school district celebrate new Oak Park School athletic complexSarasota Herald-TribuneSarasota County Schools and Sarasota County recently celebrated the grand opening of a new multipurpose lighted track and field and athletic facilities at Oak Park School The school district and Sarasota County collaborated on the funding and construction of the facility that is adjacent to Lakeview Park The design process started in August 2023 and construction began in August 2024 A ribbon cutting ceremony in April preceded the facility’s first official event: the Oak Park School Panther Prowl “We would like to thank Sarasota County as well as all of the skilled workers and tradespeople who participated in this project for their help in bringing this shared vision to life,” said Terry Connor “It is incredibly important that all our students have access to safe and adaptable fitness environments This outdoor track and field will allow Oak Park students We are honored to share this resource with the community.” The scope of the Oak Park School track and field project included a new six-lane 400-meter rubberized track with one eight-lane straightaway for sprints and hurdles There is a synthetic turf and high school-sized soccer field The total cost of the project was $3,951,964 with Sarasota County contributing $500,000 “This facility is an incredible addition to our entire community and will hold a special place in the greater Parks and Natural Resources family," said Joe Neunder chair of the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners "Oak Park School has always been a place where families and we look forward to seeing that tradition continue through the use of this space.” Oak Park School’s track and field project is one of several interlocal agreements between the School Board of Sarasota County and Sarasota County Other projects include lighted soccer fields at Tatum Ridge Elementary School an open space playing field and athletic amenities at Heron Creek Middle School and upcoming athletic fields and amenities at Skye Ranch School The water level has reached the threshold of 595.5 feet and will close to all visitors including all boat ramps Lake Worth will remain closed until the lake level returns to 595.00 Visit https://cfw.pub/trwd for more information and for updates on water levels 76102 during the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting The Fort Worth Water Department (Water Department) has requested use of a portion of Live Oak Park (Park) for a water and sanitary sewer maintenance area (Maintenance Area). Due to growth in far west Fort Worth it is necessary to construct a new sewer lift station (Project) to provide sanitary sewer service for continued growth in far west Fort Worth The Water Department has requested the use of a portion of the Park for the maintenance area. The Project location was selected to use existing City of Fort Worth land that is out of the existing 100-year floodplain and minimize impact to trees The proposed site straddles City of Fort Worth parkland and City of Fort Worth non-parkland The proposed maintenance area is approximately 10,679 square feet Project construction is anticipated to begin June 2025 and last approximately 18 months. The City Forester has determined that no trees within the Park require removal for the Project. In accordance with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code - Chapter 26 the City of Fort Worth seeks to use a portion of Live Oak Park for a permanent water and sewer maintenance area. On March 26 the Park & Recreation Advisory Board endorsed staff’s recommendation to the City Council to authorize the use of portions of Live Oak Park for a water and sanitary sewer maintenance area In accordance with state law and the Fort Worth City Charter the parkland conversion was advertised in the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram on May 4 76102 during the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting.  Get email updates from the City of Fort Worth on the topics you want About a year before his bar mitzvah in 1977 Jeffrey Seller was in Hebrew class at Temple Israel synagogue when the teacher in the midst of talking about the history of the Warsaw Ghetto asked whether anyone knew a place in America that had similarly poor conditions so the teacher gave the example of a nearby Oak Park neighborhood behind an A&P grocery story on 9 Mile not made of bricks and had no basements and garages “There’s a colloquial name for it,” he said “Theater Kids,” he was afraid that someone would find out he lived there trying to resist the formation of tears behind my eyes hoping I would not be discovered,” he writes Seller says that this was one of the most difficult vignettes to put down on paper for the book who would be sad to know about Seller’s reaction The idea that any of the students at Temple Israel could possibly have lived in that neighborhood was so far beyond his comprehension.” Seller is scheduled to kick off his book tour May 6 at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield as part of the Detroit Jewish Film Festival He will be in conversation that evening with another Detroit native Tony nominee Douglas Sills of HBO's "The Gilded Age." Seller says it is fitting for him to return to the suburbs of Detroit for the event because that is "the place in which the whole book starts." “Theater Kid” (subtitled "A Broadway Memoir") is the coming-of-age and career success story of Sellers who grew up to become an icon of contemporary musical theater as a producer of the Tony Award-winning shows “Rent,” “Avenue Q,” “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.” The productions that Sellers has overseen have accumulated 22 Tony wins earned a gross of $4.6 billion from the Broadway productions and subsequent tours and drawn more 43 million audience members Seller is recognized as the only producer with two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals to his credit “Rent” and “Hamilton,” both of which were groundbreaking cultural achievements With "Rent," he also helped create a discounted ticket lottery to make his musicals more affordable for a wider audience Simon & Schuster," "Theater Kid" reveals Seller's early years as “a kid coming to terms with his adoption and determined to escape his dysfunctional household in a poor neighborhood just outside Detroit.”  What sets the memoir apart from other works about a difficult childhood that fuels a determination for better future is Seller’s approach He writes "Theater Kid" with the vividness of a graphic novel sometimes explicit about his sexual awakening fearless about revealing his family's chaos and conflicts and yet filled with love for even his volatile father “Theater Kid” reads like the autobiography of someone who has lived with hard truths and made peace with them through his artistry “I don’t know that the world needed another memoir about being poor We’ve had a lot of those,” says Seller during a phone interview “What I thought the world needed at this moment was the only way that I thought to justify it is to go all the way into the core of my insecurities and deepest feelings and expose me as nakedly as I could Because I thought that would illuminate the story in a way that makes it an alumnus of Oak Park High School and the University of Michigan which is fitting given how many of the anecdotes seem like scenes from one of his Broadway hits Act One is mostly about his family and his school years Act Two covers his move to New York City and his experiences with “Rent.” Act Three includes the journey of “Hamilton” and Seller’s search for his biological parents a quest that “wouldn’t stop chasing me as I passed forty years old and became a parent of two beautiful adopted children.” Seller was captivated by theater and absorbed everything he could about it from the Tony Awards on TV to touring productions at the Fisher Theatre and cast albums of Broadway hits He was a sponge for learning the process of creating and staging shows whether he was acting with Royal Oak’s Stagecrafters youth troupe singing in the children’s chorus of “Carmen” with Michigan Opera Theatre or working as the drama director at Camp Tamarack in northern Oakland County during summer college breaks An early chapter recalls his pivotal moment of winning a role in fourth grade as a sailor in the annual Purim play at Temple Israel (then located in Detroit which was a mashup of the story of Queen Esther and the musical “South Pacific." Recalling the magical process of rehearsing and performing he writes: “Being in a play for the first time makes me happy Being in a play changes my life; I am filled with purpose for the first time.” Seller was devoted to learning more about the basics of the craft that would make him famous He recalls appearing in eighth grade in a Stagecrafters production of a children’s play called “Popcorn Pete” and noticing that “one the audiences were very small.” Seller asked who chose “Popcorn Pete” and found out that there was a play-reading committee 'I want to be on the play-reading committee.' That was my first leap into producing," he notes Seller is generous about thanking his various teachers and mentors for their support (He titles one chapter “Miss Shively” after a Frost Middle School teacher.) But while his world was opening up on the stage left with brain damage after a devastating motorcycle accident occasionally served court papers and summonses and later took up a side gig performing as a clown His mother worked steadily at a drugstore to support them When his father lost his temper at their Cardboard Village house with no basement for tornado protection "he is like another tornado from which we cannot hide." Seller looks back on his dad's bad choices with compassion "My father was a man not in control of himself The consequences of which resulted in two bankruptcies and a tremendous amount of pain and suffering" this was also the man who said the same four words to me over and over any time I asked if I could go to an audition or rehearsal or a new place 'Get in the car.' He drove me to every one of those auditions and every one of those rehearsals.” Asked how long it took to write the memoir Seller says it was somewhere between five and 30 years He elaborates by explaining that he struggled with putting his memories on the page It took about five years to complete the book but two of the childhood tales it includes are from a writing class he attended at New York City's New School in the 1990s He says he followed one guide while writing the book and that was being truthful "I was always guided first by the truth and I thought we’ll deal with everybody else’s feelings later.” Such transparency “was essential to the existence of the book,” according to Seller because he wrote it "in so many ways for younger people particularly for young gay men who don’t know anything about what they’re about to encounter.” it will affirm their feelings and show them that they’re going to figure it out He says he deeply wanted to share "Theater Kid" with his mother who passed away about a year ago from pancreatic cancer really looked forward to sharing it with my mom it would stir up a lot of painful memories for her and that it would stir up her own sense of shame and guilt but it would also activate her pride and her love,” he says I didn’t talk about it because I didn’t know if it would ever be published anyway I wrote it for me without regard to its ultimate destiny.” Seller dedicates the book to the memory of his mother and father who calls southeast Michigan an essential part of American arts is spending a lot of time in the Motor City with “my new partner in life and love,” Yuval Sharon the acclaimed artistic director of Detroit Opera “How lucky am I that my own hometown of Detroit helped me come together with the new love of my life,” he says a Detroit Opera board of directors vice chair and former publisher of Crain's Detroit Business to teach a course in politics and theater at the University of Michigan once a week during the fall semester Speaking of politics, Seller is still immersed in the intersection between it and "Hamilton." Recounted in "Theater Kid" is the behind-the-scenes story of the time Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended the show in 2016 It was Seller who wrote the first draft of a short speech that actor Brandon Victor Dixon ended up reading from the stage to Pence at the end of the performance It addressed concerns regarding the Trump administration's commitment to upholding "our inalienable rights" and shared the hope that "this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us." In March, plans for "Hamilton" to be performed at the Kennedy Center as part of the 250th anniversary commemoration of the Declaration of Independence were canceled as a result of President Donald Trump removing Democratic members from the center’s formerly bipartisan board and making himself its chairman Says Seller: "We were not going to let that now deeply politicized right-wing organization use the profits from 'Hamilton' to further its agenda Implementing it required care and thought.” Given the imprint that "Hamilton" and "Rent" have made on the evolution of theater it's fair to ask: Does Seller have some sort of zeitgeist meter that can sense when musicals are going to be transformative ”I am just following my heart and hoping that others are affected by my shows in the same way I am,” he insists “I don’t know what the zeitgeist will be tomorrow I just try to make the show that will please me the most and then am lucky when it pleases thousands or in the case of 'Hamilton' or 'Rent,' millions of others as well.” Seller says his faith in the future of art is steadfast “I always have faith in the next generation to innovate and to bring forth ingenuity and creativity and new ways of looking at the confusing world in which we live.” Being a producer seeps into everything that Seller does from planning an impromptu brunch to making decisions for the audio version of “Theater Kid.” Although the custom for authors is to read their memoirs in their entiretly he says he didn't want to just hear his own voice "Hamilton" star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renee Elise Goldsberry “The audiobook is kind of like a stage reading Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com A federal jury convicted Dr. Charise Valentine, 69, of Southfield, of conspiracy to distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, unlawfully. Valentine was convicted on Friday (April 25) for her role as one of two primary doctors at the Orthopedic Medical Building, where she issued illegal opioid prescriptions. From November 2016 to July 2018, Valentine issued more than 3,000 prescriptions for over 200,000 pills to supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. Those “patients” were typically brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Orthopedic Medical Building, a sham clinic that operated out of a warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan, accepted only cash and charged patients between $200 and $500 per prescription. However, no fees were charged if the patient did not receive an opioid prescription. The prices were not based on the services provided but rather on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids received, usually Oxycodone 30 mg or Oxymorphone 40 mg—two of the most addictive prescription opioids. Those drugs were also among the most highly diverted due to their high street value. The clinic also charged cash for creating fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.” Valentine was paid about 50% of the clinic’s proceeds—more than $500,000 in cash over approximately 19 months—and was compensated only if she wrote an opioid prescription, not based on any supposed “medical care.” She received an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash each day she worked. The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operator Iris Winchester, Dr. Michele Ritter, clinic employee Kristina Brown, and Joyce Robinson, previously pleaded guilty. Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group (WXYZ) — An Oak Park family is leading a grassroots solution to hunger through their front yard pantry that has served the community since the pandemic began in 2020 Rutth and Greg Markarian built a little pantry in their front yard at the corner of Seneca and Kenwood streets in Oak Park We'll be here nine years this year and this is where we plan on dying We love this community so much," Rutth Markarian said The couple's commitment to their neighborhood goes beyond words and is demonstrated through years of action "It's like when you were younger and your parents would say it takes a village to raise a family and everything else It's like that's exactly what it is," Ruth Markarian said built the little pantry from scratch in 2020 just as the pandemic hit "It was at the end of my street and I was like wait "So I started coming around and seeing what that was and it was like there was food." The Markarians' motivation stems from their own past struggles Rutth Markarian explained that the family once fell on hard times and knows what it's like to need help but encounter bureaucratic obstacles "So when we finally got our foot on track and everything that's when I started looking into ways that we could help other families and everything So that's when I started collecting things and I would basically do like a free garage sale." What began in their car has evolved into a community resource that they estimate serves approximately 100 people weekly "I had people in Lake Orion contact me and ask you just come get it," Rutth Markarian said The Oak Park Gifting Little Pantry has no eligibility requirements or barriers to receiving assistance "In any case whether you need it desperately or you just need a can of soup it's here to take advantage of it and I've just always appreciated that," said Finn there's times when I know there's gonna be soup down there and I know there's gonna be noodles down there so I'll come down and take advantage of it but I try to leave stuff there for people that need it more than I do." which rallies neighbors to help restock the pantry The couple also uses a portion of Greg Markarian's monthly income to keep the pantry stocked as they operate independently without government assistance "One of the things we both agreed upon is that it's food and everybody should be able to eat," Greg Markarian said After five years of service and with continued community support the Markarians remain committed to their mission it would still be out here," Ruth Markarian said Donations can be dropped off on their front porch This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy Old Oak Park Road will be closed to drivers in Arroyo Grande as crews work on a culvert replacement San Luis Obispo County Public Works will be out just north of the intersection with Noyes Road The culvert is one of over nearly 5,000 across San Luis Obispo County Detours will be provided for access to local residents Travelers are advised to adjust commutes for the closure It was raining money in Illinois after the back door of an armored truck accidentally opened and dropped almost $300,000 in cash was traveling southbound on Austin Boulevard in Oak Park on April 22 when its "back door opened by unknown means" and dropped three bags of cash Village of Oak Park said in an email to USA TODAY April 29 When the driver returned to the location where the door had opened they saw "between 50-100 people removing money from the scene and fleeing the area both on foot and in vehicles," authorities said adding the total loss was estimated to be $300,000 Village of Oak Park spokesperson Dan Yopchick said Oak Park Police Department is investigating the incident and anyone wishing to share information on the incident can do so anonymously by calling 708-464-1636 or visiting www.oak-park.us/crimetip Authorities did not mention if any arrests had been made Brinks referred USA TODAY to law enforcement agencies and declined to comment further on the incident Last week's incident was not the first time money has fallen out of a moving truck in recent years In November 2021, the door of an armored truck reportedly "popped open" in California on the Interstate 5 freeway near San Diego, prompting drivers to stop their cars to pick up the "bags of cash" that fell out, the San Diego Tribune reported citing California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt “It was free-floating bills all over the freeway," Bettencourt had said with authorities noting the bills flying across the lanes were primarily $1 and $20 bills Prior to that, in May 2018, the door of a Brinks armored truck opened and spilled packages of money across 1-70 in Indianapolis Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7 (This article was updated to include video.) Last September, the Des Moines neighborhood North of Grand saw a new farmers market crop up with veggies, coop opportunities, meats and more. This spring through fall, the farmers market at Oak Park returns for four dates to showcase the restaurant's vendors Oak Park owner Kathy Fehrman and her team plan to bring vendors back to the parking lot of the restaurant during the Market at Oak Park on May 12 “This was totally about the vendors and getting them exposure for what they're doing,” Fehrman said last September about her decision to host the event at the restaurant More: Oak Park's farmers market plans to return in 2025 with produce, products from its vendors The market included a mix of items made by the restaurant and vendors used to create the USA TODAY Restaurant of the Year menu Oak Park was one of 45 restaurants nationwide chosen for the honor in 2025 More: This Des Moines restaurant with innovative dishes named one of the best by USA TODAY staff sold granola and other treats from the restaurant Customers could find vegetables from farmers such as Jordan Clasen from Grade A Gardens in Earlham Pine Grove Family Farm in Bondurant, where pigs served in dishes at Oak Park were raised eating kitchen scraps from the restaurant More: Oak Park kitchen scraps feed pigs that are now on the menu at the restaurant Iowa WildCraft Urban Farm out Beaverdale offered pickles, eggplants, and shishito peppers, while Preston Honey in the Brown's Woods area of Des Moines brought honey from its 55 beehives The Iowa Food Cooperative supplies the restaurant with products from across the state from condiments and dried herbs to local produce Shoppers at the market could sign up for their own box of goods from Iowa Some of the other vendors at the farmers market at Oak ParkHayes Farm in Storm Lake Crooked Gap Farm in Knoxville Red Dragon Herbs & Tea in Polk City FarmBaby in Lucas The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand sponsors the event Contact: 515-620-2185 or oakparkdsm.com Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m Reservations: Exploretock.com Sign up for our new dining newsletter, The Dish, which comes out on Wednesday mornings with all the latest news on restaurants and bars in the metro. You can sign up for free at DesMoinesRegister.com/thedish If you see a new restaurant opening or a beloved place closing, send me some details at sstapleton@gannett.com ​Alachua County Parks & Open Space announces that Cellon Oak Park (4100 NW 169th Place Gainesville) will be closed to the public from April 10-11 will be installing a new lightning protection system on the Florida Co-Champion Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) known as “Cellon Oak." Upon the last official measurement with an average crown spread of 164.5 feet “It's so important that we protect this magnificent specimen tree from one of nature's most common destructive forces and make it available for the education and enjoyment of future generations," said Capital Projects Coordinator Ed Williams All work will be done in accordance with the most recent ANSI A300 standards and the corresponding best management practices: tree lightning protection systems and is typically open from sunrise to sunset daily For more information, contact Alachua County Parks & Open Space at 352-264-6847 or parks@alachuacounty.us.​​ Keep up-to-date with all news and developments in your community CHICAGO (WKRC) - After bags of cash fell from an armored truck between 50 and 100 people made off with about $300,000 A Brinks Home security representative said a truck traveling had its "backdoor opened by unknown means" in the Chicago area on Tuesday, according to the Oak Park Police Department PEOPLEreported Three bags full of money fell onto the road due to the open backdoor and when the Brinks employee returned to the scene he saw dozens of people taking the money before fleeing "on foot" and "in vehicles." The representative estimated the total loss at around $300,000. A Village of Oak Park spokesperson confirmed to NBC Chicago that as of Friday The Symphony and Chorus of Oak Park and River Forest under the direction of conductor Jay Friedman will be performing a Choral Spectacular at Symphony Center on Monday Performance includes Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Liszt’s Missa Solemnis which is making its Symphony Center debut bass-baritone Daniel Eifert and piano/organ soloist Patrick Godon Tickets can be purchased through the Symphony Center Box Office by calling 312-294-3000 Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3002885-1?pid=6351 This city center is home to some of Chicago’s most iconic attractions and architecture Return to events calendar More info Sign up Get the guide Contact us © 2025 Choose Chicago. All rights reserved.Privacy policy | Your privacy choices | Terms of use | Sitemap