Thank you for a successful fundraiser!
Posted on | August 23, 2010 | No Comments
Thank you to all of those who participated in our second Jazz Jam Fundraiser! Special thanks go to our sponsors: Ferndale115, Ann Warner Photography, Linda’s Music Studio, Bubble & Bark, Lenny’s Copy Center, and Greg Pawlica. Special thanks also go out to Club Bart and to the musicians: R. J. Spangler, Ralph Tope, Chris Codish, and Joshua James.
CFF is grateful for the financial generosity, but perhaps more importantly, we are grateful to those who attended and made the event a whole lot of fun!
CFF on Facebook & Jazz Jam Reminder
Posted on | August 20, 2010 | No Comments
Are you a fan of CFF on Facebook? If not, please find us here: www.facebook.com/fairferndale
Don’t forget about our Jazz Jam Fundraiser this Sunday at Club Bart! See the Press Release below for more details.
CFF would like to thank our sponsors for this event: Ferndale115, Ann Warner Photography, Linda’s Music Studio, Bubble and Bark (two years in a row… thank you so much!), Lenny’s Copy Center, and Greg Pawlica.
August 2010 Ferndale Friends column
Posted on | August 13, 2010 | No Comments
CFF Launched Hello Ferndale! First Program Featured DDA
By: Kat Bruner James, Chair of Citizens for a Fair Ferndale
On June 21, 2010, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale embarked on a new endeavor: bringing information about our City directly to community members. Hello Ferndale!, CFF’s newest program, provides an opportunity for the City to explain the basics about a department, employee or program. In turn, CFF asks questions of the City representative(s) that have been submitted to us as issues that people are eager to know more about.
This program has been kicking around CFF for nearly a year. The idea ultimately came from our Candidate Forums, wherein candidates for various local elections are given the opportunity to provide their own statements and answer questions submitted by the audience. At any given Forum, depending on the “hot” issues at the time, we found ourselves learning so much about our City and our community. We decided that similar forums focusing on City departments could potentially increase community understanding of City business by leaps and bounds. Perhaps the City offers services that you didn’t even know existed. Perhaps citizens have had questions but had no idea to whom they were properly directed. At any rate, we surely found such a program to be within our mission and in line with our objective.
Hello Ferndale! finally came to fruition under the direction of Francine Hachem. Francine coordinated with the staff and volunteers from our first program subject, the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority (DDA). She found us a venue, Blumz…by J.R. Designs. She also hired Keith Dalton to video record the event to maximize exposure on WFRN and online.
Blumz was an ideal location. They constructed a talk show style set in their back room. Think Good Morning America, with Mary Schusterbauer playing the part of Diane Sawyer. Representatives from the DDA gave a 30 minute presentation of the origins of the organization, its funding and structure, the recent Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), and upcoming events. Then, for the remaining half, Mary followed up with more specific inquiries. The entire program is available to view online at www.fairferndale.org
CFF would like to extend our sincere thanks to Blumz for providing the space and to Keith Dalton for his recording and producing services for the video. Of course, we are very grateful to the DDA for being our guinea pigs.
Watch our website and future publications of this column for our next edition of Hello Ferndale! We will announce the next subject as early as possible so that anyone can submit potential questions in advance of the event.
Finally, in this column, we have included some photos from this year’s Good Neighbor Awards. Enjoy!
More CFF events coming up:
CFF is hosting an Open Jazz Jam fundraiser on Sunday, August 22 at Club Bart. $5 at the door will benefit CFF. Detroit drummer R.J. Spangler will be performing with his trio, but others are welcome to join in onstage. Please join us for music and good neighbors! CFF is also seeking sponsors for this event to cover the cost of entertainment. Please contact CFF at 248-515-7803 for details. Donations can also be made at any time, please send to Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester, Ferndale MI 48220.
The mission of Citizen’s for a Fair Ferndale is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability. Our next meeting is Thursday, August 12 at 6:45 p.m.; we are hoping to meet at the Ferndale Library.
OPEN JAZZ AND BLUES JAM AT CLUB BARTOPEN JAZZ AND BLUES JAM AT CLUB BART
Posted on | August 13, 2010 | No Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/13/10; Contact (248) 515-7803
Citizens For a Fair Ferndale to Hold Fundraiser
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) is holding a fundraiser featuring an open jazz and blues jam hosted by R.J. Spangler. The event will take place at Club Bart (22728 Woodward, Ferndale) on Sunday, August 22 beginning at 6pm. $5 cover at the door will benefit CFF. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments and join in.
CFF’s mission is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability.
Learn more about CFF at www.fairferndale.org
Contact us for more information:
CFF48220@aol.com or (248) 515-7803
Hello Ferndale! Links
Posted on | July 6, 2010 | No Comments
To view the first edition if Hello Ferndale! featuring the Downtown Development Authority, please click the following links:
William L. Cronin Diversity Scholarship
Posted on | June 29, 2010 | No Comments
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220 www.fairferndale.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/29/10; Contact (248) 515-7803
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale Collaborates with Local Resident to Award Diversity Scholarships to Two Ferndale High School Students
In 2009, Richard Latimer established a scholarship in memory of his partner, William L. Cronin. Scholarships are awarded to Ferndale High Schools students who demonstrate, through an essay submission, their understanding of diversity, how it enhances and rewards individual lives and communities, and how acceptance and embracing diversity enriches life.
This year, Latimer partnered with Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF), which made the program eligible for matching funds by the Chevron Corporation. This year’s scholarships were awarded to Amanda Estime and Marc Johnson. (Photos available upon request). Mr. Latimer distributed the first $500 to the recipients at the end of the school year. The Chevron matching funds are in process and will be distributed this summer.
Contact us for more information:
CFF48220@aol.com or (248) 515-7803
Click here for .pdf of this Press Release: Cronin Scholarship_Press_Release June 2010
HELLO FERNDALE!
Posted on | June 17, 2010 | No Comments
HELLO FERNDALE!
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220 www.fairferndale.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/17/10; Contact (248) 515-7803
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale to Hold Informational Event Featuring DDA
On Monday, June 21, 2010 at 6:30pm, at Blumz… by J.R. Designs (northeast corner of Nine Mile and Paxton), Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold the first installment of its new program, “Hello Ferndale!” In the same spirit as the Candidate Forums, Hello Ferndale! will provide information to the public regarding city employees, departments, and organizations. The first installment will feature the Downtown Development Authority.
Questions can be submitted in advance through the CFF website or in writing at the event. The public is welcome to attend. The event will be recorded for rebroadcast on the website, as well as local cable.
Contact us for more information: CFF48220@aol.com or (248) 515-7803
Hello Ferndale!_Press_Release June 2010
June 2010 Ferndale Friends column
Posted on | June 1, 2010 | No Comments
CFF Honored Good Neighbors, School Board Candidate Forum Received Positive Feedback and William L. Cronin Diversity Scholarship Winners Announced
By: Kat Bruner James, Chair of Citizens for a Fair Ferndale
This year’s Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards event was held at Go Comedy! on April 20, 2010. For those of us involved, this has become the “feel good” event of the year. Each year, I meet new people, put faces to names I’ve hard for years, and make new friends.
The program began with a welcome from the City by Mayor Craig Covey, followed by a greeting from past honoree, Chris Johnston (of WAB, the Emory, DIY Fair, the Loving Touch, etc.) Both speakers set the perfect tone for the following presentation of awards. They emphasized the inclusivity and openness engendered by our community, which is precisely what the Good Neighbor Awards seek to celebrate.
In case you missed our column in the last edition of Ferndale Friends (it also appeared in Ferndale115), the winners are: Angela Barboza-Ryan, Laura Bellamy, Kevin Deegan-Krause, Doug and Penny Gephardt, Jon Glab (owner of Strawberry Moon), Ralph and Christine Jerulle, Sherry Kruzman-Martin, La Leche League of Ferndale/Oak Park, John Sterritt, and Sherry Wells. Jerome Raska and Robbin Yelverton of Blumz by J.R. Designs were also recognized as the second CFF “Community Partner,” for their direct participation in promoting CFF’s efforts.
Award presenters and award winners alike were often emotionally impacted throughout the evening. Some awards winners were astonished to be recognized for what they consider to be small gestures; to those who have been the beneficiaries of their kindness or volunteerism, these small gestures amount to huge amounts of comfort, joy, and helpfulness.
CFF would like to thank Go Comedy! for their hospitality, Western Market and Pinwheel Bakery for the donation of snacks, Blumz… by J.R. Designs for floral decorations, and Lenny’s Copy Center for printing. Most importantly, we also thank those who nominated Good Neighbors—whether your nominee was selected or not—because without your participation, we could not hold this event.
A YouTube video including selections of the event can be found at http://www.ferndale115.com/20100422cff.html The video was not recorded or edited by CFF, but we appreciate the attention and interest of whoever put it out there. Thanks!
A few days later, on Sunday, April 25, 2010, CFF held a School Board Candidate Forum at the Kulick Center. Carol Ferderick, Nan Kerr-Mueller, and Kristy Stoll were in attendance. Unfortunately, Chuck Moeser was stuck in an airport on the east coast as did not arrive in time. This Forum attracted the largest audience of any other School Board Candidate Forum in CFF history. While the audience consisted mostly of campaign supporters, the Forum was disseminated the CFF website (www.fairferndale.org) as well as heavy airplay on WFRN.
We received a lot of positive feedback from candidates and attendees regarding our Forum format and guidelines. CFF conducts forum somewhat differently than the other organizations. The primary difference is that questions are screened and often edited to avoid bias and spin in the question itself (editing, if any, was conducted by Ferndale115’s Crystal Proxmire, who has maintained impeccable political neutrality). That’s not to criticize or penalize our audience; rather, the intent is to present substantive questions in a manner that does not provide an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate. We received many encouraging comments following the event that these guidelines make the event more informative and less contentious and uncomfortable.
CFF would like to thank Keith Dalton for his recording and producing services for the video. And we would also like to congratulate Chuck and Nan for their election victories.
Finally, CFF is proud to announce that we have partnered with Ferndalien Richard Latimer, and with a grant from Chevron, we have provided two local students with $1000 scholarship each. Latimer started the William L. Cronin Diversity Scholarship following the death of his partner. This scholarship program memorializes Cronin and continues his legacy of promoting diversity. The scholarship is awarded based on the students’ essays on that subject. This year, the scholarships have been awarded to Amanda Fatima Estime’ and Marc Johnson. On behalf of CFF, congratulations to Amanda and Marc!
More CFF events coming up:
Watch for CFF’s newest project, Hello Ferndale!, coming up in June. In the same spirit of our Candidate Forums, Hello Ferndale! is intended to provide residents with more information about municipal services, community organizations, and the like. The first installment of this program, which is headed up by Francine Hachem, will provide an interview style with representatives from the Downtown Development Association (DDA) to explain to residents exactly what the DDA does, how they are funded, and how residents can get involved. It is tentatively planned for June 21 at Rosie O’Grady’s.
Please watch our website and future editions of Ferndale Friends for more information about upcoming events, including a music fundraiser at Club Bart in June or July. Donations can be made at any time, please send to Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester, Ferndale MI 48220.
The mission of Citizen’s for a Fair Ferndale is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability. Our next meeting is June 8 at 7:30 p.m.; location TBD.
Links to CFF School Board Candidate Forum
Posted on | April 29, 2010 | No Comments
Dear Guests:
Please follow the links below to view the CFF School Board Candidate Forum, which was held on Sunday, April 25. It has come to our attention that the text contains some spelling errors, for which we apologize. Thank you!
2010 School Board Candidate Questionnaires
Posted on | April 25, 2010 | No Comments
Click on a candidate’s name to open a .pdf version of their CFF Candidate Forum Questionnaire answers.
