News & Notes - 1/11/24 Southfield Sun

Haynes appointed to Southfield City Council
SOUTHFIELD — At the Dec. 18 City Council meeting, Yolanda C. Haynes was appointed to fill the seat vacated by former Councilwoman Linnie Taylor, who was recently appointed to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to represent District 18, which includes Franklin, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills and portions of Southfield.

Haynes will complete the term until November 2025.

A longtime Southfield resident, Haynes serves as the president of the Friends of the Southfield Public Library, where she has been a member for over 15 years. Haynes assisted in providing funding for the famous Marshall Fredericks’ “Boy and Bear” statue, which is located in the lobby of the Southfield Public Library. She is also a director of the Friends of Michigan Libraries Board.

Haynes is a recipient of Mayor Siver’s Extra Mile Award. As a graduate of Jackson State University, she has worked as a consultant, a speaker, a teacher and an entrepreneur. Haynes has been married for 39 years to Houston Haynes III and is the mother of nine children. For more information, visit cityofsouthfield.com.

 

Troy LTU professor honored
SOUTHFIELD/TROY — CJ Chung, a Troy resident since 1999 and a professor of computer science at Lawrence Technological University, was recently named as the 2023 recipient of the Hsu Family Distinguished Award in Creativity, which includes a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative award.

The award was given to Chung in recognition of his 25 years of service as the founder and creative director of Robofest, the co-founder of the LTU Robotics program, a leader of LTU’s autonomous vehicle research program funded by the U.S. Army and National Science Foundation, and his impact on LTU’s computer science programs.

The Hsu Family Distinguished Award was established by Hsiao-Ping Hsu Moore, a former LTU dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and her siblings, Shi-Ping Hsu, Chi-Ping Hsu and Yei-Ping Hsu Wang.

 

Rev. Jones in concert at Southfield Public Library
SOUTHFIELD — The Southfield Public Library and the Friends of the Southfield Public Library will present a concert featuring the Rev. Robert B. Jones 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the library, 26300 Evergreen Road. This concert is part of the Jazz & Blues monthly live series that the Friends of the Southfield Public Library have hosted since 2005. Jones is a singer, songwriter and storyteller. He is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, quills and bones. His music draws inspiration from folk, blues, spirituals and other American roots music. Jones is the pastor of Detroit’s Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church and a founding member of the Detroit Blues Society.

Tickets cost $7 at the door or $5 for members of the Friends, and children under 12 are admitted for free. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at southfieldlibrary.org by searching “Friends of the Southfield Public Library.”

 

Southfield Alphas spread cheer
SOUTHFIELD — The Southfield Alphas — Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Sigma Delta Lambda — held their first-ever gift card giveaway with the Meijer at 28800 Telegraph Road Dec. 23.

The Southfield Alphas gave away $3,000 worth of Meijer gift cards, with Meijer contributing $500. Over 100 gift cards valued at $25 were given out randomly to shoppers. Two days later, the Southfield Alphas continued spreading holiday cheer and delivered 218 meals in Oakland County with Meals on Wheels. For more information, visit southfieldalphas.org.

 

Free Women to Work program
SOUTHFIELD — Gesher Human Services is hosting an informational meeting 9-11 a.m. Jan. 18 at 29699 Southfield Road for its free Women to Work program.

The program offers skills to enhance career opportunities for metro Detroit women. The official start date of the four-week program will be on Jan. 23. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m.-noon. Participants will also have the opportunity to stay after class for some basic computer classes.

Due to the popularity of the program, Gesher may hold additional classes on Mondays and Wednesdays if the demand is high. For more information, visit geshermi.org/events. To register, contact Judy Richmond at (248) 233-4232 or jrichmond@geshermi.org.

 

Southfield hosts job fair
SOUTHFIELD — The city of Southfield is hosting a job fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 23 in the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road. The job fair will feature 12 businesses looking for new employees, including Corewell Health and Oakland County Government and Community Choice Credit Union. There will also be giveaways, a raffle for gas and grocery gift cards, and various vendors. For more information, contact Jessica Kirin at (248) 796-4712 or jkirin@cityofsouthfield.com.