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Michael Webb has served on Hazel Park City Council since 2001. In November 2017, Webb became Mayor of Hazel Park. He considers it a great honor to represent the citizens of Hazel Park.

Hazel Park is a “Friendly City” with many wonderful volunteers. Mayor Webb would like to thank all the dedicated volunteers that help this city continue to move forward, including members of the boards and commissions, Neighborhood Enrichment, Lions Club, just to name a few. In the past few years, Mayor Webb has worked with a hardworking group of volunteers to establish the Hazel Park Historical Museum. Preserving the city’s history is important.

The city is moving forward with new residential construction and rising home values. Hazel Park is attracting new residents that consider the city an affordable and safe community to live and raise families. The new commercial construction at 10 Mile and Dequindre continues to bring new jobs to the area. Some of the new businesses include LG, Amazon and Bridgewater. This is an amazing opportunity for Hazel Park. Mayor Webb is looking forward to the added new businesses and residents this attracts to Hazel Park.

Mayor Webb said, “We listen to our residents’ concerns and the roadwork is starting this spring.” Repairing the roads will start on South John R in May 2019, followed by Nine Mile, and North John R this summer. The City secured a large grant to help offset the cost of this project.

Hazel Park is experiencing a renaissance of opportunity, growth, and stability. Mayor Webb is proud of Hazel Park, and its residents, and is looking forward to what the future has in store for the community.

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By: Ingrid Sjostrand

New growth, new master plan, new roads — 2019 is going to be quite the exciting year for Hazel Park. I sat down with City Manager Ed Klobucher to discuss the things to look forward to, his 17 years as city manager, and his love for the City of Hazel Park.

Can you tell me about the economic outlook for Hazel Park in 2019?

We’re excited about the economic outlook. In the past two years we’ve attracted some cool restaurants, like Mabel Gray and Joe Bar. We’ve also got the Tri-County Commerce Center which is under construction now. Phase one was completed last year and we attracted tenants like Amazon, Bridgewater Auto Interiors and LG Electronics. It’s where they’ll be building the electric batteries for the brand new fully electric Chevy Bolt, so we’re positioning Hazel Park to be a part of the green economy, and it’s going to bring in about 300 jobs.

Now they’re building phase two which is even bigger, it’s going to be over 600,000 square feet and they are attracting new tenants. In the future, there is also a phase three.

Right now, the trick is to make sure our growth is sustainable and to really lay the groundwork for a future, sustainable Hazel Park. It’s an exciting time to be the city manager of Hazel Park.

What other projects are in the works for 2019?

We’re resurfacing South John R, repairing North John R and redoing Nine Mile Rd from Ferndale to the Warren border. There will be a lot of road repairs going on in Hazel Park this year.

We hope we can bring some new businesses to South John R and the areas south of Meyer where we haven’t seen a lot of new growth and opportunities. I think that’s going to be a place where we see some cool things happen.

We also received a $350,000 grant to renovate Scout-McPherson Park from the Sutar-Sutaruk-Meyer Foundation, a group that has helped Hazel Park many times in the past, most importantly by serving as the primary funding for the Hazel Park Promise Zone, an organization that helps Hazel Park School District students attend college. The Foundation wanted to gift the City of Hazel Park a wonderful park similar to the award-winning Booth Park in Birmingham, Michigan. The process involves community involvement in the design process, and participation in the construction process. This is an amazing gift to the city of Hazel Park!

What are some of your goals as City Manager of Hazel Park?

We’ve got some big goals this year. There are also some really labor-intensive things ahead for the administration. We’re redoing the Master Plan, which is the guideline document we use for planning and zoning. Jeff Campbell, Director of the Economic Planning & Development Department, and I will share the responsibility, We’ll be working with City Council, the Planning Commission, the Downtown Development Authority, Zoning Board, Board of Appeals and the Recreation Board. It’s an all-hands-on deck situation for everyone to work together to get this accomplished.

Tell me about your time as City Manager.

I’ve lived in this city my entire life and this city has been a part of who I am my whole life, I worked for the Recreation Department in high school and college, and I’ve served on every board or commission. As my wife says, “I have another girlfriend and her name is Hazel.” I’ve been City Manager for 17 years, for me Hazel Park is home, it’s my responsibility, and I want to make sure I leave it a lot better than I found it.

I think we are doing a good job here. By every objective standard, things in Hazel Park are better. There are measurable things, facts that transcend opinions. Our property values are up, both residential and commercial. Our crime rate is the lowest since the ’50s; it may be the lowest its ever been. We’re a safe community that’s redoing our two major roads and providing a lot of cool destination opportunities in Hazel Park.

To what do you attribute the success of Hazel Park?

The foreclosure crisis in 2008 really hit us hard from 2011 through 2015. Our survival was by no means certain. My residents were huge heroes because they passed several millages in a row. They made that important decision and saved the community; I’m proud of that. The secret sauce was cooperation and teamwork and everyone working together — all those things laid the groundwork for the renaissance that we’re having.

My favorite thing about Hazel Park is that sense of community. The people who live here care about the future of this city very much. We are a unique mix of old-time residents and multi-generational families who’ve been here for decades and brand new residents coming in, because we have the cool places and are close to everything in the Metro Detroit area. It’s a great location, we have outstanding city services and our housing is still affordable. It’s a great place to be.

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By Sara E. Teller

IT’S FUN AND REWARDING to work on our home and garden projects. It’s also an opportunity to remember those who have no digs of their own, and are struggling just to find a safe place for their family to live. While working on DIGS 2019, we learned about a local organization, Bethany Christian Services, helping to resettle refugees from around the world.

Bethany Christian Services is a global nonprofit organization that brings families together and keeps families together. Programs include adoption, foster care and pregnancy counseling. Bethany also provides counseling to families, assists refugees and immigrants with resettling in the United States, and partners with several international countries to help keep families, near and far, together. Bethany is founded on Christian values and beliefs and they work to protect, empower, and strengthen families.

“Strengthening families for the well-being of children is our top priority,” said Starr Allen-Pettway, LMSW, Branch Director, adding, “The work we do equips families to be the answer for children in need. Every child deserves love and a loving place to call home.”

IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN, Bethany’s foster care program provides homes for the temporary placement of children. They also place those children who become available for adoption with their forever families through the state. There is also a domestic infant adoption program, which offers familybased support for birth mothers who make the decision to make an adoption plan for their children, and a teen outreach initiative in which Bethany partners with various local agencies to provide life skills training and education for youth in the Detroit Metropolitan area.

“Bethany makes every effort to ensure that families have the skills and training necessary to support the needs of children coming into foster care,” Allen-Pettway explained.

Bethany staff members come from a variety of professional backgrounds. Most have social service and counseling backgrounds and provide either direct or indirect support for the services offered by the organization. Other members have appropriate academic degrees for the positions they occupy.

“The specialties vary depending on department, but the one thing consistent throughout our organization is the love and compassion that all Bethany staff have for people,” Allen- Pettway said, adding, “Bethany leaders have a heart to serve and dig into the hard places. As leaders, the commitment is to ensure that we remember the overlooked, the forgotten, and serve them to the best of our ability.Leaders understand that many of the systems for which we do work are broken, and it is our responsibility to be the hope for those that find themselves in sometimes very hard places.”

Bethany Christian Services is always looking for the help of volunteers.

“We are always looking for volunteers – or, in our eyes, partners – who can support the various needs of the children and families that we serve. It is always our desire to do more, and that ability becomes greater when we have more hands at the table to support the needs.”

www. Bethany.org/MadisonHeights •

248-414-4080 •

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By Mary Meldrum

MY BOYFRIEND (WHO IS A BUILDER) AND I HAVE BEEN BUILDING a pretty incredible garage on the back lot of our property in Berkley. We take pictures at each phase of the project. No loans or mortgage so this is an out-of-pocket project that proceeds as we get the money.

This is a 1,600-square-foot building with an 800-square-foot footprint, the size of a three-car garage, with a full apartment above. Dirt had to be brought in for the foundation to raise the elevation. The first load of lumber and materials was dropped off and Brian got busy putting together the pieces for the framing of the walls on the first floor.

In the spring, scaffolding was erected, and the roof and cedar shingles for the siding were placed painstakingly one at a time by Brian.

This is pretty much what it looks like currently. A lot of small things have happened inside, like the furnace, drywall on all surfaces upstairs and downstairs, formal stairs and risers leading upstairs, exterior lights, window trim and other details. The apartment bathroom has been tiled and the lights are hung. All inspections have passed with flying colors.

Brian pushed a project boat into the garage for the Winter and is working on restoring an old Formula speed boat. That will be ready to put in the water this Spring. Work on the garage continues. When it is finished (probably another year or two), we plan to move into the apartment and start working on our house.

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By Fiona Garlow, Property Solvers

THIS BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED HOME HAD ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS back in 1926, when it was one of the first houses on the block. You would think after all that time this house would’ve changed ownership many times, but in fact only two families have owned it. After three generations ownership changed in 2017.

Originally built as a five-bedroom, one bathroom house, it no longer met today’s standards. Three bedrooms located on the second floor have been changed to a large master suite with a modern bathroom and walk-in closet.

The main floor also went through changes. Dividing walls between living room and dining room, and between dining room and kitchen, were all removed in order to create a large open floor plan.

 

By creating a large master suite and removing the partition walls on the main floor, the house has become more functional. Allowing light through the entire house and improving sociability, it has become a home perfect for entertaining and family communication. Having an appreciation for the times by which the house came from, it still has its craftsman-style interior. Updated with large window, door, and baseboard trim, along with its tall ceilings, the house can’t help but make you feel grand.

 

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By Sara E. Teller

THE FERNDALE GARDEN CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN 1931 as a way for gardeners of all abilities to connect around a shared love for gardening and to share that love with the Ferndale community. The FGC officially joined Michigan Garden Clubs in 1951. The Club includes members of all skill levels, from those with exceptional green thumbs to those just getting started.

“What we all have in common is a love for plants and the creatures that inhabit a healthy garden,” said Dominic Scappaticci, President of the Club.

Club members hope to inspire others in the community to try their hand at horticulture. They also hope to spread their love for natural, clean ways of carrying out their craft.

“We promote sustainable and ecological-minded gardening practices that will keep our natural world beautiful, healthy, and alive for future generations,” said Scappaticci. “We also promote gardening practices that encourage native birds and insects to call our community home.”

AS PART OF THIS MISSION, the Ferndale Garden Club hosts a number of events in and around the area throughout the year, such as the Think Spring Garden event that was just held on February 23rd. The event offered a chance for those with green thumbs to start preparing for the upcoming season. It included a seed swap, exhibits by local gardening groups, and information about the importance of pollinator-friendly plants.

Other upcoming events include a presentation titled “Weeds: Useful and Edible” by Ed Blondin from Hortulus Garden & Landscapes, which will take place at the March 14 monthly meeting held at the Gerry Kulick Community Center, 1201 Livernois, 7:00-8:30 P.M., as well as a native plant presentation that will kick-off the April 11 meeting.

The Club created a public garden at the corner of Livernois and Oakridge for the enjoyment of everyone in and around Ferndale. Members continually maintain the space, ensuring it stays alive and well. Gardening-themed books have also been distributed to the local elementary school by Club members so budding gardeners can get their start as early as possible.

In fact, students interested in horticulture may just get a helping hand to pursue their passion. “Every year the Garden Club awards a scholarship to a graduating Ferndale High student,” Scappaticci said. “We have awarded a scholarship every year since 1989.”

He explained, “We donate gardening and ecology-themed books to the elementary school. At our monthly meetings, we host speakers on a variety of gardening topics as well as offer a chance for gardeners to connect and trade plants, seeds, tools, and house plants. Recent speaker topics have been about raising chickens in Ferndale, propagation of house plants, using native plants in our landscapes, urban beekeeping, and more. And best of all, we offer homemade treats for all attendees!” Scappaticci added, “We also go on field trips! Our last field trip in October was to the roof of the public library to see the living roof.”

TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE FERNDALE GARDEN CLUB, the only requirement is a love for gardening and a nominal annual fee which covers the cost of all of the Club’s activities.

“We have yearly dues of $20,” Scappaticci explained. “The dues help cover costs of speakers, programs, garden maintenance, and scholarships. We are a registered 501c)(3) nonprofit.”

Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month, 7:00-8:30 P.M. at the Kulick Center. More information is available online:

www.facebook.com/theferndalegardenclub •

Instagram: @theferndalegardenclub •

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By Sarah E. Teller

OAKLAND MEALS ON WHEELS is a chapter of the nonprofit organization Meals on Wheels America, in business for over 30 years. “We serve people 60 years of age and older, providing both home-delivered and congregate meals,” explained Oakland’s Vice President, Steve Haveraneck. “Depending on need and qualification, we provide a hot home-delivered meal five days a week. We also provide some clients with an additional cold meal and weekend meals as well. We serve congregate meals in Hazel Park, Ferndale, and many other cities.”

The Oakland chapter specifically caters to those in South Central and Southeast Oakland County, including Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak Township, Southfield, and Troy. “All meals are produced by our staff at our central kitchen located in the Troy Community Center,” Haveraneck said. The center is located at 179 Livernois Rd., Troy.

There is an increasing need for the service Meals on Wheels provides. Older adults living at or below poverty are nearly twice as likely to be unable to live independently and, with an aging population and the number of senior citizens living in the U.S. set to double by 2050, there is an immediate need to serve those who are homebound and unable to provide for themselves. The Oakland chapter prepares and delivers a thousand meals per day to homebound seniors. But, the purpose of the organization is not only to deliver meals.

“The nutritious meal, friendly visit, and safety check we provide helps seniors cope with the three biggest threats of aging: hunger, isolation, and loss of independence,” the company’s website states. “Our mission is to provide seniors with the daily delivery of hot nutritious food delivered by a caring person interested in their safety and well-being.”

THE ORGANIZATION COULD NOT OPERATE without the help of volunteers. Haveraneck explained, “Volunteers are essential to our program. We simply could not function without them. They come from the communities we serve and provide help in either producing or delivering the meals. We run Michigan State police background checks on all our volunteers.”

Oakland’s volunteers become involved with the program for many reasons. “People volunteer out of a desire to serve their community and help senior citizens who are less fortunate than themselves,” Haveraneck explained. “The volunteers typically find this to be a very rewarding experience and we have many that have been volunteering for a decade or more!”

Members of the community can easily sign up to serve or make donations. “We are grateful for any and all help we receive from the communities we serve,” said Haveraneck. “We can’t do it without community involvement. We are ready, willing and able to serve anyone who qualifies, 60 and over.”

Meals on Wheels is funded by the state and federal government as well as by donations from meal recipients. Normal hours of operation for the Oakland chapter are 5:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Those interested in receiving meals, volunteering or donating to the cause should call 248-689-0001.

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ONE IN SIX PEOPLE IN THE METRO DETROIT AREA faces hunger or food insecurity at some point in their lifetime. Food insecurity is defined as the inability to obtain sufficient food for their households. There is a very real, consistent need to provide help to families, ensuring they have enough resources.

“Our food helps some close the gap on what they earn and how much it costs them to live,” said Forgotten Harvest’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Chris Ivey. “For others, we are their main source of food for the family.”

He explained, “Forgotten Harvest is community supported and community focused. Our vision is one where these communities work together to end hunger –creating individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health.”

The Oak Park-based non-profit is Metro Detroit’s only food rescue operation and estimated to be one of the largest and most efficient operations in the country, providing more than 41.5 million pounds of food to over 260 partner agencies. Forgotten Harvest is a member of Feeding America, delivering resources to more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

“THIS NEED SHOWS NO SIGNS OF DIMINISHING in the foreseeable future,” Ivey said. “The problem is not the lack of food but the ability to get that food to the people before it ends up in a landfill. Forgotten Harvest rescues surplus or ‘ugly’ food that might otherwise go to waste and uses it to feed people who would go hungry without our service. This food is provided free-of-charge to anyone who expresses the need for help.”

Forgotten Harvest’s volunteers come from all over the Detroit area. “As of now, most of our volunteer opportunities are filled up. A lot of people want to help this time of year,” Ivey said. “Our need for volunteers is a year-round challenge for us. Thankfully, we had over 18,000 volunteers last year that provided over 77,000 volunteer hours. Without them our organization simply couldn’t do what we do every day.” He added, “Our volunteer workforce gleans and repacks the rescued food into family-sized portions, and then we are able to distribute that food to Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County shelters, farmers’ market style food pantries, and agencies throughout the entire 2000 square-mile Metro Detroit area.”

The key is cross-departmental efficiency. Ivey said, “Because of the efforts of our food sourcing, logistics, and volunteer teams we can keep our fleet of 35 trucks on the road six days a week picking up from over 800 food donors such as grocery stores, farms, processors, manufacturers, warehouses, distributors, dairies, restaurants, caterers, entertainment venues, and sports arenas. Our trucks roll out of our warehouse starting at 7:30 A.M. and are not done until after 6 or 7 at night.”

As 2019 approaches, the organization has identified a new goal. Ivey explained, “Our goal moving forward of the Right Food, Right place, Right Quantity, Right Time will set us up for the future to be able to make the biggest impact on the community we serve by creating an enhanced, more sustainable food security network with nutrition food equity.”

The Forgotten Harvest warehouse is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M, and Saturdays 8:00 A.M.-4 P.M. Monetary donations can be made at www.forgottenharvest.org.

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Marian McClellan, Mayor of Oak Park
Honey Garlic Butter Salmon
Even the kids ate this one.
INGREDIENTS:
•      1/4 cup melted butter
•      4 cloves mashed garlic
•      1/3 cup honey
•      juice of one lemon
•      salt
•      pepper
•      2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Have salmon filet at room temp – cut in serving size slices. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine: 1/4 cup melted butter, 4 cloves mashed garlic, 1/3 cup honey, juice of one lemon. Put fish on large foil and pour sauce over them – salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. Close foil tightly. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Open foil and broil to caramelize the top for 5-7 minutes. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle tops with fresh parsley.
My favorite food is fresh young corn on the cob with butter and salt. One of the kids in my class said in his family you tried to eat your height in corn cobs! Rich, chocolate ice-cream comes in a close second. I’m afraid I’m a food snob, so I like fresh, healthy food, but interesting menus. If they use cilantro and caramelized onions, I’m in.

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