10/22/25 C & G Special Edition — Oakland

McFall proposes state bill to support foster animals

BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com

LANSING — A bipartisan bill proposed by state Rep. Mike McFall aims to provide financial relief for those who foster animals.

If approved by the state Legislature, House Bill 5063 will provide a $50 credit per animal fostered for a minimum of seven days, with another $50 for every 30 additional days of fostering, for up to five animals per year.

The program would begin with the 2026 tax year and adjust the credit annually for inflation. Verification would be required from qualifying nonprofits or municipal shelters.

“I’m a big animal lover, and I follow on social media a lot of rescues and local shelters, and I see constant calls for fosters because they’re overflow-

ing with animals,” said McFall, D-Hazel Park.

House Bill 5063 is co-sponsored by state Rep. Joe Aragona, R-Clinton Township. It was developed in collaboration with Michigan Humane and aims to shore up support for foster homes.

Proponents say with the cost of living rising, more people are being forced to choose between paying their bills and keeping their pets, increasing the need for foster families.

In addition, there are situations where people are temporarily unable to care for their pets due to medical emergencies, domestic violence or other circumstances.

In such cases, many have sought relief through Michigan Humane’s Safety Net program, which finds foster homes for pets until their owners are ready to home them again.

CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — The image of Frances Mauro Masters, 103, of Chesterfield Township, will be immortalized as the symbol of the Greatest Generation’s homefront workers when a bronze statue made in her likeness as a Rosie the Riveter will be added Nov. 11 to the Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial in Royal Oak. Mauro Masters, better known as “Rosie Fran,” grew up in Detroit during the Great Depression. As one of five children born to Italian immigrants, she was taught the value of hard work to support not just herself, but her family. When she graduated from high school in 1940, her first priority was to find a job to help support her family.

While working at a local grocery store and taking night courses to learn to use a comptometer, Mauro Masters learned of a job

See MAURO on page 8A

LOOKING FOR A DENTIST?

SPORTS

Bishop Foley student plays for Tigers NIKE RBI softball team

BY SCOTT BENTLEY sbentley@candgnews.com

MADISON HEIGHTS

— Madison Heights Bishop Foley junior Sasha Walker took her talents to the national stage this summer and played for the Detroit Tigers NIKE RBI team.

The RBI program is operated by Major League Baseball and stands for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. The program’s aim is to provide opportunities in baseball and softball to young people in diverse communities.

This summer, the Detroit Tigers-sponsored NIKE RBI softball team not only made the tournament but won the NIKE RBI softball division championship. Walker, and the team, got to travel all over the country

to play softball and kept winning along the way.

“It was really fun,” Walker said. “And we were able to create a good team after not knowing each other. It was a little nerve wracking playing with each other (at first), but then we started playing really well and felt comfortable.”

The team played in Pittsburgh and Florida, among other places, before winning the championship by a score of 3-1 at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida.

Walker wasn’t just on the team: She was one of the best players on the squad. After the championship game, she was awarded the MLB Develops MVP Award presented by Chevrolet which is given to the MVP of the championship.

Community gathers to support breast cancer patients, research

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

NOVI — A large crowd gathered at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk Oct. 4 for Rock Out for Pink Out, which raised money for breast cancer patients and research.

The event featured a free high-energy performance by the Love Junkies, a Detroit party band, and was the fourth of eight planned stops for the Novi Police Department’s annual Pink Cruiser fundraising campaign. The fundraiser allows the public to write messages of hope and support to cancer patients for a $5 charge. All money donated will be going to the Henry Ford Providence Novi Believe in Miracles Foundation.

“There were plenty of fall festivals and things to go to, but I like the idea of the charity and being outside,” said Michele Wolfe, of Wixom. “I had not been here (to the event). It was very nice.”

Wolfe said she liked how well-organized the event was and that there were many fun things to do.

“I actually just came to dance, because it was going to be the last of the outdoor concerts, and most other ones are shut down already,” said Jim Sunko, of Northville.

Wolfe and Sunko said the band also drew them to the event, as they had seen the Love Junkies perform several times before and enjoyed it.

“Everyone in the Love Junkies’ organization and our families have been affected by breast cancer/cancer in general. So, that opportunity certainly touched us in a personal way as well. They say music unites, it heals, and it raises awareness. Given the opportunity to do just that, there was no hesitation on our part,” Johnny Allen, lead singer of the Love Junkies, said in a text about participating in Rock Out for Pink Out.

The Pink Car fundraising campaign is spearheaded by Novi Police Department

LEFT: Peak Physique co-owners Lissa and Nick Pietrykowski pose in their gym. Peak Physique is located at 1071 E. Long Lake Road, in Troy.

Photo provided by Lissa Pietrykowski

BELOW: Seniors work out at the St. Clair Shores Senior Activity Center, located at 20100 Stephens Road, in St. Clair Shores.

Local resources make staying active this winter easier than ever

BY SCOTT BENTLEY sbentley@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — It’s easy to be active in the summer heat, but in the winter, it can sometimes feel like there are fewer opportunities to get out and continue moving. As the temperature outside finally begins to drop, it’s important to remain active.

The good news is that these days there are plenty of resources to help people of all ages get out of the house during the cold months. In the metro Detroit area, there’s everything from indoor classes and leagues to full-blown gyms with trainers.

“It’s very important to move your body… from someone that’s 20 to someone that’s 80,” Peak Physique of Troy co-owner Nick Pietrykowski said. “And one of the biggest things that we try and do is make sure the client is not making this a chore.”

Peak Physique of Troy offers not just personal trainers, but life coaches to help you get the most out of each and every day all year round.

Taking care of your body year-round also goes beyond just physical benefits. It’s a great way to improve your mental health during days that may be cold and dark.

“I feel like that’s the biggest thing when you get into winter — the mental health aspect of it,” Pietrykowski said. “We’re sitting more, we don’t want to go outside. As winter hits we still need blood flow and oxygen.”

Age shouldn’t stop anyone from accomplishing this, either. If anything, it’s even more important to continue getting out as often as possible as a senior. The health benefits will be rewarding and noticeable.

See ACTIVE on page 7A

“She’s very humble and very team-oriented,” Bishop Foley Athletic Director Brian Barnes said. “She’s proud of what she’s done and is so grateful for the experience and to be a part of it.”

Telling a local kid that she’s going to play for a team that’s sponsored by the Detroit Tigers is a big deal as well. The players were decked out in Tigers gear and even wore the Tigers Motor City Connect jerseys in the championship game.

“It was kind of scary playing for the Tigers because we want to represent them in a good way,” Walker explained. “I think that playing for them also drove us to play better and show that Detroit has good softball.”

The Tigers organization supported the team in a lot of different ways throughout the summer.

“We got to meet players that we always look up to,” Walker said. “The Tigers helped a lot, and we got really cool gear, and we got recognized a lot. It made it a lot more fun.”

The tournament is also a big deal for recruiting purposes. This is a showcase and a platform for softball players all over the country who may not have been big-name recruits. If players like Walker get more recognition out of it, then NIKE RBI is doing what it’s set out to do.

“I want to play in college. I’m not sure where yet but playing for the Tigers got me a lot of recognition,” Walker said. “I had a lot of people reaching out to me about playing in college. The Tigers really helped me become more recognized.”

Bishop Foley has proudly been posting about Walker, who is set to graduate in 2027, and pointing out just how deserving she is of all of the recognition being thrown her way.

“This experience couldn’t happen to a better kid,” Barnes said. “She’s the hard-

est worker in the program, just a genuinely good human being and kid with great parents. From our perspective, it’s been great.”

Since Walker still has another school year before she graduates high school, she’ll look to participate and play next summer as well.

“Overall, I’m very happy about the experience and I’m very happy with what came out of it,” Walker said. “I’m excited to play again next year and hopefully have the same experience.”

To learn more about NIKE RBI, go to mlb.com/rbi and visit the MLB website to see more articles and videos of Walker.

NEWS & NOTES

Trevor McMastor, a junior digital marketing major, checks out RCU’s new Professional Clothes Closet.

New Professional Clothes Closet needs donations

ROCHESTER — Rochester Christian University is seeking donations for its new Professional Clothes Closet, which will provide current students with free access to professional clothing appropriate for interviews, internships, networking events, conferences and career fairs. The type of clothing needed is modern professional suits and suit separates (jackets/blazers, pants, skirts, and dresses); button-up shirts and blouses; and gently used/like new dress shoes and belts. All items must be recently cleaned, with no rips, tears, missing buttons, or stains.

Rebekah Pinchback, dean of the School of Business and Technology, started the initiative to help remove financial barriers for students and empower them with free career wear, so they can step into professional opportunities with confidence.

“It has become evident that not all students have access to necessary career wear. Our goal is to help our Warriors feel confident, professional and prepared when making a positive first impression,” Pinchback said in a press release.

The closet is size-inclusive, and all clothing is provided at no cost to students. Students also receive free resources and information on the importance of dressing professionally and the different types of professional attire in the workplace.

To support this initiative, email Pinchback at rpinchback@rcu.edu to contribute clothing; purchase item(s) from the closet’s Amazon wish list; or direct funds to this university gift fund.

Matt Dion, a 2008 alumnus and owner of Closets by Design, partnered with the university to install clothing racks and shelving for the clothes closet.

“We are so grateful to Matt for donating time and supporting our students in this way,” Pinchback said in a press release.

For more information, email rpinchback@rcu.edu.

Annual breakfast honors local veterans

BIRMINGHAM — Breakfast with the Bishop of St. Anne’s Mead at The Community House of Birmingham, 380 S. Bates St., will honor veterans 8-10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.

The event welcomes guests, including Bishop Bonnie Perry, of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, WXYZ-TV 7 anchor and reporter Alicia Smith, The Michigan Bagpiper, and other special guests. The stories of veterans who served from World War II to the Vietnam War — and who live or lived at St. Anne’s Mead — will be shared.

Tickets are tax-deductable and can be purchased at stannesmead.org, or by contacting Peggy Goodwin at (248) 557-1221.

by Patricia

MADDIE HAD A LITTLE LAMB

NOVI — Maddie, the ewe at Michigan State University Tollgate Farm, welcomed a little lamb. Mouse, a male Dorper lamb, was born at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. Dorper lambs are a combination of Blackhead Persian and Dorset Horn lambs. According to a press release from Tollgate, they grow very quickly, so those who would like to see a tiny lamb should hurry to the farm located at 28115 Meadowbrook Road in Novi. The picture shows Mouse at Tollgate Farm’s Pumpkinfest Oct. 4.

TAKE A FOLKLORE HIKE AT NIGHT

NOVI — Michigan State University Tollgate Farm and Education Center, 28115 Meadowbrook Road in Novi, will hold a night hike and discussion of folklore from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24. According to Tollgate Farm, the night plays a large role in traditional folklore. The discussion will include myths, legends and spirits of the night. Tickets cost $14 per person ages 3 and older. For more information or to register, go to canr.msu.edu/tollgate/Program-Event-Calendar/night-hikes-on-the-farm.

“Try to include things that you’ll enjoy doing, because you’ll be more apt to do them,” Madison Heights Active Adult Center supervisor Jennifer Cowan said. “I think if you take the winter off it’s going to be really difficult, in the spring, to get back up and do the things you want to do.”

The Madison Heights Active Adult Center hosts a multitude of activities in the winter. Not only are there classes and groups meeting all the time, but the location also offers a free exercise equipment room and an indoor walking path so that you can use the center even if you can’t make a class.

“One of our guiding mindsets here is that the longer you stay active, the longer you’re able to do things on your own and remain independent, the longer you can stay in your home, and you can continue to do the things you want to do. I think it all connects,” Cowan said.

There are so many health benefits to working out as a senior, but a full-blown workout plan isn’t necessarily required to reap those benefits. There are tons of activi-

ties offered in the area that simply get the blood pumping a little bit and provide an excuse to see others.

“We have a ton of different classes like yoga, chair yoga, Pilates, line dancing, and ballroom dancing, too,” said Matthew Dubinsky, the St. Clair Shores Senior Activity Center’s senior coordinator. “It’s yearround, so they can be consistent at it. We can keep people moving all year.”

The center is also doing balance classes through the Macomb County Health Department and has done classes that teach people how to shop for healthier meals, too.

These places are more than just workout spots. They have become pillars of the community where everyone is safe, welcome and encouraged to socialize all yearround.

“They come to the senior center and it’s not just doing yoga or a fitness class. It’s really the mental stimulation part of it, too,” Dubinsky said. “I think that’s one of the best parts of it.”

To set up a conversation with a life coach and learn more about Peak Physique of Troy, go to peakphysiquetroy.com. To learn more about activity centers in Madison Heights and St. Clair Shores, go to madison-heights.org and scsmi.net.

at the Ford Willow Run Bomber Plant.

“I had two brothers in the service, and my future husband, he joined the Marines at 17, and I thought, ‘I want to work to help win the war,’” she said of her reason to apply.

Mauro Masters and her two sisters, Angeline and Josephine, were all hired on the spot for the plant. She said they all worked in different departments, as they were not allowed to work together.

“Out of the three of us, I was the only riveter. They worked in small parts, but I was the only riveter,” Mauro Masters said. “I worked in small parts for the wing (of B-24 Liberators), on a press, riveting.”

Mauro Masters worked at the plant for the duration of the war. She said her greatest challenge with the position was actually getting to the plant.

She recalled having to take a streetcar from her family’s Detroit home near the city airport to downtown Detroit, and then caught a bus similar to a Greyhound bus that was privately owned by Ford Motor Co. and was sent for the Rosies. She said it took well over an hour for her to get there.

“It took us an hour to get there and an hour to get back, and a lot of us slept on the bus. Thank God for my mother having supper ready for us,” she said. “We would just go to work and come home. We didn’t go out because we had to get up early in the morning to go to work. We worked six days, sometimes seven days.”

Mauro Masters said that she worked eight hours a day. She would have to be there at 6 a.m. and said she got up very early to catch the bus, but said she liked it because she was able to go part of the way to work with her father, who worked at Eastern Market.

She said she had very little training when she started working at the plant. The employees had approximately one hour of training and then were on their own.

“No training. No. Just you do it this way and do it that way. When I was on the press, some of the rivets got crooked and you had to drill the rivets out and start over and put new

rivets in,” she said. “I never complained, never made a mistake; I just did what they told me to do.”

The position at the plant paid $1 an hour. She said they were given a check each week, which she gave to her mom to help pay for their family house and expenses. She recalled that the house provided shelter for many family members who were in need, as money was hard to come by and they were the only ones that had a house.

“We didn’t keep any allowance,” she said.

Her son, John O’Brien, said he only found out about 20 years ago that his mom was a Rosie the Riveter.

“We knew my mom worked at Willow Run, but who cared? You know, as teenagers, who cared? I mean, she worked at Willow Run, ‘Oh, thank you, Ma.’ Because she worked her whole life when we were kids,” O’Brien said.

He said he found out when he and his brother took their mother to Willow Run after seeing an ad in the newspaper that they were opening up the plant to show the planes.

“We were totally shocked when we saw all the crowds, and I said, ‘Ma, are these the planes that you worked on?’ And she said yeah, and some young woman heard that and then she told her friends and they all took my mom and swept her away. I said to my brother, ‘What the heck is going on? What is this big deal?’ Well, as time went on we learned. We recognized that mom built these planes that were used in the war,” O’ Brien said.

Mauro Masters said she doesn’t know why she never told her kids, but she was proud of it. However, she didn’t think it was as important as some things her family members had done during the war, such as her two brothers, one of whom, Salvatore Mauro, was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. However, now she realizes her work during the war was very important.

“Now I always tell my friends when they ask what she did in the war, I say, ‘She killed Hitler,’” O’Brien said.

The job not only enabled her to help with the war effort, but also provided her with a skill that would grow into a career for her. Her first husband died young, at 40, leaving her with three young children. But unlike many other single mothers, Mauro Masters was able to get a job at the Chrysler plant as a riveter in an era when the factory jobs were a male-dominated

See MAURO on page 9A

profession, thanks to her experience as a Rosie the Riveter.

“It opened up the workforce for women,” O’Brien said.

“It was interesting, very interesting,” she said of her experience.

During the war, the plant produced more than 8,000 planes. Mauro Masters said they made one plane per hour.

She said she got to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he toured the plant. She also noted that Marilyn Monroe and Betty White were also Rosies.

“Marilyn Monroe was a riveter in California. A lot of people didn’t know about that,” Mauro Masters said. “But one of the presidents discovered her, and I said, ‘Well, why didn’t they come and get me?’ That was my joke.”

Bette Kenward, the Michigan director for the American Rosie the Riveter Association, said that Monroe was a Rosie, the collective term for the women who worked on the home front in the factories, but was actually a spray painter.

When the war ended, Mauro Masters

said it was announced over the loudspeaker that it would be their last day of work, but they were allowed to finish their shift.

The memorial in Royal Oak at Memorial Park, 31100 Woodward Ave. at 13 Mile Road, is being commissioned in segments as the statues are funded. It will have a statue to represent all the different groups that helped to win the war. Mauro Masters’ likeness will be the second statue. The first is of Joe, a soldier. The memorial is being placed in the park where a group of trees were grown from acorns that were given to the U.S. by the British as a thank-you for American efforts in winning the war.

“They say the Royal Oaks in England saved the monarchy, so it was kind of a tribute to that,” said Judith Maten, a member of the memorial’s board of directors.

The acorns were nurtured by the Detroit Zoo until they could be planted in the park in an oval shape, and the memorial is designed to fit into the oval.

Maten said that Mauro Masters has been involved in the memorial from the beginning and was a natural choice to be the likeness for the statue.

“She has just been kind of the face of the homefront for us. It’s not that we haven’t had other Rosies involved, but Rosie Fran

has always been there,” Maten said.

“The thing that strikes us whenever we talk to the World War II veterans or the homefront workers is their humility — the idea that they would do it all over again if they had to,” She said.

Mauro Masters said that she just likes to work and would gladly take a job even now if it were offered to her.

“I would do it again. I would. I want to work. It’s in my blood, I think,” Mauro Masters said.

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The board is still working to raise funds to complete the memorial, which is estimated to cost $2.5 million to $3 million. Each statue costs about $100,000 and the black granite wall costs about $300,000. The memorial board is still raising money for one piece of the plane panel for the Rosie Fran statue. The piece that they still need to commission is expected to cost $30,000. To donate to the memorial, visit michigan ww2memorial.org or email John Maten at john.maten@michigan ww2memorial.org.

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Animals

from page 1A

The demand for the program has been high. In the first half of 2025, Michigan Humane’s program received 441 inquiries about the service. But due to the limited availability of homes able to accept animals on short notice, only 42 pets from 21 families were fostered.

“There are two angles here,” McFall said. “We’re trying to help relieve some of the foster needs for shelters and rescues, but also there’s a huge need for temporary fosters for people who still want their animal, but they need someone to take care of it briefly for them.

“I’m sure families would much rather keep the pet while using a temporary shelter until they get back on their feet,” he said. “To them, their animals are part of the family.”

Supporters of the bill say that by providing a tax credit to make fostering more affordable, more homes will be able to open their doors to those in need.

“Michigan Humane often refers to our foster caregivers as ‘in-home heroes,’ because that is truly what they are. The difference they make in each individual animal’s life is immeasurable,” said Laura Kniffen, foster program manager for Michigan Humane, via email. “They provide much needed relief to staff when our shelters are overrun with animals, especially during kitten season.”

She said that keeping animals in a home environment lowers their stress, improves

Cancer

clerk Kim Kleimola, a breast cancer survivor. She said her goal this year is to raise $15,000.

Kleimola attends all the events and often shares her story with others. Wolfe said her conversation with Kleimola was her favorite part of the event.

“I was quite touched by that and moved that she really is just helping other people by telling her story. It’s so nice and it really touched my heart too, all the work she was doing,” Wolfe said.

their health and helps socialize them. It also reveals their true personalities — valuable information that helps Michigan Humane find them the right home.

In cases where a pet already has a home and is waiting to be reunited with their owner, foster families ensure the pet is not lost forever.

“They do this by taking the owned pet into their homes, caring for them and loving them as their own until the owner is ready to reunite with them,” Kniffen said. “The need for this program is vast, especially with the current housing crisis.”

While Michigan Humane tries to provide its foster families with supplies, there are still costs involved, such as traveling to and from veterinary appointments. That’s where the tax credit from House Bill 5063 makes a difference.

“The proposed bill would be a way to make (foster families) feel appreciated by recognizing that the work they do is valued,” Kniffen said.

Mike Webb — the mayor of Hazel Park who worked alongside McFall on the Hazel Park City Council when McFall was a member — said that he’s heartened to see his former colleague continuing to help the community.

“(McFall) has a big heart,” Webb said. “He goes the extra mile to make sure people are taken care of, and that’s what good leaders do. He’s creating opportunities for people to take care of their loved ones, and that includes their pets.”

Kleimola said that so many people have been participating in the event each year that this year, instead of a Ford Explorer, the department had a larger Chevrolet Tahoe wrapped in pink to allow for more space for the public to sign.

Sunko said he has known several people who have battled various forms of cancer, including his sisters. He said he was going to take the T-shirt he was given to a friend who is battling cancer for the second time.

Kleimola and the Pink Cruiser have two more stops this year. The Pink Cruiser will be at Jack O’Lantern Jubilee in Fuerst Park Oct. 18 and Streets of Treats in downtown Northville Oct. 26.

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