Detroit : In the News

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• It is an investment in a Michigan company;
• The investment comes from an all-Michigan VC team;
• It is an investment in Michigan-grown technology developed in one of the state's premier research institutions—one that deals with real-life cancer cases every day.

This new installment of PBS's "Blueprint America" project, Monday night on most stations, is about plans to revitalize Detroit by reviving its once thriving but now nearly nonexistent public transportation system (which was, of course, destroyed by the hometown auto industry). But despite all the earnest talk of light rail getting people back downtown, what lingers are the eerily quiet images of the former Motor City.

It's one thing to know that Detroit's population is half what it was in the 1950s. It's quite another to see the scruffy green acres within the city limits, block after block of what used to be neighborhoods and now are weed patches and incipient forests, devoid of people unless they've bedded down in the tall grass where we can’t see them.

As the city dissolves back into the landscape, analysts discuss the possibility of forcing the few still living in the empty zones to move into more densely populated areas so the city can cut back on utilities and police services. Others advocate large-scale urban farming.

That tool is the land bank, an idea gaining national attention for its positive impact on urban blight and abandonment at a time when most cities are dealing with more foreclosures.

Instead of selling abandoned or foreclosed structures at auction, the city or county creates a land bank of properties. Some homes are fixed up and sold. The worst of the homes are demolished, and the land is then sold to nearby homeowners or developers, explains Genesee County (Mich.) Treasurer Dan Kildee, who started that county's land bank.

Read the entire article here.

"Gas prices hit $4 a gallon last year and will go up again," he said. "If we can make it so that commuter rail is faster and cheaper and you won't have to pay to park your car, then people will definitely ride."

The Detroit Department of Transportation predicts 20,000 daily riders on the Woodward line by 2030, with 11,100 roundtrips per day. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) estimates 5,800 daily riders for the Ann Arbor-Detroit line, with four round trips daily.

Rep. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, whose district includes part of the proposed Woodward Avenue rail route, said it's important for both projects to become a reality. "They are separate plans, but they show regional cooperation."

Businesses would move close to the rail routes and the region would be "more attractive to live, work, and play," he said.

In Livingston County, we need to pay attention to Jackson. The region is defined to outsiders by Detroit. As Jackson says, outside of our immediate area, the Detroit brand is far more recognizable than the Michigan brand.

Today, you won’t see much real racing on Woodward, and the Detroit Three are fighting their battles in other arenas. You will see some machinery that is obviously built more for go than show, and quiet negotiations are sometimes conducted at the side of the road. But if races take place, they’re probably held in some obscure and distant place.

For most Detroiters, Woodward is more about entertainment than competition. And perhaps more about the past and the future than the moment. Today, Woodward is the cruise, the party, the celebration and the affirmation. It’s a place where car folk can go to dream about the way things were and hope for better days. It’s the beating heart of the American automobile business.

Outland grew up in Grosse Pointe, where her parents still live. Last September, the couple moved to Michigan so their two girls, ages 5 and 10, could start school. They rented an apartment while they searched for a house.

They ended up finding a three-bedroom, 2 1/2 -bath brick colonial in Grosse Pointe Park for $260,000 this spring. And it is just down the street from Outland's parents' home.

Outland said pricing was one of the appeals of the move back.

"Even in St. Louis, the housing market had slowed down, but houses cost more there," she said. "Another reason we wanted to move here was I knew Michigan and Detroit were going through a bad time. It was my chance to contribute to the community."

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl suggests that perhaps Detroit should look 4 to 5 hours to the east.

"We still do make steel here, as Detroit will always produce automobiles," Ravenstahl told The Associated Press. "But what we've done is we've really reinvented ourselves and transformed our economy so we're not just steel and advanced manufacturing, but we're digital technologies, financial services, life sciences, energy solutions."

"Detroit has no choice but to reinvent itself, pick itself up and create good opportunities for the people of the Detroit area," he added. "And I think what the good news is is they can look to Pittsburgh and realize and believe that it can be done, because we did it here."

Certainly the economic impact and jobs are welcome at a time when the state is facing a number of challenges.

In addition, enrolling international students in our state universities is also critical for the education of our Michigan students who must understand cultural differences and learn how to work together to succeed in today's global workplace.

There is no better preparation for future business interaction than to participate in a team project in a business course than to have a student from China, another from India working with two students from Michigan.

Domestic students must understand international competition and, hopefully, study abroad themselves. You can't just read about international issues - you must live overseas for a true learning experience.

One proposal would bring a commercial farm to the city center, and be among the most ambitious urban farms we’ve ever heard of. The other would function similarly, but would train and employ former drug addicts, giving them work, earned income, and skills. A social venture of sorts. Great idea if it works, and if it’s a goal that’s honored. What I’ve seen, however, is that’s not always the case.

The other day, a writer proposed the idea that to rehab our cities, we need to  think twice before we demolish abandoned buildings. I agree with him, but Detroit has faced pretty swift depopulation, with no signs that people are coming back any time soon. So I say if the buildings aren’t going to be used by anyone, sure, tear 'em down and build a farm.

But what kind of farm? And who gets to work there?

All of these cities have made their music scene a major tourist draw. And not just for the big festivals, but week in and week out at clubs and small theaters. People gravitate to these places as destinations to hear great live music.

But that hasn't happened for Detroit, despite the decades of immensely popular music associated with the city.

W. Kim Heron is the editor of the alternative weekly newspaper The Metro Times. A veteran Detroit journalist and music writer, Heron says Detroit did once have such a district. But it got buried, literally, a half-century ago when they built the freeways that intersect this automobile capitol. "Our Beale Street is somewhere under I-75," Heron says.

One member of the Detroit City Council says Detroit needs to do more to promote its musical legacy. Her name is Martha Reeves. And yes, she is that Martha Reeves from Martha and the Vandellas.

"I've gone to other cities and seen statues and plaques depicting the wonderful, great artists that were created and discovered in the different hometowns," Reeves says. "And since Motown left Detroit in the '70s, there has been very little memorabilia."

About 50 students are working in metro Detroit, building wheelchair ramps in Detroit and Warren and performing service projects at Vista Maria in Dearborn, the Lighthouse Path in Pontiac and Franklin Wright Settlements in Detroit.

Now that Michigan will be the set for nearly 70 Hollywood movies in 2009, new film schools in several Detroit area communities are offering classes to train crew members.

Wanted: Gofers for George Clooney and Hilary Swank.

Excerpt:

Six weeks ago, Ferndale resident Julie Goode was making $54,000 a year working as a textiles designer and engineer for supplier Lear Corp. Then, three days before Christmas, she was laid off. Goode, 28, now is preparing to start a new career.

She is one of hundreds of Michigan residents who have enrolled in a film industry training program, at least four of which have sprung up across the state since last April...

“The first thing (film production companies) ask is, "Who do you have for a crew base?'” said Jeff Spilman, co-founder and managing partner of S3 Entertainment Group, which is offering classes in Ferndale in a partnership with Oakland Community College.

Read the stories here and here.

Turn on the radio. Can you tell where you are? In an era of increasingly generic programming, WDET is putting the Detroit back into Detroit radio.

Excerpt:

Detroit Public Radio WDET-FM (101.9) today will announce changes in programming that will bring back veteran music host Ann Delisi and infuse the station with more Detroit music and attitude.

The changes will go into effect the week of Feb. 23.

At a time when commercial stations like Clear Channel's WDFN-AM (1130) "The Fan" are replacing local air personalities with syndicated programming that lacks the flavor of the city, WDET general manager J. Mikel Ellcessor says his station is choosing a different path.

"When more of Detroit's radio is coming out of town, WDET is drilling deeper into the city," Ellcessor said. "At a time when so much of the world is talking about Detroit, and Detroit is absent from that conversation, the people in the city who are being talked about are like props in a play. It's vital to get their voices back up into that national dialogue."

Read the entire story here.

Regular unleaded never tasted so good. And now it's local! Come fill your tank with liquid caffeine at one of Detroit's newly opened coffee stations.

Excerpt:  

Tim Hortons, Bearclaw Coffee Co. and the Book Cadillac's in-house WBC Coffee recently opened for business downtown. Biggby Coffee in Midtown and the independently owned Mercury Coffee Bar in Corktown are also new additions to the scene.

The new shops are a "positive sign" that entrepreneurs are heeding Detroiters' "pent up demand for retail and restaurants," Stella said, noting that coffee shops brighten any community as places to congregate and share ideas.


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The officials said 1,114,221 people visited the zoo in 2008. There were 1,090, 544 visitors the previous year. In 2006, 1,001,737 people came to the zoo.

While the incentives lure filmmakers to the state, Michigan needs to develop a strong film infrastructure and work force to keep Hollywood coming back, said Jeff Spilman, co-founder and managing partner of S3 Entertainment Group, which teamed up with Oakland Community College to offer training in behind-the-scenes jobs.

"I can't stress the importance of sustaining the incentives to provide jobs for the people of the state of Michigan," Wenson said. "It's a true opportunity for us to diversify the economy."

As the state began offering incentives to filmmakers, OCC formed a film advisory board to identify training opportunities.

"After talking to people in the industry, we were convinced there were good career opportunities for people, whether they were recently laid off or were looking for a long-term career," said Rochelle Kaye, program manager at OCC for economic and work force development.

The DIA, which incorporated child-oriented aspects throughout the museum's $158 million overhaul, also holds children's workshops and unstructured events where kids can draw in designated galleries.

The Detroit Zoo's tots workshops for 2- and 3-year-olds were so popular that Zoo Tots II for 3- and 4-year-olds will be added in February. The Detroit Symphony's Tiny Tots Concert Series consistently is a top seller.

Albert Kahn is America’s forgotten architect — even though in his lifetime, he (and his firm) produced more buildings than any other architect, and his design and production method changed the face of the country. Eighty years before the bailout of the auto industry, just before the Great Depression, Kahn built the most opulent of Detroit’s new corporate skyscrapers — the Art Deco-style Fisher Building. Facing the GM headquarters, Kahn’s grandest expression of civic architecture defined the unique American union of commercial and civic identity.

Detroit Auto Show 2009 this month pinned its hopes for a 21st century transformation of the American motor industry on selling the complex technologies of electric engines. The person who transformed the space and appearance of Detroit in the 20th century, though he favored technology did not depend on complexity.

Three high school friends in Ann Arbor — Mr. Asheton; his drummer brother, Scott; and the singer James Osterberg, who later changed his name to Iggy Pop — formed the nucleus of what was first called the Psychedelic Stooges. Influenced by free jazz, garage rock and Chicago blues, the Stooges’ first two albums — “The Stooges” and “Fun House” — are the best showcase of Mr. Asheton’s sound: two- or three-chord riffs with an open, droning, low E string and solos filtered through distortion and wah-wah pedals.

After the high point of “Fun House,” things became more complicated. The bassist, Dave Alexander, was fired, and the band was dropped by its label, Elektra. Iggy Pop, individually, was signed by David Bowie’s production company, MainMan. A new guitarist and songwriter, James Williamson, joined the group. On “Raw Power,” the band’s final studio album, Mr. Asheton was demoted to playing bass.

Comparable largess is all but nonexistent in Detroit today. Wealthy industrialists have faded from the scene. The Michigan state government gives almost no money to the institute, the city even less. In 1997 Detroit built the Museum of African-American History across the street from the institute, its spanking newness in sharp contrast to its older, crumbling neighbor.

Graham W. J. Beal, who arrived as director that year, has done much to stop the decline, largely — and this is where other museums should pay attention — through the use of material at hand. In 2007, to attract the city’s black majority and woo back white suburbanites, the museum unveiled a top-to-bottom rethinking of all the permanent galleries, with strategic shifts in emphasis.

The museum’s very fine African collection, developed by the curator Michael Kan, was placed upfront, near a main entrance, where it offers a cool yet absorbing introduction to the institute’s imperious interior. A gallery for African-American art, including Detroit artists, was added upstairs: it’s an important gesture, although something should have been done to make it look commanding rather than dutiful.

Twenty-four times in the past half-century serious proposals for mass transit in Detroit have been brought to regional leaders. Only once have regional leaders agreed to such a proposal -- this time. "That was a complex, long-term plan that (the Big Four) agreed to," Hertel said. "It was the first time this region has ever put its unanimous support behind a transit proposal."

"In the past, this was 'auto city,'" Crouchman said. "People loved their cars. But with some of the developments we've seen over the past few years, with layoffs and gas prices all over the place -- that won't last forever."

Regional transit is literally in uncharted waters. For supporters and skeptics alike the question remains: Is mass transit for real this time, or will it unravel as so many other ventures calling for regional cooperation have in the past?

"People want that high-quality finish, but they don't need the 2,000 and 3,000 square feet of space," said Chadd Fox, developer of Research Lofts in Detroit, near Wayne State University.

Fox said he and partner John Biggar have attracted unprecedented sales since opening in early 2007.

"We are 70% sold and closed and that truly is what I believe to be the best-selling product in the marketplace right now," Fox said.

Wayne State's 8-2 football team makes its first ever appearance this week in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll.

The Warriors, coming off a 42-21 win over Northwood, are ranked No. 25. They have a showdown against No. 1 Grand Valley (9-0) on Saturday at home at noon. It is the final regular-season game for both teams.

This is the first time Wayne State has been ranked in any national poll since 1976.

Some say the best location for a new business is right across the street from a similar business -- the customer base is already there. But for Jim Geary, owner of Detroit's 2-month-old Woodbridge Pub, the right spot was a void in an old neighborhood desperate for something to re-invigorate.

"I live here, so it's pretty much a no-brainer," Geary says. "We needed it. The neighborhood needed it."

The neighborhood is Woodbridge, specifically north of Warren Avenue and west of Trumbull Avenue, where the pub's neighbors are limited to a gas station and Wayne State University's athletic fields. Residents are thrilled to have someplace within walking distance that serves hot food (sandwiches, burgers, vegetarian meals) and cold beer (40 of them, including local brews Ghettoblaster and Dragonmead).

Despite the region's dismal economy, upscale grocers are flourishing in Metro Detroit, expanding and adding stores to serve a sophisticated and growing customer base that wants organic produce, natural and international foods, gourmet carry-outs and a glass of wine or a Sanders' hot fudge cream puff while they're shopping.

"A trip to Europe may be out of the question, but consumers can still go to the grocery store and get the ingredients for a meal they would have eaten there," said Linda Gobler, president and CEO of the Michigan Grocers Association. "People want to do something to make themselves feel good."

As the years have gone on, however, the cry for mass transit in our urban areas has grown and grown.

It's a way for the poor in the inner city who lack access to reliable transportation to get and keep jobs in the suburbs – the place where the jobs are these days.

Mass transit can be a force to reduce racial segregation. It is well known – and completely deplorable -- that the Detroit area is one of the most segregated in the country. The fact that it lacks any real system of mass transit is no coincidence.

Mass transit is highly desired by the young, highly educated "creative class" who want to get around a metro area after relaxing downtown -- without having to designate a driver.

Wayne State University is retooling its curriculum to meet both the expected needs of the studios and an increased interest from students.

WSU's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts office already is fielding calls from production crews that need extra help, said chairman Matt Seeger.

"It's mushroomed. ... We have to be aggressive to take advantage of these opportunities," Seeger said.

Community colleges -- Wayne County and Henry Ford among them -- are offering new classes to retrain workers for technical jobs in the film industry. The classes at Henry Ford begin today.

By next month, the Michigan Film Office expects to add a manager of job training, education and development. That person would coordinate with Michigan's higher education institutions to develop curricula to meet the new needs, said Tony Wenson, chief operating officer.

We need new solutions. The "race to the bottom" to have the best business climate (lowest taxes) is nothing without an educated, healthy and cultured workforce. Our tax base is tapped out, our state budget is devastated, and we need a new direction. As counter-intuitive as it seems, now is the time for bold action and investment. Unrealistic goals can be easier to achieve than realistic ones, if they provide the challenge and interest that keep people involved and motivated.

Public transit is one such unrealistic goal. Metro Detroit has a lot of what Chicago has -- culture, entertainment, sports, recreation, talented people and a great waterfront. It's just not all concentrated in one city.

A region-wide public transit system can unite us and reframe the map over the long term, creating new centers of commerce and providing the infrastructure for long-term advancement. At a bare minimum, young people do not want to drink and drive, and don't want to battle traffic on the way home. Public transit addresses those concerns. The Woodward and Ann Arbor corridors are great starts, but we need to think big!

Jazz Fest publicist Matt Lee said the festival experienced its biggest opening night ever Friday, thanks in part to the lovely weather.

"The core constituency comes out no matter what," Lee said. "But good weather is going to enhance that...You can have the Beatles there, and if the weather ain't right, it ain't going to be good."

Over the next six months officials will decide whether the plans are a good fit, said Robert Burns, the Michigan Department of Management and Budget's director of government affairs assigned to the authority's board.

"We may approve one plan or both or a portion of both," Burns said. "We are still studying them."

It's the special touches that impressed guests Rick and Bobbi Calkins, of Greenville. "They (the staff) take care of everything," she said.

Less than six blocks from the inn is a hodgepodge of worthwhile attractions: The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science Center, Detroit Historical Museum, the main branch of the Detroit Public Library and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

As for Cobo, Patterson complained about specific provisions in the proposed state law, including giving Cobo to an authority that would have the power of eminent domain, as well as the power to establish ordinances with criminal penalties. He also complained that 50-year no-bid contracts were part of the proposal.

Macomb County Commission chairman William Crouchman, meanwhile, complained that he couldn't get economist David Sowerby to return his phone calls asking for an explanation of how he came up with the figure that 10 percent of Cobo's benefit goes to Macomb County.

Exasperated, WJR AM 760 morning host Paul W. Smith said he'd hold the Big Four in place until the Cobo deal got finished, given the Detroit Auto Dealers Association threat to move the show -- and its 16,000 jobs and $500 million in economic activity, which amounts to a Super Bowl every year.

Give a creative soul a challenging assignment, mix in the knowledge that the client is willing to take a risk and get outside the "safe" zone of pedestrian thinking and you will have a stampede of creative people. And here's a real surprise for you: Detroit already has world-class creative talent. If you want other creative talent to join them, we must unleash the talent we have. Let the world see our talent.

And if we really want to unleash that talent, here's an assignment for General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner and other CEOs in the region. Find the mobile phone number of your chief marketing officer, marketing director, advertising manager or communications director and ask: "Who do we use for our key creative thinking and execution, and where are their offices located?"

"The Pittsburgh economy is a healthy place," said Frank Giarratani, an economics professor at the University of Pittsburgh. "If Detroit can somehow find itself in the same place, it will be OK."

The two metropolitan areas share striking similarities.

Both long relied heavily on one industry for economic growth and ignored warnings to diversify. Both are home to strong research universities and foundations and a multitude of research and development centers. And both see their populations getting smaller and grayer.

But Pittsburgh was forced to cope with a severe economic crisis much earlier than Detroit. The outcome provides a glimpse of what may be in store for Michigan.

Brownfields are properties where expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of pollution or hazardous substances. The grants were awarded competitively in three categories: hazardous substances assessment and cleanup, petroleum assessment and cleanup, and revolving loan funds.

By comparison, the perseverance of our governor, Jennifer Granholm, gets little notice. Her efforts to diversify the economy, double the number of college graduates and restore our cities are not nearly as engaging as the soap opera that has been playing out in Detroit. The Government Performance Project at the Pew Center for the States graded Michigan’s management with a B-plus this year; only three states scored better.

As she has put it: “We need to capitalize on our natural advantages ... Wind. Woods. Water. Work force. Even waste. If we do this right, Michigan can be the alternative energy capital of North America, and create thousands and thousands of jobs.” Her faith in the future is contagious. So is despair. Sometimes we vote our hopes, sometimes our fears.

Adding to the local battery technology boom is University of Michigan professor Ann Marie Sastry, whose startup company Sakti3 will "commercialize a manufacturing process in Ann Arbor for the development of high-power batteries that will withstand the rigors of automotive use, primarily in electric vehicles," according to a news release.

Sastry has been publicly quiet about the details concerning her company. But Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Michael Finney indicated that "she's got investors who are willing to help her grow her business." State tax credits were awarded based on projections that the company would eventually employ 112.

Meanwhile, the Ann Arbor division of A123Systems is helping GM develop the battery for the much-hyped plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle that GM says will travel 40 miles on a single electrical charge.

A123Systems owns Ann Arbor-based T/J Technologies, which was co-founded by U-M professors Levi and Maria Thompson. Maria Thompson is now president of the Ann Arbor division of A123Systems.

Levi Thompson, director of U-M's hydrogen energy technology laboratory, said the university's intellectual property and innovative strength has driven the growth of local companies focusing on alternative energy and battery technology.

See, sometimes science is all fun and games... when it's applied toward sports. HBO's Sport Science series explains why star athletes are star athletes with the help of their lead scientist WSU professor Cynthia Bir. Up for an Emmy, the show takes a scientific look at the athlete’s body by using tools of the trade to record, measure, and map the speed, force, and range of these guinea pigs. Sport Science also breaks down injuries and the usefulness of protective gear. Tune in and find out why your body wasn't made for quarterbacking the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Excerpt:

The popular series brings together professional sports stars on the set with scientists and their measuring equipment to explain athletic feats of the highest level. Wayne State University Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Cynthia Bir serves as lead scientist in the series.

The show was recently nominated for four Sports Emmy Awards, more nominations than any sports show other than HBO’s “Inside the NFL.” Sports Science was nominated for Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction, Outstanding Graphic Design, Technical Achievement, and Outstanding Editing.

Read the entire article here.

"I think we have incredibly strong entertainment, cultural and sports venues," she said last week. "We have a growing residential population. And we have an image that improves itself by every person who comes here."

Detroiters, get your earmuffs and giant parkas - the Winter Blast is on. The three-day festival, begun in 2005, was in danger of cancellation this year due to budget shortfalls.

Excerpt:

A new festival layout will include the Chrysler Jeep Dodge Taste of Detroit and Pure Michigan Winter Experience entertainment districts, Witz said. The 2008 Winter Blast, the fourth annual event, also is to include new activities such as the Winter Blast Film Festival and a two-day preview of Memorial Day Weekend’s annual Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival.

Read the entire article here.

Ask not what you can do for the D – what can the D do for you? On Feb. 1, local business leaders and marketers will just learn that – how best to use the Detroit brand to attract visitors of all kinds to the Motor City.

Excerpt:

In 2008, the D Brand will mean more than ever: It's the "Year of the Car," celebrating milestone anniversaries in the Big Three. The new Detroit Institute of Arts is open, Detroit will have three new casino hotels, and Detroit will host the PGA Championship. Revitalization and growth are continuing downtown and surrounding suburbs, giving marketers positive news about the transformation occurring in metro Detroit.

Read the entire article here.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck will unveil Wolfgang Puck Grille, a casually upscale bar-and-grill concept. Open 24 hours, the Puck restaurant is designed to be more affordable, and its name alone is guaranteed to attract guests.

Veteran local restaurateurs are braced to lose customers to the newcomers initially, and many are already stinging from the loss of top chefs, cooks and servers who left for higher-paying casino jobs. But in the long run, most owners say they believe the casinos and their luxury hotels will attract conventions and tourism that will generate more business for everyone.

"In the short term, it's going to be a bummer," admitted Matt Prentice, whose Coach Insignia is on the 72nd floor of the Renaissance Center. "All the Detroit-area foodies will flock to the new restaurants to give them a try."

But, he added, "I don't see the casinos, long term, negatively affecting local restaurants. ... I think they'll be a welcome addition, and their hotels, too. Ultimately, when all 1,200 rooms at the three casinos are open, we'll get some big conventions we've been missing."

Read the entire article here.

It was the first time in 12 years that Lexus didn't hold the top spot alone.

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The scores are encouraging for Detroit because they come in a year when the domestic nameplates -- led by GM -- are trying to offer less in incentives, said Claes Fornell, director of the U-M center.

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KC: That's very true. Growing up here, we rarely went to the city. That's why it's such an adventure for me every day is seeing what's in that city! But yeah, Ann Arbor is kind of isolated from Detroit, and other cities in metro Detroit, Livonia and Warren. You know, it is southeastern Michigan, but it's isolated.

HD: I mean, if you look at it on the map, though, it's not.

KC: Oh no, not at all. It's a straight shot down I-94, it takes about 40 minutes. It's no problem getting there. But people just go in there for their baseball games and come right back.

Read the entire conversation here.

The East RiverWalk has been greatly anticipated by Detroit boosters like Josh and Megan Christie. "We are so lucky to have that riverfront," says Megan, who grew up in the city. "It's a natural resource that's been underutilized," adds Josh, who hails from Iowa via Washington, D.C. The Christies, ages 32 and 27, supported the development of RiverWalk by purchasing a commemorative brick for the new walkway.

They have a special affection for Hart Plaza, a 14-acre space adjacent to RenCen that had been the most accessible downtown spot for lovers and others to enjoy views of the Detroit River and Windsor, Canada, across the water. It's where Josh first told Megan that he loved her and, he says, "That's why we chose to get married there," on a cold, clear day in December 2005.

"RiverWalk will bring a sense of community to Detroit that's long overdue," says Megan. "We have big hopes for what it will be."

This town hall meeting reflects America’s growing socio-economic interdependence with China. We believe it is important to give Detroiters an opportunity to understand and discuss this relationship and how it affects them in the context of the economic vitality of our region and the importance of improving education in both countries."

Detroit is one of 30 cities that will be briefed by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher R. Hill, via a live video cast.

For more information, click here.

Jones also assured GLITR that the service will provide local cable access channels to schools and communities -- although those schools and communities must take the initiative to send their content to AT&T for display on TV channels.

Read the entire article here.

"Some might do a documentary, others, a drawn-out story, others might just improvise," says Donald Harrison, director of marketing and promotions at the DFC and former Cinemasports participant. "You never know how it's going to play out. It's like seeing improv comedy — sometimes it's genius, and sometimes it fails, but it's fun to watch all the same."

• A keynote address by Josh Linkner, founder and CEO of ePrize, the world's largest international, interactive promotions agency headquartered in Pleasant Ridge.
• Facilitated group activities to inspire participants to become entrepreneurial and innovation stewards.

"We view this as a clear and important signal that people are looking to Michigan for their leisure travel," said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan. "We know from independent research that 65 percent of consumers who use Michigan.org for tourism information, then travel to and within Michigan. So more web traffic means more business at Michigan destinations. We believe our efforts inside and outside of Michigan are making a substantial difference."

Read the entire article here.

• Detroit Zoological Society,
• Eastern Market Corporation,
• Washtenaw County, for support of the Food System Economic Partnership,
• Brookings Institute, to study the region's transformation from rust belt to knowledge belt, and
  
• Boys and Girls Club of SE Michigan

The Michigan Department of Transportation has released a draft version of its long-range transportation plan for the state and is requesting public input.

A link to the plan and to the questionnaire can be found here.

There are now about 700 such districts statewide, and more than 20,000 historically designated properties, he said. Communities with historical homes -- which are at least 50 years old -- include Romeo, Detroit and Grand Rapids.

The first year the credit was available, only two people took advantage of it, Lijewski said. This year, he expects about 60 to 75 will use it.

Read the entire article here.

Today there are fringe festivals all over the world, generally comprising performances that are out of the mainstream.

The local festival, the first to claim the word "fringe," is all part of Music Hall artistic director Vince Paul's plan for world domination.

Well, no, but it is part of Paul's plan to reestablish the Music Hall as a center for the performing arts and as a major component of the city's burgeoning theater district.

"You've got 2 stadiums, 12 theaters and 12,000 parking spaces. Not every city has this type of deal," Paul says.

• Marketing the state nationally with a $30 million tourism promotion budget.
  
  
• Boosting relationships with policymakers.
  
  
• Promoting collaboration.
  
  
• Expanding tourism-related research.
  
  
• Improving hospitality training.

When the facility opened, with its 80-seat auditorium and offices and research labs, the goal, said CEO James Croce, was to position both Detroit and Michigan at the "focal point of the emerging alternative energy industry."

Much of NextEnergy's efforts are focused on working with the Big 3 automakers to develop alternative fuels such as biodiesel, hydrogen and ethanol. But it offers alternative energy companies of all stripes research facilities, office space and access to government funding sources and private venture capital.

Read the entire article here.

Kilpatrick said he also would push a new economic stimulus package to jump-start the neighborhood initiative whose formation he announced in December. That would involve issuing bonds, but not raising taxes. He said he would release details after the State of the City address.

"We've got what no other state has — this incredible footprint of automotive suppliers, research and development, engineers," she said.

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It's unlikely that "Slim's Bike" (a bicycle decorated to baroque excess by one of Detroit's more colorful citizens) or "The Heidelberg Project" (a collection of old houses encrusted with trash, dolls, stuffed animals, etc., by Detroit artist Tyree Guyton) would exist except in a city too wounded to care about suppressing its creative and anarchic instincts. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the spectrum of creativity abhors gray spaces.

Cecelia Smothers-Reese stood on her porch Thursday and looked at the burned-out shell of a home next door to her on Benson Street on Detroit's east side.

It's been like that for two years -- an all too common sight in Smothers-Reese's neighborhood and others throughout Detroit.

"Most of us that own the homes that we're in try our best to keep up the properties," said Smothers-Reese, 55, who has lived there since 1959. "It really adds to the deterioration of the neighborhood. They're dangerous, too."

Smothers-Reese would be among those helped by Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to tear down 5,000 blighted and abandoned homes in eight cities, including Detroit, over four years.

The $25-million plan, announced last month in her State of the State address, would be Michigan's most aggressive anti-blight initiative.

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Workers need to take advantage of every opportunity to learn the kind of skills needed for tomorrow's high tech jobs. Businesses need to support educational programs and initiatives as part of a regional economic development strategy.

The Road to Renaissance needs a foundation of educational excellence to reach future economic prosperity.

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A world map dotted with push pins denotes the many places people have traveled from to visit the museum.

A third of the approximately 60,000 visitors every year are from other countries.