Week in Review: Possible School Closures and More

A lot happened this past week, and we want to make sure you didn't miss a thing. Here are some of the biggest stories:

The West Bloomfield School Board is expected to consider a recommendation to cut costs and improve efficiency; including the closure of  and the (ACS) building, as heard at Monday night's board workshop.

Shannon Bingham, a representative of Western Demographics, the district's consultant in the School Enrollment and Facilities project, said that the district would save $725,000 annually in the scenario, one of several which was suggested. The recommendation comes from a total of 510 surveys taken at a series of six focus groups and two open houses conducted in the past month which consisted of parents from all of the district's schools, staff, and more. 

Former West Bloomfield Township Supervisor David Flaisher announced his bid Tuesday night to run again for the top office in town as an independent in the Nov. 6 general election.

Flaisher was beaten soundly in the 2008 August primary by current Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste. As a result of that defeat, he said he's reconsidered the primary process in hopes of avoiding what he called "the mud-slinging campaign you're seeing now."

Now running as an independent after running for supervisor as a Democrat for two four-year terms beginning in 2000, Flaisher avoids the Aug. 7 primary.

Citing concerns with the image of the West Bloomfield "downtown" area at the Northwestern Highway and Orchard Lake Road intersection, the Zoning Board of Appeals denied a request from Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit on Tuesday night.

The ZBA had been asked to grant an exception from the law that would have required Goodwill, categorized by the township as a secondhand store, to be located more than 750 feet from another "serious objectionable use" — in this case, a .

Residents turned out Tuesday in support of and against the request, which was voted down 4-1.