Bayberry Farms - WKTV Journal

Sgt. Brian Look (center) and Office Ben Durian (left) meet with Bayberry manager Shake Broukian and residents Joyce Driesens, and Sandra Moulds (Photo by Catherine Kooyers)

There was standing room only at the Coffee with a Cop held in the Bayberry Farms Village Community Room on Wed., Jan. 31, following a residents’ meeting. Wyoming police officers and residents gathered together in a friendly, sometimes serious, often jovial, respectful manner. Over coffee, cake and ice cream they discussed the roles of officers and citizens, current citywide concerns, neighborhood concerns as well as a question and answer session. Who knew we had so many secret comedians in Wyoming!?! The officers will be holding gatherings like these across the city on a regular basis.

As an officer said, with so much negativity in the news, many people see a cruiser and immediately think the worst or become fearful. We, at Bayberry, hope to soften that in our community. These coffees will allow residents to see the human side of officers, get to know who is covering their area, who to go to with concerns or compliments. Meanwhile, the coffee allows officers to meet the people they represent and protect while seeing that many in the community do appreciate and support law enforcement. July of 2016, Bayberry Farms Village suffered a serious fire that displaced many residents. Firefighters and officers were there to breakdown doors and help. So this also allowed many residents to reconnect with heroes they saw in action that day or have met at other times. I will add as a victim of that fire, seeing the firefighters and first responders I knew as we fought together to get residents to safety was comforting and welcomed. We hope to share that same sense of peace with those who see an officer pull up in a cruiser…not fear.

The issue of people with fall buttons (alarms that alert a company in an emergency) came up and some wondered how LEOs get in if their doors are locked. On a lighter note, it was made clear these LEOs do not hesitate or mind kicking down a door or breaking a window to save a life. The officers made it clear, if they know someone is in need of help — they WILL get in. That struck a chord with many. You see, after the Bayberry fire, there were dozens and dozens of damaged doors as firefighters and officers risked their lives knocking them down as the fire and smoke raged. In the end, they did a thorough search and rescue of trapped, hiding people and pets so all were accounted for.

With seniors, medications were a top concern. Of course one should be careful with what they order online. Many top drugs are made in areas that were hardest hit by hurricanes. Many drug production plants were damaged or destroyed, impacting the quality of items in their production system. That could mean some of those drugs entering Michigan are cheaper but it also means they may have been contaminated, exposed to extreme heat, spoiled or worse. So, it is wise to deal with a reputable company now more than ever.

One of the most discussed concerns was disposal of old or unneeded medications and prescriptions. The discussion started with the fact that a medicine is only to be used by the person it is prescribed for. It is not to be shared with family or friends, no matter how well-intended. In fact, some stories were shared about people who meant well, but those meds ended up harming the person they were meant to help. Clearly, prescriptions are not inherited by family when someone dies or does not need them any longer. Those must be disposed of.

So then, how does one dispose of meds in Wyoming if they do not go in the sewer system or the dumpster? Surprisingly, quite a few people did not know and thanked us afterwards for the information. The officers conscientiously advised of the hazards of dumping materials, like prescriptions, down the toilet…how those end impacting the water system. That requires extra testing and treatment to clean the water and keep it safe. Many residents were surprised to learn just how state-of-the-art water testing is in Wyoming, to the point they can track chemicals back to their sources. in most cases. Like one person dumped paint in the sewer system and that was traced back to the actual home. So, the officer discussed the preferred method of disposal is to removal all labels and identifiers, then take the meds to the Wyoming Police Department, Walgreens or Family Fare. Those places have programs in place to safely collect the meds and properly dispose of them. They are NOT accepted at the fire stations, despite rumors to the contrary.

There was also considerable discussion about registering all cell phones with the new Smart 911 system. This way assistance is faster during a crisis. From the meeting: bottom line, if not registered yet, do it!

Bottom line, this was a fantastic opportunity for the police and citizens to sit, chat, discuss mutual issues of concerns, express compliments and work together for a safer, calmer community. Bayberry residents thank the officers who visited and Chief James Carmody for helping to arrange for this to happen.

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Two special luncheons were not only designed to say thank you to the many first responders who helped with a July 15 fire, but also an opportunity for residents of Bayberry Farms Apartments to heal.

“We really wanted to show our appreciation for all that the Wyoming police officers and firefighters did for us,” said Catherine Kooyers, a resident of Bayberry Farms Apartments and one of the organizers of the event that took place earlier this month.

“By being able to say thank you, the residents are able to put closure on what happened and heal from the entire event.”

It was July 15 when a call went out that there was a fire at the Bayberry Farms Apartments, a Wyoming senior-living complex located at 2520 56th St. SW. “Earlier that day, we had just had the fire department here but it turned out to be nothing,” Kooyers said. However, the mid-afternoon fire was much more serious as smoke started to fill the apartment complex. Kooyers, who lives in an apartment that was near where the fire started, ran through the building knocking on doors and trying to get people out.

“Because of the earlier incident, some people didn’t think the second situation was all that serious,” Kooyers said.

Along with tenants, firefighters and police, workers from the nearby businesses came over to help with the evacuation.

“I heard a knock on the door but didn’t pay that much attention to it,” said resident Ellen Vining. “I heard another knock, much harder and decided I needed to answer it.

“There was a young lady telling me that I needed to get out. She was all dressed in blue so I thought she was one of the firefighters.”

Vining later learned that person was a Monelli’s employee who was coming in for her shift when she saw the smoke and came over to help.

“I learned a very valuable lesson that day,” Vining said with a chuckle. “Don’t ignore a knock on the door.”

Because of the organization of the tenants it made it easier for the department to assess who was missing which in turned meant the lost of only a pet, said Wyoming Deputy Chief Brian Bennett. Three people were taken to the hospital to be checked out. Three units suffered the most damage with the entire building having smoke and water damage.

It has taken several months, but most of the residents have been able to move back home and with the fire behind them, the tenants felt now was a good time to show their appreciation to the police officers and firefighters with the special luncheons.

“It is always nice when you are able to come back and visit with those who you were able to help and learn what has happened since the fire,” Bennett said. “A lot of times, we are in and out and we do not get that chance to talk to the residents and see how they are doing afterwards.”

“I am so impressed with all of them,” Vining said. “They all have such compassion which I guess that is why they became firefighters.”