So much for ‘anti-cop:’ Sheriff’s deputies line up behind El-Sayed
A union representing hundreds of Wayne County sheriff’s deputies has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate, giving the progressive Democrat an answer to opponents who have sought to portray him as hostile to law enforcement.
The Wayne County Deputy Sheriff’s Association announced its support Wednesday, praising El-Sayed’s work with law enforcement while he led the county’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services.
“During my time working at Wayne County, I worked hand in hand with law enforcement for safer, stronger communities,” El-Sayed said. “That experience helped me better understand the nuances of their work.”
The endorsement comes during an increasingly bitter Democratic primary in which U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and her allies have repeatedly highlighted ElSayed’s past support for the movement to defund police departments.
The claim isn’t without some merit, though it lacks context. During interviews in 2020, amid nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd, El-Sayed said, “We do need to defund
the police.” But that phrase had come to mean shifting resourcing from over-policing and incarceration toward schools, mental health care, public health, and programs aimed at reducing poverty.
Stripped of that context, the phrase has become a political weapon, usually by Republicans, to suggest that candidates want to eliminate police departments or leave communities without protection.
His campaign has acknowledged that his position has evolved since 2020.
“One simple word has never been enough to fully explain the reforms we need for a challenge as complex as our criminal legal system,” campaign spokeswoman Roxie Richner told CNN earlier this month.
The campaign said El-Sayed now supports improving recruitment, retention, and retirement funding so police departments can hire officers from the communities they serve. He also favors restricting militarized policing, passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, expanding behavioral health responses, and investing in community violence-prevention programs.
The deputies’ endorsement will
complicate efforts to smear El-Sayed as categorically anti-police.
The Wayne County Deputy Sheriff’s Association represents deputies who provide security in county courts, respond to emergencies, manage inmates, and participate in community outreach programs. The organization also provides legal and professional services to its members.
El-Sayed said his work in Wayne County demonstrated that improving public safety requires cooperation between law enforcement, health officials, and community organizations.
“I’m proud to have supported them in Wayne County toward a safer working environment for communities and law enforcement alike and I’m so grateful for their support now,” El-Sayed said. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside law enforcement, and community leaders to invest in broader community services, and an America that empowers working people.”
El-Sayed led Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services before stepping down to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. He previ-
ously served as Detroit’s health director, rebuilding the department after the city emerged from bankruptcy.
During his time with Wayne County, El-Sayed oversaw public health and social service programs serving about 1.8 million residents. His initiatives included expanding access to the overdose-reversal drug Narcan and launching a program intended to erase as much as $700 million in medical debt for qualifying residents.
The sheriff deputies’ union joins several Wayne County officials and organizations supporting El-Sayed, including County Executive Warren Evans, Deputy Executive Assad Turfe, several county commissioners, and the Wayne County Democratic Black Caucus.
El-Sayed has also been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, the Working Families Party, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.
Stevens, a four-term congresswoman representing parts of Oakland County, has received support from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Peters, and members of the Democratic Party’s more moderate wing. She has argued that her record winning competitive congressional races makes her the safer candidate to face Republican Mike Rogers in November.
The primary has increasingly become a struggle over which candidate is more electable. Many Stevens supporters and establishment figures in the Democratic party believe El-Sayed’s progressive platform will turn off moderates and independents in an already closely divided state.
But El-Sayed’s campaign has gained significant momentum among voters frustrated with corporate influence in politics. His energized coalition ranges from blue-collar union members and young progressives to voters who have grown disillusioned with establishment Democrats and the party’s reliance on wealthy donors.
Many Democrats and moderates have turned away from Stevens because of her reliance on corporations, wealthy donors, and powerful political groups. Outside groups supporting Stevens have spent tens of millions of dollars on the race, far outpacing spending by ElSayed’s more grassroots allies.
Michigan voters will choose between Stevens and El-Sayed in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The winner is expected to face Rogers in November.
A polling average published Wednesday showed El-Sayed leading Stevens by about 8 percentage points. With very few exceptions, polls have shown El-Sayed leading the race since early May.
—Steve Neavling
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has built a broad coalition of voters tired of powerful interests. FACEBOOK/ABDUL EL-SAYED
OLD FAVORITES, NEW FLAVORS:
Metro Detroit’s restaurant scene faces painful losses and promising arrivals
By Steve Neavling
for more than 60 years, Detroiters traveled to a small carryout in the North End for ribs and chicken drenched in house-made barbecue sauce.
Parks Old Style Bar-B-Que survived the city’s population loss, the erosion of the neighborhood around it, recessions, changing tastes, and three generations of family ownership. At its height, the restaurant went through thousands of pounds of ribs each week.
But in February, a handwritten note appeared on the door announcing that Parks would close for good.
The restaurant’s final day was Feb. 8.
COURTESY OF AURORA ITALIANA DETROIT
Rendering of Aurora Italiana Detroit, which is expected to open later this year inside the historic Michigan Oriental Theater at Grand Circus Park.
Owner Rod Parks Jr. said foot traffic had declined and his father was dealing with health problems. Just like that, another piece of Detroit’s culinary history was gone.
Parks is far from alone.
Numerous local restaurants have closed so far this year. Some were neighborhood institutions. Others were critically acclaimed destinations. And several opened with considerable hype, only to discover the difficult and unforgiving reality of running a restaurant.
In July, Wright & Company ended regular dinner service after 12 years in downtown Detroit. A month earlier, Spot Lite and UFO Bar ended their runs as gathering places for musicians, artists, dancers, and late-night regulars. And in May, Marrow closed its flagship restaurant and butcher shop in West Village. Breweries in Madison Heights and Farmington also announced they could no longer survive.
At the same time, restaurants have continued to open at a promising pace.
A long-awaited Liberian restaurant arrived on Detroit’s east side. In July, a James Beard Award-nominated chef opened a Sicilian restaurant in a Midtown space where three previous concepts had come and gone since 2019. A Detroit sandwich business opened its first sit-down suburban restaurant. New pizza shops, taco bars, steakhouses, wine bars, cafés, and internationally inspired restaurants have opened from Grosse Pointe Woods and Shelby Township to Royal Oak, Hazel Park, and Rochester Hills.
It’s all part of an ever-changing industry that is losing decades-old restaurants while welcoming businesses that are bringing new energy and flavors to the region.
Still feeling the pandemic
When COVID-19 arrived in Michigan in March 2020, restaurants were among the first businesses ordered to drastically curtail normal operations.
Dining rooms closed. Thousands of workers were sent home. Restaurants scrambled to survive on carryout, delivery, outdoor seating, and federal assistance. Some adapted quickly. Many never reopened, including businesses that had been part of their communities for decades.
Even restaurants that survived the worst of the pandemic were often burdened with debt, operating with fewer workers and struggling with higher costs.
The pandemic wiped out reserves, added debt, drove longtime workers out of the industry, and disrupted supply chains. Then came inflation, higher borrowing costs, and food prices that have remained stubbornly high.
An April 2026 industry survey found
that 51% of Michigan operators reported lower same-store sales in March, while 55% reported declining customer traffic. Michigan restaurants fared worse than the national averages in both categories. Operators cited the economy, labor costs, difficulty building sales, and food costs among their biggest concerns.
But those problems aren’t hitting every restaurant the same way.
Some are thriving, with reservations booked weeks in advance. Others are expanding. And a few are finding success almost immediately after opening.
Big ambitions and second chances in Detroit
Perhaps no opening better captures the optimism of Detroit’s dining scene than Little Liberia.
Chef Ameneh Marhaba launched the business as a pop-up a decade ago and won the Hatch Detroit competition in 2022. Her original plan to open in New Center fell apart after years of work, forcing her to start over at a new location.
In March, Little Liberia finally opened to the public inside the Ribbon development on East Warren Avenue in East English Village.
The restaurant is believed to be Michigan’s first dedicated Liberian restaurant, with a menu that includes roasted goat shank, cassava leaves, fried fish, groundnut stew, and Liberian-inspired cocktails. Little Liberia celebrated with a formal grand-opening event in May.
In Midtown, chef Anthony Lombardo expanded beyond SheWolf Pastificio & Bar with Medusa Cucina Siciliana, a seafood- and pasta-focused restaurant inspired by Sicily and the Mediterranean.
The opening also represented another attempt to find a lasting concept for the Selden Street space.
Nearby, chef Omar Anani, a James Beard Award nominee and Food Network “Chopped” champion, quietly opened Nomad Rotisserie inside Third Street Bar.
The chef behind Saffron de Twah, Anani built the menu around rotisserie chicken and flavors from Palestine, Iraq, Korea, Greece, Syria, and Peru. The restaurant began with pressed sandwiches and bar food, with plans to add whole- and half-chicken dinners after its full launch.
Inside, Nomad feels relaxed and unfussy, with exposed brick walls, a distressed wood ceiling, and metal seating. A mural by Detroit artist Tony Lee stretches across one wall, depicting travelers crossing the Sahara Desert toward the Detroit skyline.
The menu features rotisserie chicken, musakhan, and rotating dishes inspired by cuisines from Palestine, Iraq, Greece, Korea, Syria, and elsewhere.
The kitchen had previously housed Street Beet, a vegan pop-up that ended its Midtown residency last year before opening a permanent restaurant in Corktown.
Meanwhile, downtown Detroit has attracted high-end dining, national brands, and large-scale developments.
In March, Sunda New Asian opened near the Fox Theatre and Comerica Park in a striking 6,000-square-foot space, where a cherry blossom-inspired installation hangs above a pink quartzite bar and a second bar is wrapped in pearlescent capiz shells from the Philippines.
The menu, led by culinary director Mike Morales and Tokyo-born sushi chef Ise Matsunobu, ranges from oxtail potstickers and spicy tuna crispy rice to Massaman scallops, miso-glazed black cod, and a sushi bite topped with potato chips and shaved black truffle.
Sunda joined a Columbia Street dining corridor that began with Frita Batidos in 2019 and later added Union Assembly, Mom’s Spaghetti, JoJo’s ShakeBAR, and Sahara Restaurant & Grill. The district has also seen some turnover. Good Cakes and Bakes opened there in 2023 but closed two years later.
In June, Pine Hall opened on the 12th floor of Hudson’s Detroit, the skyscraper built on the former site of J.L. Hudson’s department store. The rooftop bar and restaurant seats about 300 people and offers sweeping views of downtown, with a drink menu featuring cocktails, regional spirits and beers, and nonalcoholic options.
The restaurant also pays tribute to Hudson’s history. Its name comes from the department store’s former wood-paneled Pine Room, which operated from 1911 to 1983, while chef Richard Craig’s menu includes a revival of the Maurice salad made with turkey, smoked ham, and Gruyère cheese.
Pequeño Cantina, a Mexican-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar known for tacos, shareable plates, and agave-based drinks, expanded downtown in March with a second location at 1521 Broadway St. near Grand Circus Park. The restaurant took over the former Small Plates space next to Detroit Beer Co., giving chef and owner Frank Blackman a prominent downtown location after opening the original Pequeño on Livernois Avenue in 2021 to high praise.
Later this year, Aurora Italiana is preparing to open inside the historic Michigan Oriental Theater at Grand Circus Park, replacing PAO Detroit. The roughly 110-seat restaurant will occupy two floors of the ornate, nearly century old building and preserve architectural details influenced by East Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern design while introducing a rustic trattoria-style setting.
The restaurant plans to serve traditional Italian dishes with house-made pasta, bread, and sauces, along with ta-
bleside service and an open kitchen that will operate without seed oils. It will be the third Aurora Italiana location, joining restaurants in West Bloomfield and Commerce Township. It’s also the latest investment by Prime Concepts Detroit, which operates Sexy Steak, Castle Hall, and several suburban restaurants.
Not without risks
With downtown’s office population still well below pre-pandemic levels, restaurants are relying more heavily on sports, concerts, tourism, conventions, and new development to draw customers.
But that also leaves restaurants vulnerable to the ebb and flow of downtown events. Downtown can swell with people during Tigers and Lions games, major concerts, festivals, and other events, then become far quieter. For a restaurant to cover rent, labor, food, insurance, and other fixed expenses, it still needs customers outside the peak times.
Wright & Company demonstrated both the possibilities and the limits of downtown dining. The restaurant opened in 2014 on the second floor of the historic Wright-Kay Building and became known for small plates, craft cocktails, and an intimate dining room overlooking Woodward Avenue. It earned national attention and helped establish downtown Detroit as a serious dining destination during the city’s post-bankruptcy resurgence.
But in July, Wright & Company ended regular dinner service after 12 years. The owners didn’t publicly explain the decision, though they said the space would remain available for private events.
A year of consequential Detroit closures
Some closures were especially painful because of what the restaurants had come to mean to the city.
Marrow opened in West Village in 2018 as a butcher shop and restaurant and focused on ethical sourcing and an inventive menu.
The business later expanded into Eastern Market and Birmingham. But in May, Marrow announced it would close its West Village flagship and end the Birmingham storefront in its existing form, consolidating around Marrow in the Market.
In Corktown, a neighborhood undergoing rapid change, Spot Lite and UFO Bar closed this summer after becoming important parts of Detroit’s nightlife and creative scene.
Spot Lite opened in 2021 as a bar and music venue that also housed a gallery, record shop, café, and coworking space. UFO Bar was a scruffy, intimate hangout built around live music, DJs, drinks, and the neighborhood’s creative crowd. The owners said they were stepping away from nightlife, but the spaces
weren’t expected to remain dormant. UFO Bar was set to reopen under new operators as Detroit Vinyl Bar, combining a record shop with a cocktail bar.
Corktown may see more turnover. The popular James Oliver Coffee Co. remains open on Michigan Avenue, but a lease dispute has left the future of its flagship shop uncertain. The company is operating month to month after failing to secure a new long-term agreement.
Even as Corktown loses familiar businesses, new ones are moving in. Slutty Vegan, the Atlanta-based chain known for plant-based burgers and loaded fries, plans to open its first Michigan location on West Elizabeth Street this fall. The company drew hourslong lines during an Allen Park pop-up earlier this year.
Some spots are so deeply tied to their communities that it’s hard to imagine anything else in their place. Parks Old Style Bar-B-Que in Detroit’s North End neighborhood was one of them, and its closure in February ended a 62-year chapter in Detroit’s Black culinary history.
It was also true of Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles, which closed on the Avenue of Fashion after roughly 11 years. The restaurant helped bring diners to Livernois and became closely associated with the commercial district’s revival.
Elsewhere, Mutiny Bar ended operations in Southwest Detroit, while Vertical Detroit closed its downtown wine bar and restaurant after about a decade. Highlands, perched atop the Renaissance Center with sweeping views of Detroit and Windsor, announced that it would close as General Motors prepares to leave much of the riverfront complex.
Oakland County’s rapid turnover
The same ups and downs are playing out in Oakland County.
In April, Royal Oak welcomed Rock & Brews, a sprawling restaurant, bar, rooftop, and music venue associated with Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. A month earlier, Little Bella’s Pizza & Wine Bar opened with brick-oven pizzas, pasta, wine, and cocktails in a downtown building that has housed several concepts.
In Ferndale, the owners of Mezcal opened Balam Coffee & Wine, a café inspired by Mexican and Latin American flavors, in April. Hazel Park welcomed Amelia Street Pizza Co., the permanent home of chef Matt Arb’s sourdough pizzas after a series of popular pop-ups.
Detroit 75 Kitchen, known for operating a food truck and carryout restaurant in southwest Detroit, opened its first full-service suburban location in Madison Heights in February.
In July, The Dancing Pine opened at Sakura Novi, bringing an upscale Korean steakhouse built around wagyu, caviar, seafood, and tableside cooking to the growing Asian-inspired development. The restaurant comes from Kimchi Box founder Min Kyu Kim and is led by executive chef James “JJ” Jung, whose résumé includes Nobu and several prominent California restaurants.
But Oakland County has also seen several prominent closures as restaurant groups consolidate their operations.
Union Joints converted Gran Castor, its large Mexican-inspired restaurant in Troy, into a private-event venue. The restaurant group also announced the closing of Lincoln Yard and Little Yard in Birmingham and plans to sell the
former school-bus-garage property.
Cadillac Straits Brewing Company in Madison Heights held its farewell party in July after seven years in business. The brewery said that current market conditions and the impact of the pandemic made it unsustainable to continue operating.
Heights Brewing in Farmington announced it would close on Aug. 2 after about two and a half years. The owners cited rising costs, increasing loan payments, and other financial pressures, including an adjustable-rate business loan that became increasingly difficult to carry.
Macomb County’s quieter churn
Macomb County’s restaurant turnover receives less regional attention, but the market is also changing there.
Patty & Press, a Shelby Township restaurant specializing in grass-fed smashburgers and fries cooked in beef tallow, held its formal grand opening in March after quietly beginning service in December.
In Sterling Heights, Dearborn-based Brome Modern Eatery opened its fifth metro Detroit location in July, bringing its menu of burgers, salads, shakes, smoothies, halal-certified proteins, and house-made sauces to the Lakeside area.
Host, a seasonal restaurant and bar, opened in downtown Romeo in March. It joined a growing collection of businesses attempting to turn the village into a dining and nightlife destination beyond its annual festivals and historic Main Street.
Macomb County has also continued attracting national and regional chains, particularly along Hall Road and the dense retail corridors of Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, Clinton Township, and Roseville.
Compared with Detroit and Oakland County, however, Macomb’s independent restaurant openings and closures are less frequently reported by regional media.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening.
Many small restaurants announce openings and closures only on Facebook or Instagram. Some quietly reduce their hours, stop answering the phone, or place a handwritten sign on the door. Others are marked “permanently closed” online long before an owner confirms what happened.
Reinvention and change
There’s little room for error in the restaurant business. Food spoils, equipment breaks, and rent, insurance, payroll, utilities, and other bills continue whether the dining room is packed or empty. Rising ingredient costs, the sluggish economy, and unpredictable customer traffic are a lot for restaurants to absorb, even if they have devoted followings and strong reviews.
The businesses opening now appear to have absorbed those lessons. Chefs are testing ideas through pop-ups and food trucks before committing to permanent locations. Restaurants are moving into existing kitchens, sharing space with bars, adding catering and private events, and building menus that work for both carryout and dine-in customers.
For loyal customers and longtime operators, the turnover is a painful part of the industry. Restaurants are where we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, gather with family and friends, or grab a beer to watch a game.
But turnover also means new restaurants are cropping up with fresh ideas, flavors, and spaces. The openings show that the industry is still moving forward.
Bon appétit.
Little Liberia started as an African-fusion pop-up in 2016. COURTESY OF LITTLE LIBERIA
The Dancing Pine, a new Korean steakhouse, is now open at Sakura Novi REBECCA SIMONOV
WHAT’S GOING ON
LISTINGS
Select events happening in metro Detroit the next two weeks. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest info. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.
MUSIC
THURSDAY AUG. 6
Foo Fighters: Take Cover Tour 2026 5:30 p.m.; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit. Fight From Within, Yung Mosh, Yayo, Hyporium, Gates of Gehenna, Godstine, Drowning in Midair 5:30 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit. Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Dueling Pianos 8 p.m.-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 Third St., Detroit; No cover.
Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.
FRIDAY AUG. 7
Belmont, Major League, Spite House, All In Ur Head 6 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit.
Open Air Fridays 4-10 p.m.; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; Free. Bowlero Surf Fest: The Slot Rods, Roland Remington, DJ Ewolf and Beeswax 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; No cover. Dearborn Homecoming Festival noon10:30 p.m.; Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill Rd., Dearborn; Free.
SATURDAY AUG. 8
Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show 6 p.m.; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit.
Howard Jones: Things Can Only Get Better Tour 6:30 p.m.; Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, 3554 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills. Daziah Day 2026 7-10 p.m.; Harmonie Club, 311 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; $45. Bowlero Surf Fest: Texas Surfboard Massacre, The Flipsters and DJ Shagbath 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; No cover.
Saturday Grind 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Dearborn Homecoming Festival noon10:30 p.m.; Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill
Rd., Dearborn; Free.
SUNDAY AUG. 9
The MotorCity All White Gospel Fest 6 p.m.; The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, 2600 E. Atwater St., Detroit.
Oliver Tree 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak.
BBQ on the Patio by Yolanda with DJ Dez 4-9 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.
SPKR BRNCH 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Sunday Service Karaoke Hosted by Sister DJ Larry 8 p.m.-1 a.m.; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; No cover.
Dearborn Homecoming Festival noon10:30 p.m.; Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill Rd., Dearborn; Free.
MONDAY AUG. 10
A Tribute to the Great Voices of Detroit featuring Denise Edwards 7-10 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35.
TUESDAY AUG. 11
Jeffrey Nothing 6 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland.
Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.
Open Mic: Art in a Fly Space 7-10 p.m.; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; No cover.
VIP Tuesday Night Karaoke 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; No cover.
WEDNESDAY AUG. 12
Robert Glasper 7:30 p.m.; The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, 2600 E. Atwater St., Detroit.
Vandenberg “My Whitesnake Years” with Adrian Vandenberg, Vinnie Moore and Marco Mendoza 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland.
Way Back Wednesdays with DJ Righteous 8 p.m.-midnight; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; $5.
THURSDAY AUG. 13
The Kehlani World Tour: North America 6:30 p.m.; Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, 14900 Metropolitan Pkwy., Sterling Heights.
Happy Together Tour 2026 6:30 p.m.; The
Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Hanson 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Dueling Pianos 8 p.m.-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 Third St., Detroit; No cover. Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.
FRIDAY AUG. 14
Tink 8 p.m.; The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, 2600 E. Atwater St., Detroit. Open Air Fridays 4-10 p.m.; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; Free.
SATURDAY AUG. 15
Motionless in White: The Sweat and Blood Tour 6:30 p.m.; Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, 14900 Metropolitan Pkwy., Sterling Heights.
Toadies: The Charmer Tour 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Saturday Grind 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
SUNDAY AUG. 16
Jutes with In Color and Wilt 6 p.m.; Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $42.75.
Walk Off the Earth and Andy Grammer 7:30 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor. BBQ on the Patio by Yolanda with DJ Dez 4-9 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover. SPKR BRNCH 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.
Sunday Service Karaoke Hosted by Sister DJ Larry 8 p.m.-1 a.m.; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; No cover.
EVENTS
THURSDAY AUG. 6
MJR Theatres Hosts Annual Family Film Festival 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16, 100 E. Maple Rd., Troy; $5. The Michigan Shakespeare Festival Presents Richard III 7:30-10 p.m.; Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Ave., Detroit; $20-$58. Thursdays at the Museum: Highlights of the Permanent Collection 1 p.m.; Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Free.
Constellations & Affinities: Selections from the Cranbrook Collection 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; Free on Thursdays.
Tonight vs Everybody: Open Mic Comedy 9-10:30 p.m.; The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant, 2320 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck; $5 suggested donation.
Karaoke Night at Ghost Light! 10 p.m.; Ghost Light, 2314 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Free.
Puzzling Adventures Scavenger Hunt 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Puzzling Adventures Start & Finish Location, 160 E. Congress St., Detroit; $39.95.
FRIDAY AUG. 7
Dearborn Homecoming Festival noon10:30 p.m.; Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill Rd., Dearborn; Free.
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival Presents Much Ado About Nothing 7:3010 p.m.; Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Ave., Detroit; $20-$58.
The Big Picture Guided Tour 1 and 6 p.m.; Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Free.
Go Comedy! All-Star Showdown 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; Go Comedy! Improv Theater, 261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; $25. Hilarious Friday Night Comedy with Tony Roney and the Krack Jokers 8-10 p.m.; Starter’s Bar and Grill, 18426 Plymouth Rd., Detroit; $25.
The Sh*t Show Open Mic 11 p.m.-1:30 a.m.; The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant, 2320 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck; $5 suggested donation.
Constellations & Affinities: Selections from the Cranbrook Collection 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills. Puzzling Adventures Scavenger Hunt 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Puzzling Adventures Start & Finish Location, 160 E. Congress St., $39.95.
SATURDAY AUG. 8
Dearborn Homecoming Festival noon10:30 p.m.; Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill Rd., Dearborn; Free.
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival Presents Much Ado About Nothing 2-4:30 p.m.; Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Ave., Detroit; $20-$58.
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival Presents Richard III 7:30-10 p.m.; Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Ave., Detroit; $20-$58. Packard Farmers Market 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site, 49965 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; Free.
Michigan Supreme Court sides with Royal Oak in marijuana licensing dispute
The unanimous ruling overturns a lower court decision that found Royal Oak’s marijuana application meetings should have been public.
The Michigan Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that Royal Oak’s city manager didn’t violate the state’s Open Meetings Act while overseeing the city’s competitive selection process for two recreational marijuana retailers. In an opinion issued Thursday, the justices reversed a lower-court ruling that found meetings between then-City Manager Paul Brake and a group of city officials should’ve been open to the public.
The dispute arose after Royal Oak adopted an ordinance in 2020 limiting the city to two recreational marijuana retailers. The city received 21 applications, including bids from Quality Roots Inc. and Exclusive Capital Partners LLC.
Brake assembled a workgroup that included the city planner, engineer,
By Steve Neavling
police chief, and other officials to help review the applications. The group met four times and took no official notes, according to the court’s opinion.
Brake ultimately selected PGSH Holdings LLC, known as Gatsby, and Royal Oak Treatment LLC for the two available slots. Quality Roots and Exclusive Capital were placed on a waitlist and later sued the city, alleging that the selection process violated the Open Meetings Act and other state laws.
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in 2024 that Brake effectively acted as a governing body and that his meetings with the workgroup should’ve been conducted publicly. The appeals court sent the case back to Oakland County Circuit Court to determine an appropriate remedy.
But the Supreme Court rejected that
conclusion, finding that Royal Oak’s ordinance independently gave the city manager the authority to rank applicants.
“The city manager was acting alone in his official work capacity pursuant to an independent grant of authority and, therefore, was not subject to the OMA,” Justice Brian Zahra wrote for the court.
The justices said the Open Meetings Act generally applies to collective governmental entities, such as boards, commissions, committees, and councils, rather than individual public officials.
The court also rejected the marijuana companies’ argument that the City Commission had delegated its licensing authority to Brake. Under the ordinance, the justices found, the commission had no role in ranking applicants
for the limited number of retail slots.
“The ordinance gives the city manager the power to decide among applicants,” Zahra wrote.
The court warned that accepting the companies’ interpretation could make virtually every ordinance granting authority to a municipal official subject to the Open Meetings Act.
“The OMA should not be interpreted so broadly,” the opinion states.
The Supreme Court reversed the portion of the appeals court ruling involving the Open Meetings Act and sent the case back to the trial court with instructions to enter judgment in favor of Royal Oak.
Justice Noah Hood did not participate because he served on the Court of Appeals panel that previously decided the case.
Green Pharm dispensary in Hazel Park.
STEVE NEAVLING
CULTURE
Savage Love
The Invite
by Dan Savage
: Q I’m a late-thirties hetero married man. I’m also a flirt. I’ve known this about myself for a long time, and while my spouse knows this generally, she probably doesn’t know that I can lean into a bit at times when she is not around. For a long time it was fine. I considered my flirting to fall into my “zone of erotic autonomy” and never intended it to lead anywhere. Then twice in the last year it’s led to women getting the wrong (but honestly, understandable) impression that I’m open for more. Nothing happened but I realize now that I need to… not do this anymore? No more flirting, no more coy innuendos, no. more dangerous-but-plausibly-deniable interactions, chats, etc. But thinking about a life without flirting makes me a little dead inside. It’s the spice of life, isn’t it? Not having that little bit of tension, that sense of danger, that glow that comes from a successful flirtation — the thought of never experiencing any of that again leaves me feeling almost despondent. But I love my relationship and don’t want to endanger it anymore and I don’t want to be a dick to other people when they realize I’m not open for more. I’m not sure what to do. Or how to think about this. Do you have any words of wisdom?
—Feeling Like I’m Risking Trouble
A: A little light flirting is fine, FLIRT, even for people in monogamous relationships. With the exception of the “micro-cheating” lunatics, everyone understands that. So, you can only be faulted for leading someone if 1. the person with whom you’re flirting doesn’t know you’re happily married and hopelessly monogamous and 2. the flirting crossed that sometimeshard-to-define line between harmless married-not-dead (MND) flirting and what a reasonable person would interpret as flirting with intent (FWI). Married-not-dead flirting looks (and sounds) like two people acknowledging and enjoying a mutual attraction that — in their timeline in which they find themselves — can never be acted on. MND flirting tends to be lowkey,
it sometimes has a slightly melancholic tinge, and ideally it stirs up sexual energy that you take home and plow into your spouse. Flirting with intent, on the other hand, is reckless and disrespectful — of both your spouse’s feelings and the feelings of the person you’re cranking the fuck up.
As with so many things, FLIRT, you just use your words. Once you’ve engaged in a little light MND flirting, pause to clarify that you’re married and monogamous. Then you can dial it up a few notches without crossing into FWI territory. If you sense that your flirting partner is starting to doubt whether you meant it when you said you were monogamous, dial it all the way down to zero.
: Q First of all, I need to thank you. I’ve been following you for almost ten years and you gave me such a spectrum of possibilities in relationships and a really open mindset. My little drama is, I’m in an open relationship where we’ve had ongoing issues with communication and emotional labor. I’m always the one carrying the baggage while he gets to be the “light” one, which makes me feel unconsidered. We finally had a deep conversation about this, and I thought things were finally understood. I really needed a demonstration from him. Instead, just three days after that conversation, he went away and slept with someone else. It’s true that he was checking in more than usual on that trip, since I had just asked, but it felt like a demonstration done completely negatively. I guess my question is, how do I navigate an open relationship in this case? In my head, you shouldn’t be sleeping around when things are not stable within the relationship, or am I wrong? If things are lacking on the inside, is it still okay to have sex on the outside? Why do I feel like he cheated?
—Italian Fan For Years
A: If you told your partner you didn’t want him fucking other people for the time being… if you literally said, “No sex with other people while we work on us,” and he agreed to close the relationship, IFFY, and then he turned around and fucked someone else at his first opportunity… yeah, pretty clear your partner cheated on you. But if you told your partner you felt like there was an imbalance in the emotional labor department and that you needed him to be more attentive… but you didn’t tell him you wanted to close the relationship… and then he made an effort to be more attentive before fucking someone else, IFFY, then didn’t cheat on you. Not wanting your partner to sleep
with other people when your relationship doesn’t feel safe and secure when things aren’t feeling stable is a fine and perfectly valid feeling. But if that feeling remained “in your head,” i.e. if you didn’t say as much and say it unambiguously, you can’t be angry that your partner wasn’t able to read your mind. Now, maybe he should’ve, IFFY, but we’ve already established that your partner needs all the help she can get where emotional sensitivities are concerned. Maybe he should’ve understood what you wanted, IFFY, but he didn’t. Maybe his failure to understand what you wanted was self-serving, but your emotionally dense partner could just be… dense. So, if you want to stay in this relationship and closing it while you work on these issues together is a requirement, IFFY, you need to make that explicitly and abundantly clear to him. With apologies to Upton Sinclair: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his freedom to fuck around depends on his not understanding it.” No hints, no ambiguity, no hoping he gets it — tell him
: Q
I’m a guy, age 65, and writing to you from Seattle. My wife is also 65 and we are both considered young and fun for our age. We’re sexually active and ambitious, but happily monogamous, having been married for 44 years. Many of our best friends are in their thirties and forties and they seem to enjoy hanging out with us. That’s the good part. Now here is the confusing part and the basis for my question. Five years ago, one of our friends let me know that they are in “the lifestyle.”
I filed this info away and have always been just a little bit curious about logistics and other details. I spend way too much time on social media, and I have realized that many, many of our other friends are also connected to this person, even though, ostensibly they seem to have little in common. I now have a fun, weird theory that I cannot prove or disprove. Almost every one of our friends is also active in the lifestyle, but for reasons that I cannot fathom they have never spoken of it to us or even said a word, much less invited us to join in. Should I take this as a compliment or an insult? Are all of our friends having kinky fun behind our respective backs? Just to make this more fun, and to give you a good laugh, the odds that my wife and I would ever want to do this are about a million to one against. But you never know!
—Swingless in Seattle
A: If you wanna get a general conversation about swinging started, SIS, you could ask your thirty- and
forty-somethings friends what they thought of The Invite, Olivia Wilde’s amazing new movie starring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton. If they haven’t seen it yet, suggest a group outing.
As for your theory that the one swinger you know is swinging with every other person and/or couple they know…
While people in the lifestyle do know other people in the lifestyle (obviously), SIS, it doesn’t follow that every person a swinger knows is in the lifestyle. So, while you can’t rule out the possibility that all of your thirty- and forty-something friends are fucking each other, you shouldn’t assume they are either. But even if they are fucking each other — let’s go ahead and make that assumption as a thought experiment — I can easily fathom two good reasons why most of them haven’t spoken to you about it:
1. These swinging singles and/or couples assume you and your wife aren’t interested in swinging.
2. These swinging singles and/or couples aren’t interested in swinging with you and your wife.
If you are interested in the lifestyle for purely intellectual reasons — if you have questions about the logistics you could raise the subject with the one friend who came out to you as a swinger. When someone volunteers that kind of information about themselves, SIS, you’re allowed to ask non-intrusive follow-up questions. So, if you want to know how your friend and his partner meet other couples, how they got into the lifestyle, what their rules are, etc., you can ask those questions. But don’t ask your friend to rattle off the names of other people you know who are in the lifestyle, SIS, as that would require him to violate their privacy. (And if you do ask and he answers, you shouldn’t expect him to respect your privacy either.)
P.S. I’m guessing the odds against you swinging are a million to one because your wife doesn’t want to — or you assume your wife doesn’t want to — and not because you don’t want to. Because I don’t think you would be asking me about this if your curiosity was entirely idle and/or logistical.
For the full article, check it out on metrotimes.com
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