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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015

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Q: I was stopped for having expired plates on my car. The police ordered me to get out and asked for my driver’s license. It was from another state and had expired. They started to rifle through my car and I said “Sir, I do not give you permission to search my car” and the officer said “I’m going to impound it so your permission doesn’t matter.” Can he do that?

The short answer is “yes.” If your plates are expired, you can be charged with a crime. Likewise, if your license is also expired, you do not have the proper legal authority to drive the car. Since you couldn’t drive it, the police were within their right to impound it.

Once the police decide to impound your car, they have a right to do an “inventory search.” They do not need your permission and they do not have to obtain a warrant.

The police don’t always use the same terms. They may refer to impounding your car as “seizure,” “forfeiture,” “nuisance abatement” or some other term. This tactic is common in drunk driving, drug cases and prostitution cases. Whatever they call it, if they decide to keep the car, they are entitled to look through it without first getting a search warrant. If they locate contraband, you could get charged with additional criminal offenses based on what they find.

Not having up-to-date Michigan plates or tags on your car gives the police the right to pull you over. They have “probable cause.” This is because it is probable that someone (likely the owner or driver) failed to renew the plates. All they need to conduct a stop is a “suspicion” of criminal activity that they can describe or “articulate.” If they have more than a suspicion, like here, then they can not only stop you, they can also search and detain you.

If the police did not have probable cause, then they could not impound your car. The impoundment is completely separate from any criminal charges. The state calls it “nuisance abatement.” This is a “civil infraction.” It is not a crime, so you do not have a right to an appointed lawyer and other rights you would otherwise have. The idea is that your car is creating a nuisance because you are using it to engage in criminal acts. To abate the nuisance, they take the car even if the driver was not the owner. While you could rent a car and return to your nuisance activity, the law entertains the legal fiction that the car caused the nuisance and not the driver.

In order to get your car back, most places charge hundreds of dollars. This includes the towing company with the contract to tow your car. They can charge you for “storage” on a daily basis, so the longer you take to decide what to do or to get the money, the more it costs.

“JUDGE RUDY REPORTS” is a regular feature in Ferndale Friends. This “ask the lawyer” format column welcomes questions from readers. If you have a legal question or concern, send your question by email to rudy.serra@sbcglobal.net. Advice about specific cases or individuals cannot be provided but general legal questions and topics are welcome.

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

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By: Blake Prewitt, Superintendent, Ferndale Public Schools

BEGINNING IN THE FALL OF 2015, Ferndale Schools is excited to offer several new pro- grams for our students. You will be hearing all about these wonderful new educational opportunities within our District in the coming weeks.

One of these new opportunities will be a pilot Montessori program for students ages six through nine (grades 1 to 3.) This new program, to be housed at Roosevelt Primary School, will enable students with Montessori experience to continue their education in a Montessori classroom while building relationships with their local community school district. Beginning with students with Montessori early childhood experience, our goal is to grow this lower Montessori classroom to include additional students without a Montessori background who are interested in exploring this unique way of learning.

The Montessori Method of education was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, over 100 years ago in Italy. The value of a Montessori education is how the program is set up to allow children of all learning styles to excel: students are free to learn at their own pace, each advancing through their individualized curriculum as they are ready.

The goal of Ferndale Schools is to provide all students with an exceptional education that prepares them for college, careers and success in a diverse society. Opening a lower Montessori classroom is an exciting option for all Ferndale families, especially those students with Montessori experience.

For more information on the Ferndale Public Schools Montessori Program, and other new educational initiatives within Ferndale Schools, please visit www.ferndaleschools.org.

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

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By Jason Shubnell | Photos © 2014 Ed Abeska

BACK FOR ITS eighth year, the Ferndale GoodFellows dressed up and drank down in honor of the end to Prohibition.

Various Ferndale establishments tried to recreate the feel of the 1930s, hosting their own drink specials, while bar staffs and patrons were encouraged to wear period costumes (think Al Capone and The Great Gatsby). The event raised funds for Ferndale GoodFellows, who offer assistance to needy families during the holiday season. The event took place Saturday, December 6, starting around dinner time and running until the bars closed.

Lifelong Ferndale resident Larry Mills and his wife Monica are the brains behind the event. “Watching the History Channel, learning about December 1933, my husband suggested a fundraiser for Ferndale Goodfellows,” Monica said. “Any opportunity for Monica and Larry to get dressed up is cause for celebration in itself,” said Michael Hennes of Howe’s Bayou, which has been a participating venue in the event every year.

Donations are raised through sponsorships and passing the “moonshine jug” at participating venues. Last year, eight venues and more than a dozen volunteers raised over $3,500 for needy families. $22,500 has been raised over the event’s eight-year run. Volunteers stopped to pass the jug around all participating bars. Patrons were encouraged to put donations in the jug whenever they wanted to make a contribution. The moonshine jug will be left at Just 4 Us until after Christmas, so there’s still a chance to contribute.

“Off-duty police officers work with the fire department and other service organizations as part of Good Fellows to ensure each child is warm, sheltered, fed and hopefully has a toy for the holiday.”

Tito’s Vodka was a sponsor for the first time in 2014. “Ferndale is a big supporter of Tito’s and I thought that would be the least I could do,” said Sam Randazzo, state manager for Tito’s Vodka. “Everyone deserves a Merry Christmas.”

A history lesson.

PROTESTANTS AND PROGRESSIVES from both political parties, as part of the Anti-Saloon League, were the force behind Prohibition. After years of legal and political wrangling, the United States officially

became a dry country on January 17, 1920, when the 18th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was passed.

Michigan had actually been trying to ban alcohol as early as 1852, believing that “such a ban would reduce crime and improve both family life and employee productivity,” according to documents from Wayne State’s Walter P. Reuther Library. Citizens of Michigan actually approved a prohibition amendment to the state constitution in 1916. However, “bootlegging operations and smuggling networks formed within hours.”

The Michigan-Windsor lake border was a match made in bootlegging heaven. One of Detroit’s most famous mobs, the Purple Gang, were notorious bootleggers.

When the Great Depression hit in the late 1920s and tax revenues waned, a new source of revenue was needed. The Cullen-Harrison Act legalized the sale of beer with an alcohol content of 3.2 percent. Upon signing the act, President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly said, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.”

The 18th Amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933, with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As of 2012, the state of Michigan has at least 120 breweries.

“We’re not actually honoring the end of Prohibition,” said Hennes. “More like celebrating the end of the silly law that banned drink in the first place.”

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

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by: Malissa Martin

The City of Ferndale’s Gerry Kulick Community Center provides activities and opportunities for residents of all ages. “Anywhere from three years of age all the way up to 80-something.” said recreation supervisor Sara Distelrath. The community center has a gym, computer room, senior group, youth leagues, adult leagues, youth programs, fitness studio, art studio, a lunch program and multipurpose rooms available for rent for special events. Kulick is also home to the Boys & Girls Club of Ferndale.

Membership is not required to enjoy the community center’s programs, but is offered for the Fitness Studio, Kids Corner, and Senior Group for a fee. “We don’t have a membership that a family has to pay. You only pay for what you want to do.” Distelrath said. Classes and programs offered at the community center include belly dance, Hawaiian dance, Zumba, Hatha Yoga, and Taoist Tai Chi. New classes are added on a daily basis. Youth leagues options are baseball, softball, and soccer. Classes and league schedules are available at www.ferndalemi.gov.

The community center was upgraded in 2014 . The mats in the Kids Corner room have been replaced with a new foam floor. The bright colors and puzzle-like pieces match with the décor and it makes the bounce house look even more inviting. The Kids Corner is for crawling infants up to age five. Parents can purchase passes during the Kulick’s business hours for their kids to play. Another upgrade to the community center is online registration. “We are currently switching over to a new registration software,” Distelrath said. “Starting December 8 they’ll be able to register for any programs, facility reservations…anything.” To enroll in classes, leagues, programs, and more at the community center visit apm.activecommunities.com/ferndalerecreation.

The Peewee program has expanded its class list in 2014. “We’ve been doing a lot of peewee classes for ages three and four. It’s been received very well amongst the community.” Distelrath explained. “It’s basically an introduction to sports for kids, getting them active at a young age.”

The Community Center has winter events planned for the remainder of 2014. A Winter Break Camp is scheduled for December 22, 23, 29, and 30. A week of activities have been planned for children on winter break from school, including field trips to the Hazel Park Ice Arena, Chuck E. Cheese, Henry Ford Museum, and Emagine Theater Star Lanes. The camp is from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. and the fee is $30 per day, per child. Registration closes on Wednesday, December 17. The Senior Group also has special events planned for the end of 2014. The Cookie Walk Bake Sale is on Wednesday, December 10 at 10 A.M. The proceeds will support the Senior Group. Join the group for the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Candlelight Dinner and Stroll on Friday, December 12 from 3:15 to 8 P.M. On the following day the group is hosting Cookies for a Cause at Dino’s Restaurant from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. during the Ferndale Ice Festival. Finally, the group’s Christmas Luncheon is on Wednesday, December 17 at 11:30 A.M. and is for Senior Group members only.

The Community Center is keeping the events rolling right into 2015 with its second Sweetheart Date Night: A Royal Ball on Friday, February 6, 2015 from 7 to 9 P.M. at the Oak Park Community Center (14300 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park). This event is for dads and daughters, grandfathers and granddaughters. Elsa and Ann from Disney’s “Frozen” will make a special appearance from 7 to 8 P.M. “They’re going to be there getting pictures with the girls and doing a sing-a-long with them and a dance with them.” Distelrath adds. Registration for this event is open at Ferndale’s Community Center as well as Oak Park’s Community Center. The Emory and Kulick Community Center have partnered to add a free meal offer. “If you register through Ferndale and you have your receipt, you can actually go to The Emory, and your daughter will get to eat for free. As long as you have your receipt on the day of the dance; that’s the only day that it’s valid.”

An Eggstravaganza has been planned for Saturday, March 28, 2015. The location is yet to be determined. The Senior Group has several trips planned for January 2015, including the Motown Museum on Thursday, January 15; the North American International Auto Show on Tuesday, January 20; and Mitchell’s Fish Market on Thursday, January 29.

If you’re looking to rent one of Ferndale’s fourteen parks in 2015, Distelrath advises that City Parks usually rent on a first-come, first-serve basis and don’t usually require a permit. City Parks can be reserved May through October and are open from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. Whether you’re looking for a big park to host a family reunion or something small and intimate, there’s a park to suite the party’s needs.

For more information on Ferndale’s parks or the any of the programs above, visit www.ferndalemi.gov or stop by City Hall. Business hours are from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

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

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The Ringwald Theater, located just south of Nine Mile on the East side of Woodward next to Dino’s, is a live entertainment theater that opened its doors in 2007. The theater naturally aims not only to entertain audiences, but to challenge. The Ringwald goes further by proclaiming to “blur the lines between race, income, religion, and sexuality,” while providing a creative environment for local artists and aspiring actors—and recently, also providing a venue for artists all around the U.S.

The Ringwald recently anchored The Detroit Improv Festival from August 3-10, providing a place for performance artists from both near and far to showcase their skills. Individuals and improv groups from a number of cities around the U.S. performed, as groups arrived from Chicago, St. Louis, Toronto, L.A., Vancouver, NY and a host of other areas. I attended a show at the Ringwald during this festival and, while all the troops had their unique styles, I was most impressed by Ferndale’s own Dubalicious. This act was particularly impressive because instead of the usual six performers—there were only two. The female duo kept the ball in the air throughout their entire 35-minute skit without a break, showcasing their combined experience by personifying dozens of hilarious and awkward characters in everyday situations, while brilliantly playing off each other and expanding the boundaries of improv comedy.

At the end of September, I stopped by The Ringwald to take in “Angels in America Part II.” It proved to be more of an experience than a play, compounded by the fact that I had not attended Part I. Leaving no cultural taboo or sociopolitical stone unturned, the characters dramatically exemplified, personified, and blasted away at every dogma, conventional viewpoint and ideology under the sun. The play was full of complex characters, all ceaselessly struggling to find meaning and purpose, while reflecting on their own situation and it’s relation to a society they cannot concretely explain.

The play began with an intense and provoking speech from “the oldest living Bolshevik” in 1985, during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, who asked questions such as “What is progress?” and, further, “Is it worth it?” Mentioning market incentives and the McDonalds hamburgers begotten by these markets, the age-old Marxist question remains: Isn’t there something more? And can we, as a people, reach it? The Bolshevik concludes, “If the snake sheds his skin before a new skin is ready, naked he will be in the world, prey to the forces of chaos. Have you, my little serpents, a new skin?

The play centers around characters with HIV/AIDS during the highpoint of the crisis during the mid-1980’s, and closet homosexuality. The characters’

relationships with one another are complexly and dialectically intertwined, while one AIDS victim is dying, another is being visited by a multi-phallic, hermaphrodite-equipped angel, and another- a Conservative Homosexual Mormon Lawyer- is leaving his wife for a man, which is sending his wife into an emotional spiral leading to breakdown.

Regarding the idea(s) that provided the backbone of the play, theater Director Joe Bailey said, “An idea was born here that never really took hold and/or flushed itself out. America is like a melting pot that never melted.” Throughout the play, characters took as many cracks at every aspect and fringe of our culture and country as was humanly possible during the three-and-a-half-hour drama – libertarians, social democrats, communists, conservatives, Mormons and other religions, blacks, whites, homosexuals, Reagan — all were challenged as each individual character struggled with his and her own issues in relation to the narrative of the American Idea. Memorable one-liners were sown throughout the entirety of the play, as the African American character memorably proclaimed, “The cracker that wrote the national anthem wrote the note to ‘Free’ so high that nobody could ever reach it – that was deliberate.” Other noteworthy lines aimed at our present societal currents hit home: “Lawyers are the high priests of America. Hire a lawyer, sue someone – it’s good for your soul.” “Angels in America” is full of insight into the past and present-day, and showcases a cognitive dissonance within each character that may be inherent and ingrained into our adolescent and still-developing culture. The same character, confined to a hospital bed and dying, proclaimed “America has no use for the sick. America is no place for the infirm,” while also making affirming statements, such as “What you love will take you places you never dreamed you’d go,” while carrying a noble love of justice, saying “I save my hate for what counts,” conjuring hope and harnessing the modern-traditional American Spirit of “making it.”

The Ringwald put on a show that was intelligently chaotic, full of fire (and some nudity), in-your-face and one of a kind. Love it or reject it – the experience will be unforgettable. The actresses and actors hit every line flawlessly, the stage set was professionally-crafted and easily transformed to new backdrops after each scene. If you’d like to see some live entertainment that will provide intellectual stimulation akin to drinking water from a fire hose, head to The Ringwald.

For more information, please visit: www.theringwald.com/current

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

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Ferndale Friends: With Improv Comedy and The Ringwald, both at the center of the recent Detroit Improv Festival, it seems live comedy and entertainment is gaining in popularity—and fast. What is it about the current generation that’s driving the success and resurgence of live entertainment, and how does live entertainment tie into the popular culture we see around us: DIY, bicycling to work, the re-development of urban areas, making creative and better use of smaller spaces, etc. Is there a connection?

Joe Bailey: I think people are always looking for different types of things to do. We are fortunate to be in a city of folks that really embrace this philosophy. With the numerous street fairs and alternative stores and restaurants in the area, I think it’s a good and natural fit for us to be where we are. When Go Comedy opened about a year after we did, it was nice to have another performance space in Ferndale and we quickly became great friends and colleagues with those folks and treasure our relationship with them.

Jamie Warrow: I cannot speak to just comedy performance, (and especially I cannot address improv as a medium – because it is a whole other animal), but as for live theater like what we do at the Ringwald, I believe that live performance is an immediate challenge to the audience spiritually, intellectually and emotionally. It forces them to participate on multiple human levels, to be present in the moment and pay attention. Thus, I think the immediacy of live performance is becoming more attractive/popular because the current generation wants to be involved, is more “hand on” and wants to see the nuts and bolts of art.

FF: On your website, it states the goal of your venue is to challenge and entertain, and that the Ringwald “blurs the lines between race, income, religion, and sexuality.” Just what is it about audience members that you want to challenge specifically, and could you give an example and/or provide more explanation of what you mean by “blurring the lines…”

Bailey: For me personally, I like to offer different takes on things. Whether it’s the type of show we do, or if we have a guy in a dress, or do a show reverse-gender, I like for people to potentially see something that they’ve never seen before or think in a way they’ve not done.

Warrow: I believe that presenting diverse views broadens human understanding and empathy. It’s important to view the human experience from a perspective that is not necessarily an instinctive one.

FF: In comparison to other live entertainment venues: Mark Ridley (Royal Oak), Go Comedy (Ferndale), Planet Ant (Hamtramck), what is the defining characteristic that distinguishes The Ringwald from the other theaters and makes it a unique place to take in live entertainment?

Bailey: Every theater has it’s niche and what they’re known for. I suppose over the years, we’ve primarily come to be known as “the gay theater.” It’s an easy identifier, but not wholly accurate. I like that we take risks and challenge ourselves to do shows that don’t necessarily make sense for us to do – whether due to size of the show or subject matter – and then we work really hard to make sure it’s the best product that we can make it.

Warrow: We are not the gay theater. We are Unpredictable theater. Eclectic, smart and funny, fearless, and dangerous.

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

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by David Wesley 

Kim Kozlowski and her husband Jeff Bennett, along with close friend and collaborator Cindy Dyson-McGlenn, planted the seeds of literacy from metropolitan Ferndale that now branch all the way to downtown Detroit. Their homespun project, ‘Detroit Little Libraries,’ first sprouted in Ferndale in the form of a small wooden lawn-side box and are growing into a crop of 313 (memorializing the iconoclastic Detroit area code) mini libraries for everyone hungry for a book.

What is a “Little Library?” Participating homes put a small wooden box in their yard, and leave books for people to share. You are encouraged to take the books home and leave some of yours for others.

Kim and Jeff’s efforts, along with invaluable supporters like Cindy Dyson-McGlenn, have gifted Detroit neighborhoods with a splash of literary color. These little boxes, burgeoning with books, refresh the idea of community gathering and the allure of literature.

Now seeking more donations and grants to build more little libraries around the Detroit Metro area, their humble project has grown into a multi-city philanthropic project for everyone.

Kim gave Ferndale Friends an update on the project and the domino effect following the libraries’ routes.

Q. How has the Detroit Little Libraries grown since its inception?

A. The idea was born shortly after my husband and I put up a Little Free Library in front of our house in Ferndale, on Jewell Street. It caused a sensation in the neighborhood. The Little Free Library became a little town square, and we thought it would be cool to replicate this kind of community gathering spot in Detroit. With so much energy being infused in Detroit’s comeback, we thought it was a perfect time to flip the city’s many negative monikers – including the murder capital – and crown it The Little Free Library Capital.

The founder of the Little Free Library, Todd Bol, heard about the campaign and gave the city 20 little libraries to kick off the project. We raised $4,220 during our crowd funding campaign and got a $1,000 donation just yesterday from a former Detroiter now living in Alaska. That’s enough to build at least 12 more little libraries that we expect to plant before the end of the year.

Q. Given how the project has grown, what do you think its future will look like?

A. We hope to see Little Free Libraries installed all over the city. We are applying for grants from foundations and plan to approach businesses for support in the near future. It is our hope that the Detroit Little Libraries will become catalysts for reading and community building.

Q. What are your ultimate goals with the project?

A. Reading is so fundamental to our journey in life. It improves our physical health and mental wellbeing, expands our imagination and critical thinking and transports us to so many places. Even more important, it
expands our vocabulary and our ability to communicate and connect with others. Ultimately, words in our arsenal help determine our trajectory in life.

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

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by David Wesley

Blitzing through Ferndale and being blasted by the autumnal breeze, I slowly meld with groups of costumed drinkers all en route to the Twisted Tavern. Away from the early arctic elements and inside the pedestrian club/pub roves a gang of 300 synthetic ghouls (all latex, nylon, and polyester merged with dummy skin, hair and blood) chugging pints, swigging tumblers, tipping shots or still in line with me purchasing a ticket for first ever Zombie Pub Crawl. The Social Connection sponsored the Crawl, setting up a colorful seven-hour celebration for zombie-spirited drinkers, helping Ferndale businesses thrive and expand.

Pinballing myself around the massing tavern, I mingle with Ferndale’s finest zombies and find to my delight a good portion of these undead citizens have lurched to Ferndale from all over the Metro area. Stirring in the chaos, I met college wrestling ace Arn Anderson and his three brothers from Ann Arbor who heard about the event from word of mouth and made the trek. Other memorable undead out-of- towners were Ray Trailer and his other off duty police co- workers from Battle Creek and the scarlet-stained duo of George Gray and his husband Kenneth Johnson from Bay City

After three pints (beer, not blood,) I joined the swarming ticket holders as they moved to the next bar (SoHo), this next pub (Danny’s Irish Pub), that club (Orchid), those next restaurants (Como’s, Treat Dreams,) and on. The businesses participating enjoyed hours of fiendish patrons swelling their lines and bloating their commerce.

I later chatted with one of the event organizers, the president and CEO of the Social Connection, Regina Stocco, and she gave her thoughts on the event.

Q. What was your reaction to the first ever Zombie Pub Crawl?

A. We were thrilled with the turnout. Approximately 600 Zombies took to the streets of Ferndale and we raised money for a great cause, Michigan AIDS Coalition.

Q. What initially made you want to host the event?

A. We have been considering some kind of “venue-to- venue” event here in Ferndale, and this seemed like a good year to try something new here. We look forward to doing more events in Ferndale that are a good tie-in for all of our neighboring businesses. The bars were happy with the turnout and the (resulting) foot traffic and bar sales.

Q. How has having the event take place in Ferndale change your view of the city and its Residents?

A. This was our first year hosting the event. The Social Connection office has been here for over ten years and I moved to Ferndale in 1999 so I’m a big fan of the community and we were happy to have the inaugural event here in our own home town.

At the end of the biting night, this kind creep was tripping up the sidewalks with the last lagging dregs of the alcoholic marathon. The Zombie Crawl was a huge hit with locals and other Michiganders. And by socializing through the lengthy procession it was evident the event was a major success for all of Ferndale. The zombies have spoken, they have shown their support!

Now we wait in our crypts to rise again, after a restful year to combat the hangover, for next year’s
Zombie Pub Crawl.

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y Andrea Grimaldi | Photos by Garnette Archer and Chris Allen

Jo’s Gallery has been a Detroit art scene staple for three decades. Founder Jo Griffin was an avid art collector who filled her home with art. After selling a few personal pieces, she decided to open a shop in Trappers Alley. The shop specialized in African American contemporary art and featured custom framing. After the casino took over the original location, Jo’s Gallery found its permanent home off Livernois Avenue.

Jo passed away three years ago, leaving the gallery to her daughter Garnette Archer. Garnette wanted to continue Jo’s legacy and kept the gallery open. Today, Jo’s features a lot of modern and abstract art along with art in different forms; unique handmade jewelry, home décor, and gifts are also featured in the gallery.

The gallery also offers customized framing by Chris Allen. Customized framing is an art in itself. In addition to paintings or prints, Chris has framed dresses, jerseys, guitar strings, and model trains for clients. His unique talent will give any art or memorabilia the star treatment on your wall.

Jo’s Gallery puts an emphasis on local artists. Jewelry maker Lanette Gibson has many pieces in the gallery. Contemporary urban artist Eric Pasha will be featured in the gallery in the coming weeks, displaying his one-of-a-kind fine art pieces. His unique works range from abstract to portraiture and his style captures the social feeling of a big city.

In addition to artist spotlights, Jo’s Gallery runs a number of exciting specials. Every Tuesday they have a Blow Out Sale where everything, including framing, gifts, and prints, are hugely marked down. They have business card raffles for artwork. With new gorgeous art on display and a variety of gifts, Jo’s Gallery is a great place to visit while holiday shopping.

Jo’s Gallery is located at 19376 Livernois in Detroit, about half a mile south of 8 Mile near the corner of Outer Drive. Phone (313) 864-1401 for more information, or find Jo’s Gallery on Facebook.

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

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By: Becky Hammond

IMAGINE MEETING A MARTIAN. Imagine trying to explain our culture and habits to someone with no frame of reference. Try football. Trust me, pretend to explain that to a Martian and you’ll start to feel like one. It’s an odd activity to observe with even minor objectivity.

Now, how would you explain fall clean-up activities?

When we moved to Ferndale almost 30 years ago, I was enchanted with leaf trucks. I’d only lived in one other town (Evanston, Illinois) where residents raked leaves to the street and big vacuums sucked them up. Those lucky enough to own cars while attending grad school there (I wasn’t one of them) were nasty enough to plow through the piles late at night, cackling like maniacs, blowing off steam and stress. This made the job of the first leaf trucks I ever saw more difficult, of course (I was glad enough to ride along.)

In rural Ohio, where I grew up, we burned leaves after playing with them. We jumped in them and we used them to outline the rooms of “hotels” where we were the proprietors. We even fashioned teepees of sticks and covered them with leaves, making huts that lasted a surprisingly long time. The saddest thing about using leaf blowers instead of rakes is that you rarely see families playing in leaves now. Since people have one machine, the work is solo. And loud. An interesting (and only mildly heated) discussion arose on Ferndale Forum on Facebook between pro- and con-leafblowers, most of us who dislike them objecting to the noise, of course.

Explain our power sources to our Martian friends. If you live in Ferndale, explain that ten miles southwest of here, a huge building contains equipment designed to burn smallish black rocks procured from afar, most of ours coming from 1,000-plus miles away in the west, the rest being former mountains to our south.

By the time you described the blasting, the equipment, washing the coal with chemicals, transport by train, truck, freighter, the 24/7 burning of the rocks, the people sickened and killed every step of the way, you’d wonder what’s up with us and this system.

In the last couple of years, we’ve brought out some heavy equipment for removing leaves. No longer does a single vacuum truck come down the street; now a big truck, a little truck, a snowplow truck, and a front-end loader arrive. For leaves.

My very first column for Ferndale Friends was called Leave Your Leaves. I had hoped to persuade that nature has always known perfectly well how to dispose of leaves. The whole world is, in essence, a compost factory; it’s making compost all the time. Since most of us still have lawns (alas) it is provident to rake the leaves off of them and onto mulch paths and under shrubs and around trees, but that’s all you have to do. There has been a remarkable difference in soil over the ten years or so we’ve left leaves. The idea is growing. The Detroit News Homestyle supplement had in October an article called, “Gardening: Leave your leaves to Mulch Your Lawn,” by Nancy Szerlag (although I’d like to flatter myself that my play on words got pilfered, that’s actually rather doubtful). Szerlag made an expert case for the benefits of letting Mother Nature improve your soil, using her own materials. The increased number of worms alone may amaze you.

If you compared pros and cons to any being with no experience in the yearly tradition / headache of dealing with nature’s seemingly unwanted bounty, they might very well see the logic in leaving them. Those trucks? Very polluting. The oil needed to power them? Ditto. Burning leaves as we did, and some in the state still do? Nice smell, nostalgic tradition, part of fall for many of us, but just not necessary, even precluding that benefit to the soil.

My small and tree-filled yard is sand. The initial reason we started getting rid of turf over the years is grass hates our sand, and sand reciprocates the feeling. Eventually, forcing something to grow that doesn’t want to, that actually has to be coerced in any number of time-consuming and reasonably expensive ways, got too onerous. We planted stuff that actually is willing to grow with almost no water ever, and that ability to survive on little water is enhanced every year the leaves remain and continue turning our sand into actual topsoil, moist and rich and full of worms.

Since we’ve upped the stakes from the vacuum trucks that pleased me years ago to equipment looking like the city is doing major construction, do you wonder what we’ll come up with ten, 20 years from now? For leaves. Just leaves. Feel like a Martian yet?

The holidays are here. Remember, regifting is cool. And Ferndale has a few funky little shops that actually sell gently-used and very green gifts. Check out Tootsie’s Corner, on Marshall west of Woodward, and Blue Moon Vintage on Livernois. Vintage is in.

Becky Hammond finds newer and odder ways to live green all the time. She admits to about half of them. Message her Facebook page, Funky Town Urban Crafts, with comments.

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

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