This Inspiring Story Brought to You by Grape-Nuts

Craig Covey Talks Breaking Down Barriers in the Fight for Gay Rights

The Ferndale resident and former mayor shares his past struggles and future hopes. Sponsored by Post Grape-Nuts.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. Ferndale resident Craig Covey is a pioneer behind the city we've come to know today. As the first openly gay mayor in the state of Michigan, Covey is a firm believer that everyone should be entitled to the same privileges, no matter their sexual orientation. Covey is the creator of the city's Pride Festival, an event that attracted 15,000 people last year with equality-focused events such as the Rainbow Run and Light the Night Against Hate. For 22 years, he served as the CEO of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project…

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Jessica Nunez

1:52 pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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Letters to the Editor

Voters Should Remember Officials' Reaction to Medical Marijuana Decriminalization

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Prosecutor Jessica Cooper wasted taxpayers' resources on raids and prosecution, Oakland County Commissioner Craig Covey says in a letter to Patch.

This letter was received by Berkley-Huntington Woods Patch local editor Leslie Ellis. As residents prepare to make their choices and cast their ballots for the upcoming elections, they would do well to remember how certain county elected officials reacted these past couple of years to the decriminalization of medical marijuana which was passed by overwhelming majorities of Michigan voters.  Instead of a mindful and accommodating attempt to follow the wishes of residents, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard decided to devote huge amounts of effort and resources into investigations, entrapments, raids, and arrests of local residents who attempted to follow the newly passed laws in an open and law-abiding manner. Mayors, council members, …

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'Fracking' the Focus of Oakland County Town Hall

Approximately 100 turned out to hear from activists, elected officials, and industry experts on the controversial issue involving natural gas underneath area waterways.

PONTIAC — Three hundred, twenty-two thousand, six hundred and nine. Activist LuAnne Kozma won't deny that it's a lot of signatures required to get her favored proposal for a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," on the Nov. 2014 ballot, but after a special town hall meeting on the subject, she feels optimistic. "I don't think we can rely on the current state government, or frankly, the future government to do this. It's a power that we, the people, have, and we need to do this for ourselves and future generations," said Kozma, the campaign director of the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan. Approximately 100 turned out to the Oakland County Commissioners Auditorium Wednesday night to learn more on the subject and to …

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County to Hold Town Hall on Fracking

County officials will host a special town hall, "The Coming Dangers to Our Lakes & Stream, Oil & Gas Leasing/Is Fracking in Our Future?"

(Source: Oakland County) Oakland County Commissioners Jim Nash (D-Farmington Hills) and Craig Covey (D-Ferndale), announced a special public Town Hall meeting to look at the impact of new state issued leases allowing drilling for oil and natural gas all across Oakland County. The meeting will be held at the Oakland County Commissioners’ Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph in Pontiac, on the Oakland County campus, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, from 6-to-8 p.m. Fracking, the common term for hydraulic fracturing, often drills  wells up to two miles into the Earth, fills it with millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and undisclosed salts and chemicals and subjects it to bursts of extremely intense pressure to loosen rock formations to release …

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Complete Streets Plan Takes Step Forward in Oakland County

The initiative to make roads more accessible to walkers, bicyclists and mass transit programs could be adopted countywide.

Advocates say Oakland County roadways would be made more accommodating to nonmotorized forms of transportation — and to mass transit — under a proposal tentatively approved Monday by a County Commission committee. The Complete Streets plan would require future county road projects to take into account the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities, as well as mass transit services. County Commissioner Dave Woodward (D-Royal Oak) joined Craig Covey (D-Ferndale) in promoting the plan to fellow commissioners. However, the commission has little direct say over road projects. County roadways not maintained by the state or local municipalities are administered by the Road Commission for Oakland County, an independent agency. "…

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