Friendship Circle volunteer Jenna Krinsky, 17, gives style to Emily Klein, 10,
both ofWest Bloomfield.

The 6,500-square-foot lower level,
called Weinberg Village, is a real work-
ing city, with a pet shop, a beauty
shop staffed by volunteer stylists and
manicurists, a Say-on drugstore, a
coin-operated laundry, a 22-seat movie
theater, a Henry Ford Medical -Center
office, a library-museum, a
Huntington Bank, a garage-body shop
for the battery-operated cars, and a
park complete with water fountain, ice
cream stand and park bench. Muds
hang in the sky and, at night, the sky
dims and streetlights cast their glow.
"The traffic lights really work so the
kids can learn how to cross the street
safely, and jaywalkers will be ticketed,"
said Bassie Shemtov. "This is not a
museum. Everything is real. The ATM
machine works, there are live animals
in the pet shop and kids can see actual
movies in the theater. It's a place
where children can learn real life skills,
a steppingstone to the outside world."
Special education students visiting
LifeTown will use a custom curricu-
lum developed by the Wayne State
University Department of Education
in Detroit. The Friendship Circle will
expand its volunteer corps to include
adults who will be trained to help chil-
dren use the facility.
The lower level includes a 4,000-
square-foot multipurpose room —
with a "cheese pit," an in-ground
trampoline, a convertible stage and a
warming kitchen — to be used for
sports activities and other special
events. Two bar mitzvah parties
already have been booked for this year.
"We want everyone to realize the

Ariel Adler, 10, of Farmington Hills puts money in the meter as volunteer Max
Braverman, 17, ofWest Bloomfield watches the Hummer.

gifts these kids have to offer," said
Bassie Shemtov. "We're all about
friendship."
Rochelle Adler of Farmington Hills,
whose 10-year-old son, Ariel, has been
involved with the Friendship Circle
for the past four years, is very excited
about the opening of the new build-
ing.
"It's a place our kids can call home,
where they can feel comfortable with-
out being judged, a place where they
can feel unconditional love and sup-
port," Adler said.
The Friendship Circle volunteers
and their "special friends" eagerly
anticipate using the new building.
"I can't wait till we can go to
LifeTown, to have a place with all this
great stuff that's really ours," said
Rachel Felsenfeld, age 10, of
Farmington Hills, who has developed
a close friendship over the last three
years with her volunteer, liana. Anders,
also of Farmington Hills.

Wish List Complete

The idea began more than five years
ago when Andy Jacob, Friendship
Circle supporter and a partner in the
LoanGiant mortgage company, offered
to finance a playground for the organi-
zation, after being involved in a simi-
lar project in Israel.
After the plans evolved from a play-
ground to a park, it was decided that a
building, which could be utilized year-
round without regard to Michigan

Julie Burnett, Deni Ambrose, 12, and Robert Fiche
all ofWest Bloomfield, show off
the pet shop animals to
Maggie and Kailey Egrin, 4, of Huntington Woods.

