An opening ceremony of sorts was held at the
Grindstone Smokehouse in Westland. The restaurant and bar occupies the space once held by the popular Beaver Creek Bar and Grill, which closed late summer of 2015. Though Grindstone has been open since November, the restaurant celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Wednesday, Jan. 13.
The restaurant has re-branded itself as a barbecue slow-cook smokehouse, shifting its menu to feature applewood smoked meats among its entrees. Entertainment is another focus for the Grindstone, which offers live music on the weekends and karaoke and open mic nights throughout the week. Grindstone Smokehouse is located at 1609 N. Wayne Rd. in Westland.
The city of Rochester Hills has announced plans to update its parks and recreation master plan. Officials say that the opinions of city residents will be taken into account in shaping the plan, with a survey being made available online and at the mayor's office. Residents are encouraged to offer ideas regarding funding distribution, park improvements, and quality issues, among other topics.
Mayor Bryan K. Barnett believes that having residents' input will only improve the city's park system, saying in a statement, “The more people we can get involved in the planning process the better job we can do on delivering our community's collective vision.”
Ferndale is making news with a progressive parental leave policy. City employees will now be provided with 12 weeks of paid leave for maternity, paternity, and adoption care. The 12 weeks consist of six weeks of leave allowance with an additional six weeks of matched paid time off.
The change was championed by Mayor Pro Tem and City Councilmember Melanie Piana, a result of her observing others struggle between the need for a paycheck and the requirements of new parenthood. Piana believes the policy will help establish gender equality among city workers. Ferndale officials also believe the generous policy will help attract and retain talented employees.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.