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The importance of eliminating food-related waste was the theme during Southfield’s “Community Feast” hosted by Make Food Not Waste. The free educational event, held April 13th at the Southfield Pavilion, was designed to inspire attendees to enjoy food with an awareness of how to reduce waste.

As part of its overall sustainability initiative, the City of Southfield is working to become the first city in the state to eliminate food waste, says Souzan Hanna, ENV SP, LEED AP, sustainability planner with the Southfield Planning Department.

During the event, attendees enjoyed a meal prepared by professional chefs using food that would otherwise go to waste and end up in landfills, while local food vendors and organizations working to reduce food waste in the community provided tips for grocery shopping and simple cooking methods.

Make Food Not Waste is a nonprofit organization working to keep food out of landfills by creating lasting solutions to food waste through education, food upcycling and advocacy.

For more information visit https://makefoodnotwaste.org.

When the City of Southfield earned the title, “Top City in the U.S. for Black Women to Flourish Financially,” for the second year by MoneyGeek.com, Sherry Swift and Tina Catron weren’t surprised.

The two Black businesswomen chose to locate Swift Transitions Coaching, Consultation and Training in Southfield eight years ago and are happy they did. The company has since grown to include The Swift Collaboration and Swift Transactions Management, also located in Southfield.

“Southfield has always been an extremely diverse community,” says Swift. “If there’s an area that would be most available for success for African American women, it could be easily Southfield because of the diversity here.”

Southfield Mayor Kenson J. Siver is proud of the recognition. “We are thrilled once again to have the distinction of Southfield being the top city in the U.S. for Black women to flourish financially,” he says. “We support our minority-owned businesses through our involvement with the Southfield Chamber of Commerce, job fairs and our Business Accelerator co-sponsored by Lawrence Technological University, among other initiatives. It should come as no surprise that a number of city departments are led by Black women,” Siver adds.

To determine the best places for Black women to flourish, MoneyGeek looked at 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 — from the best to the worst. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, home ownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally.

Catron notes another important advantage she and Swift have realized with their business location. “Southfield is a great spot for our business because it’s close to downtown and to anywhere you want to maneuver within the state. This is where a lot of businesses intentionally land because no matter where you’re coming from, it’s central to everything.”

As Swift and Catron focus on growing their business, which currently includes a real estate brokerage arm as well as training, coaching and consulting services, their plan is to “100 percent” remain in Southfield.

“It’s easy for people to find us and we can access all of the tools and resources located here,” says Swift.

Warm Winter Fest 2024

Adults and children enjoyed a warmer-than-normal Winter Fest Sunday, March 3, at the Southfield Sports Arena. With temperatures hovering near 60 degrees, the event drew a crowd of more than 300 for a variety of activities, including indoor ice skating, a high ropes course, a rock-climbing wall with bouncers, carriage rides, electric car rides, marshmallow roasting and nature programs sponsored by Oakland County Naturalists.

Happy Hour and Team Trivia

The Southfield City Centre Happy Hour and Team Trivia Networking event on March 14 drew a sellout crowd of participants from many Southfield-based organizations. The group gathered at Towne Square Food & Spirits from for the chance to show their brain power and network.

“Our area businesses have found that joining us for this event has been a win-win,” says Rochelle Freeman, director of Business & Economic Development for the City of Southfield. “Their employees have an opportunity to bond and build relationships outside of their work environment, and to mix with other companies to develop potential new leads and professional connections.”

With spring in the air and warm weather on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to look in to the many outdoor activities Southfield City Centre has to offer. Whether you’re a resident, employee or visitor, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Get moving on the Southfield City Centre Trail with a walk, jog or bike ride during lunchtime or after work. The trail features nearly 9 miles of non-motorized pathways, including a 3.5-mile “Inner Loop” where you’ll find several outdoor art installations. The Monarch Butterfly Pollinator Garden, Tapestry of a Community and Red Pole Park are just a few.

“We want to make our city more pedestrian friendly and encourage people to engage in heart-healthy activities like biking and walking,” says Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA and director of planning for the City of Southfield. “It’s a great way to enhance your overall health, reduce stress and enjoy nature.”

A Bike Share program (with 9 convenient locations]) makes it easy to ride the trail. For a 3.5 guided tour of 26 public works of art and cultural sites along the trail, download the PocketSights app to your mobile device and search “Southfield, Michigan.”

Get out on the green. If you’re a golfer, don’t miss your chance to tee off at the Evergreen Hills Golf Course, located at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road, this 9-hole, par 34, 2,954-yard public course features beautifully landscaped grounds and manicured fairways. The course is scheduled to open April 1, weather permitting (check Southfield Parks and Recreation Facebook page).

Grab lunch at one of your favorite Southfield restaurants, find an open bench along Evergreen or Civic Center Drive and enjoy the great outdoors.

For the athlete in you, the Southfield Municipal Campus is home to baseball diamonds, soccer fields and every type of court imaginable, including volleyball, tennis, pickleball, basketball and racquetball.

Eat to the Beat is your chance to take a break in the middle of the day. This Southfield City Centre annual summertime lunchtime food truck and entertainment event offers delicious eats and some of the best live bands in metro Detroit. It all happens the second Thursday, June through September, at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road.

When German automaker BMW requested a distinctive rear taillight for an upcoming model, Marelli — a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector — rose to the occasion. As a bonus, the company received global recognition for the innovative lighting technology used in the creation.

With its Customer Experience Center located in Southfield, Michigan, Marelli was named a Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2024 Innovation Award Honoree for its LASER & Optical Fiber Rear Lamp technology.

According to Michele Antonipieri, chief engineer behind the innovative technology, Marelli is the first lighting manufacturer to develop and bring to market red LASER technology combined with rear lighting functionality to create a distinctive look.

“The uniqueness of this innovation compared to the use of classical solutions is the reduced thickness of the optical system, which allows for a thin illuminated flexible line that can be integrated inside the taillight,” says Antonipieri. “The LASER technology enables a speckle effect all along the fibers, creating a distinguishing three-dimensional appearance never before seen in a rear lamp.”

“It’s really amazing when you see it live,” says Yannick Bamberg, Marelli product manager of rear lighting. “It has the appearance of fluid floating through a very thin line.”

“Before we stepped into the game, there was no red LASER fiber used in automotive exterior lighting applications. This was developed from scratch,” says Antonipieri.

“There are a lot of OEMs who are highly interested in this technology,” he says, adding, “They’re looking for solutions to characterize their brand during the night, so you can immediately identify a particular car model. This technology allows the shape of the rear light to be modified by placing the fiber in a different way to create a signature look. It will give OEMs the flexibility to create equally unique and stylish brand signatures in the future.”

To learn more, visit: www.ces.tech