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The Oakland County Health Division’s website for information related to COVID-19 vaccines, www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com, remains the best resource for residents to stay up to date regarding vaccinations in Oakland County. The site allows visitors to find vaccine providers in their communities and access current information about eligibility and distribution.
The county is also hosting Save Your Spot Community Clinics throughout the month, and those who live, work or study in Oakland County can make appointments or walk-in for vaccinations. In addition, the county will be giving away $50 gift cards to those receiving their first dose of the vaccine until 70 percent of Oakland County residents are vaccinated.
For locations and clinic dates visit www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to allocate more than $27 million of the county’s initial share of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) at its meeting June 30. This first round of funding will address urgent pandemic related needs in mental health, housing, business and workforce assistance.
Congress has allocated more than $244 million of ARP funds to Oakland County of which it has received the first disbursement of $122 million. The ARP established the following high-level categories for authorized use of state and local governments to use the funds to support public health expenditures, address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers, and invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/1stARPOC.
The Oakland County Fair is returning to Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg July 9-18.
This year’s theme is “Best Day Ever,” and it will feature a variety of special day celebrations throughout the 10-day event. Highlights include hermit crab races, a balloon artist show, high dive performances, a stilt walker, racing pigs, the Miracle of Birth Barn, a butterfly exhibit, fair food, a carnival and livestock.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Oakland County Fair at Springfield Oaks County Park, however the original Oakland County fair dates to the 1880s when it was established by the Milford Agricultural Society. During its early years, the fair was a place where the community could gather and engage in social commerce activities. Today, the fair serves a similar purpose, offering educational opportunities, a way for children and adults to connect with animals and agriculture and old-fashioned family-friendly entertainment.
In addition to the exhibits and livestock displays, there are many main arena events, including figure 8 races, an off-road derby, free movie night, an ATV and UTV obstacle course and demolition, and much more.
Fair hours are 9 a.m.-11 p.m. daily; except Sunday, July 18 when the fair closes at 7 p.m. Carnival hours are 1-11 p.m. weekdays; and noon-11 p.m. weekends, except Sunday, July 18 when the fair closes at 7 p.m. The daily entry fee is $12/vehicle; $6/motorcycle; and $6/person walking in.
Oakland County Parks and Recreation is a Presenting Sponsor of the fair, and entry is free for those with an Oakland County Parks and Recreation 2021 Annual Vehicle Permit on Friday, July 9 and Thursday, July 15. Additional fees apply for arena shows and carnival rides.
For a complete fair schedule and more information, visit www.OakFair.org.
Funds are available to assist residents with rent and/or utilities. Those interested can call 888-441-1742 or print an application at www.oaklandhomeless.org/cera.
In addition, the Oakland County Neighborhood & Housing Development Division has dedicated federal CARES Act funding to help pay past due rent, mortgage and/or utilities. The Oakland County Neighborhood & Housing Development Division can be reached at 248-858-0730, OCHousingRelief@oakgov.com or www.oakgov.com/RMU.
Those facing eviction, or who have a court order or judgment, can contact the Legal Aid Defenders Association at 313-967-5555 or Lakeshore Legal Aid at 888-783-8190 for assistance.
An assessment of the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center has come to a close and several of the resulting recommendations are being considered and implemented.
Following the independent assessment, the shelter is in the process of instituting a community cat program that ensures community cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and ear tipped. Intake priorities at the shelter have changed to provide additional options to owners who are considering surrendering their pet. The shelter has joined Adopt-a-Pet.com to help promote animals available for adoption and will increase collaboration with other shelters in the area. Additionally, staff will participate in a “fear free” training to reduce anxiety for animals when they are brought into the shelter.
In June 2020, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution authorizing a shelter assessment of the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center to provide an outside, independent review of the facilities and operations, offer suggestions for improvement and make policy recommendations to align with animal welfare/sheltering best practices. The resolution was adopted based on the recommendation of the bipartisan Oakland County Animal Welfare Study Group. Assessments of animal shelters often result in helping more pets and people in the community.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/SheltAsmt21.
There have been several changes to Oakland County’s Legal Resources Center’s (LRC) operations.
The LRC is permanently closed to in-person visitors and will continue to serve its clients virtually. Assistance is currently available by phone and email only, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The center will continue to host Legal Aid Clinics with schedules posted to its website (www.oakgov.com/lrc). For any additional questions or for assistance, please email oclib@oakgov.com or call 248-858-0012.
There are dozens of available positions around and within the county as hiring continues for full-time, part-time and seasonal summer jobs. Those interested can visit www.oakgov.com/hr for more information about available roles and benefits.
In addition, the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency is looking to fill several positions, including many for childcare workers. Those interested can visit www.olhsa.org/careers for more information.
European frog-bit, an invasive aquatic plant, has been found in stormwater ponds, wetlands and drains in the Novi area.
The plant, which resembles miniature water lilies, can be moved from one body of water to another when its small seeds or plant fragments attach to wildlife, boats or recreational gear.
To prevent widespread infestation, it is important to identify and manage infested areas. The Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area is leading European frog-bit management efforts in the Novi area and is seeking permission from people to survey waters on their properties. Surveys are free to landowners in the project area, which includes Farmington, Farmington Hills, Lyon Township, Novi, South Lyon, Walled Lake, Wixom, Wolverine Lake and parts of Commerce, Milford and West Bloomfield townships.
Anyone interested in arranging a survey can contact Emily Messick at EMessick@sixriversrlc.org or 248-660-0240. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/OCFrogBitSurv.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners website, Facebook page and commissioner e-newsletters are three great ways for residents to stay engaged with the Board. By visiting www.oakgov.com/boc, constituents can watch Board and committee meetings and access the latest news, meeting calendars, information about commissioners and more. Constituents can also sign up for their commissioner’s e-newsletter by clicking “Sign Up for my Newsletter” on the commissioner’s county website. They can find their commissioner by using the “Find Your Commissioner" map on the BOC website. In addition, they can “Like” @oakgov.boc on Facebook to see the Board’s latest press releases, meet commissioners meet commissioners, learn about events going on around the county and more.
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