Citizens for a Fair Ferndale Honor 'Good Neighbors'

We probably know a few people who make our lives better. But other than a handshake or hug, have you ever truly shown them what they mean to you? Tuesday night, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) held its sixth Good Neighbor Awards to formally honor these people and tell them just how much they enrich our lives.

The event, which first took place in 2004, packed the with honorees, family, friends and, of course, neighbors. CFF Chairwoman Kat Bruner James explained the impetus for the awards: 

"The mission of CFF is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors, regardless of (their differences)," she said. "And we need to recognize the people who embody this mission in their everyday lives –  (the people who do it) not for the recognition, not for a pat on the back, but because that's who they are." 

After a greeting from Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter and a showcase of the GO Comedy! team's talents, awards were handed out to 12 deserving honorees:

Robert Babut: Babut was honored for his more than 25 years of volunteer work for local elections, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and AIDS communities and, most recently, his work as treasurer of FernCare, the local free clinic.

Mark Cohen: Cohen is known on West Maplehurst for his work helping make the block a "Slow Zone," the way he watches out for the many young children in the neighborhood and for his grand Fourth of July fireworks display.

Carol Frederick: Frederick has many years of volunteerism on her résumé, including several as president of the Ferndale PTA, as well as work for the and the Ferndale School Board. Frederick said she lives by the motto, "Leave something better than you found it."

Ernie Hassan: Anyone who has ever ventured into the tiny brick building at Pearson and Republic, on the border of Ferndale and Oak Park, knows exactly who Ernie Hassan is. The outgoing owner of Ernie's Market greets everyone who comes through the door with a loud shout of "Hey, baby!" Hassan, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Lois, and two of his longtime employees, was humbled but grateful for the award. "It's wonderful, baby!" he said. "It's an honor. We're trying to make our community one of the best there is. But just like Elvis said to Pat Boone when he performed with him, 'I don't consider myself a star. You're the star.' Other people are the stars, baby."

Ryan Humphreys: The lone teenager among the honorees, senior Ryan Humphreys was honored for giving scores of hours of his time to help neighbors fix their homes. In addition to that, he is also an organizer for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and he is joining the U.S. Air Force after he graduates.

Brandon Lampkin: Lampkin sat in the GO Comedy! Improv Theatre surrounded by his fellow Ferndale mail carriers and they were constantly bombarded by greetings of thanks from the Ferndale residents they serve. He was introduced not only as the organizer of his mail route's annual food drive and someone who looks out for the kids on his route, but as an accomplished rollerskater, a jokester and a big kid himself. In accepting his award, Lampkin said, "The people of Ferndale are the most underrated people in the world."

Tom Lyons and Ronnie Garnsey: Lyons and Garnsey were not able to attend the award ceremony, but were honored nonetheless for their unwavering support of their elderly neighbor who suffers from cancer. The pair, who both live in the same apartment building on Bermuda, bring groceries to their grateful neighbor, help her with apartment upkeep and even drive her to doctor visits when they can. 

Julia Music: Music was honored for her dedication to several local organizations, including the Steppin' Out AIDS Walk, the Ferndale Community Foundation and the upcoming Ferndale Pride Fest. She has also founded the Ferndale Adoption Network, a Facebook group supporting other adoptive parents in the area and those looking for help with the adoption process. (Music and her husband are proud adoptive parents.)

Frank O'Donnell and Helen Weber: This married couple, who have enjoyed more than 100 years in Ferndale between the two of them, were given the night's only standing ovation. O'Donnell and Weber have been involved in so many causes over the years they could only be counted by tallying up the number of buttons in a huge plastic bin on the podium. They have fought against racism and homophobia, worked on the school board and city council and with Citizens for Better Education.  They credit their progressive spirit to their fathers; Frank's helped integrate Detroit's auto factories. On stage, Frank also gave thanks right back to CFF, saying the group's "incredible tradition of supporting human rights is a great inspiration to Helen and I." 

Crystal Proxmire: You may know Proxmire as the inquisitive reporter around town who isn't from Ferndale Patch. Her website, The Ferndale 115 News, does essentially what we do here (i.e. cover local news), but she was doing it even before we did and she does it all by herself. "I was sick of the way the mainstream media had gotten so commercialized," Proxmire said before the awards ceremony. "I wanted to connect people." She has certainly accomplished her goal. In June 2009, she started with 184 unique readers, and now she has 5,000. "That's more than the number of people who vote in Ferndale!" Proxmire said. "And from the responses I get, I know they really value (what I do)."

Past honoree Laura Bellamy, who nominated mail carrier Lampkin, had tears in her eyes during much of the ceremony, especially when it was announced that high school student Humphreys had decided to join the Air Force. "These people are examples of community members that make Ferndale great," she said after the event concluded. "CFF (and the community) chose a few, but there are more. Lots more."

As Mayor Coulter said, " What's really special about Ferndale is the people."

Keep your good neighbors in mind for next year's CFF Good Neighbor awards and nominate them at fairferndale.org.