Pontiac Oaks Park reopens after $3 million restoration

28 July 2026 at 19:37

Officials in Oakland County and Pontiac are celebrating the completion of a $3 million renovation of Pontiac Oaks Park, turning a once-neglected city park into a cleaner, more welcoming place for families to enjoy.

The park, previously called Hawthorne Park, had problems with illegal trash dumping and run down facilities. Oakland County Parks Planning Supervisor Simon Rivers explains that the county worked closely with local residents to find out what improvements the community really wanted.

“There was a lot of trash and illegal dumping,” Rivers said. “The fishing pier was in bad shape, and the playground was falling apart in several spots.”

The county partnered with the city to restore the area. Pontiac will keep ownership of the park, while the county takes over maintenance and construction of new facilities.

Rivers mentions that upgrades include fixing up the popular fishing pier, renovating the bathrooms, adding new playground equipment, and expanding the disc golf course.

“We’re making improvements that the community actually wants to see, instead of trying to do things we think are best,” Rivers said.

Pontiac Oaks is one of several parks being renewed across the county.

Rivers also says there are plans to improve parks in Southfield, Madison Heights, and Waterford.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

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The post Pontiac Oaks Park reopens after $3 million restoration appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

MichMash: What is your favorite state park?

WDET 101.9 FM

Hernz Laguerre

3 July 2026 at 12:06

It’s the 4th of July weekend and many Michiganders are celebrating by going to their favorite parks to go swimming, hiking, camping and fishing. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss the recent investments put into parks. They are joined by Kristen Kosick. She is the chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation division.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode

How did the American Rescue Plan Act affect Michigan state parks?
Which parks are getting massive renovations?
Michigan’s state park infrastructure over the years.

Mentioned in the episode:

‘Monumental’ upgrades at Michigan state parks are nearly complete—here’s where $273M went by Lindsay Moore

Kosick share that Governor Whitmer helped them with the Building Michigan Together Plan. This plan is a $250 million dollar federal relief program to help tackle the backlog of critical infrastructure needs in our state parks system.

Kosick shared this plan helped in multiple ways. “There was a lot of utility upgrades, water improvements upgrades, electrical upgrades at our campgrounds. These are things that visitors may not be able to physically see, but are so foundational to the work we do in our parks and to all the visitor services that we provide.”

According to Kosick, these backlog projects were a huge focus to the improvement plans. The plan also helped address aging historic structures, camping facilities, parking lots, and more.

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The post MichMash: What is your favorite state park? appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: American history and youth coaching collide at Motown

WDET 101.9 FM

Tia Graham

2 July 2026 at 19:00

Though Clark Park became famous for hosting ice hockey during the winter, they are teaming up alongside Chandler Park with Motown Lacrosse to teach children box lacrosse this summer.

For those unfamiliar, founder of Motown Lacrosse Liam Mcllroy says, “it’s a more fun version to train and compete in.”

As the U.S. celebrates a 250th birthday, these practices also serve as a secret history lesson; lacrosse began on Native American soil before the country was founded. “Lacrosse is the oldest team sport here in America,” says Mcllroy. He’s excited to be leading the next generation through the sport.

He joins The Metro to discuss the dynamics of box lacrosse from the costs to the indigenous roots behind the game.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts

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