NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
BOOMING APPLE CROPS THIS YEAR ADD TO FALL FUN AT LOCAL ORCHARDS, CIDER MILLS BY MARY BETH ALMOND malmond@candgnews.com
ABOVE: Yates Cider Mill’s press can produce hundreds of gallons of apple cider each hour. RIGHT: Yates Cider Mills staff member Ava Ramales, 17, of Shelby Township, takes out dozens of freshly baked doughnuts.
METRO DETROIT — As the weather begins to cool in Michigan, there’s no better way to warm yourself up than with a cup of hot apple cider and mouth-watering doughnuts this fall. According to the Michigan Apple Committee, there’s plenty of apples to choose from this year. Michigan is now in its third consecutive season of large apple crops, estimating a harvest of 30.5 million bushels in 2024 — well above Michigan’s average of approximately 25.9 million bushels. “Apples are the largest and most valuable fruit crop in Michigan – not to mention a big part of Michigan’s culture,” Diane Smith, the executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, said in a statement. “Ask any Michigander about their fall traditions, and you’ll hear about apple picking, apple cider and more. Apples are the flavor of fall in Michigan, naturally.” Warmer than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused buds to form, leading to an earlier bloom in May. Growers, Smith said, were fortunate this year not to experience significant frost and freeze events after that early bloom, allowing a plentiful crop to be harvested 10 days earlier than usual. Although the Michigan Apple Committee’s estimated harvest of 30.5 million bushels this year is slightly down from 31.9 million last year, Smith said that’s still above average. Michigan harvested around a record 32.38 million bushels of apples in 2022, according to the United States See CIDER MILLS on page 6A
Photos by Erin Sanchez
Proponents say ECCA will expand education choices for families BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — As the new school year started, a press conference was held Aug. 28 at Regina High School where attendees discussed a federal bill that supporters say would give parents more choices for their children’s education. Bill No. 531, titled the Educational Choice for Children Act or ECCA, was introduced last year and is currently under review in the Committee on Ways and Means.
Proponents of the bill include the Invest in Education Coalition, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and Beth DeShone, executive director of the Great Lakes Education Project. All attended the press conference. Invest in Education Coalition advocates at the federal level for legislation so K-12 parents can choose the best school or education service for their children. “The design of this bill is basically to ensure that families who face obstacles and barriers at the state level will be able to access the resources they need to broaden the array
of educational options available to them,” said Greg Brock, a senior advisor with the Invest in Education Coalition. Bill No. 531, if passed, will fund K-12 scholarships through private donations that cover essential elements including tuition, tutoring and special needs services for public, private, charter and homeschooled children. “This Educational Choice for Children Act is such an exciting opportunity to change the dynamic here in Michigan and provide families with supplemental support
for their children’s education,” DeShone said. “This legislation would allow families to pay for things like tuition, tutoring and many other educational enrichments they desperately need to set their children on the best path for a successful future.” If signed into federal law, the ECCA will allow individuals and corporations a new tax credit after 2023 for charitable contributions to tax-exempt organizations that provide scholarships to elementary and secondary school students. Beneficiaries must See ECCA on page 5A