By Melanie Deeds
Legal News
If timing really is everything, the Macomb County Bar Foundation was right on when it scheduled the return of its book club.
After being dormant many years, the Macomb Bar Book Club will start up again on Tuesday, Sept. 5 featuring three former members of the Detroit Lions. Just two days later, the Lions open regular season play against the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
“To have been selected for this showcase game demonstrates how far the Lions have come and how high expectations are this season,” said attorney Steve Steinhardt, who has organized such events in year’s past and is putting a new one together for this coming fall.
The discussion at the Barnes & Noble outlet on Hall Road in Shelby Township will focus on “Black and Honolulu Blue: In the Trenches of the NHL” by Keith Dorney.
Dorney. a two-time All-American lineman at Penn State, played with the Lions from 1979 to 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1982. Joining Dorney will be local attorney and former NFL player Rich Strenger along with former teammate Ron Rubick.
Strenger was an All-Big Ten Conference tackle at the University of Michigan. He played with the Lions from 1983 until 1987.
Rubick, a tight end, played for the Lions from 1982 to 1988.
The event is free and open to the public. The former Lions will sign copies of Dorney’s book starting at 6:30 p.m. with the discussion to follow.
A review on Amazon describes the autobiography as one that “articulately and candidly explores life in the trenches of college and professional football. Dorney has produced a groundbreaking work that will change the way you think about life in the NFL.”
The book’s foreword is written by NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
“Even if you are not the biggest of football fans, you’ll have trouble putting it down,” Montana writes. “It is a fun, insightful, action-packed and at times hilarious read, and it leaves you craving for more.”
Angela Medley, foundation president, is pleased that the book club is back, noting the series is one of a variety of events that the foundation is planning to organize in the coming months.
“Our intention is to do a book club gathering every month,” she said. “It’s so good that in-person events are coming back.
“People can come and listen, engage and enjoy. There’s no obligation to buy anything. It’s just an opportunity to hear from some pretty cool speakers.”
Steinhardt is encouraging all members of the bar, their friends and relatives as well as members of the public to attend the discussion and celebrate the new football season.
He’s also hard at work on filling out the rest of the Book Club calendar of events.
In October, Steinhardt has lined up author and journalist Jack Lessenberry to discuss two of his recent books: Reason vs. Racism, the story of how a newspaper chair covered and dealt with questions of race; and Thinking About the Other Fella, the life and legacy of the late U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn.
Medley noted that the book club and other events such as Mock Trial High School Tournament and elementary school reading programs are all part of the foundation’s mission “to identify, initiate and support law related education projects and programs for the betterment of the community.”
She just took over at the helm of the foundation in July but Medley has all sorts of plans for the organization during her year as president.
The foundation implemented a reading program in Macomb County elementary schools last year and Medley is hoping to get that going again this fall, tying it to Constitution Day observations in September.
'It is so good to get people together again. During Covid, we had Law Day activities as well as the Mock Trial program by Zoom,” Medley said. “Those were very good alternatives so we could keep the kids engaged but it’s really nice to be able to actually visit and work in person again.”
Medley was quick to point out the level of support that judges in the area provide to foundation programs.
“We have such great judges in Macomb County,” she said. “While we were doing programs on Zoom, members of the bench came forward and took part. The children were thrilled that they received their awards from an actual judge.”
Judges from throughout Macomb County are substantially involved in the Mock Trial tournament and have participated as well as speakers and presenters in previous book club events.
“We are so very happy about our judge’s involvement,” Medley said.
Looking forward herself to participating in some of the upcoming events with students, Medley shared one of her own enjoyable experiences.
As part of a Law Day Poster and Essay Contest, Medley was given the opportunity to take part in an awards presentation at an area elementary school.
“It was such fun,” she said. “When you hand a second-grader a $50 bill, it’s pretty exciting.”
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