an offer she couldn’t refuse 
— the opportunity to lead 
a station, something she’d 
always wanted to do. Drutz 
has received many hon-
ors for her work including 
Emmy Awards and being 
named Broadcasting & 
Cable’s General Manager 
of the Year. A multiplica-
tion buff, she figures she’s 
driven to and from work at 
least 20,000 times — even 
throughout the COVID-19 
pandemic — when she went 
to work every day to be 
alongside her team.
To celebrate her trailblaz-
ing, fearless and compas-

sionate leadership, Channel 
4 recently threw a retirement 
party for Drutz in a tent 
outside the station featuring 
an appearance by the Detroit 
Youth Choir of America’s Got 
Talent fame. She says she and 
her husband plan to stay in 
Detroit but will likely spend 
winters in a warmer climate. 
The next chapter of her 
career will focus on nonprof-
it work. 
“I have a strong desire to 
give back to the community, 
particularly helping Detroit-
area organizations,” she said. 
“This is a part of my life I’m 
really looking forward to.” 

Marla Drutz and 
Rhonda Walker at her 
retirement party

A

American journalist 
Danny Fenster is back 
home in Huntington 
Woods after having spent 176 
days in a Myanmar prison. 
 The good news came early 
Monday, Nov. 15, from for-
mer New Mexico governor 
Bill Richardson, who had been 
visiting the country on a human-
itarian mission regarding the 
COVID-19 pandemic. 
 A Myanmar military spokes-
person confirmed Fenster had 
been “released and deported.
” 
 According to a statement 
released by Richardson, Fenster 
traveled through Quatar on his 
multi-day journey back to the 
United States. 
 “This is the day that you 
hope will come when you do this 
work,
” Richardson said in a state-
ment emailed from his office. 
“We are so grateful that Danny 
will finally be able to reconnect 
with his loved ones, who have 
been advocating for him all this 
time, against immense odds.
” 
 Richardson is known for trav-
eling to nations where the U.S. 
has poor diplomatic relations to 
obtain the freedom of detained 
Americans. 
 

 The news came just days after 
Fenster, the managing editor of 
the online magazine Frontier 
Myanmar, was sentenced to 11 
years in prison by a military 
court for spreading false or 
inflammatory information, con-
tacting illegal organizations and 
violating visa regulations. 
 The Fenster family released the 
following in a statement: “We 
are overjoyed that Danny has 
been released and is on his way 
home — we cannot wait to hold 
him in our arms. 
 “We are tremendously grate-
ful to all the people who have 
helped secure his release, espe-
cially Ambassador Richardson, 
as well as our friends and the 
public who have expressed their 
support and stood by our sides 
as we endured these long and 
difficult months. 
 “I don’t know how we could 
ever express our gratitude. On 
behalf of the Fenster-Racey-
Kurzweil families, we say 
THANK YOU and we love you 
so much.
” 

The Detroit Jewish News is working 
on a full-length feature about Danny 
Fenster. Look for it in the Dec. 2 issue.

Journalist held in Myanmar prison is 
back home in Huntington Woods.

Welcome Home, 
Danny Fenster!

JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

NOVEMBER 18 • 2021 | 23

THE RICHARDSON CENTER

Former U..S 
Ambassador to the 
UN Bill Richardson, 
right, poses with 
journalist Danny 
Fenster in Naypyitaw, 
Myanmar, on Monday 
following his release 
from prison.

