NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
MARCH 26, 2025 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
Theresa Toia, founder of Friends of Foster Kids, surveys a room that is full of gowns and accessories for prom. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
SELFRIDGE PLAYS HOST TO HISTORIC AIR RACE BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On the morning of March 6, six F-22 Raptor jets of the 1st Fighter Wing took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia on a mission nearly 90 years in the making. Their target: Selfridge Air National Guard Base, an airfield located just off the shores of Lake St. Clair. Their goal: victory at all costs. So began the 2025 edition of the Mitchell Trophy Air Race, a long-dormant test of speed and skill that traces its very beginnings to the Selfridge and the origins of United States air power. “The race is an honor to our historical 1st Pursuit Group home — Selfridge Air National Guard Base — and the Mitchell Trophy Air Race actually began at Selfridge in 1922,” Tech. Sgt. Matthew Coleman-Foster of the 1st Fighter Wing said. Named after the brother of military aviation advocate Billy Mitchell, the first Mitchell Trophy air races served as tests of speed and skill for the 1st Pursuit Group. According to a stateSee AIR RACE on page 4A
Macomb County nonprofit shines light on plight of foster kids BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Coleman-Foster, 1st Fighter Wing
TOP: An F-22 Raptor of the 94th Fighter Squadron takes off from Selfridge Air National Guard Base on March 6. Pilots from the 94th, 27th and 71st squadrons flew into Selfridge as part of the Mitchell Trophy Air Race, a historic trophy first awarded to Selfridge-based units in the 1920s and 1930s, now revived as a cross-country training mission for the 1st Fighter Wing. ABOVE: Members of the 94th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base celebrate winning the 2025 running of the Mitchell Trophy Air Race on March 6. The race saw pilots from the 1st Fighter Wing navigate their way from Langley to Selfridge Air National Guard Base and back to Langley.
MACOMB COUNTY — Through no fault of their own, kids in foster care grow up without the love of a parent or familiarity of a home. Many bounce from place to place, rejected by their caretakers. “I had one girl who was moved 62 times between the ages of 12 and 18,” said Theresa Toia, founder of Friends of Foster Kids, a nonprofit in Macomb County. “When they’re placed, if the family feels it’s not a good fit, they can just request they’re removed. And after they turn 12, they’re far less likely to be adopted — those kids may never find a permanent home environment.” Without anyone to guide them, those aging out of the system find themselves greatly disadvantaged in life. Countless studies show a correlation between time spent in foster care and homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, early parenthood and mental health issues. See FOSTER on page 6A