APRIL 30, 2025 Vol. 38, No. 9
SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN IN BUSINESS 12A
WOMEN FORGE NEW PATHS IN THE TRADES
Policy created for emergency notifications
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LEFT: After a long sleep, Murray the opossum gets his bearings outside of his tree-shaped home in Shelby Township’s Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center. BELOW: An appreciator of his morning kale, Murray the opossum’s diet at the Shelby Township Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center is an omnivorous mix of greens and meats to mimic the natural diets of Michigan’s opossum population. Photos by Dean Vaglia
BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com
See EMERGENCY on page 8A
Opossums: Michigan’s misunderstood marsupial BY DEAN VAGLIA
personal favorite — and vegetables is his own strength to push through the morning grogginess and be on his way. Despite the relatively lavish living arrangements, not much separates Murray from the possibly hundreds of thousands of other opossums in the metro Detroit region. Conversely, Murray and all those other opossums have a lot more in common with kangaroos than the rodents some may say opossums resemble. “Opossums are Michigan’s only marsupial — in fact, the only marsupial found in North America,” said Elizabeth Schultz, nature center coordinator. “Marsupials are any mammals where mom has a pouch where she carries
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METRO DETROIT — On a cool late March morning, one of Shelby Township’s newest residents stumbled his way out of bed. Murray the opossum, resident of the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center and a local celebrity of note, lives a life unlike that of his peers. He lives in a bespoke enclosure built by a local Eagle Scout for the nature center’s prior resident opossum and sleeps within an artificial tree, receiving artfully crafted meals. Though Murray was born without eyes, the only thing slowing him down from his breakfast of kale — a
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CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A new procedure for the township’s emergency communications through the use of the Nixle service was unanimously approved by the Clinton Township Board of Trustees at its April 14 meeting. “We have to have a way to contact the public in real time,” said Trustee Bruce Wade, who advocated for the policy. “That’s paramount. With Nixle, we can reach your phone immediately.” A few things rise to the level of an emergency communication, according to a policy included in the Board of Trustees packet for the April meeting. Natural disasters like flooding or tornados qualify. So do public health emergencies like a boil water advisory. Public safety emergencies, including an active shooter or a hazardous materials incident, would trigger the message. If there’s an unexpected or dangerous road closure, a message would be generated. There would also be a communication if there’s orders for shelter-in-place or evacuation. One notable item in the policy that would trigger a communication is “explosions or hazardous materials