Agriculture

Montgomery County Council Recognizes Parks and Recreation Month 

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Montgomery County council members Andrew Friedson and Gabe Albornoz began the June 11 meeting with a proclamation acknowledging the work that parks and recreation have accomplished this year. 

“I circle this date on the calendar every year because it’s an opportunity for us to acknowledge the incredibly dedicated and professional staff of both departments, ” said council member-at-large Albornoz. 

Council vice president Friedson said the recognition has taken new meaning during and after the pandemic. “We have relied on our parks and on our recreation department to provide wellness, community, and health needs,” said Friedson. 

Directors from both Montgomery County Parks and Department of Recreation chose employees in the organization and highlighted the work that they provide for them. 

Every two years, residents fill out a survey of the services in the county that they appreciate and like the most. Both departments come out in the top three each time the survey is done. 

“This is kind of the Super Bowl season, the summer season for our friends at the recreation center,” said Friedson. 

Albornoz talked about how staff members were at the Germantown Fourth of July event until 2 a.m. making sure people got home safely and got to their cars. 

The recreation department shared a video detailing the work that its employees provide for Montgomery County residents. 

“Our team works extremely hard and is relatively a small team, we have about 2,500 seasonal workers from lifeguards, out of school time, to senior programs you name it they do it, ” said Robin Riley, who serves as the director of recreation for Montgomery County Recreation. 

Members of Montgomery County Department of Recreation. Photo By Liz Thomas

Members of the recreation department who were acknowledged worked in different sectors such as high school, elementary, seniors and camp directors. 

“They are the fuel in our engine and the grease on our wheels,” said Riley. 

Montgomery County Recreation has many programs to offer for residents to participate in. 

Montgomery County Park Director Michael F. Riley said the eight year plan that was developed called “The Big Three.” This plan focuses on developing a world class public athletic field at parks and schools, destination trail network and park activation that focuses on bringing community members of diverse backgrounds together. 

“Historically we have built beautiful parks with beautiful facilities,” said Riley. Montgomery County Parks has over 420 parks across 37,220 acres,102 campsites, 136 picnic areas and 276 playgrounds.

Agriculture
18 aquatic pathways between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins

Bubbles, electricity, designed to deter invasive carp from Lake Michigan

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INVASIVE CARP: A coalition of organizations is developing an innovative engineering project south of Chicago to block invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan. The $1.146 billion project, paid for by Michigan, Illinois and the federal government is meant to help prevent catastrophic damage to the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery and prevent untold disruption to the $15 billion boating industry. There’s also concern about grass carp in Lake Erie. We hear from U-M, the Army Corps of Engineers and Ohio DNR. By Vladislava Sukhanovskya. FOR MONROE, ALPENA, ALCONA, ST. IGNACE, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, DETROIT, IRON RIVER, CHEBOYGAN, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, MANISTEE, LUDINGTON, HOLLAND, BENZIE COUNTY, CHEBOYGAN, OCEANA COUNTY, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, PLANET DETROIT, SAULT STE. MARIE AND ALL POINTS.

Diversity Issues
The state is finalizing a name change to remove the word ‘squaw’ from the name of a lake and boat launch in northern Oakland County. The sites are to be known as ‘Paint Lake.’

State removes derogatory Native slur from Oakland County boat launch

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RENAMING: The Department of Natural Resources is taking the final step to eliminate an offensive term for Native American women from the name of a boat launch in Oakland County. DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division is removing the word “squaw” from the name of the boat launch in Oxford Township. It will be called the Paint Lake DNR Boat Launch. We talk to the department and the executive director of the United Tribes of Michigan. By Ashley Zhou. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.

Arts & Entertainment

Montgomery County Libraries host Summer Reading Challenge 

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The Montgomery County Libraries in Maryland kicked off its Summer Reading Challenge with lots of festivities on June 17. The event included music from Ghanaian drummer and storyteller Kofi Dennis, storytime led by Maranda Schoppert of Germantown Library and a meet-and-greet with Read to a Dog service dogs. 

The challenge is offered to provide local kids and teens the opportunity to read books and participate in activities. This year, the theme is “All Together Now,” which was created to promote kindness, friendship and unity within the Montgomery County community. 

The Montgomery County Summer Reading Challenge kicked off June 17. Photo by Liz Thomas. To participate in the challenge kids and teens can login onto the READsquare app or sign up at their local library. 

“Friends of the Library make a donation to the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center and Friends of Montgomery County Animals,” said Tyler Chadwell-English, who serves as the teen services manager for MCPL. 

The animal services and adoption center is one of the six local organizations partnering with MCPL. Partnering with the animal services and adoption center is to help animals find their forever homes. 

Other Organizations partnering with MCPL include the Washington Nationals, Manna Food Services and Montgomery County Parks. 

The Washington Nationals provided vouchers that MCPL will give out to participants who make it to the midway portion of the challenge.

Construction & Development

Walled Lake City Council honors the late Casey J. Ambrose

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Amazing, humbling and exciting are the three words Casey J. Ambrose’s son and Walled Lake City Councilmen, Casey R. Ambrose used to describe his feelings after the council decided on naming the campus after his late father. 

“That’s the same way it felt when I was asked to join the council,” said Ambrose. “It was just super humbling to know what this property could be and how far it’s already come.”

Members of the Walled Lake City Council felt that it was only right for the city’s public safety campus, which is located at 1499 E. West Maple Road to be named after the man who helped rejuvenate it: The late Casey J. Ambrose. After Mayor Linda S. Ackley proposed the resolution to name the city’s public safety campus the Casey J. Ambrose Public Safety Campus at Tuesday’s city council meeting, it did not take long for the council to unanimously agree to pass the resolution. Following a prior councils’ decision to purchase the property that is now known as the public safety campus years ago, the city learned the land had contamination issues and could not develop anything on the property with that contamination not taken care of. 

Spearheading this issue was Casey J. Ambrose. 

Ambrose, along with the city council at the time and current City Manager Dennis Whitt instilled plans to clean the property and get money for it through forfeiture funds that has put the city in a position to redevelop the piece of land. 

Ackley, who has served on Walled Lake City Council since 1979, and was elected as mayor in November 2013, has had a firsthand experience of how much the late Ambrose impacted the city and community of Walled Lake. “When Casey backed a project, believed in a project, you knew it,” said Ackley.

News

Arrest made in Sleeping Bear Dunes vandalism case

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Arts & Entertainment
4-H Butterfly Garden on the MSU campus.

Nature can nurture: Gardens help heal students

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NATURE CAN NURTURE: Tucked away in the center of Michigan State’s campus is the nation’s oldest university botanical garden – and a site of the emerging practice of horticulture therapy. The 150-year-old Beal Botanical Garden is a “healing space” where “pretty much everything we do is horticulture therapy.” By Anna Lionas. FOR ALL POINTS.

Environment

Bad year predicted for ticks carrying Lyme disease

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TICKS: Deer ticks that can transmit Lyme disease are already widespread in Michigan and the mild winter could spell deep trouble this season. But health officials say don’t let it discourage you from enjoying the outdoors – just take precautions. We talk to a supervising sanitarian at the Kent County Health Department who regularly checks areas for ticks and a medical entomologist with the state. By MORGAN WOMACK. FOR HOLLAND, LANSING, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, ST. IGNACE, SAULT STE. MARIE AND ALL POINTS.