NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
December 31, 2025 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
Local pizza shop recognized for supporting Sea Cadets BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel discusses the transformation of Freedom Hill at the 2025 State of Macomb County event on Dec. 3. Part of that discussion included a look back to the venue’s first concert, which Hackel said he attended. Photo by Dean Vaglia
Hackel looks back on new charter’s impact BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Though the usual “state of ” address focuses on events and achievements within the past year, the 2025 State of Macomb County speech celebrated 15 years of having a county executive. Delivered Dec. 3 at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts by Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, the 15th annual speech focused on how the adoption of the county charter in 2010 allowed Macomb County to transform itself over the following decade and a half. “We are marking a milestone here in Macomb County,” Hackel said. “Fifteen years ago, the residents of Macomb County voted for a new direction. They asked for fairer leadership and greater accountability, (a direction) that would provide us with the opportunity to act quickly, think long term and speak with a unified voice. This new structure, our structure, has allowed us to challenge ourselves, seize opportunities and plan for the future. And because of that, I believe Macomb County is stronger today than ever. We’re stronger because we have built this movement with everybody.”
These improvements over the past 15 years were attributed as much to the county’s partners as they were to the county itself with the tagline of “Macomb With Everybody” — a play on the “Vs Everybody” clothing line. The results of these partnerships were discussed in terms of economics, protecting its quality of life, infrastructure investment, promoting the county, and prioritizing issues of public safety, health and education. On the topic of economics, Hackel began by championing the county’s ability to end the $13.5 million budget deficit and fulfill the $260 million retiree health care funding obligations that were outstanding in 2010. “Working together with the Board of Commissioners, those deficits were immediately resolved and set the tone for sound fiscal management and transparency here in the county,” Hackel said. “Today, we can proudly say that we have delivered balanced budgets every year since, we have fully funded our retiree health care and pension systems, we continue to add to our healthy fund balance, and we maintain a strong AA+ credit rating.” Hackel’s optimism about the 2010 charter’s role in resolving See ADDRESS on page 7A
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Carlo’s Pizza in Harrison Township was recognized on Nov. 25 as a supporter of the Pride of Michigan and the Great Lakes Division of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. According to Capt. Luke Clyburn, commanding officer of the Pride of Michigan, Congress created a youth program in 1962 to get kids interested in joining the armed forces. “We got a ship. We got the only ship in the United States training cadets about maritime,” Clyburn said. He said the Pride of Michigan gets children involved in Great Lakes research. “The Great Lakes Division is a component of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a nonprofit youth organization for young Americans, male and female, ages 13 through 17,” the Sea Cadets website states. “Based in Mount Clemens, Michigan, we offer handson deck and engineering experience as crew members of the training ship Pride of Michigan.” The ship itself has been in the community for many years. It has been the head boat in the township’s Festival of Lights, an annual water parade in the summer. Clyburn said they teach the cadets, who are teenagers in high school, about seamanship to prepare them for branches of the military such as the See CARLO’S PIZZA on page 5A