Berkley Budget Audit, School Reform Bills, Michigan-to-Wisconsin Trail and More News This Week

We shared a lot of good information last week and want to make sure you didn't miss a thing, so here are some highlights.

• Holiday Lights Parade in Pictures: The festivities Saturday kicked off the season of celebration in Berkley. Check out our snapshots from the day and upload yours, too!
• Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain: The holiday season is here. These tips from Beaumont Health System could help you prevent packing on unnecessary pounds.
• Who's Hiring in Oakland County This Week: Are you looking for a job and don't mind traveling a bit from home? We've found a dozen jobs available from around Oakland County, from a private chef in Birmingham to a massage therapist in Rochester.
• Rep. Sander Levin's Staff to Hold Community Office Hours Tuesday: Stop by to learn about assistance the lawmaker's office can provide, to share your opinion on a federal issue, or just to say hello from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Huntington Woods Public Library.
• Santa's Mailbox is Accepting Letters in Berkley: Kids – both naughty and nice – may drop off their wish lists leading up to Christmas Eve. Leave a comment to share which presents your little ones are hoping for this year!
• 5 Tips for Handling Grief During the Holidays: Bereavement counselor will share lessons he learned after losing his wife to cancer during a free community event at 7 p.m. Dec. 11.
• Proposed Michigan-to-Wisconsin Trail Unveiled: Gov. Rick Snyder has called for a 599-mile path through the state to showcase Michigan's "pristine" scenery.
• Garage Grill & Fuel Bar Opens; Pete's Place Closes; Steakhouse to Replace Max & Erma's; and More Restaurant News: Sip and savor your way around Oakland County's new eateries and find out what's coming to town and which old favorites have closed.

[Sign up for the Berkley Patch e-mail newsletter to get the latest updates all week.]

• : Affiliates across the country have chosen to change their titles, but the Royal Oak-based cancer support community opts to continue to honor the legacy of the comedian with Michigan roots.
• Berkley Receives National Recognition for 2012 Budget: The Government Finance Officers Association gives the city its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for completing Berkley's first Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
• Tweeter Gets Wish: 'I Want My Life Narrated by Voice from Beaumont Hospital Commercials': Beaumont shows its heart (and humor) with its response to a Twitter request.
• Berkley 'Squeaked By' in 2012 Fiscal Year: Attention to expenditures, increased fees, limits on legacy costs and efforts to capture state-shared revenue helped the city increase its general fund balance by approximately $400,000, according to its annual audit.
• Help Drive Woodward Avenue Public Transit Plan: Berkley and Huntington Woods residents are invited to learn about and discuss the ongoing Woodward Rapid Transit Alternatives Analysis Study during an open house Monday, Dec. 3.
• : The following information was supplied by the Berkley Public Safety Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.
• Hogger's BBQ Won't Reopen After All – At Least For Now: A last-minute lease dispute put the brakes on plans to revive the popular Berkley eatery, co-owner says.
• : The Patch Fights Hunger initiative spurred 119 people in 30 Patch cities to donate to Gleaners Community Food Bank this holiday season. Huntington Woods-Berkley Patch readers contributed $288.
• : Stick to your budget and make it personal by giving a present that you've created. Leave a comment to share your favorite suggestions, Berkley and Huntington Woods!
• : A man was hospitalized and released after a single-vehicle crash Saturday that sheered off a utility pole at the corner, according to the Berkley Public Safety Department.
• : Voting is open through Dec. 19 in the Clorox Company's fourth annual Power A Bright Future program. The funds would be used to buy carts on wheels with iPads to increase students' access to technology.
• : Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for your local school district and $500 to pay your electric bills!
• : Presents that let your loved ones escape the digital world are available throughout Berkley and Huntington Woods. Check out our suggestions and leave a comment to add your own!