See restoration Opal Creek area after 2020 Oregon wildfires
Work is being done to restore access to Three Pools, Shady Cove campground and Little North Santiam trailhead in the Opal Creek area.
People have been so anxious for the dredging under the two marinas in Detroit Lake to begin that they assumed construction was starting this fall.
And this is a year when people are allowed to keep their boats at Kane’s Marina and Detroit Lake Marina into September, much longer than the past couple years.
The reality is the construction of the project, which will move 162,000 cubic yards of dirt from under the marinas and create a peninsula, is expected to start during the fall of 2025 after more than a decade of planning.
The Marion County Commissioners on Wednesday voted to accept $2 million from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development through its Community Project Funding Program.
It’s another step forward toward extending the recreation season in Detroit.
“I think this has been a long time coming project,” Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron said. “It’s still a long time out there.”
The first phase of the project, which included developing the design and figuring out what to do with the excavated dirt, was completed last year.
Now, Marion County is applying for permits and creating the engineering for the project.
Construction is expected to start in fall 2025 and be completed by the spring 2026, prior to the start of the boating season.
All of the dirt will be used to form a U-shaped 2,400-foot, 120-foot wide peninsula that would extend towards Piety Island south of the city.
The project aims to enable the marinas to operate when the water is as low as 1,525 feet above sea level. That is expected to make it so that the marinas could operate from May 1 through Oct. 1.
The design of that is to allow the tourist-dependent community of Detroit to earn more from the tourist season.
This year, boats have to be out of Kane’s Marina by Sept. 2, which is longer than in some years.
Last year, boats had to be removed by Aug. 21 because of low water levels in Detroit Lake. In 2021, it was July 11.
“It’s a wonderful investment for that community,” said Lari Rupp, an economic development specialist for Marion County.
The $2 million in HUD funding is coming from the federal government’s appropriations from late 2022.
That money has to be used for costs associated with excavation and transportation.
Marion County has allocated $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
It also has $60,000 in money from the Business Oregon Brownfields Redevelopment Fund. And Marion County has allocated $50,000 in economic development lottery dollars.
The project has been discussed for years, but much of the delay was due to the lack of funds.
After the COVID-19 pandemic and the Labor Day wildfires of 2020 wiped out much of Detroit, more money has become available to help in the recovery.
“It takes a long time to get projects done,” Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell said.
Cameron said that community members had asked him about if the plan had been scaled back from initial plans. But they were informed the plan is unchanged.
“We’ve been following through from the same permits that were submitted in 2017 when they tried to excavate a certain area,” Rupp said.
Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com
DETROIT, MI (WXYZ) — The Black Legacy Advancement Coalition’s Black Legacy Day celebration is an intergenerational, joy filled gathering in Detroit, centered around authentic joy and liberation.
On Saturday, May 30th, Detroiters, neighbors, partners and friends of every race, creed and background are invited to share in a day of reflection and fun. Highlights will include a food giveaway, a scavenger race, a men’s basketball tournament and free justice resources.
To learn more, visit www.theblac.co.
St. Hubert pastor discusses the Archdiocese of Detroit’s restructuring
The Rev. Douglas Bignall of St. Hubert Catholic Church in Harrison Township discusses the ongoing restructuring effort by the Archdiocese of Detroit on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The list of churches targeted for the possible stoppage of weekend Masses has grown to at least 58 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to the latest proposed models the Archdiocese of Detroit had released as part of its major restructuring process through Friday.
At least 22 parishes under the first round of proposed models wouldn’t hold weekend Mass. The archdiocese has been divided into 15 planning areas, or geographic areas, and three or four models are being proposed for each planning area, said the Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The archdiocese has been holding listening sessions with parishioners this spring as part of its restructuring plan to get reactions.
The models have different proposed groupings of parishes, in which a grouping would share a pastor and potentially other priests. In some cases, selected churches in the grouping would no longer hold Sunday Mass.
The Archdiocese of Detroit released on May 22 and this past week the model proposals for another five planning areas, including areas of Macomb County, Oakland County and Detroit. Around 36 more parishes would no longer hold Mass in the future under the latest proposals.
Bunches of churches in Detroit would be affected, while four parishes in Troy and three parishes in Clinton Township wouldn’t have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass under each of the proposed models presented for their planning areas.
Archdiocese of Detroit spokesperson Holly Fournier said the archdiocese has heard a wide range of reactions about the proposed models, which is “understandable given how personal parish life is for people.”
“Some pastors and parishioners are hopeful about opportunities for stronger collaboration and renewed ministry, while others are experiencing more uncertainty and concern, especially in places where one or more models suggest a parish might no longer host weekend Masses in the future,” she said.
Fournier emphasized that the models are “draft models” and aren’t final decisions.
The models for the final six planning areas will be released in June, according to the restructuring website.
The models are part of the archdiocese’s biggest restructuring plan in years. Announced last fall, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said the archdiocese can’t maintain the roughly 200 existing parish buildings it has and is working to “right-size” the archdiocese, along with its personnel and financial resources.
Fournier said the draft models were developed by priests earlier this year and are being presented in listening sessions as proposals “meant to spark broader consultation with the faithful.” Each parish in the archdiocese is holding listening sessions this spring or early summer.
In other dioceses that have undergone restructuring processes like the Archdiocese of Detroit’s, as many as 20-40% of the initial models were changed as a result of parishioner feedback, Fournier said.
“That is why it is so important for Catholics to attend their parish listening sessions to view these models and provide their honest feedback, so informed adjustments can be made where necessary,” she said in an email.
One of the most heavily affected groupings is Planning Area 1, which includes west Detroit. Ten of its 13 parishes would not have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass in at least one of the model plans. They include Christ the King, Presentation/Our Lady of Victory, SS. Peter and Paul (Jesuit), SS. Peter and Paul (Westside), St. Charles Lwanga Church, St. Mary of Redford, St. Moses the Black Parish, St. Peter Claver Parish, St. Scholastica and St. Suzanne-Our Lady Gate of Heaven, all of which are in Detroit.
Planning Area 9, which includes southeastern Oakland County, has between 15 and 19 parishes, depending on the model. Ten of the parishes wouldn’t hold weekend Mass in at least one of the models. Four of them are in Troy.
They include St. Lucy in Troy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Troy, Christ Our Light in Troy, St. Thomas More in Troy, St. Owen in Bloomfield Township, Our Lady of La Salette in Berkley, Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Oak Park, St. Justin-St. Mary Magdalen in Hazel Park, St. Vincent Ferrer in Madison Heights and Divine Providence in Southfield.
Planning Area 10, which includes all of northern Oakland County and parts of western Oakland County, has 19 to 22 parishes, depending on the model. Seven would stop holding weekend Mass in at least one of the models, including St. Benedict in Waterford Township, St. Thomas More in Troy, Sacred Heart in Auburn Hills, St. John Fisher Chapel University Parish in Auburn Hills, St. Perpetua in Waterford Township, St. Rita in Holly and Prince of Peace in West Bloomfield Township.
Planning Area 12, which includes parts of southern and eastern Macomb County, has 16 parishes. Four Warren parishes and three Clinton Township parishes would stop holding Mass under the draft models.
St. Louise de Marillac in Warren wouldn’t hold Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in two of the three draft models presented by the archdiocese. Six other parishes would not hold weekend Mass in only one of the models, including St. Louis in Clinton Township, San Francesco in Clinton Township, St. Ronald in Clinton Township, St. Martin de Porres in Warren, St. Faustina in Warren and St. Mark in Warren.
Planning Area 13, which includes areas of central and northern Macomb County and a parish in Troy, has 14 or 16 parishes, depending on the draft model. Three parishes in the planning area wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models: St. Jane Frances de Chantal in Sterling Heights, St. Matthias in Sterling Heights and SS. John and Paul in Washington Township.
Amore said that if a church stops holding Sunday Mass, parishioners are encouraged to worship at other churches in their “pastorate,” which is a grouping of parishes overseen by a pastor. In the long term, the church building might close, or other sacramental celebrations might take place there, such as weddings and baptisms, he said.
The parish’s buildings could also be repurposed for other uses, such as religious education classes.
Fournier said the proposed models are meant to “foster discussion and discernment.”
“We encourage Catholics to stay engaged in the process, share their feedback honestly, and remember that the goal is not simply organizational change, but ensuring vibrant Catholic communities for future generations,” she said.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
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