Making a Difference
Bloomfield SCAMP, A special camp for summer fun
Since
1967, SCAMP has been making the summer camp experience possible for so many
special needs students with the help of some of Bloomfield Hills’ most
dedicated residents and teachers.
As I
approached the front doors of West Hills Middle School, the excited sounds of
youth soccer chiming in from the front fields, a feeling of nostalgia came over
me. I remembered my own cool summer mornings and hot afternoons spent on the
play-fields of Bloomfield Hills, happy memories that still pop-up with the
simple utterance of “summer camp.” It wasn’t the youth soccer that had brought
me to West Hills, but rather the special community inside the school.
SCAMP uses
a recreational schedule, making the classic camp themes of athletics, arts and
crafts, music and even swimming available to all of its campers but the true
goodness of the camp can be seen in people like Scott Zigler. Scott, a longtime
Bloomfield Hills resident and Lahser High School alum, started working with
SCAMP as a student volunteer in 1985. As a high school freshman, the SCAMP
environment helped Scott to realize that working with special needs students
was his calling. As a certified teacher from Eastern Michigan University and through
involvement with the program every summer since 1985, Scott’s role has evolved to
Principal of the SCAMP program, and in a day’s visit Scott acts as a gracious
tour guide.
Stepping
into each classroom, campers ranging from age 3 to 26, it’s clear that Scott’s
dedication is contagious among the volunteers and teachers of the SCAMP
program. Observing one of SCAMP’s art classes, young campers painting and
shaping paper plates in the likeness of “The
Rainbow Fish” storybook, you’ll find volunteers and certified instructors that have
been with the program for years. Gerrit Chota, a recent Lahser High School
graduate, has been volunteering at SCAMP since his freshman year of High School.
Gerrit intends on turning his classroom volunteering experiences into his life’s
work. Attending Oakland University in the Fall, Gerrit plans on pursuing a
degree to become a Math teacher.
On the way to the play-fields
behind West Hills, after ease-dropping on the excited hallway chatter about SCAMP’s
end-of-summer talent show, you’ll see the nursing staff where a registered
nurse stands at her station with a smile. Most of the time working a regular
shift in addition to helping at SCAMP during the days, her dedication does not
go un-appreciated as student artwork decorates the walls around her station. She
too has been with SCAMP for years.
Moving into the late morning
sunlight, SCAMP’s gym class occupies the grassy outfield of the West Hills
baseball diamond. Jessie, who during the school year teaches Physical Education
at West Hills, helps direct SCAMP’s athletics. Jessie started with SCAMP through
the teaching internship program from Madonna University, a program that started
6 years ago. Like Jessie, many of the longstanding teachers at SCAMP began as interns
from Madonna University, who after interning with SCAMP decided to return not
only for the summer but also to the Bloomfield Hills district in year-long
positions. By working alongside Madonna University, SCAMP helps prepare some of
the best special needs teachers in the area while also providing a familiar and
welcoming family environment for the campers.
Perhaps the strongest sense of
community comes from SCAMP’s Walnut Lake beachfront swimming. Allowing all of
its campers the chance to cool-off during a hot summer camp day, SCAMP works
alongside Bloomfield Hills area lifeguards in order to ensure the safety of
each classroom and age group that visits the beach. Swimming is a camp favorite,
but the real treat comes from the local boat owners who invite teachers and
volunteers to join the campers for boat rides on the lake. It’s this type of
collective effort and willingness to help from the community that gives SCAMP
the close-knit, community feel that the campers love.
Walking through the halls one last
time, passing the many Summer Olympic-themed classrooms, one last stop was
taken into the room labeled “Come sail away,” a reference to the Olympic
Sailing Competition. Enjoying SCAMP’s Olympic-themed activity, some of the
older campers enjoy each other’s company while making model’s of their own
ships. Friendly laughter and familiar conversation fills the room as some of
SCAMP’s oldest campers visit with Scott, SCAMP’s oldest tenured volunteer.
Watching and conversing with the campers, the nostalgia that had come over me
at the beginning of the visit returns as the sounds of reunited summer camp
friendship fills the classroom.
Any stories you would
like to have shared?
Contact Phillip J. Fattore
at fattore.phil@gmail.com
Business Beat: Ruth Holmes
and Pentec, Inc.
Written by: Phillip J.
Fattore
A
library of leather-bound books on topics of handwriting, psychology, law, jury
trials and questioned documents welcomes you into home-office of Pentec
Handwriting Consultants. There is an old
New England desk next to the stairwell where Ruth Holmes first began studying
the art and science of handwriting examination in 1979. She and her family had just moved back to
the U.S. from eleven years living overseas in Belgium and the Ivory Coast in
West Africa where her husband, Sid, worked for Goodyear Tire Company.
By
1983, when Sid was assigned the account for Ford Motor
Company and they arrived in
Bloomfield Hills with two children, Ruth was
a certified handwriting
examiner. She registered her company,
Pentec, Inc., and began speaking on the subject to groups from across the
professional spectrum—teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, law enforcement, HR
personnel,
civic associations and fraud
examiners. Companies added another dimension
to the hiring process by using handwriting assessments to find the right person
for the right job and lawyers looking for her advice as a jury consultant. Local, national and international media
followed in print and television on high profile cases from Curt Corbain and
Dr. Kevorkian to the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and the Underwear
Bomber.
Now approaching 30 years in the field working with
individuals and companies evaluating handwriting as well as law firms, the
sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices in matters of authenticating signatures on
checks, wills and deeds and identifying who wrote bomb threats, graffiti and
anonymous notes, it is no wonder that the work Ruth does everyday shows why
Pentec, Inc. is one of Bloomfield Hills’s most interesting, longstanding, award-winning
small businesses.
“Handwriting
reveals so much about a person, I consider it a great privilege and
responsibility to examine a handwriting.” Ruth told me this as our conversation
moved from her personal history, to the business and to the technique of her
work. I was feverishly jotting down
notes when Ruth’s voice stopped for a quick moment. As I raised my eyes from my legal pad it was
evident that she was looking at the space, form and movement of my strokes—a
term that truly undersells the value of a handwritten letter.
Then
she informed me that my writing style is called “print script” which is a
combination of printing that connects in unusual ways. It indicated that I was creative, curious,
witty, analytical and like to investigate.
After elaborating on where she found those and several other
characteristics, she told me that I could be impatient with incompetence,
stubborn and often have a hard time opening up to others—with similarities to
the writing of Jay Leno. All I could say
to her assessment, with the exception of the Jay Leno comparison, was, “That’s
exactly right.” “It is the brain not the hand that writes,” she added.
A firm
will present Ruth with a prospective employee’s handwriting sample and the job
description for which they are being considered. The oral or written
information that she provides assists the employee in determining how well the
person can do the job without saying whether on not the person should be
hired. In this downturned economy, there
is less hiring and more that half of her work is now in the forensic arena of
forgery and fraud.
Ruth’s
children graduated from Cranbrook. Nick
graduated from Michigan Law School and he is now General Counsel at the Whitney
Museum in New York City where he lives with his wife and young daughter. Sarah
received her Masters degree from Boston University and now lives near
Boston with her husband and 3 year old daughter. Sarah is the third generation of handwriting
examiners in the family.
As President of the International Women’s Forum—Michigan,
Ruth had recently returned from Morocco where she travelled with three other
forum members and had attended a global conference in Rabat on leadership and
the impact of the Arab Spring.
Multicultural Michigan has a lot to be proud of as an internationally
known state with growing potential.
Contact Ruth at: www.pentec.net
Club overview article: Bloomfield Open Hunt
By: Phillip J. Fattore
It was a
common passion for recreational fox hunting that prompted families from Grosse
Pointe and Bloomfield Hills, then referred to only as “Hills” residents, to
purchase a 6.7 acre lot of land at the dirt road intersection of Bloomfield
Center Road (now Long lake Road) and Ball Line Road (now Kensington Road).
Although the Club was started for the purpose of fox hunting, the Bloomfield
Open Hunt has changed a lot since 1917 but its “family sporting” atmosphere has
remained the standard.
An Olympic
sized swimming pool houses the Bloomfield Open Hunt swim team, and a competent
staff of swim coaches and instructors handles activities ranging from
large-scale swim practice to youth swimming lessons. Outside the pool deck, the
Open Hunt tennis courts are home to the Club’s tennis team and the platform
tennis courts provide outdoor exercise during the cold winter months. The Open Hunt stables are home to sixty-eight
member-owned horses and the grounds provide excellent facilities for
professional equestrian instruction. For those who take a more traditional
approach to fitness, the Club also provides an up-to-date gym and sauna on the
grounds as well.
The
clubhouse as it stands now is the result of a 1996 expansion, but the early-twentieth
century charm has not been lost. The original Founders Room still remains on
the second floor of the clubhouse, overlooking the equestrian activities as it
always has. As it stands, the 10,000 square-foot, two-story clubhouse is mainly
known for its professional staff and the elegant dining and banquet
capabilities it provides. Open to non-members as well, the culinary staff takes
it upon themselves to provide every party with the freshest cuisine with a
careful eye on creativity, simplicity and elegance.
For
individuals seeking membership, a sponsoring member to the Membership Chairman
will submit an application form with the required number of signatures and
appropriate number of endorsement letters. After an application is reviewed,
the prospective member’s name is posted on the Club Bulletin Board and the
applicant and spouse are required to attend a reception to meet the Membership
Committee who will then make their recommendations to the Board of Directors
for final approval. The Club has different categories of membership ranging
from Intermediate or Junior membership to full Stockholding, Associate or
Social membership, depending on the prospective member’s age and desires.
The
Bloomfield Open Hunt opens its doors to members and guests every season of the
year. With facilities open year-round, this provides an experience as friendly
and welcoming as it is unique. For questions regarding banquet services contact
Sue Helzer Catering Director at (248) 644- 9411 Ext 258, and for prospective
membership contact the Club’s Membership Coordinator, Caitlin Russo at (248)
644-9411 or by email at crusso@bohclub.com.
Maestro Leonard Slatkin: “Conducting Business”
By: Phillip J. Fattore
Music Director of the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra and Bloomfield Hills resident, Maestro Leonard Slatkin has
transformed his storied and accomplished life as a world-renowned conductor
into a new book. Written not just for those in the orchestra community, Leonard
Slatkin’s “Conducting Business” invites music lovers of all sorts to enjoy an
entertaining and informing account of the conductor lifestyle.
To those
who have enjoyed a performance by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra the image of
an “orchestra conductor” begins to take shape in the form of Maestro Leonard
Slatkin. His back turned to the audience, arms moving as his hidden face makes
emotionally animated expressions to the playing orchestra on stage Maestro
Slatkin has become the model for what it means to be a conductor. Still, to
those who have never been to a Leonard Slatkin performance or any Symphony
Orchestra, the term “orchestra conductor” might bring about more parodied
images. With pop-culture as the source, stern or even angry elderly gentleman
in powdered wigs and coat tails waving their baton in an exaggerated and
aggressive manner might feel like a familiar parody. Five years ago the idea
for “Conducting Business” came to Maestro Slatkin but it was two and half years
ago, amidst his standard year-round world-wide schedule, that Maestro Leonard
Slatkin took up the pen in hopes of informing all music lovers what the
profession of “orchestra conductor” truly means. Now, as the fall season begins
and the schedule becomes busy once again, Maestro Leonard Slatkin’s first book
“Conducting Business” emerges as a unique perspective into the lifestyle and
responsibility the successful conductor often carries.
“Conducting
Business” divides itself into three parts. From student to assistant conductor
to leading the highest professional levels of symphony orchestra, “Conducting
Business” maps out the life-long journey of the successful conductor through
the unique experiences Maestro Slatkin’s life has presented. Coming from a family of famous conductors,
Part One tells of Maestro Slatkin’s boyhood ultimatum, “music must come first
or no music at all.” Serving as a foreshadowing moment for the constant strain that
becoming a world-renowned conductor poses, the many personal events Maestro
Slatkin shares serve as telling accounts for the commitment that the profession
demands.
Personal stories and anecdotes from
individuals such as John Williams and Frank Sinatra round out the account of
Maestro Slatkin’s childhood and as the book turns to its second part,
“Conducting Business” goes in-depth to cover the more practical matters that
are often skipped over when a conductor discusses their responsibilities.
Examining rehearsal techniques, the manner in which a conductor deals with
artistic committees, arranging tours and what to look for in the hiring and
dismissing of musicians, are just a few of the aspects of the profession that
“Conducting Business” shines a light on.
Maestro Slatkin, when discussing his heart attack of November 2009, even
incorporates the physical choices that a conductor must make and adhere to in
order to keep themselves healthy and fresh from one performance to another. With
great attention to detail, Maestro Slatkin emphasizes the unseen
responsibilities the conductor must adhere to, access that makes “Conducting
Business” a stand-alone among prior literature on the subject of conducting.
Many times the best way to truly
gain an accurate understanding, one must experience the subject first hand. In
Part Three of “Conducting Business” Maestro Slatkin includes some of the
musical challenges a conductor may encounter and presents them in the same
manner they are given to him for initial examination. The featured musical excerpts
are ‘puzzles’ and with the ability to read sheet music unnecessary, any music
lover can experience this aspect of the conductor’s job. “Conducting Business” is
a book written from the hand of an individual whose life is and always has been
conducting, and having been immersed in the craft for so long, written with the
mind of a mature and self-examining conductor. With a balanced combination of
entertainment and information, Maestro Slatkin paints a more accurate,
all-encompassing picture of the conductor lifestyle.
Up-to-date
news on the schedule and happenings around Maestro Leonard Slatkin can be found
at his personal website, www.leonardsltkin.com. Copies of “Conducting Business” are
currently available through www.amazon.com. A schedule for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra can be found at www.detroitsymphony.com.
“Leo” Barbara Caponigro’s 5-foot 100-pound work of art
By: Phillip
J. Fattore
She’s
painted gorgeous pictures of flowers and wildlife, crafted layered watercolor
collages where print and paint are inter-mixed, and has even livened up the
household experience by putting her paint brush to work on desks, end-tables,
high-chairs and rocking chairs. It’s safe to say that Bloomfield Hills artist
Barbara Caponigro hasn’t met a surface that has not undergone an artistic
interpretation, but on a visit to the Birmingham Art Fair that Barbara learned
that there were in fact some spaces even she hadn’t given thought to.
Frannie Greenbaum, who among other
noted organizations represents the Children’s Charity Coalition of Child Abuse,
had already received a special-event permit from the Birmingham City Commission
to turn the Downtown area into a “Lion Town” when she ran into Barbara
Caponigro and her husband Ralph at the Birmingham Art Fair in late May. The
“Lion Town” idea was to have 40 58-inch lion statues scattered throughout the
Birmingham and Detroit area, have local artists submit designs, paint the
statues and to have business owners bid on their favorite ones to display
in-front of their businesses with the proceeds going to the Children’s Charity
Coalition of Child Abuse. Through the crowded Art-Fair streets Frannie spotted
Barbara and knowing of Barbara’s body of work and experience, asked Barbara the
unexpected: “Would you like to paint a lion for us?”
After
drafting her design and being selected to paint one of the statues, the
100-pound, 58-inch lion that Barbara had affectionately named “Leo” was
delivered to her house. Too big to fit into Barbara’s in-home basement studio,
the blank-slate, colorless ‘King of the Jungle’ found a home on the Caponigro
sun-porch as Barbara proceeded to bring “Leo” to life. Working between three and four hours a day for
a duration of six weeks and with her paint brush in-hand, Barbara crouched,
laid and tip-toed around “Leo” making sure every detail measured up to design
that had ‘popped’ into her head when she submitted her design.
Now
finished, “Leo” is truly a sight not to be missed! Taking note from Barbara’s
experience with painting realistic wildlife, “Leo’s” face and mane matches the
images one might see in a National Geographic or Detroit Zoo exhibit and as Barbara
points out, if you stand directly in-front of “Leo” his eyes are done in such a
way that it is as if he is looking right at you. Barbara’s flair for color and
design pattern comes across in “Leo’s” wardrobe. Wearing a rainbow, polka dot
long-sleeve with a blue and white checked pant “Leo” truly stands-out against
the black painted platform he sits on.
Sadly,
“Leo” will be leaving Ralph and Barbara Caponigro’s porch on Friday afternoon.
Purchased by Peter Karmanos of Compuware, “Leo” will most likely be traveling
to Compuware’s downtown Detroit building just in time to join those other Lions at Ford Field. So, while
you’re visiting the city keep an eye out for Barbara Caponigro’s “Leo” because
he’ll be looking out for you!
Barbara and her husband Ralph, currently
split time between Bloomfield Hills and Florida. Painting since 1981, Barbara
has received over 16 major ribbons and awards for her work in juried art shows
around the country. Locally, her work is on display with permanent collections
at William Beaumont Hospital, MSU Management Education Center, Orchard Lake
Country Club, Frasco Caponigro Law Firm, Detroit Children’s Hospital,
Birmingham Allergy Clinic and the Dermatology Clinic of Michigan while also
being on display at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida as well as Mercy
College in Iowa. Barbara is a mother of six and grandmother of fourteen
grandchildren.
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