A crowded field vies for the
Woods Municipal Court bench

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

The election of Judge Lynn Pierce to Wayne Circuit Court last year vacated her position with the Grosse Pointe Woods Municipal Court, which also provides services to the Shores. In a year when the Woods municipal elections turned into a full slate of unopposed incumbents and newcomers, the court election is the only race with any contention.

The court's jurisdiction includes civil matters up to $3,000 and criminal misdemeanors occurring within the city, where punishment does not exceed 93 days. The court also handles arraignment, setting bail and preliminary examinations in felony cases, as well as traffic offenses, city charter and ordinance violations, and landlord-tenant disputes. The judge's position is part-time.

Below, three candidates respond to a GrossePointeToday.com questionnaire about themselves and their candidacies. Two others submitted individual statements. read more...

Rainy night, shutout victory for South

Video highlights from Grosse Pointe South's 39-0 victory over St. Clair Oct. 23.

Residents smell a rat in Park's
pest-control practices, and tell council

Grosse Pointe Park residents Nancy Gutierrez and Patricia Rivera waited through an entire city council meeting to tell the city administration they believe it poisoned their pets.

Gutierrez said two dogs recently died after ingesting commercial-grade rat poison, and four more were sickened. Among the dead was her pet Ralphie, and Rivera’s dog Cha Cha is one of the sick. The two said the city’s Department of Public Works carelessly distributed this substance in the Lakepointe alley near their homes. read more...

Comment: The good times are over; it's
time for schools to face new realities

It is interesting to hear residents say that our schools are important to our community. That is exactly opposite of the truth. Our community is important to our schools. In fact, the schools that are excellent and performing well do so because of the community they serve. It is the families and their structure, their diligence and their effort at parenting that reflects what happens in the schools.

With our property values plummeting, rental and vacant properties spiraling out of control, the makeup of our community and neighborhoods is changing. With job loss continuing, families and households which previously contributed and emphasized good sound educational values in our schools are moving elsewhere, where a living can be made.

For our cities to be attractive to prospective home buyers, first we must have a thriving economy. We don't. Second, we have to have reasonable property taxes. We don't. Third, we have to have stable neighborhoods. We don't. Schools are only important to prospective home buyers when these three qualifications are met. And, guess what? They aren't being met. And, now, the schools are trying to increase property taxes even more.

Our school district should be cutting back, reducing its budget, managing within its means. Yes, the district is receiving fewer tax dollars, and they should, because our homes are worth less. Homeowners are lowering their sale prices just to get out from under a mean job market and move to states with a brighter economic future. read more...