Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Sunset at the Zoo Fundraiser Set for June 23
The Detroit Zoological Society is hosting its annual Sunset at the Zoo presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions from 7-11 p.m. on June 23 at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.
This year’s Sunset will provide guests with an evening that includes “delicious cuisine, delectable drinks,” live entertainment, and auctions featuring one-of-a-kind prizes. Guests also will have exclusive nighttime access to many of the Detroit Zoo’s expansive animal habitats.
The 2023 event will shine a spotlight on the DZS’s mission of wildlife conservation both locally and around the globe. Funds raised at Sunset at the Zoo will support the daily work that propels this mission — supporting biodiversity through species-specific programs, partnering with communities worldwide to preserve important habitats, speaking up for legislation that protects threatened species and, ultimately, protecting endangered species from extinction.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.
Bill Brown Ford to Open New Quick Lane Facility in Livonia
Bill Brown Ford in Livonia, the world’s No. 1 Ford dealer in sales volume, is opening a new, advanced Quick Lane facility on June 23.
The grand opening will take place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 32333 Capitol St in Livonia.
The state-of-the-art Quick Lane facility boasts 54,000 square feet of shop space, 26 dedicated hoists, and a team of more than 20 technicians. The facility is designed to provide all automotive maintenance needs, including fleet services.
“Our focus has always been on our customers, community, and family,” says Jason Ellsworth, service director at Bill Brown Ford. “Our new Quick Lane facility embodies this perfectly, as we’re bringing the latest, most sophisticated automotive technology together with our team’s high level of commitment to provide the best service possible to the Livonia community and beyond.”
In addition to showcasing the newly expanded service center, the grand opening event will highlight the dealership’s complimentary pickup and delivery service. This service is designed for customer convenience and demonstrates Bill Brown Ford’s commitment to putting its customers first, according to the dealership.
U-M Gets $27M in Grants to Expand Astrophysics and Nuclear Fusion Labs
Two Centers of Excellence for studying basic science surrounding how hot plasmas behave, funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration, have been awarded to researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
One center, which simulates extreme astrophysics, such as exploding stars, is renewed and expanded to $12.5 million over the next five years, having received $5 million in the previous funding cycle. Carolyn Kuranz, U-M associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, has led the center since 2019.
The other center, which has been running since 2003, focuses on nuclear fusion and X-ray generation using pulsed power. The collaboration has been centered at Cornell University, but longtime leaders David Hammer and Bruce Kusse have decided to pass the torch. Ryan McBride, U-M professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences who has been with the center since beginning his Ph.D., was best positioned to take the reins. This center will receive $14.5 million over five years.
Both centers are part of the NNSA’s effort to ensure that the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons will perform as expected since the U.S. ceased testing more than 30 years ago. This means that as old components are replaced with new, which may not be a perfect match for the original part, detailed physics simulations are needed to understand how the device will work.
The centers explore hot plasmas: materials at such a high temperature that they take a step beyond the gas phase, becoming a soup of loose electrons and positively charged ions—the atoms that gave up those electrons. This is the stuff of stars, uranium and hydrogen bombs, jets spat out by black holes and more.
“There’s overlapping science between stockpile stewardship and astrophysical systems,” Kuranz says. “They’re very extreme states with high pressures, densities, and temperatures.”
The center Kuranz leads, called the Center for High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics Research (CHEDAR), will explore four main aspects of plasmas and systems involving plasmas:
How radiation moves through them. As a plasma’s density and temperature changes, X-rays may find it harder or easier to get through it. This in turn affects how the plasma behaves: whether it can release energy or capture it.
In contrast, the center McBride leads will focus on approaches using powerful magnetic pulses, including devices at U-M, Cornell and Sandia National Laboratories. The most common method that the Center for Magnetic Acceleration, Compression and Heating (MACH) will use is Z-pinch implosions, which rely on magnetic fields to crush plasmas in cylindrical form toward the central “Z” axis.
Ann Arbor’s Eversight Expands Eye Banking Services to Arizona
Eversight, an Ann Arbor-based global nonprofit eye bank, announced it will provide eye banking services in Arizona in collaboration with Donor Network of Arizona (DNA), the state’s federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO).
The partnership will take effect on July 1 and will help maximize the gifts of life, sight, and mobility in Arizona and beyond.
“We are confident that this partnership with DNA will expand our shared mission impact in a meaningful way,” says Diane Hollingsworth, president and CEO of Eversight. “The values that guide DNA are closely aligned with Eversight’s. We are all working to empower people and transform lives by realizing the full potential of the precious gifts entrusted to us.”
Star Bakery in Oak Park to Close July 2
Owners of Star Bakery in Oak Park announced the business will close July 2 due to the rising costs of both labor and ingredients, and continued difficulties left over from the pandemic.
Star Bakery, which was founded in 1915, was well known to generations of Detroiters for providing traditional Jewish-stye baked goods such as rye breads, challahs, rolls, rugelach, seven-layer cake, and mandel bread. Now production of some of the bakery’s favorite recipes will continue at Diamond Bakery in West Bloomfield. There will be job losses, but it is hoped some positions will be transferred to Diamond Bakery.
“It was a very hard decision to close, and we did everything we could to try to save Star Bakery and make it profitable,” says Daniel Buckfire, one of the bakery’s owners. “Wholesale was always a significant part of the business at Star Bakery, and we determined that we were no longer competitive on this side of the business.”
“We felt that Diamond Bakery, with its location in West Bloomfield and its strong retail business and brand name, gives us the best chance to operate a neighborhood Jewish-style bakery successfully,” Buckfire says.
100K Unserved Michigan Homes, Businesses to Connect to High-speed Internet with Grant
The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) announced its initial recommendations for the Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) grant program, which will provide $238 million in federal funding through the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund to support the deployment of high-speed internet to approximately 100,000 unserved locations throughout the state.
“The ROBIN Grant Program will provide much-needed funding support for the development and expansion of broadband infrastructure to underserved Michigan communities,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). “These grant dollars will help make internet more affordable for thousands of Michiganders, allowing them greater access to critical resources such as remote education, telemedicine, and online networking and job searching tools.”
Project proposals were submitted through a competitive application process and reviewed by MIHI’s ROBIN Steering Committee, a group of representatives from across state government responsible for guiding the development of administrative procedures for the ROBIN Program, scoring applications, reviewing challenges, and making relevant decisions and recommendations on programmatic needs.
Out of 154 applications submitted by 40 applicants, 24 projects submitted by 11 applicants were selected for the initial grant recommendations and would connect nearly 106,000 homes, businesses and institutions throughout the state to high-speed internet access. More than $311 million of matching funds have also been committed by the 11 applicants to support the 24 projects which total $578 million.
All project proposals were examined and scored on categories including experience, financial wherewithal, long-term viability of the project; readiness to build, operate and maintain the project; economic impact; locations passed; and digital equity and inclusion. Initial grant recommendations were made based on the final application score following review by the ROBIN Steering Committee.
Not all initial grant recommendations are expected to be funded or receive their full funding pending the outcome of a 45-day comment and objection window, where anyone may file a comment or objection to one or more of the recommendations. The comment and objection window will be open from June 16-July 31.
To file a comment or objection and view a list of initial grant awardees, scoring criteria, and proposed grant location maps, visit the MIHI website.
AT&T Hiring to Fill a Dozen Positions in Roseville
As AT&T continues its fiber buildout to help bridge the digital divide and homework gap In Michigan, it is looking to hire for 12 consumer sales/field sales representatives in the Roseville/Detroit area.
Those interested can attend a hiring event from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 12 at the Michigan Works! Roseville Career Center (15950 12 Mile Road). Job seekers also can apply online here.
Cucina Lab in Troy Hosting Early Summer Party
Cucina Lab Torino in Troy is hosting an Early Summer Party from 6-9 p.m. June 23 at its location at 3960 Crooks Road, Suite 200.
The party costs $25 and features authentic Italian street food like arancini, pizza, bruschetta, and more.
Cucina Lab Torino is an Italian restaurant offering a gourmet elevated dining experience that is deeply rooted in the Italian tradition with dishes cooked to order using only high-end, non-GMO, local, and fresh ingredients.
Sandbar Summerfest Coming to Hazel Park
Sandbar Summerfest, a beach party encompassing all things tropical and heavily inspired by iconic Key West celebrations, is bringing a new outdoor and festive yacht rock party to Hazel Park June 24-25.
The community block party and weekend event will be celebrated outside of Eastern Palace Club and along a portion of John R. Road, in conjunction with Metro Times, along the main thoroughfare within the city located at 21509 John R. Road in Hazel Park’s South End neighborhood.
For more information, visit here.
Michigan Science Center Updates ‘Level Up’ Exhibit
The Michigan Science Center has revamped its “Level Up” exhibit and will reopen to the public June 28. “Level Up” is free with general admission tickets to Mi-Sci.
The 8,000-square-foot exhibit demonstrates the acquired skills behind what adults and kids love most — games — as a way of creating interactive, immersive learning experiences. “Level Up” is made possible by General Motors Co. in Detroit.
A few of the new elements of “Level Up” include:
Sphero Obstacle Course: Level up programming, computer science, and problem-solving skills by learning to code and drive Sphero BOLT Robots through an obstacle course designed using DUPLO blocks and baseplates. Build a course, test your code, then build again to add challenge to this activity.
60-Second STEM Skills Showdown: This educational stage presentation uses the concept of a competitive game show to present a variety of science topics, all containing elements that kids can safely try at home. Audience members are selected to compete against the clock in a series of challenges that can be solved using STEM skills and concepts.
LUMO Play Games: Players will use their body as the game controller in these motion interactive games. High-tech cameras track body movements and turn those movements into game actions that are displayed on massive projections on the floor and walls. Players looking for more challenge can also try the digital ball wall interactive to incorporate another physical element into digital game play.
Mi-Sci is located at 5020 John R. Street in Midtown and is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
Gleaners Launches Summer Food Program to provide a Hunger Free Summer for Kids
Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit has launched its Summer Food Service Program, with many summer distribution sites beginning this week.
The program will complement Gleaners’ food distribution programs through its more than 400-member partner network and community mobile distribution sites to help fill the gap for children and families in southeast Michigan.
“Summer has always been a difficult time for families and children facing hunger because so many rely on school-provided meals,” says Julie Bedford, director for school partnerships at Gleaners. “This summer, because of inflated costs of basic goods, we know it’s placing additional hardship on already strained budgets. With the community’s support, Gleaners is committed to making sure kids get the healthy food they need to grow, thrive and be ready for the next school year.”
This year’s Summer Food Service Program will use two distribution models to provide access to nutritious meals for children 18 years or younger across Southeast Michigan.
Mobile sites: These 15 sites will provide children with lunch five days a week, delivered by refrigerated truck at pre-scheduled times to low-income housing neighborhoods.
Stationary meal sites: These 21 sites will offer nutritionally balanced, pre-prepared breakfasts and/or lunches on-site. Meals are provided while children are engaged in scheduled programming (such as summer camps or daycare facilities) at each site.
To support Gleaners’ summer food distributions, community members can donate to the Hunger Free Summer campaign, in which Citizens and other generous donors will match donations.
Donations can be made securely online.
