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0 2192

Story by David Wesley
Photo by Bernie Laframboise

Former Mayor Craig Covey and Monica Mills began the annual Ferndale Pub Crawl 20 years ago in 1997. Now, after a long tenure of success, the event may be at risk of ending due to gentrification and corporate interest in other local events.

The Ferndale Pub Crawl is historically important in the modern story of Ferndale: Making the city more popular, wealthy and socially-endearing. Craig regaled Ferndale Friends with the history of the Pub Crawl, its impact on the city and its uncharted future.

“Before Ferndale took off in its renewal back in the early 1990s, there were only a half dozen bars downtown. Gays and lesbians began to move into the city in growing numbers, along with a few artists, musicians and other younger residents. A group of us in the gay community tried and failed to pass a gay rights ordinance through the city council in 1991. Later on, residents formed a gay residents association called FANS of Ferndale, which stood for “Friends And Neighbors.” FANS had three goals, which included increasing social activities for our community, civic engagement with the city through community service and volunteerism, and political activism from the gay and lesbian residents.

“We created the first pub crawl in 1997, and had about 35 people traipse around to all six or seven of the bars downtown, including Rosie O’Grady’s, Sneaker’s, Danny’s, Como’s, Tony’s and Doug’s Body Shop. We had so much fun we decided to make it an annual event. By 1999, we had straight people joining us, more bars opened like the Post and WAB, and we began raising money for charity.”

The annual pub crawl rapidly became a “thing” promoted by the whole city including the DDA. As new bars and clubs opened, like the Post and Club 9, they joined the crawl and the attendance grew every year. Traditionally the mayor of the city always sent off the packs of crawlers, and by 2009 the event was drawing 2,000 participants, more than 20 stops were included, and tens of thousands of dollars was raised for a variety of charities such as the Ferndale Community Foundation, the Ferndale Police Auxiliary, and the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project. The event was always the last Friday of July, and for many pubs it became their biggest night of the year. It was attended by chamber officials, city council members, and even city staff.

As changes came to the city, the charities and the businesses downtown went through change, and over the past six or seven years the annual pub crawl growth began to level off and then decline. Many of the new bars and restaurants chose not to join the event, and several of the original clubs stopped participating and instead began promoting more corporate events such as DIY Street Fair and Pig & Whiskey. As the city continued to gentrify, and support from the city establishment lessened, there was not as much interest in the traditional, grassroots-organized events that raised money for local charities.

“The annual Gay Pride Festival seems to be strong, and has new leadership and corporate buy-in. The annual Blues & Music Festival should also continue under new leadership. But the Ferndale Pub Crawl is at real risk of ending. After 20 years, it may just be a victim of its own success. Also, designed to promote the downtown and walk-ability, maybe it has successfully finished its tasks and accomplished its goals.

“Monica Mills and I announced a year ago that we were not going to manage the event after 2016. So, unless new, younger folks decide to make it happen, then at least that iteration of the pub crawl is done. We raised a quarter million dollars for charities and had a whole lot of fun. The city is now popular, walkable, inclusive, and has more than its share of bars and clubs. And the LGBTQA community got our social outlets, civic visibility, and political recognition.”

0 2019

Story By: Jaz’min Weaver
Photos by Bernie Laframboise

Creativity runs rampant in Ferndale, a city of art fairs, galleries and specialty shops…and also at the Ferndale Library, where a special book is waiting, just waiting, for you to fill its pages. One of the goals of the Ferndale Public Library Art and Exhibition Committee is to encourage our already lively appreciation of art. In 2013, committee member Linden Godlove came up with an interactive way to do just that. The Two Twenty Two Community Art Project started as a blank book, and evolved into an outlet and archive for diversity of thought and a wide array of media. This collaborative project is a unique method of interaction between members of the community. Its pages include colored pencil drawings, collage, prints, photos, poems and more.

Larger than a usual sketchbook, it evokes the feeling of being small again, when your favorite storybook filled your entire lap. The cover, designed by Patrick Dengate, is a large black and white print, simple, but elegant. A welcoming page with an enumerated list serves as an introduction to the concept of a circulating art book. It takes its name from the address of the Ferndale Public Library, 222 East Nine Mile Road.
A medley of things acted as inspiration for Two Twenty Two. Godlove states, “One: the knowledge that practically anything can be catalogued, added to the library collection, and thus, be able to be checked out – even a blank book. Two: Janice Charach Gallery in West Bloomfield had a 100 Journal Project in 2012, where artists could get a blank sketchbook and have it in their exhibition. One of my friends invited me to fill a page. Three: The PostSecret books, curated by Frank Warren, inspired the idea, as well.”

The last few pages are reserved for information about contributors, so the participating artists can leave a little information about themselves, the media they used, and how they can be contacted. It’s a shared artistic experience for neighbors and strangers, whether you’re contributing or just admiring.

When asked about the noticeable chunk of cropped pages near the center of the book, Linden replied, “The missing pages were blank. Very early on, enthusiastic artists pasted in thick collages and other dimensional art. This is wonderful, but it’s so thick that it caused stress on the binding of the book, which was causing the pages to pull from the cover. In order to make room for some of the thicker pieces of art, reams of blank pages were cut out.” This is followed up with the promise, “No existing art has been removed from the book and never will be.”

Currently, although the remaining blank pages are not sequential, there are still a few waiting to be filled. What will happen when the book is entirely full? “It was intended to be an ongoing project. The challenging element is that we would need to find a book that can be filled expansively, yet hold up to the wear and tear of being checked out repeatedly. I don’t know of what kind of sketchbook could, but I’m open to suggestions,” says the creator.

Checking out Two Twenty Two is worthwhile even if you don’t intend to write on the pages; it’s still a visual adventure, each page holding something new and different. It is a book of juxtaposition that gathers a variety of styles and thoughts, just like the city and residents of Ferndale itself.

Godlove puts it best by saying, “It’s a fantastic project because anyone who wants to can write in a library book, and their contribution becomes a part of that book that anyone can check out, as long as the book lasts. It’s an interesting archive of a brief time in our local creative history, with artists from all levels, from budding artists like my little girl nieces to established ones who have had their art published elsewhere. I’m very proud of it and glad that it continues to be discovered and contributed to over the years.”

0 4557

Photo by Bernie LaFramboise

Oak Park resident and author Soraya Biela discovered and occupied a neglected perspective in the vampire fantasy genre. Where most often the stories are overflowing with Twilight’s precocious young girls and Anne Rice’s charismatic older men, Biela’s storytelling focused on the voice of an older woman. Enter Joey Roxy; a charming woman, a radio talk show host, and a vampire.

Biela has released the first two books in the trilogy, the first entitled Velvet Heaven and the second, Velvet Hammer. The narrative is both relatable and addictive. Seductive situations and bloodthirsty intimacy can be very intriguing for readers who wanted more out of the run-of-the-mill vampire epics. Readers can feel the rush Biela gets out of peering through the consciousness of her characters, and she fashions a personal fantasy that is as enjoyable to the reader as it is to her.

Joey Roxy is completely inspired by a real-life mentor of Biela’s: a talk show host named Rollye, who spins records of obscure soul music. Biela began reaching out to Rollye first as an adoring fan, and was soon enamored by Rollye’s depth of compassion and magnetic personality.

The support Rollye gave Biela during trying times, and the admiration she felt through this relationship, nurtured the creative devotion necessary to model a character that honors their connection.

“As a thank you I wanted to write her into the novel I had going at the time,” Biela said. “But as I began to write I had 50 pages in only a month, and that were way more compelling than what I had been writing.”

As the relationship blossomed, Biela began researching her mentor’s career history. She came across an online forum where a truck driver had accused Rollye of being a vampire because her radio show employed very late hours, and her enduring youthful appearance seemed impossible without some supernatural explanation. This notion excited Biela, and after writing Rollye’s character into a story she was working on at the time, the inspiration snow-balled into the vampire character in Velvet Heaven.

“Here was this intelligent, witty, sexy woman over 60. She seemed timeless,” Biela said. “She was a perfect fit. I started to write my version of her from our conversations both on and off air. I would send her what I wrote for her approval since so much of it was her likeness.”

Biela’s interest in storytelling began as a child with wildly vivid dreams, an abundant imagination, and the drive to be a writer and a creator. As she grew into a lover of gothic literature, her trajectory into this genre seems as natural as a vampire’s thirst for blood.

“Who doesn’t want to be immortal? I’ve always been drawn to [vampires]. I never feel like we have enough time to do all we want in one lifetime. “

Biela’s books are now self-published, which gives her the freedom to maintain the storyline she is interested in telling without compromising her vision. However, Biela has big dreams. She envisions her original creation someday becoming as influential as JK Rowling’s. But for now, Biela is simply thrilled at the future prospect of the realization of her finished trilogy. Perhaps with such adult themes in the same way the wizarding world did for kids, the challenges Joey Roxy faces as an older female vampire, women of the same age can live out the fantasy.

“In book one we see Joey struggling with a human husband, continuing her already dwindling career, and just adapting to life as one of the undead at her age,” Biela said. “In book two we see more of the vampire history, as well as the lineage her husband has which is causing all kinds of problems in their marriage. We see her letting go of her human ways and really embracing the sensual monster she has become.”

Velvet Heaven and Velvet Hammer are now available on Amazon, and the third and final installment of the series still hasn’t seen the light of day. Let’s hope it doesn’t burst into flames when it does!

0 1717

By Rose Carver

Charlotte Fisher’s newest book is a reminder that we all struggle, and in that reality, we are all the same.

Detroit author Charlotte Fisher is a natural-born writer. In her newest work, she pours a series of her personal experiences into a collection of short stories that reach directly into the human heart of the reader in an attempt to stimulate a powerful empathy for all people.

Hope, healing, connection and inclusion are some of the overarching themes in the book, Take a Lesbian to Lunch. The belief that we all have worth is an important point for Fisher to communicate to all of her readers.

“Through my writing, I am hoping that people begin to see the similarities among us instead of focusing on the differences,” Fisher said.

A survivor of addiction and a masters student at the University of Michigan, Fisher  downplays her projected identity in the world that makes her appear different. Her writing exemplifies what she’s learned in her 50-plus years on Earth, and she attempts to remind everyone that we all struggle in our lives, and through that connection we can realize what makes us the same.

“The fact that I am gay doesn’t make me unique,” Fisher said. “The larger part of me—my pain, my challenges, my fears—connect me to every other person on the planet who has felt the same way. Sharing our emotions connects us with each other. It’s what brings us together to heal and move forward.”

Sharing her story is her contribution to the emotional ether, and her vulnerability is potent. She is unapologetic about her past, and reminds us through her writing that compassion is the highest form of consciousness. She hopes her writing gives others the courage to claim their own truth.
“In some way, we’ve all been the lesbian, or the fat girl, or the weakling or the guy who can’t read or the guy who cheated on his wife, or the wife who’s been cheated on,” Fisher said. “It’s almost impossible to judge others when you see yourself in them. I’ve been judged, and I’ve also judged others harshly. Today I try to see ‘me’ in everyone I meet, and offer them compassion. When how we look at the world changes, what we see changes as well.”

Writing is a natural process for Fisher, as she’s been doing it since she was in the seventh grade. She exudes devotion for the process of moving thoughts and feelings into words and stories. Not only does she try to reach others through her writing, but she also finds the outlet she needs to work through the issues that she struggles with in her own life.

“If I kept all of my pain and self-hatred and shame inside of me, I would have likely killed myself with my addiction,” Fisher said (she’s been sober since 2004). “Because I’ve shared my stories, I’ve learned two important things: Most of what I thought about myself wasn’t true. I actually do have value. I do have purpose. I am loveable and strong and important. [And second] I’m not alone. Other people have had the thoughts and experiences. Through my writing, I believe I’m helping others to recognize that they are also not alone, that there’s hope, and that we all have the courage to make our lives fabulous.“

To learn more about Fisher, get in contact with her, or to order her newest book, go to lesbianlunch.com.

0 1493

Jack D. Arlan

What will happen if the President/Congress/Supreme Court acts to (fill in the blank)?” “Will they really do (this or that)?”

We’ve all heard these questions over the past few months.

People are asking these questions at the kitchen table, on their job, at their place of worship and on the street. Few are untouched by concern, and their concerns are many. One illustration is Medicare, the primary source of medical coverage for the elderly: What’s the effect on you, your parents or grandparents if it is changed, eliminated or privatized?

What can ordinary citizens like you and I do in a time of change and transition? How can we be heard in a time when federal policies and programs may dramatically impact many of us directly? People – young and old, a populace of varying color, religion, orientation and political persuasion -want and should have an influential voice.

Ezra Levin, Leah Greenberg, Angel Padilla and a few dozen other former congressional staffers recently published a guide for citizen-participation called Indivisible. It showed up on the web last December, and has been received by the public with enthusiasm. It’s a handbook for those who want to make their stance known on issues and hold their representatives in Washington accountable. Much of the advice is based on the successful tactics of the Tea Party. There is an overt anti-Trump tone, but the information is useful to people of all political positions. It may be found easily via Google or go directly to www.indivisibleguide.com.
Congressional staffers know how your Senators and Representatives think. They have seen how small groups of constituents can have an enormous impact on what our lawmakers do.

Your congressional representative and two United States senators want you to believe they care about you, share your values and are working hard on your behalf. Senators run for reelection every six years, Congressmen every two; they are always in a position of running for reelection or getting ready to do so. Even those in a “safe” seat care about threats in the next primary.

Your senators, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, need to be responsive to the people of Michigan; they don’t worry as much about someone in Kentucky or Alaska. Your Congressman (for those in Ferndale, that’s Sandy Levin of the Ninth District) doesn’t lose too much sleep over those in Traverse City or Saginaw; he values his constituents first.

All of your members of Congress have web pages, showing their Washington DC and local offices, contact information and much about them and their work. Remember that independent checks are easily accessible, via the web, for voting history, your congressman in the news, etc.

How do your Congressional members feel about issues you’re concerned about? Are they speaking up? Are they attempting to support or oppose relevant policies or programs? There are four key areas where a handful of local constituents have the opportunity to make an impact:

1.    Townhall meetings. Public, in-district events are regularly held.
2.    Non-town hall events. These are ribbon-cutting ceremonies, parades, etc.
3.    District office(s). Your member of Congress has one or more local offices that he or she is at on a regular basis. It’s open for visits and meetings.
4.    Coordinated emails and telephone calls.

Indivisible is chock-full of detail about how these areas may be effectively utilized. It deals with the ways to ask questions and get answers, create public awareness as to responsiveness (or the lack thereof) and utilization of things like signs and other indications of support. There’s also a wealth of information about the formation and makeup of groups, which can be effective even starting out with a handful of like-minded folk.

Keep two things in mind: First, the authors recommend you concentrate on one issue at a time; your representatives don’t want to hear or address a bushel of issues in a single interaction. Second, focus on matters that have a current legislative priority; your influence is greatest with matters in the public eye now.
Also note that positive reinforcement can be important even if your member of Congress is already speaking and acting in accordance with your views. He or she, and their staff, can be energized by knowing their constituents believe they’re doing a good job; opponents notice.

IT’S A TIME OF TRANSITION, A TIME OF CHANGE. WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT DOES OR DOESN’T DO WILL IMPACT YOU. BE AWARE, BE VIGILANT. DEMAND THAT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ACT ON YOUR BEHALF.

0 1911

By Maggie Boleyn

The holidays are just around the corner. Everyone has someone who is a little, well, challenging, to shop for. What if you could combine shopping while enjoying craft brews, sweet treats, music and giving back to the community? Check out the “Good Karma Christmas – Holiday Market and Party.”

Good Karma Club founder Muszall says, “The holiday season seems to bring out the best in people.  Everyone is feeling festive and looking for a way to give back to those less fortunate. The Good Karma Christmas -Holiday Market and Party is a way to celebrate and embrace that.  You can get together with friends, have a drink, and do some holiday shopping in a way that supports some of our amazing local non-profit organizations.”

This years’ event is Wednesday, December 7, so by the time you see this it may already be over. This year they are expanding to include a holiday market and unwrapped toys will be collected for the Judson Center. Bringing an unwrapped toy could boost your “good Karma.”

Karma, of course, is a Sanskrit word which, loosely translated, refers to a belief that whatever good (or bad) ff16666_gkc_teamyou do comes back to you, whether in this lifetime, or another. So, by doing something good, something good will happen to you, and vice versa. Whether or not you strictly subscribe to this belief, Good Karma Club certainly strives to do good for others through many local volunteer opportunities.

“The Good Karma Club is all about helping the local community and supporting great local non-profit organizations,” Muszall said. “It’s a great way to meet some like-minded people.”

Averaging more than 100 volunteer events per year, held at a variety of local venues means you should be able to find something to suit your abilities and schedule. “Since the Good Karma Club started in January of 2013, we have had over 300 volunteer events,” Muszall said. “Some of our regular volunteer activities include Forgotten Harvest, Motown Soup, and Everyone’s Garden among others,” she continued.

Like many community minded professionals, Muszall said she wanted to become more involved and volunteer, but had a difficult time finding and fitting in opportunities around a busy work schedule. “It was a frustrating and discouraging process,” she said.  “I figured that I wasn’t the only person in this situation. So, I wanted to create an outlet to make volunteering easier and more fun.”

Convenient volunteering hours are the hallmark of Good Karma.  “We do our best to make it convenient for our volunteers,” said Muszall.  “All of our Good Karma Club volunteer activities are in the evenings or weekends, and they don’t require a big commitment,” Muszall said.  “You just show up and work for a few hours with a nice group of people.”

Currently, 40 different Metro Detroit non-profit organizations participate with Good Karma Club. The current membership has grown to nearly 2,000 members.

The Good Karma Club Christmas and Holiday Market will be held at Loving Touch located at 22634 Woodward Ave in Ferndale on Wednesday December 7th.

In case you missed this year’s Holiday party, don’t wait until your next life to check out Good Karma Club’s other activities. Visit their online calendar for upcoming events at:
www.meetup.com/Good-Karma-Club/events/

Muszall noted that, typically, Good Karma Club has several events each month. Find Good Karma Club on Facebook, or sign up to volunteer at http://www.meetup.com/Good-Karma-Club/

0 1622

By: Jeff Milo, Circulation Specialist

Winter reading challenge for kids of all ages: Expanding and developing youth literacy is a round-the-year-job, so the Ferndale Library is starting sign-ups for its first winter-time reading program, on Monday, November 21. Ferndale’s Youth Services Librarians received a record number of participants during their Summer Reading 2016 program, so now they’re encouraging kids of all ages up to Grade 12 to take advantage of their time away from school work during upcoming winter breaks to have some fun with recreational reading. The Ferndale Library invites kids to take their Winter Reading Challenge. Running Dec ember 1–December 30, the FADL Winter Reading Challenge requires 15 minutes worth of reading for at least 15 days of the month. Librarians will provide each young reader with a fun, interactive log to color in for each reading session. When fully completed logs are turned in during the last week of December, kids/teens can receive a free Chipotle gift-card or a free book (their choice). Three days of programing wraps up Winter Reading starting December 28 with a theater workshop presented by 4th Wall Theatre Group. On the 29th, it’s “Full Steam Ahead,” with hands-on exploration stations and then a matinee mock-New Year’s Eve for kids on Dec 30th. Call the Kids Corner for more info: 248-546-2504.

HOLIDAY TRIM TRADE & DECORATION & ORNAMENT EXCHANGE
Looking to revive your holiday decorations and zazz up your present wrapping? Do you have rolls and rolls of wrapping paper at home that still works, but you’re longing for a fresh patterns after so many years? On Saturday, December 17, the Ferndale Library is hosting a holiday/wintertime swap of varying decorations, where people can drop off and trade their paper, bows, bags and other decorations with other patrons. This event coincides with our ongoing Crafternoons program (always on the third Saturday of the month). Come for the swap from 2-3 PM and stay for other crafty events, including a bow making station where you can learn how to make new and fancy types of bows. There will also be a hot chocolate bar and other crafternoon activities like sewing and knitting. Come make some new craft-loving friends and find new wintertime trimmings.

NEW ART ON DISPLAY
The Library’s Art & Exhibition Committee unveiled it’s latest exhibit, “Urvakan,” a collection of drawings and paintings by Berkley-based artist Mark Benglian. The art will be on exhibit at the library until January 14. Benglian’s work focuses primarily on intuitive mark-making and storytelling. The images he conjures can be whimsical and haunting at the same time, while working in almost a trance-like state with a captivating milieu of muted tones, curious/unique entities and transfixing collages.

0 1960

By Sara Teller
Photo By Bernie LaFramboise

The Ferndale Memorial Association was orginally founded in 1919 out of the Ferndale Memorial Society, by members of the American Legion and VFW organizations. It continues to be a community-driven group, and residents of Ferndale are encouraged to participate in the organization’s ongoing meetings, events and other initiatives. The Ferndale Memorial Association coordinates the yearly Memorial Day parade and observance, and the Veterans Day observance. “We have the oldest, continuous Memorial Day parade in the state of Michigan,” says Barbara Earl, active Ferndale Memorial Association Director.

Barbara herself has been with the FMA for 43 years, following in her father’s footsteps who was a World War II veteran and former member of the FMA. Five years ago, the Ferndale Memorial Association began working ff16654_page_1_image_0004with the City of Ferndale to plan a much-needed renovation of the city’s Memorial Mall located at the 9 Mile Rd and Livernois corridor. “The preliminary work – planning, design, and securing proper permits – took up the majority of the time, but we are hoping to have the renovation finalized within the next year,” Barbara says.

The Memorial Mall was originally constructed in 1956 as a commemorative centerpiece for World War veterans, both I and II, affiliated with the Ferndale community, whether in residency, or by school, work, or other means. Additions were made a few years later to include a brick monument upon which the names of deceased veterans who were associated with the city are still proudly displayed.

The City’s Memorial Day and Veteran Day services are centered around this Memorial Mall, a well-known pillar to local residents, including the city’s annual Memorial Day parade. “As part of the Memorial Day services, we have a tradition of reading all of the names of the veterans who passed in the previous year. We put their names at the niche of the monuments for an entire year, with new names added year after year,” Barbara explains.

The various events are kept tasteful out of respect for the veterans and their families, without the hustle and bustle of carnival or vending activities. The city will celebrate its 100th-year event in 2018.
The Mall renovation will make the Memorial area more accessible to all of Ferndale’s residents, regardless of mobility or age. “The main objective was to make the mall more handicapped accessible,” Barbara says.
“We’ve added the needed structure to hook up new handicapped ramps and walk ways, which will be designed to help senior citizens with limited mobility get around as well.” The improvements will ensure the Memorial Mall’s landscape meets all Americans with Disability Act (ADA) standards.

There are two planned phases to the renovation, with the first phase currently underway. It includes demolition, site prep and improvement to the existing structures, making them ADA compliant. In Phase 1, existing vegetation is being removed, and hand rails and ADA approved ramps are being installed. The existing brick wall is undergoing repairs, a new limestone cap is getting installed at the top of the wall and the limestone steps are being replaced. “The main expense will be in installing sidewalks and walkways in the Mall that will connect to the existing curb cuts already installed by the city. That is our current fundraising push, so we can begin that work next summer,” says Ferndale Memorial Association member Karen Roos.

Phase II will focus on landscaping, fencing, engraved brick placement, and renovation of the existing brick area. “We’ll replant flowers, and place new trees and bushes,” Barbara explains. “The goal is to maintain the area, making minor improvements to clean up the space, but leaving it as the Founding Fathers intended.” The City of Ferndale and the Ferndale Memorial Association hope that making the needed improvements will help to preserve the Memorial Mall for future generations.

The Memorial Mall restoration project is projected to total between $40,000 and $60,000. Fundraising events, including a large civic and community outreach campaign, have been scheduled. The plans were shared with the public during this summer’s Memorial Day celebration, and the group is currently focusing on completing the ADA structure. Donations are also being graciously accepted. The FMA will work with the City of Ferndale to determine how residents can best get involved as the project moves forward.

Those interested in volunteering their services or in making donations can contact Joann Willcock through the Ferndale Memorial Association at FerndaleMemorial@gmail.com.

0 2085

By Sherrad Glosson
Photos by Bernie Laframboise

Christine Kole, now one year into retirement from the Ferndale School District, is living her days in the bliss of enjoying her four grandchildren, and caring for her husband and family. She moved to Ferndale at age 19, and has spent her entire adult life here, enjoying the diversity, the friendly residents and the quaint old home. Christine stated, “The city of Ferndale was very different in a way. The architecture, and the way the community is involved with each other is very appealing.”

Her daughter attended the FACE Preschool in the old St. James school building, and Christine was so impressed that she applied for a job there. Her college courses were concentrated in child development and she loved children, so it was a good fit. Christine made her transition from school to school, including evening child care at Ferndale High, Clinton Center, Roosevelt, Wilson, Coolidge Intermediate, and JFK Academy.

During those years, Christine had her third child late in life, just when her husband was diagnosed with a serious illness, so she took a break from teaching. Later, she returned to what she had been doing for years, in the school system. It didn’t stop there! She wanted to be more involved in the city she adored so much so she became a community activist and a big Ferndale supporter. She reached out and volunteered with the senior program at the Senior Nutrition Site, taught Stretch & Tone classes through Ferndale Adult Education for ten years, got involved in local cable TV, doing commercials. She also ran the “Kiddie Kapers” at the Ferndale Recreation Department (writing and narration), produced a commercial for the Ferndale Concert
series, co-produced, wrote and narrated an award-winning cable overview of the Ferndale preschool program in the mid- ‘90s. A parishioner at St. James for many years, she wrote bulletin articles, sang solo (professionally) and in choirs, did publicity and led home based “Renew” Bible study.

Throughout her professional singing career, she’s had opportunities to perform in coffee houses as a teen, sung in bands, in duos, weddings, parties, for the Ferndale seniors, at the 75th Anniversary celebration and at many metro Detroit area churches.

What a pleasant circumstance to have such a motivated and willing person with so much passion and joy being a helping help and community activist in the city of Ferndale. Christine McCabe Kole is our friendly neighbor of Ferndale.

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