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Royal Oak plans Juneteenth celebration
ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak will have a Juneteenth celebration from 3 to 8 p.m. June 19 at Centennial Commons, 221 E. Third St.
“Juneteenth — or Freedom Day — dates back to June 19, 1865. It is the date when enslaved African Americans in Texas first learned that they were free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Jan. 1, 1863, it took more than two years for the news to spread to Texas,” Royal Oak states on its website.
The celebration will include music, games, performances, food trucks, vendors, giveaways and more.
At 4 p.m., the Juneteenth Freedom Strive Walk will take place. Participants will take 1865 steps through the neighborhood near Centennial Commons. Participants can bring signs or make signs at the event. Register at romi.gov; those who register by June 10 will receive a Juneteenth flag to carry in the parade.
The Juneteenth celebration will move into the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, in the case of inclement weather.
Students earn Treasurer’s Office recognition
OAKLAND COUNTY — Oakland County Treasurer Robert Wittenberg recently announced the winners and honorable mentions for the 2023 Financial Empowerment Arts Contest.
In partnership with Oakland Schools, Flagstar Bank and the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency, 22 winners and honorable mentions were picked from 160 submissions from high school students. The submissions came in various mediums, including drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, video and illustration, and had a focus on the different aspects of financial empowerment.
Winners were selected from ninth to 12th grades across Oakland County schools. In the ninth grade category, the first-place winner was Ryo Salter, of Royal Oak High School. Eva Houston, of Royal Oak High School, was named an honorable mention. Layla Rogers, of Ferndale High School, was named an honorable mention in the 10th grade category, and Bryn Hazen, of Berkley High School, was named an honorable mention in the 12th grade category.
The cash prizes were $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, $500 for third place and $100 for an honorable mention. The winning art will be displayed in the Oakland County Treasurer’s Office for a year and at the treasurer’s website at oakgov.com, along with all student entries.
“Congratulations to all the students who participated in and won the 2023 Financial Empowerment Arts Contest,” Wittenberg stated in a news release. “The students showcased their exceptional skills, creativity, artistry, and talent, which helped raise awareness about the significance of financial empowerment.”
Walk to discuss Saginaw Trail
ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Historical Museum will be hosting a trail walk at 7 p.m. Friday, June 9.
The walk will be on the Saginaw Trail. According to a news release, it was the primary route that Native Americans traveled “from the Detroit River to the Saginaw Valley. It wanders through Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Berkley, and Royal Oak.”
The walk costs $10 and is limited to 25 people. People can park at the St. Mary school parking lot, 628 S. Lafayette Ave. just north of Lincoln Avenue.
The walk is a half-mile, and there will be a discussion about the history of the trail. People can register for the event at royaloakhistoricalsociety.com.
Educator recognized
ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak Schools announced that Joy Zug has received the Oakland County Community and Adult Educators Community Education Director/Coordinator Award.
According to a press release, the OCCAE Community Education Director/Coordinator Award is presented to individuals to recognize significant leadership and administrative ability in adult and community education.
Zug, the continuing education coordinator at the Churchill Community Education Center, was nominated by Renee Dalton and Mary Fleezanis and won for “excellence in using strategies to help students to earn their GEDs and complete high school.”
“Joy is always creating new programs, writing grants, and collaborating with other Adult Ed program coordinators to find new ways to ensure our adults get the best education this time around,” Zug’s nomination by Renee Dalton and Mary Fleezanis, of Churchill High School, states. “She knows as well as I do that our student body needs all of the flexibility that we can offer, and we, as a team, ensure that our students complete their degrees once they walk through our doors. Joy never lets a student drop off. She makes sure we are always contacting them until they complete their degree. Our students have expressed how much we make them feel like family. Joy makes that happen!”
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