way to
go. Four parishes work
together, create one new
one of four. There is great
wisdom in doing that.
When churches merge,
the church that remains
open takes on all of the
debt and any of the rev-
enue from the sell-
ing of former proper-
ties, according toMyers,
who said Church of the
Transfiguration current-
ly is stable financial-
ly. Around the time of the
merger, the church prop-
erties of St. Ives and
St. Beatrice were sold,
she said. The archdio-
cese recently announced
a pending sale of the St.
Bede Church toWalmart.
Fox said hes glad
Southfield chose to
merge four parishes
instead of cluster, which
he said never works.
A cluster in Livonia,
formed between St. Mau-
rice and St. Genevieve
in the 2004 plan, appar-
ently didnt work. A sub-
committee of Together in
Faith Phase Two has rec-
ommended the closure of
St. Maurice.
There are not enough
priests to go around, Fox
said. (A cluster) drives
a priest into the ground,
there is too much work.
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
(313) 222-2047
MERGER
Continued from page A1
CHURCHES
Continued from page A4
JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Rev. Patrick J. Connell, anked by Deacon Daniel
Darga, recites a prayer at the end of Mass Thursday at Our
Lady of Lasalette Catholic Church in Berkley.
Remember your loved ones that youve lost by placing a
special holiday remembrance tribute for the holidays.
The Observer and Eccentric /Hometown Weekly Newspapers
will be publishing a special In Remembrance page
for the holidays. Heres the perfect opportunity
to honor the memory and celebrate the life of loved ones
who hold a special place in your heart.
Prices start at $15*
*1x2 remembrance ad
(Larger remembrance may be purchased)
Publications
Sunday, December 25th
Observer & Eccentric Newspapers:
Thursday, December 22nd
Hometown Weekly Newspapers:
(Milford, Northville, Novi and South Lyon)
Deadline
Monday, December 12th
For all publications
Call: 800-579-7355
Fax: 313-496-4968
Email: oeads@hometownlife.com
OE8 754140
...is the pre m ie rve te rin a ry a n d pe t
c e n te rin you rc om m u n ity. At D D CH
you a n d you rpe t w ill re c e ive :
Com pa s s ion a te Ca re
E xpe rie n c e d Ve te rin a ry S e rvic e
A Ca rin g An d Frie n d ly S ta ff
Im pe c c a b ly Cle a n Fa c ilitie s
Afford a b le S e rvic e s W ith O ption
P a ym e n t P la n s
Fa b u lou s Boa rd in g W ith In te rn e t
Ava ila b ility
D og g ie D a yc a re
E m e rg e n c y Cove ra g e
P rofe s s ion a l D og & Ca t G room in g
D D CH is th e p lace to b rin g
your p etfor an yRO UTINEor
EM ERGENCY CARE!
W e P rom ise Q uality P etHealthcare, Excellen t
C lien tSer vice, State ofthe ArtTechn olog y, The
Hig hestR eg ard an d R espectfor the P etOw n er.
15555 W . 10 M ile R oad
Southfield, M I 48 075
24 8-5 69-3 03 0
OP EN 7 DA Y S A W EEK 8 A M -10 P M
$
5 O FF
GRO O M ING
SERV ICE
W ith this a d E xpire s 12-3 1-11
D w ork is
D O G & CAT H O SP ITAL
OE08762967
D W O RKIS
D O G & CAT H O SP ITAL
-
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A6 Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
By Steve Kowalski
Eccentric Staff Writer
ROYAL OAK The
unofficial Royal Oak
City Commission Alum-
ni Association welcomed
three new members
Monday night unoffi-
cially, of course.
City Commissioners
Mike Andrzejak, Ter-
ry Drinkwine and Chuck
Semchena were hon-
ored on their final day
as elected officials with
a farewell party at San-
gria restaurant, orga-
nized by former com-
missioners Andy Pren-
tice and Laura Harrison.
We jokingly call it
the Royal Oak Alum-
ni Association, said
Prentice, who was elect-
ed to the city commis-
sion for one term in 1993
and appointed to a two-
year term in 2004. This
is basically a volun-
teer (seat) and there is a
great deal of respect for
(former city commis-
sioners), who have great
respect for the city.
Prentice, a Republi-
can, and Harrison, who
says she doesnt deal
with partisan politics,
stressed the bipartisan
nature of the farewell
party. There were for-
mer city commissioners
from both sides of the
political aisle present,
Prentice said, including
David Richards, a Dem-
ocrat.
The three retiring city
commissioners joined
the party late after giv-
ing farewell addresses
at their
final pub-
lic meet-
ing at
city hall,
a night
that also
marked
the
swearing
in of new
city com-
mission-
ers Kyle
DuBuc,
Mike
Fournier
and Peg-
gy Good-
win.
TVs
atop the
Sangria
bar had
on the
city com-
mission
meeting,
shown
live on WROK. Semche-
na and Andrzejak, who
were born and raised in
Royal Oak, gave espe-
cially long farewell
speeches, prompting
someone to joke that
they wouldnt make it to
Sangria before last call.
All of the current city
commissioners, and
Mayor Jim Ellison, were
expected to show at San-
gria after the public
meeting, Prentice said.
If Drinkwine had his
druthers, hed have got-
ten to the farewell par-
ty earlier.
(The public meeting)
was longer than antic-
ipated, said a smiling
Drinkwine, 62. I said
thank you and good
bye. Its time to leave
(the city commission) to
the younger guys.
Semchena, the for-
mer city attorney, not-
ed that hell have with-
drawals not being on
city commission when
controversial issues are
addressed. Drinkwine, a
retired Royal Oak Police
officer, said hell be
content spending more
of his free time writ-
ing and hunting or fish-
ing than worrying about
issues.
Im sure there will be
something that gets my
blood boiling, well see,
Drinkwine said.
When they arrived,
Prentice welcomed the
three at the Sangria
door, starting with his
introduction of Andrze-
jak: Ladies and gentle-
men, its my pleasure to
present Citizen Andrze-
jak!
Harrisons teasing of
Andrzejak began before
she even stepped on the
stage.
I asked him if hed
like to repeat his speech.
I thought Dave Rich-
ards (farewell) speech
was long-winded, said
Harrison, the first to
hug Andrzejak.
Andrzejak expect-
ed the farewell party to
be just as emotional as
the public meeting. It
was flattering to receive
compliments from the
public and other city
commissioners, he said.
The comments blew
me away, I was misty-
eyed, and it was tough
to keep my composure,
Andrzejak said.
The farewell party
at Sangria started out
more as a monologue,
with former city com-
missioners roasting
their new associates.
Prentice said that
he and Harrison spent
many weeks prepar-
ing for what they were
going to say about the
departing city commis-
sioners.
If this guy is
involved, there will be
razzing, Semchena said
with a laugh, referring
to Prentice.
skowalsk@hometownlife.com
(313) 222-2047
City alumni toast retired colleagues
Semchena
Drinkwine
Andrzejak
PHOTOS BY JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Marching in the lighted, evening parade were the Angell School Brownies.
BERKLEY - The citys
privately-run lighted hol-
iday paradewas one
of the best nights to be
in Berkley, according
to CouncilmanDanTer-
brack. Its whatmakes
this community so spe-
cial.
Terbrack spoke at the
conclusion of the coun-
cilsMonday meeting,
and hewas joined in his
comments by other coun-
cil members. Terbrack
said that the kidswere
readywhen Santa alight-
ed fromhis sleigh at the
citys gazebo for the annu-
al tree lighting.
Mayor Phil ODwyer
said the scene had a mag-
ical quality, and Council-
man Steve Baker thanked
everyonewhowas
involved in the parade.
The parade, which trav-
els along 12Mile Road
before turning south onto
Coolidge, is financed
strictly through contribu-
tions and fund-raisers. No
citymoney is used.
-Sandra Armbruster
Magical Berkley parade delights
Santa holds the key to the City of Berkley.
The crowd thrills to the appearance of Santa and the tree lighting ceremony at the gazebo.
Zenovia Courtney, 88, of
Berkley enjoys the festivities
with daughter Anna Vorel.
Performing a routine with their pom-pons for the Broncos
are these young girls from Our Lady of LaSalette in Berkley.
Winter concert
TheRoyal Oak Sympho-
nyOrchestrawill pres-
ent its 2011Winter Con-
cert at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec.
16, at Dondero Auditori-
um in the Royal OakMid-
dle School, 709N.Wash-
ington. TheRoyal Oak
SymphonyOrchestra is
composed of adults of all
ages fromRoyal Oak and
neighboring communities
who desire tomakemusic
a lifelong avocation.
Tickets are available at
the door. Adult tickets are
$10 ($30 for season tickets
four concerts); student/
senior tickets are $7 ($20
for season tickets four
concerts). Those ages 18
and younger are free.
Senior pricing is
reserved for those age 60
and older.
NEWS BRIEF
OE08761829
W e e njoye d a s low ons e t ofw inte r, but it w a s a rrive d . F ora nyone
w it h a rth rit is , w inte rre pre s e nts a t im e forc a ution a nd pla nning .
Th e firs t w inte rrule is : D o not h urry.
Allot a m ple t im e to d re s s w a rm ly a nd to put on boots . M us c le s ,
t e nd ons a nd joint s s t iffe n q uic k ly w h e n c old ; for a pe rs on w it h
a rth rit is , t h a t s t iffne s s a d d s on to th e h a za rd s ofw inte rw a lk ing . Any
a m ount ofs now orth e pos s ibility ofic e ne c e s s it a t e s w e a ring boots ;
putt ing t h e m on is a nuis a nc e for e ve ryone . F or a pe rs on w it h
a rt h rit is of th e h a nd s , h ips or k ne e s , t h e proc e s s is e ve n m ore
a nnoying .
Th e onlyw a y a round t h e a g g ra va t ion is to g ive a m ple t im e to th e job.
Th e s e c ond w inte rrule is : K e e p m oving .
W inte r in M ic h ig a n ra is e s obs t a c le s to h ik ing , bik ing , orw a lk ing
m a lls w it h frie nd s . No re a d y a ns w e re xis t s to w h a t to s ubs t itut e in
w inte r for th e outd oor fa c ilit ie s offe re d by Na ture in s pring a nd
s um m e r. Tre a d m ill e q uipm e nt is not a lw a ys a va ila ble orpra c t ic a l,
pool fa c ilit ie s a re s c a rc e a nd g e t t ing to a n e nc los e d m a ll if t h e
w e a t h e rturns na s ty, m a yprove im pos s ible .
W inte rw e a t h e rnot only k e e ps t h e pe rs on w it h a rth rit is a pris one r
in h is orh e rh om e , but turns t h e c a rinto a s tra ig h t ja c k e t on w h e e ls . I
re fe rto th e prolong e d t im e on th e roa d be c a us e oftra ffic ja m s , poor
roa d c ond it ions or th e lim it e d vis ibility t h a t a c c om pa nie s s now
s torm s . W h ile a nyone w h o m us t s t a y for a prolong e d pe riod in a
c ra m pe d pos it ion fe e l joint a c h e s , t h e ind ivid ua l w it h a rth rit is s uffe rs
infinit e lym ore .
No re a d y a ns w e re xis t s to ove rc om e t h e s e w inte rc irc um s t a nc e s ,
w e m us t d o w h a t e ve rpos s ible to k e e p m oving .
O E 08762720
Arthrit is Tod ay
JOSEP H J. W EISS, M .D.
R HEUM ATOLOGY
18 8 29 Farm in g ton R oad
Livon ia, M ichig an 48 152
P hon e: (248 ) 478 -78 6 0
W INT E R AND AR T HR IT IS
OE08762768
-
(SO)
online at hometownlife.com
A7Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
GG OO LL DD CC II TT YYGG OO LL DD CC II TT YYG O L D C I T Y
WW ee BB eeaattAAllll CC oomm ppeettiittiioonn !!W e B eatAll C om petition !
Getthe HHIIGGHHEERR P r ice P aid at...HIGHER
GG OO LL DDGG OO LL DDG O L D
W E B UY & SELL:
W E B UY & SELL:
K rug errand s
K rug errand s
M aple L eafs
M aple L eafs
G o ld E ag les
G o ld E ag les
Scrap g o ld
Scrap g o ld
All Am erican
All Am erican
M inted G o ld Co ins
M inted G o ld Co ins
F o reig n G o ld Co ins
F o reig n G o ld Co ins
G o ld W atches and
G o ld W atches and
P o cketW atches
P o cketW atches
SS II LL VV EE RRSS II LL VV EE RRS I L V E R
W E B UY & SELL:
W E B UY & SELL:
Bars All Brand s
Bars All Brand s
100 o z. .999 Bars
100 o z. .999 Bars
10 o z. .999 Bars
10 o z. .999 Bars
1 o z. 999 Bars
1 o z. 999 Bars
SilverE ag les
SilverE ag les
Circulated &
Circulated &
Uncirculated SilverDo llars
Uncirculated SilverDo llars
U.S. 90% SilverCo ins
U.S. 90% SilverCo ins
All F o reig n silverCo ins
All F o reig n silverCo ins
Sterling F latw are & Jew elry
Sterling F latw are & Jew elry
S
I
L
V
E
R
D
O
L
L
A
R
S
1
8
7
8
-
1
9
3
5
W
e
P
a
y
$
2
1
.
0
0
e
a
c
h
P
r
i
c
e
s
S
u
b
j
e
c
t
t
o
M
a
r
k
e
t
F
l
u
c
t
u
a
t
i
o
n
s
23011 Joh n R R oad (at 9 M ile in th e K roger P laza)
H azel P ark,M I 48030
(248)542-4070
WW EE BBUUYY GGOOLLDDWW EE BBUUYY GGOOLLDDW E BUY GOLD
WW ee ppaa yy ttoopp dd oollllaa rr ffoorr ggoolldd ,, ssiillvveerr,, ppllaa ttiinn uumm ,, pprr eecciioouuss mm eettaa llss,, bb rr ookkeenn
WW ee ppaa yy ttoopp dd oollllaa rr ffoorr ggoolldd ,, ssiillvveerr,, ppllaa ttiinn uumm ,, pprr eecciioouuss mm eettaa llss,, bb rr ookkeennW e pa y top d olla r for gold , silver, pla tin um , pr ecious m eta ls, b r oken
oorr uunn ww aa nn tteedd jjeeww eellrr yy,, dd iiaa mm oonn dd ss && ggeemm ssttoonn eess,,
oorr uunn ww aa nn tteedd jjeeww eellrr yy,, dd iiaa mm oonn dd ss && ggeemm ssttoonn eess,,or un w a n ted jew elr y, d ia m on d s & gem ston es,
aa nn dd yyeellllooww dd eenn ttaa ll ggoolldd ..
aa nn dd yyeellllooww dd eenn ttaa ll ggoolldd ..a n d yellow d en ta l gold .
SS II LL VV EE RR DD OO LL LL AA RR SSSS II LL VV EE RR DD OO LL LL AA RR SSS I L V E R D O L L A R S
GG OO LL DD CC OO II NN SSGG OO LL DD CC OO II NN SSG O L D C O I N S
SS II LL VV EE RR && GG OO LL DD BB AA RR SSSS II LL VV EE RR && GG OO LL DD BB AA RR SSS I L V E R & G O L D B A R S
BB RR OO KK EE NN && UU NN WW AA NN TT EE DDBB RR OO KK EE NN && UU NN WW AA NN TT EE DDB R O K E N & U N W A N T E D
GG OO LL DD JJ EE WW EE LL RR YYGG OO LL DD JJ EE WW EE LL RR YYG O L D J E W E L R Y
B
r
i
n
g
T
h
i
s
C
o
u
p
o
n
I
n
&
G
e
t
P
a
i
d
a
n
EE
XX
TT
RR
AA
11
00
%%
EE
XX
TT
RR
AA
11
00
%%
E
X
T
R
A
1
0
%
f
o
r
Y
o
u
r
G
o
l
d
WW
ee
hh
aa
vv
ee
tt
hh
ee
hh
ii
gg
hh
ee
ss
tt
PP
AA
YY
OO
FF
FF
WW
ee
hh
aa
vv
ee
tt
hh
ee
hh
ii
gg
hh
ee
ss
tt
PP
AA
YY
OO
FF
FF
W
e
h
a
v
e
t
h
e
h
i
g
h
e
s
t
P
A
Y
O
F
F
E
x
c
l
u
d
e
s
o
t
h
e
r
o
f
f
e
r
,
c
o
i
n
s
&
b
u
l
l
i
o
n
.
SS II LL VV EE RR FF LL AA TT WW AA RR EESS II LL VV EE RR FF LL AA TT WW AA RR EES I L V E R F L A T W A R E
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
W
E
B
U
Y
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&
S
E
L
L
!
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
W
E
B
U
Y
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&
S
E
L
L
!
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
W
E
B
U
Y
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&
S
E
L
L
!
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
WW
EE
BB
UU
YY
W
E
B
U
Y
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&&
SS
EE
LL
LL
!!
&
S
E
L
L
!
P RICES
SUB JECT TO
M ARK ET
FLUCTUATIONS
H O U R S
M O N -F R I 10-6
C L O S E D S A T
S U N 10-5
OE08762960
14K G OLD
W E P AY
$24.00
P ER G RAM
-
(SO)
online at hometownlife.com
A8 Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
-
A9 . (SO)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2011
OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC
HOMETOWNLIFE.COM
S
lowdown the hustle and
bustle of the season, and
enjoy theDetroit Chamber
Winds&Strings annualHoliday
Brass concert, on Sunday,Dec.
18, in the acoustically rich sanc-
tuary of the First Presbyterian
Church ofRoy-
al Oak.
The church
was great to
workwith last
year, saidBerk-
ley resident
NatalieBru-
no,DCWSVice
President for
Marketing and
Development.
For the holi-
day concerts,
we need a church that is large
enough to accommodate a big
choir and a large brass group.
You have to have a churchwith
decent sight lines so the entire
audience can see.
First Presbyterianworks
great for that It has good
acoustics and its still intimate
enough that you feel like youre
listening to chambermusic.
TheAndoverHigh School
Choir fromBloomfieldHills
Schoolswill invite audience
members to join a sing-a-long
of traditional carols as a pre-
lude to the evening concert.
DCWSExecutiveDirectorMau-
ryOkunwill lead the sing-a-long,
and choirmemberswill stand all
around the inside of the sanctu-
ary so the audiencewill feel like
theyre enveloped in sound,Bru-
no said.
At theDCWSHolidayBrass
concertDec. 4 at theCathedral
Church of St. Paul inDetroit, the
sing-along needed a little tweak-
ing.
Wewere hearing somuch
sound from the perimeter of the
venue thatwe stopped the sing-
along tomake the choir sing by
themselves and the audience
sing by themselves beforewe
would allow them to sing togeth-
er again,Bruno said. The audi-
encewas just letting the choir
runwith itItwas pretty fun-
ny.
Sundays concertwill feature
12DCWSmusicians performing
festive selections arranged for
different combinations of brass
instrumentsFrench horn,
trumpets, trombones, tuba and
percussion instruments.
Somuch of themusic that
youll hear in a brass concert
was not actuallywritten for
brass. Itwaswritten very long
ago for other instruments
strings andwoodwinds,Bru-
no pointed out. Basically all
the brassmusic youre hearing
in this type of setting has been
written and re-envisioned by an
arranger, somebodywhos really
creative, usually amusician. (In
this concert) there are four piec-
es thatwere arranged for the
DCWSspecifically.
Theconcerts repertoire
includes OCome,AllYeFaith-
ful (with choir), Christmas-
time, JingleBellsBrass, Hol-
iday forTrombones, TwoCan-
zonNonToni, ThreeCarols,
Battle of Jericho, andChrist-
masCantata (withchoir).One
piece, InDulci JubiloSuite, had
its start as ageneral usework.
Wedidnt know it, but at the
timewewere having twodif-
ferent people arrange InDulci
Jubilo,Bruno said. Sowe read
both versions, andwewere try-
ing to choose one, but theywere
both so good.We ended upput-
ting all three together and call-
ing it a suite. Now this is some-
thing thatweperforma lot
because itworks reallywell.
Tickets forHolidayBrass are
$35/ adults, $30/seniors (60 and
older) and $10/ students, avail-
able by calling (248) 559-2095 or
atwww.detroitchamberwinds.
org. Ticket prices are an addi-
tional $5 at the door. The sing-a-
long gets going at 6:45 p.m. and
the concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
First PresbyterianChurch of
RoyalOak is located at 529Hen-
drieBlvd., three blocks south
of 11Mile and one block east of
Woodward.
Sing out loud and send Around
Town news toDiana Wing at
rotown@ameritech.net.
Let concert raise your spirit and voice
Around Town
Diana Wing
David Ammer (left), CorbinWagner, Kevin Good, Maury Okun, Gordon Simmons and Bryan Kennedy are brass
musicians with the Detroit ChamberWinds & Strings, now in its 30th year.
The 2010 Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings Holiday Brass concert at First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak
included members of the Stoney Creek High School Choir. This years event is Dec. 18.
OOEE0088776622889966
CCaa llll RROO BBEERRTT CCOO BBUURRNN ddiirreecctt
((
558866
))
666622--44444444
CCaa llll RROO BBEERRTT CCOO BBUURRNN ddiirreecctt
((
558866
))
666622--44444444Ca ll RO BERT CO BURN direct
(
586
)
662-4444
RE/ M AX Part n e rs 4000 Crooks R d . a tNorm a n d y S u ite 100 R oya l O a k O ffic e (248) 435-1100
RE/ M AX Part n e rs
RROO BBEERRTT CCOO BBUU RRNN
RROO BBEERRTT CCOO BBUU RRNNRO BERT CO BU RN
CLAW SON
Awes om e ren ova ted 3 bed room ra n c h. Open
c u s tom n ew M a ple kitc hen w ith gra n ite & n ew
a pplia n c es . Both ba throom s rem od eled w ith
c u s tom tile work. F in is hed ba s em en t, fres h
pa in t a n d refin is hed ha rd wood floors . 2 c a r
ga ra ge, pos s es s ion a t c los e * fen c ed ya rd w /
d ec k. Clea n , u pd a ted & rea d y forn ew ow n ers .
Ava ila ble for$119,900
ROY AL OAK
R en ova ted a n d expa n d ed 3 s tory T u d or.
M a s ter s u ite a d d ition w / priva te ba th & lots of
c los et s pa c e. Open kitc hen offerin g n ew
c a bin et, gra n ite a n d s ta in les s a ppls . New roof,
d rivew a y, w in d ow s , fu rn a c e & C/A. R efin is hed
wood floors , c u s tom pa in t, f in bs m n t, n ew
ba throom s . Upd a ted elec tric a l, plu m bin g & 2
c a rga ra ge. Ava ila ble for$249,900
FERN DALE
R en ova ted bric k ra n c h w / ton s of grea t
fea tu res . Am a zin g kitc hen w ith is la n d fea tu rin g
c u s tom c a bin ets , gra n ite a n d w ood floors .
H u ge livin g room w . rem od eled 1s t flr ba th,
refin ha rd flrs . M a s ters u ite w / priva te ba th, fin
ba s em en t/ fp a n d ba th New w in d ow s , pa in t,
2 c a rga ra ge a n d pos s es s ion a tc los e. Ava ila ble
for$159,900
FERN DALE
T hree Bed room R a n c h T ha ts R ea d y F or New
Ow n ers ! M a s ter Bed room Ha s Good Clos et
S pa c e An d P riva te Ba th. La rge LrAn d K itc hen
W / Lots O f Ca bin ets P lu s Appls . F res h In terior
P a in t, Clea n An d P os s es s ion At Clos e. La rge
Un fin is hed Ba s em en t, C/ a An d N ic e Upd a ted
T hrou ghou t. Bu ilt In 2000. Ava ila ble F or
$59,900
ROY AL OAK
Cha rm in g 1950s bu n ga low w ith lots of grea t
fea tu res . refin is hed ha rd wood floors , form a l
d in in g & c oved c eilin gs . Overs ized lotw / la rge
two c a rga ra ge, vin yl w in d ow s & pos s es s ion a t
c los e. F res h in teriorpa in t, s pa c iou s u pperlevel
w / m a s ter bed room & libra ry a rea . Un fin is hed
ba s em en t tha ts rea d y to be fin is hed . C lea n !!!
Ava ila ble for$99,900
ROY AL OAK
Appea lin g bu n ga low w ith lots of grea tfea tu res .
M a s ter s te w / fu ll ba th, c u s tom M a ple K itc hen
w ith gra n ite * a ppls .. F in is hed ba s em en t for
extra s pa c e, refin is hed ha rd wood floors , fres h
pa in t, n ew roof a n d c on c rete d rivew a y.
R em od eled firs t floor ba th, ga ra ge w /open er.
Clea n a n d pos s es s ion a t c los e. Ava ila ble for
$129,900
Offic e (248) 43 5 - 110 0
40 0 0 Crooks Rd .a t Norm a n d y
S u it e 10 0 Roya l O a k
DDiirreecctt((558866))666622 --44444444
DDiirreecctt((558866))666622 --44444444Direct(586)662 -4444
-
Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011(SO)
COMMUNITY LIFE
online at hometownlife.com
A10
Holiday wish
Dear Santy Paws, my name is Devon and I really want
a home. I was a little kitten when I rst arrived and now
Ive grown into a handsome, fuzzy young man. Im in the
teenage part of kittenhood now. I am extremely playful
and like to play and wrestle with other kittens my age.
I am very lovey-dovey and love to give kisses. I grew up
with other cats and dogs, too. I am 6 months old, neutered
and vaccinated. Please send me to my forever home for
Fish-mas. Visit Devon and all of his feline buddies at New
Beginnings Animal Rescues adoption event, noon-4 p.m.
Dec. 17, Community Pet Supply, 601 N. Main, Royal Oak.
During the month of December all of New Beginnings cats
can be adopted for half price.
SOUTHFIELD Feethe
Mason of Southfield
has been named one of
13 finalists in a nation-
wide art competition. Her
watercolor entitled Sun-
flowerswill be featured
in Expressions 2012, an
award-winning calendar
celebrating active aging
and the arts. Published by
WatermarkRetirement
Communities, the color
wall calendarwill be dis-
tributed locally by The
Fountains at Franklin,
whereMason resides.
Studio art is one ofmany
pastimes that keepMason
at the top of her game at
The Fountains at Franklin.
Staying busy is one of the
reasons she says she loves
living there. Being sur-
rounded by caring people
is another. She sums it up
beautifully: I love having
lots of company. A recent
art lesson at The Foun-
tains inspiredMason to
push the limits of water-
color to produce this high-
ly stylized piece.
Honorablementions in
the 2012 calendar include
JoanBell, also a resi-
dent of The Fountains at
Franklin in Southfield.
The complimentary cal-
endars are now available
while supplies last. For
a copy of the 2012 calen-
dar, stop by The Fountains
at Franklin, 28301 Frank-
lin Road.
The Fountains at Frank-
lin ismanaged byWater-
markRetirement Com-
munities. Residents of 27
Watermark communities
coast to coast competed
for a coveted feature spot
in the annual calendar.
Seniors art wins spot on calendar
Feethe
Ma-
son of
South-
eld has
been
chosen
as a
nalist
for a
national
art com-
petition
with her
work,
Sun-
ow-
ers.
Sheryl Ann Sarafian
and James C. Karo of
Royal Oak are delighted
to announce the birth of
their daughter, Christina
Sarafian Karo.
Christina was born at
8:12 a.m., Jan. 4, 2011 at
Providence Hospital in
Southfield. She weighed
7 pounds 13 1/2 ounces
andmeasured 20 3/4 inch-
es long.
Proud grandparents are
Eddie and Carolyn Sara-
fian of Northville, and
Dr. James J. and Lucretia
Karo ofWest Bloomfield.
Great-grandparents
are the late Joseph and
Louise Carson, the late
Edward andHelen Sara-
fian, the late Robert and
Catherine Koss and the
late Leo andHelen Karo.
Sheryl Ann Sarafian
By Julie Yolles
Correspondent
AuthorMarthaBayne
brings herself and her new
Soup&BreadCookbook to
Ferndale, via Chicago, on
Wednesday,Dec. 14, for a
fund-raiser forGleaners
Community FoodBank.
Baynes been hosting Soup
&Bread fund-raisers for
various food pantries and
hunger relief organiza-
tions for the past three
years and has raised over
$15,000.Soup&Breadwas
recently named one of the
TopEssential Cookbooks
for Fall 2011.
Bayne will be signing
her cookbook, which has
an entire tomato-themed
chapter devoted to the
Detroit SOUP project, at
the Loving Touch, 22634
Woodward, adjacent to
theWoodward Avenue
Brewers in Ferndale. The
event will be taking place
from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and
will feature soups from
Woodward Avenue Broth-
ers, The Emory, OmCafe,
local chef Erin Poyle and
more. Hermanns Bakery
in Royal Oak will be pro-
viding bread.
Theres no cover or
charge for soup, but
donations will be accept-
ed for Gleaners. For
more information, go to
www.soupandbread.net
or call the Loving Touch
at (248) 546-6396.
For consideration of
coverage in this column,
please send event hap-
penings, including invi-
tations and press kits, to
Julie Yolles, Social Scene
Columnist, Observer &
Eccentric Newspapers,
371 Greenwood, Birming-
ham,MI 48009. Contact
her at jyolles@comcast.
net or (248) 642-9465.
Soup it up at
fund-raiser
AnInvitationto
W orship
For in form ation reg ardin g this director y,
please call Don n a Hartat(248 ) 437-2011, Ext. 247 Em ail: dhart@ dn ps.com
OE08752194
Farmington/ FarmingtonHills
Farmington/ FarmingtonHills
Livonia
Livonia
2011
2011
CChristmasTTreeGGuideC T G
Find your perfecttree by visiting one ofthese fine businesses!
OE08762836
-
Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011 (SO)
COMMUNITY LIFE
online at hometownlife.com
A11
Submit items for the Religion Calendar to sarm-
bruster@hometownlife.com. Please include the
name and daytime phone number of a contact per-
son. The calendar is open to nonprofit religious
organizations.
Christmas concert
Unity Church of Royal Oak invites you to Joy-
ful Songs and WarmMemories: A Christmas Con-
cert on Sunday Dec. 11 at 1:30 p.m., 2500 Crooks
(between 12 and 13 Mile roads). The concert will
feature Lance Luce at the organ, Dan Hiveley on
guitar, Mark Winter on drums and James ODonnell
on trumpet, along with vocals by Tony Camillett-
ti, Rev. Larry Hooks, Jackie Irvin and Dr. Debbie
ONeal. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
For more information, call (248) 288-3550 or visit
www.unityroyaloak.org.
IN THE SPIRIT
ROYALOAKWilliam
Sullivan & Son Funeral
Directors will host a ser-
vice of remembrance at 3
p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11,
at the Royal OakWom-
ens Club, 409 S. Pleasant
Street.
The event is open to the
public, with advance reg-
istration requested at
(248) 541-7000.
The service will include
a nondenomination-
al reading and a candle-
lighting ceremony, fol-
lowed by light refresh-
ments.
The holidays are espe-
cially hard for people
who have lost a loved
one, said Sullivan Vice
PresidentMichael Lope.
The service gives
attendees the comfort
of knowing they are not
alone in their grief.
William Sullivan & Son
Funeral Directors has
served families in south-
east Michigan for more
than 100 years. The fam-
ily-owned and operat-
ed firm has received the
highest honor in funer-
al service, the Best of
the Best award from the
National Funeral Direc-
tors Association. It has
received the NFDAs con-
tinuing recognition, the
Pursuit of Excellence
award, annually since
2001.
Remembrance
service is planned
Jewish Vocational Services will offer its Women to
Work program in January 2012.
Women toWork is designed to help women andmen,
who have been out of the paid workforce because of
family responsibilities, re-enter the work world.
An informational meeting will be held 9-11 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 at 29699 Southfield Road,
between 12Mile and 13Mile in Southfield.
The 10-session programwill begin Tuesday, Jan. 17,
2012. Sessions will run 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
Participants will receive help with resums, inter-
viewing and job search skills, and networking.
Advance registration is required. Call (248) 233-4232.
Job search help offered
free of charge
Its a guy thing for this hungry group.
The Nordic Fellows are at it again. This local group
of Scandinavian men will gather on Dec. 17 to cele-
brate the annual rite of passage for Nordic men the
feast of Lutefisk.
These chaps with names like Erik, Iver, and Anders
know that you may have heard some awful things
about this ancient delicacy, but for them, its all good.
Its good because its a meal of their favorite fish,
cod, but prepared in a different way.
Lutefisk (LOU-ta-fisk) has deep origins beginning
long before anybody knew about electric refrigera-
tors. Even before electricity. Ancient Vikings had to
preserve their seasonal catch of cod and found that
processing it with salt and hanging it out to dry would
keep the fish for many months and provide nourish-
ment through the long dark winter months.
The pre-holiday ritual meal continues to be the
brunt of jokes, and a favorite subject of Garrison
Keillor on his weekly show, Prairie Home Companion
on National Public Radio.
To the untrained pallet, lutefisk can be a challenge
because of its soft consistency. If overcooked, it can
resemble gelatin. Lutefisk is served with one of three
toppings: melted butter, a Norwegian favorite; white
sauce, favored by Swedes; or a dill sauce with gener-
al appeal.
Modern Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, and Icelanders
have never lost their taste for this delicacy, and the
local Nordic Fellows are again ready to share their
love with other guys who want to try it, In fact, for
the newbies, a certificate will be issued to each and
very one that takes the challenge.
The Nordic Fellows invite any interested men
to join them at the Swedish Club at 22398 Ruth
Street in Farmington Hills, beginning at 11:30
a.m. for the feast of Lutefisk on Saturday, Dec.
17. Tickets at $30 are very limited, and reserva-
tions are necessary by calling Dennis Flessland
(248) 547-6379.
Men invited to
eat Lutesk
W e a re w ith you ev ery step of the w a y.
Probate and E state A ppraisals
and E quitable D istribution
C oin s Jew elry C ollectibles
Serving the C om m unity Since 1956
AbbottsCorp oration
33700 W oodw ard A ve. B irmingh am,M I48009
(248) 644-8565 w w w w .abbottscorp.com
OE08749890
-
(SO)
LOCAL NEWS
online at hometownlife.com
A12 Observer & Eccentric | Sunday, December 11, 2011
Youve got enough to
do, checking off items
on your shopping list.
So keep the following
list of holiday happen-
ings handy. The list will
be updated each week,
so check your South
Oakland Eccentric each
week for more details.
To list an event in the
South Oakland area, e-
mail the complete infor-
mation to sarmbruster@
hometownlife.com.
Sunday, Dec. 11
The Berkley Ice Are-
na will offer a chance to
Skate with Santa, Sun-
day, Dec. 11,
5:30-7 p.m. Admission
is free with a donation of
two canned goods. Rent-
al skates are on hand for
$3/pair.
Thursday, Dec. 15
AHoliday Light Tour
for seniors is set for 5:15
p.m. Dec. 15. Cost is $12.
The trip leaves from
the Berkley Community
Center, 2400 Robina. The
bus will travel to down-
town Rochester, for the
Bright Lights Festival.
Next stop will beWater-
ford Oaks County Park
for hot chocolate, cook-
ies and holiday car-
ols sung by a local Girl
Scout troop. For more
information or to regis-
ter over the phone with
a Visa orMasterCard,
call (248) 658-3470.
Friday, Dec. 16
The Ferndale Library
will once again be
the site of the annual
Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer Sing-A-Long,
at 6:30 p.m. onWednes-
day, Dec. 16. The library
is located at 222 E. Nine
Mile Road, Ferndale,
MI 48220. The event is
for all ages and is free.
Goodies will be provided
Registration is not
necessary, but let the
library know you are
coming by visiting http://
www.facebook.com/
events/246233548769177
Tuesday, Dec. 20
A free holiday con-
cert will be presented by
the Royal OakMusicale
Chorus on Tuesday, Dec.
20, at 7:30 p.m., at the
Good Shepherd Luther-
an Church (on Campbell
Road, just south of Gar-
denia). The chorus will
perform familiar holi-
daymusic, directed
by Twylia Voshol (Roy-
al Oak), accompanied by
Min Chung (Troy).
Also on the pro-
gramwill be two col-
legemusic students who
attended Cranbrook-
Kingswood: Mary Bar-
on, soprano, attend-
ing Eastman School of
Music, and Chava Appi-
ab, cellist, studying at
Oberlin College, in Ohio.
Both are former finan-
cial award winners of
the Royal OakMusicale.
This free concert
is open to the public.
Refreshments will be
served following the
concert. There will be
a free-will offering to
help cover the Chorus
expenses.
Santa takes to the ice in Berkley
There are many oppor-
tunities to share glad tid-
ings this holiday season.
What follows is a list of
some of them that will be
updated each week.
This is the last week to
ad
top related