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October 8, 2025 candgnews.com

Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers

Public safety officers, firefighters train for fires that are too hot to handle

A firefighter emerges from the flashover simulator as firefighters from the Farms and other communities take part in flashover training Sept. 18. Photo by Liz Carnegie

BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com

FARMS — Firefighters are usually the ones running into a burning building. Just as importantly, though, they need to know when to get out of one. On Sept. 16 and 18, the Grosse Pointe Farms Public Safety Department arranged to have instructors from Oakland Community College train local firefighters and public safety officers how to recognize the signs that a flashover is about to occur and how to prevent one from sparking. As the training organizer, Farms Public Safety Sgt. Mike Ryan, explained, most people in a space where a flashover is occurring will die. “As the fire builds in intensity, it gets to the point where it’s actually igniting the air itself on fire,” Ryan said. See TRAINING on page 8A

GO SPARTANS! FITZGERALD HOMECOMING BRINGS ALUMNI BACK TOGETHER BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

Cheryl and Dave Spurrier met in algebra class at Fitzgerald High School and later married. David is holding the 1970-1971 school ID badge of Cheryl that he keeps in his wallet at all times. Photo by Liz Carnegie

WARREN — Wayne Petree has good memories of his days attending Fitzgerald High School. “It was great here. The atmosphere was great,” he said. “The teachers back then were strict. Once you started knowing them, they were great. They kept us in line. Everyone got along. There was no fighting or anything like that.” He remembers the pep rallies in the gymnasium, attending football games and the homecoming parades. Petree, who graduated in 1971, recalls the excitement during student council elections. “We had banners all over the school and lockers,” he said. “We had the election in the gym. It was so loud, teachers were coming out of their rooms.” Petree and his wife Theresa, a 1974 graduate, were among approximately 62 Fitzgerald High School graduates — some wearing Fitzgerald T-shirts — that attended the school’s Alumni/Homecoming/Family Fun Day Event Sept. 19. See FITZGERALD on page 9A

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A young boy dressed as a skeleton rides the carousel during a previous Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo.

Photo provided by the Detroit Zoological Society

ABOVE: A group of Macomb Community College students studying early childhood development are holding a drive to benefit the baby pantry at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Macomb Township.LEFT: The students have set up QR code with which the public can purchase items from amazon.com. Photos provided by Liana Sherako

College students help provide for local baby pantry BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — As part of their practicum course in early childhood development at Macomb Community College, a group of students are holding a drive to benefit the baby pantry at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Macomb Township. The drive, which began Sept. 16 and continues through Oct. 14, will provide baby essentials to families in need. MCC student Shannelle Smolarek, 27, is the organizer of the project. “I attend St. Isidore’s, and I knew a little bit about the pantry,” said Smolarek, of Armada. “I thought it was a good idea.” The students have set up QR code, shown, in which the public can purchase items from amazon.com. Clicking on the QR codes takes them right to a list of items that can be purchased, including diapers, diaper rash ointment, potty training underwear and snacks for toddlers. Student Jenna Haney volunteered to have the items sent to her house and to then bring them to the church. “The pile is growing,” Smolarek said. “We’re getting a lot. I had no idea how many families needed help.” As part of the process, the students visited the baby pantry in person. “When we toured it, we learned they help 60 families a month,” Smolarek said. “It is making a big impact.” “I think it was very well-run and very organized,” said MCC student Liana Sherako. “There is a small group of volunteers that put all the boxes together.” Sherako, 23, said when coming up with outreach ideas, the majority of students voted on the baby pantry project. “Our goal is to help the community as best we can to help the baby pantry provide to families,” she said. “It made me excited to be able to help. We also reached out to others around us who are able to help support this project. It’s really cool to see our classmates pitching in to help out.” The students set up a social media page, and since many of them work at schools and day care centers, they have set up collection boxes at those sites.

DETROIT ZOO BRINGS ON THE SPOOKY VIBES THIS OCTOBER BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo is preparing for a spooky season full of pumpkins and halloween-themed fun during the Zoo Boo event. The Zoo Boo, presented by Corewell Health Children’s, has multiple dates throughout the month of October: Oct. 4-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26. Each day the installation is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. The Zoo Boo takes place only in the front half of the zoo. During the event, participants will be able to see the “fun-kin” displays — fun elaborate and illuminated displays that set the spooky mood. Participants can also expect treat stations for trick-or-treating, live strolling performers and interactive entertainment, hands-on learning opportunities, Halloween-themed face painting, themed photo stops, character meet and greets, and a seasonal market experience by Blakes with fresh cider and doughnuts for purchase. Twenty percent of proceeds from the Blakes purchases will support animal conservation. Megan Gregg, senior events manager of the Detroit Zoo, said that the Zoo Boo has some additions to the displays this year. “This year’s Zoo Boo has some exciting new additions, including enhanced entertainment throughout the zoo footprint, new pumpkin displays and fresh fall-themed photo opportunities throughout the zoo,” she said. Each year, the event attracts thousands of families to the zoo. “Zoo Boo has become a beloved tradition for families across metro Detroit. It’s a festive way to celebrate Halloween and all things fall that brings the community together in a unique setting,” Gregg said. “Whether it’s families coming year after year or new families discovering it for the first time, there’s a sense of joy and nostalgia that makes it really special.” The Zoo Boo is sponsored by Corewell Health Children’s, but the event does not raise money for the hospital. See ZOO on page 10A

C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

Responsible beEkeEping begins with learning BY DEAN VAGLIA

dvaglia@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — Despite how it may look in videos and pictures, beekeeping is no simple task. What appears at first to be pulling racks out of boxes while wearing bulky clothes belies a complex field of animal husbandry where climates are watched, pesticides are precautioned and the wrong move may see a whole hive die off. “There’s a fad that’s been going on (called) ‘garden hives,’” said Randy List, an instructor of classes with the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers Association. “They put the box with hive stands in their garden and put some bees in there, and they do nothing to them and bees die and next year they put more in there. That’s not what proper beekeeping is. (Beekeeping is) husbandry; you have to monitor what’s going

on and deal with what’s going on. The weather and climate is a big deal … so you have to be aware of what to expect, understand what you’re seeing and deal with it.” For those who find themselves interested in beekeeping and want to learn how to get into it, List recommends first reaching out to local beekeeping clubs and speaking with active keepers. If what they have to say sounds good, interested parties are encouraged to take a course like SEMBA’s basic beekeeping classes. Running from February to October with monthly classes at Michigan State University’s Tollgate Farm and Education Center in Novi and the Bowers School Farm in Bloomfield Hills, the SEMBA basic beekeeping course teaches students how to get into responsible beekeeping. See BEEKEEPING on page 5A

ABOVE: A beekeeper removes a frame from a box beehive at the Michigan State University Tollgate Farm and Education Center. LEFT: Beekeepers examine a frame from a box beehive. Students in the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers Association basic beekeeping class will compare hives with each other to see how their bees are doing in relation to the rest of the class. Photos by Brian Louwers

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from page 4A

“It starts out as bookwork and classroom work … and then the students get bees,” List said. “The students all have bees and they learn from each other’s bees, because they’ll have a hive right next to each other and they’ll be doing something totally different. The whole point of that is I look at your hive, you look at my hive and everybody else’s hive as a group and we learn what’s going on. (Around fall) they take the hives back to wherever they’re going to take care of them and then (October) is a wrapup meeting.” Students work with beekeeper instructors, like List or fellow instructor Luke Altomore, to learn information important for the first year of maintaining a honeybee hive. Subjects taught include the biology of the honeybee, how bees operate alongside other pollinators, how to maintain hives, how to maintain the health of honeybees, learning about different types of pests, mites and other threats, the tools of beekeeping and more. It costs around $500 to take the class, including the textbook and a box hive. Taking the SEMBA course gives students a preliminary set of information to begin beekeeping while also building relationships with emerging and experienced beekeepers in the area. “My team’s support to the students doesn’t end in October,” List said. “They’ve got our numbers and our emails and that continues on. In fact, I still get calls from people from several years back. We also have a Facebook page for alumni, and some people participate in it and others don’t, just asking questions and what’s what. When it comes to extracting the honey, that’s another expense so a lot of people will get together and chip in instead of paying $300 for just (their own) equipment and sharing it. You’re gaining friends and you’re gaining contacts.” On top of the $500 class and possibly some share of the burden for extraction equipment, beekeeping is a fairly significant investment up front. Altomore says the cost can be $1,000 or more when including protective equipment, hives and honeybees, but there’s also plenty of money to be made once the hives start producing honey.

“The interesting thing I found out was, after a couple years of beekeeping, I was making enough money selling my honey to pay for all of my equipment — and had some left over, too,” Altomore said. “There’s that to keep in mind, that if you do keep up with the hobby, you’ll have enough honey sales to pay for everything that you need to start with.” Altomore says honey runs for about $15 per pound and $1 per ounce with bottling and labels being a minimal monetary expense. Along with the honey and whatever joys and profits come from that, beekeeping is more than just the practice of raising bees and managing their hives. Both List and Altomore waxed poetic about the scent of a hive, as well as the relaxing feeling of simply being with and watching the bees. “When you find apiaries, which is a bee yard, you will usually find a folding chair or a stool or a bench for people to go out and sit,” List said. “We work with the city of Livonia parks and rec; we have an apiary there and whenever we’re there, there’s always somebody walking by and waiting to come in and sit and watch and listen. “When we have lectures and observation hives, with the bees behind glass, it’s fun watching the kids but it’s also fun watching the adults watching the bees, getting mesmerized just by looking at it. It is mesmerizing if you let it happen to you,” List added. While some may try to get into beekeeping as a way of “saving the bees,” SEMBA’s website discourages this and recommend those interested in that to “plant and encourage pollinator friendly farms and gardens, to join the movement to eradicate lethal pesticides, or to participate in citizen science projects that support endangered pollinators.” But for those with a passion and drive for the work, science and art of bee husbandry, Altomore has a dire warning for anyone following the road to beekeeping. “Beekeeping is addictive,” Altomore said. “You think you’re going to have one or two hives, and before you know it your bees are multiplying, you’re splitting your hives, and very quickly you can have up to 10 or 12 hives.” To learn more, go to sembabees.org. Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

Musical makes sure late social justice advocate is no longer ‘Forgotten’ DETROIT — Truth has a way of rising to the surface — even when it’s buried by years of fear and misunderstanding. When the Rev. Lewis Bradford was found critically hurt in an isolated part of the Ford Motor Co. River Rouge plant in Dearborn in November 1937 and died days later, the incident was quickly written off as an accident. But Bradford, an advocate for working people and the poor, had drawn the ire of Henry Ford by broaching the topic of improving relations between workers and management. While the family long suspected Bradford was the victim of foul play, it was only decades later that a relative who had never even met him uncovered the truth. In 2001, Bradford’s great-nephew, composer and musician Steve Jones, now 71, visited Detroit from Maryland. He managed to get a copy of Bradford’s 1937 autopsy report, and Carl Schmidt, the Wayne County coroner Jones spoke with about the report, confirmed that Bradford’s death should have been classified as a homicide. Jones — who fleshed out Bradford’s life story through extensive research and interviews with relatives — has made sure that his great-uncle’s legacy and contributions to the labor movement are no longer lost. His jazz-blues opera, “Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant,” recounts Bradford’s story, along with the Ford Hunger March, the Flint sit-down strike and the Battle of the Overpass — all important milestones in the effort by workers like Bradford to

unionize. “It was a remarkable story,” Jones said. “I got obsessed by it.” A new production of the show returns to the place where it all started this month. “Forgotten” will be staged at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 and at 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Marygrove Conservancy Theatre, on the campus of the former Marygrove College in Detroit. Bradford and his wife, Ella, had moved to Detroit in the 1930s to get medical treatment for their young daughter, Ella, who was suffering from a serious health problem. Lewis Bradford was an assistant to the pastor at Detroit’s Central Methodist Church and took a job at the Rouge plant because he needed to make more money to cover his daughter’s treatments. Having previously worked with unemployed and homeless people at the Howard Street Mission in Detroit, Bradford began to interview them on the air for a WXYZ-AM radio show, “The Forgotten Man’s Hour.” The show made Bradford a well-known figure in the community and stood in stark contrast to a national radio program on WJR-AM hosted by Catholic priest Father Charles Coughlin, who generated controversy by broadcasting anti-Semitic and pro-fascist sentiments. After Bradford’s death at only 51, Jones said the coroner at the time told Bradford’s widow that she and her children could be next and they should leave town immediately. “They were told not to talk about it,” Jones said. The family promptly packed up and headed to Madison, Wisconsin. No one

Photo provided by Dave Elsila

LEFT: Lucia Wylie-Eggert and Ben Blondy rehearse a scene from “Forgotten,” in which they portray Lewis Bradford and his wife, Ella. RIGHT: The poster for “Forgotten” was designed by Holly Syrrakos — the sister-in-law of the show’s composer, Steve Jones — and features a 1930s painting of an unknown worker by an artist with the last name of DeLappe. dared to demand an accounting of what had really happened. “People were afraid to speak up,” Jones said. “It was not an easy time.” Jones had trouble finding information about his great-uncle, aside from obituaries in papers across the country where Bradford had served as a minister. At the time of his death, the father of four had two children in college, along with a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old. Among the people Jones consulted was his aunt, who died a year and a half ago at the age of 105. She had been close to Bradford’s widow. Bradford was a doting dad who would pull his kids out of school on a nice day to hike and enjoy the outdoors. “He was kind of a whimsical guy who

loved his kids,” Jones said. His widow never remarried and kept a photo of her husband on her desk until the day she died, Jones said. “I feel very relieved it’s no longer a secret,” Jones said of his great-uncle’s story. “I feel so good that this forgotten story could be told. I was told it would get shut down in Detroit, but as it turns out, people were curious (and wanted to see it). … The best honoring I could do was to write this show.” Bradford was never able to definitively identify who killed Bradford, but the family strongly believes he died at the hands of one of Henry Ford’s internal security agents, who famously attacked United Auto Work-

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

Forgotten from page 6A

ers during the Battle of the Overpass — an incident that occurred just six months before Bradford’s death. The show premiered in 2004 and was revived in 2005 and 2010 in metro Detroit, attracting sellout crowds. This marks the first time in 15 years that metro Detroiters will have a chance to see it. Jones said about 14 relatives of Bradford will be in Detroit to see the show as well. “Forgotten” has also been performed in whole or in part in other cities, including New York, Chicago and Minneapolis. This production is sponsored by the Michigan Labor History Society. Dave Elsila, of Grosse Pointe Park, is the show’s executive producer and a board member of the Michigan Labor History Society. “People have kept telling us over the years, you’ve got to bring it back,” Elsila said. The crew and cast of more than 20 includes many metro Detroiters. James Jacobs, of Grosse Pointe Park, and Laurie Stuart, of Grosse Pointe Farms, are on the production committee and John Dick, of Royal Oak, is a co-producer. Radio host and opera singer

Davis Gloff, of Pleasant Ridge, plays Father Coughlin; Lucia Wylie-Eggert, of Farmington Hills, plays Ella Bradford; Kristin Ann Cotts, of Troy, plays Clara Ford; Linda Rabin Hammell, of Lathrup Village, plays a nurse assistant; and Kiesha Key, of West Bloomfield, is a member of the workers’ chorus. Elsila said the show is engaging and entertaining as well as being enlightening, noting that they have “a really good cast” and live band. “Steve’s a really great musician and composer,” Elsila said. “He has written 25 really wonderful songs. They are so catchy and so evocative.” To enable more youths to see the show, Elsila said the dress rehearsal at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 is free for high school students. “I think this is an opportunity for younger people to learn what their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents went through during the Great Depression,” Elsila said. “This is a story of love and hope and solidarity. They can learn a lot about Detroit labor history, Detroit history.” Marygrove is located at 8425 W. McNichols Road in Detroit. Tickets cost $35. For tickets or more information about the show, visit MichiganLaborHistorySociety. com.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

Training

LEFT: Grosse Pointe Farms Public Safety Sgt. Mike Ryan takes in a deep breath of fresh air after leaving a flashover simulator, where temperatures can reach 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit at the ceiling and firefighters might train for as long as 30 minutes. BELOW: Dense smoke pours from an Oakland Community College fire training container at Pier Park in Grosse Pointe Farms.

from page 1A

He said that flashover “is the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities in a structure fire.” A room can go from 300 to 400 degrees to 1,300 to 1,400 degrees in a matter of seconds, with the highest temperatures being at ceiling level. By comparison, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. “Obviously, none of our (fire) gear will protect you from that,” Ryan said. Over the course of two days, Ryan said, roughly 45 firefighters — from the public safety departments of Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Park and Harper Woods and from the fire departments of Grosse Ile and Dearborn Heights — went through the training at Pier Park. Because of the demand from departments across Michigan, Ryan said he had to book the training a year in advance. Lead instructor Dan Dumas is a captain with the Waterford Regional Fire Department who has 25 years of experience in firefighting. He said a flashover might only happen once in a firefighter’s career, but because they’re so fast and deadly, knowing what to look for is critical. “What happens before the flash is what’s important,” Dumas said. “We don’t survive them. We put them out or avoid them.” Among the signs a flashover is on the verge of happening are thick, dark smoke; extremely high heat; and “fingers of fire,” he said. As soon as firefighters see signs of flashover, Dumas said, they need to get out immediately, as they might only have five or six

Ca u o Y

FEEL R E T T E B

Photos by Liz Carnegie

seconds to escape. Flashover doesn’t happen with every structure fire, but it’s also not infrequent. “If a fire gets big enough, it will flash,” Dumas said. The firefighters most at risk of encountering flashover are those sent into a structure to search for and rescue any occupants who might be inside a burning building. That’s

because the application of water is one of the best ways to prevent flashover — it keeps temperatures down — but those doing search and rescue aren’t carrying hoses, Ryan said. Dumas said OCC has been doing this training all over Michigan for almost 20 years. In that time, he said hundreds of departments and thousands of firefighters have gone through the training.

“We haven’t lost a firefighter in Michigan to flashover in years,” Dumas said. Farms Public Safety officer Paul Reygaert, who has been with the department for 21 years, said he wanted to take this class for safety reasons. “I feel better equipped to protect myself, my co-workers and my community,” Reygaert said. Firefighter Brad Ruffini just started working for Harper Woods in July, but he’s been in the fire service for the last six years, having previously worked in Center Line and Hazel Park. He said this is the third time he’s gone through flashover training. “You learn something new every time you do it,” Ruffini said. “The fire is never the same.” He knows how vital training like this is. “Doing these is really a lifesaver,” Ruffini said. “Seeing it and recognizing the signs (of flashover) helps you out a lot. … It’s the closest you can get to flashover without experiencing it in real life.” With their mutual aid agreements and automatic aid for serious fires — meaning multiple departments will send equipment and manpower at the outset — Ryan said training like this is helpful because officers from different departments need to work together. “Our local fire departments are always training to better our response,” Ryan said. “Putting on a training like this allows us to be better prepared for emergencies.” Ruffini said residents can take steps to protect themselves as well in the event of a fire at home, including closing their bedroom doors at night. “It’s definitely crucial to have working smoke detectors,” Ruffini said.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

Fitzgerald from page 1A

Alumni conversed with each other over hot dogs and hamburgers, looked back on their school days, and anyone who wanted to could take a building tour with district Director of Operations Bill Rudd. Some graduates still reside in Warren while others moved to different communities. The dinner brought out Bob Klos (Class of ’69) and his wife Debi Klos (Class of ’73), who reminisced about their high school years with David Spurrier (Class of ’72) and Cheryl Spurrier (Class of ’73.) “It’s cool to come here and see all the changes,” said Debi, whose maiden name was Brzozowski. “I had fun coming here,” Bob said. “Looking back, it was fun.” The auditorium had just been built when Bob graduated. He still remembers his history teacher George Montgomery. “He was the best teacher in the whole world,” Bob said. “The best part of school was getting together after school.” David always carries Cheryl’s school ID card from the 1970-1971 school year in his wallet. Young was her maiden name.

Barb Willis, class of 1979, takes the leads with fellow alumni as they take a tour inside Fitzgerald High School Sept. 19. Photo by Liz Carnegie

“She’s beautiful,” David thought when he first saw her. “She was a stunner.” The pair met in algebra class.

“He was very quiet. He wouldn’t talk,” Cheryl said. “Before you knew it, we were getting into trouble for talking.”

“She’d come and watch me play basketball and run track,” David said. The Spurriers began dating Feb. 13, 1970. They married July 13, 1974, at St. Cletus Church in Warren, which is now called Our Lady of Grace Parish. John S. Clark, 90, who graduated in the school’s second graduating class in 1952, also made it out to last month’s dinner. “I started in the two-room schoolhouse. It was nice,” he said. “The high school was brand-new. I liked to come here.” At one time in the district’s history, Clark’s teacher was Zena Neigebaur, who eventually became superintendent. The Neigebaur Administration Building is named after her. Cindy Russo, Class of 1965, walked around the cafeteria visiting with people at each table. After she graduated, she came back to Fitzgerald High School as a teacher for many years. “The kids were very respectful,” she remembered. Fitzgerald High School won the homecoming game against Lake Shore High School 40-0. Prior to the game, school officials held a family fun tailgate with bounce houses, an obstacle course, train rides, a magic show and more.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • OCTOBER 8, 2025

10A

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BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — What begins with punchlines and laughter will carry a deeper purpose at a comedy show fundraiser aimed at supporting the families of two local police officers. The fundraiser is being held to support the families of Warren police officer Nick Kott and Madison Heights police officer Kyle Kreger. Brad Reckling’s Second Annual Comedy for a Cause is scheduled for Oct. 16 at The Roxy of Rochester, 401 Walnut Blvd., in Rochester. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online at theroxyrochester.com. According to a press release from the Warren Police Department in November 2024, Kott was hunting with his family when he was critically injured in a fall. He was transported to the hospital in Midland and was airlifted to the University of Michigan’s hospital in Ann Arbor. He was originally listed in critical condition with no feeling from his neck down and was placed on a ventilator. “It’s always heartening to see our community come together to support law enforcement,” Warren Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins said in a statement. “When it’s one of our own officers like Officer Kott who needs help, it’s especially meaningful.” A GoFundMe campaign has been started to raise additional funds for Kott’s family. At press time, it had raised $84,459 of

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“Corewell Health Children’s is the presenting sponsor of Zoo Boo, and we are incredibly grateful for their support, which helps make this beloved family tradition possible,” said Sarah Culton, Detroit Zoological Society communications manager. “While Zoo Boo is full of Halloween fun, it’s also a celebration with purpose. Every ticket sold supports the Zoo, our mission and the animals and habitats we strive to protect at home and around the world.” Zoo Boo continues to cultivate an environment of excitement each year.

Warren police officer Nick Kott, left, is shown with his wife and son. Kott was injured in a fall while hunting in November 2024.

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its $100,000 goal, though no donations were shown within the last five months. It can be found at gofundme.com/f/help-nick-holliand-jack-with-nicks-recovery. A statement from the Madison Heights Police Department posted on Facebook on Sept. 13 announced that Kreger had passed away after a battle with cancer. “Kyle was more than just a police officer. He was a husband, father, brother, son, friend, a mentor and a shining example of what it means to serve with compassion and heart,” the statement said. Kreger served the department for 10 years, according to the statement. “We will remember Kyle not only for the uniform he wore, but for the love, laughter and light he brought into the lives of so many,” the release stated.

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“People should be excited about the magical atmosphere we have created this year. From the creatively decorated trickor-treat trails to the live entertainment,” she said. “Whether you’re coming for the costumes, the doughnuts or just the fall fun, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.” Tickets for the Zoo Boo range from $21 to $25 and can only be purchased online at detroit zoo.org/events/zoo-boo. All ages 2 and older need a ticket. There are a few options for add-on activities like a dinner buffet for $23; cider and doughnuts for $8; and an attraction add-on that includes a 15-minute 4D film experience with 3D and special effects or a ride on the carousel for $3-$6.

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