Sixty years after voters narrowly approved the first millage to establish Oakland County Parks, officials say the system is undergoing a fundamental shift. 

County officials recently unveiled a plan to revamp and grow its parks system. It’s called Mission 26 and it aims to help the county’s residents easily access the outdoors, especially in urban areas.

The focus on reshaping the county’s parks is funded by a public millage passed in 2024.

Oakland County Parks Director Chris Ward says it’s a green vision for the county’s future. “We know people are struggling financially, but the fact that they, you know, demonstrated such overwhelming support for that proposal shows how deeply people in this county value recreation and the outdoors,” Ward says. 

The county is expanding urban partnerships, including at Pontiac Oaks County Park, and plans to open Oak Park Woods at Sheppard Park and convert a Southfield golf course into a nature preserve. 

The county also launched the Co-Creation Lab to allow residents to help guide the future of the parks system through a new online portal, 

If parks are considered part of the county’s preventive health and wellness infrastructure, Ward says their success must be measured by how actively they are used.

“Empty parking lots represent a missed opportunity to reach people,” Ward says.

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

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music a couple cuts from a fascinating new album from Kronos Quartet and Mahalia Jackson, featuring her amazing singing and in conversation with Studs Terkel in 1963.

Also, new Detroit tunes from Dames Brown, The Legal Matters, another Nick Piunti preview, the duo Rosetta Pebble and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for January 31, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Against The Dying Of The Light” – Jose Gonzalez
• “(It Takes All Kinds) To Make A World” – Gail Ann Dorsey
• “The Stars Are Out Tonight” – David Bowie
• “Opening Night” – Arctic Monkeys
• “Hold On” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet
  
• “What Would You Do” – Dames Brown
• “Rendevouz” – Will Sessions + Dames Brown, Amp Fiddler
  
• “I Got You” – Tedeschi Trucks Band
  
• “I Wish You Love” – Frank Sinatra
• “Stay Away” – Charles Bradley
• “Can’t Hold Us” – Sampa The Great
  
• “Handshake Deal” – Nick Piunti
  
• “Get On The Right Thing” – Wings
  

• “Music Always” – AV & The Inner City
• “Perfect Day” – Al Green w/Raye
• “2Sided” – Arlo Parks
• “Sweet Love” – Stephen Sanchez
• “The Message” – The Legal Matters
• “Chicago” – Mavis Staples
  
• “In The Saddle” – Whitney
• “Practice” – Jamila Woods w/Saba
• “Your Old Stand By” – Mary Wells
• “Disco Life” – Say She She
• “Bend In The River” – Rosetta Pebble
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
• “Shapes & Sizes” – Joan Armatrading & The Kronos Quartet
• “This World Will Make You Think” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today we hear a story from Jerome Vaughn.   

October 2025 marked the 20^th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ death. She was 92 when she died in her Detroit home in 2005. WDET’s Jerome Vaughn covered the story at the time and WDET aired that story this fall to commemorate Parks’ life and passing. 

This is just part of Jerome Vaughn’s story commemorating the life and passing of Rosa Parks. You can hear the full story at wdet.org. 

Adults have a lot of options for ringing in the New Year. But we have some events to help little ones get in on the fun.

The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Legoland in Auburn Hills and United Skates in Lincoln Park are just some places with Noon Year’s Eve festivities for the whole family offered mid-day on Wednesday.

Find a link to Little Guide Detroit’s roundup of kid-friendly parties at littleguidedetroit.com. (https://littleguidedetroit.com/kid-friendly-new-years-eve-events-in-metro-detroit-2025/)  

The Detroit Film Theatre will screen three documentary shorts about Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty on Saturday, Jan. 3. The films will explore modern and historic gardening practices, an effort to restore the whitefish population and one woman’s journey to reconnect with her own heritage through the experience of harvesting wild rice.

The screening is at 2 p.m. on Jan. 3 and is scheduled as the DIA’s exhibit, Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation, is on display until April 5^th. The film and exhibit are free to residents of Wayne… Oakland and Macomb Counties – or free with museum admission. For more information, visit dia.org/events. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.