Macomb Exec. Hackel Names Peregrine Falcons

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel had the distinct honor of assisting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to name and band two new male Peregrine Falcons on the morning of Friday, May 25.

The falcons of the Macomb County Circuit Court building have a significant history. The nesting pair was reported on the Macomb County website on June 1 2005. You can also find more falcon news, videos and photos there.

Just about 30 days old, the chicks were hatched to parents Hathor and Nick in the beginning of May atop the Old County Building in downtown Mount Clemens.

The first was named Otis after 94-year-old Otis Hopson, who has worked as a shoe shiner in the lobby of the Macomb County Circuit Court in downtown Mount Clemens for the past 20 years. Hopson has lived in Mount Clemens for 88 years.

The second chick was named Webber after Wayne and Joan Webber, a Chesterfield Township couple who head the Webber Foundation, which has generously benefited a number of educational, medical and other causes in the tri-county area for years. Wayne Webber is the former owner of W.W. Webber Inc., a highway construction firm that was sold in 2005. He still runs other business in Michigan and Texas, but his primary focus is pursuing philanthropic endeavors through the foundation.

"Otis and the Webbers are fine examples of people who make up the fabric of what Macomb County is all about," said Hackel.

The falcons of the Macomb County Circuit Court building have a significant history. The nesting pair was reported on their website on June 1 2005.

The Peregrine remains protected federally under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In Michigan, Peregrines remain listed as an endangered species under state law.