Monday Milestones: Wonderful Economic News for Detroit!

 Three great Milestones for this Monday! Amid all of the bad news and sad news of last week (June 21 - 27 2009), there was some WONDERFUL economic news for Detroit!

 

Orion Township GM Plant

Photo Credit: Detroit Free Press

General Motors will re-vamp the Orion Township Plant to build 16,000 new small cars per year; selecting the idled plant over similar plants in Wisconsin and Tennessee. Over 1,200 jobs will be saved for Metro Detroit.

 Artist's Rendering of the Shoppes at Gateway Park Project

Meijer, Inc. is negotiating to open an anchor superstore in the Shoppes at Gateway Park Project that will be opening near the Michigan State Fair Grounds at 8 Mile and Woodward. This will be the first store in Detroit for Meijer's, and the first big-box major grocery store to open in the City since Farmer Jack closed almost two years ago.

General Electric Corporation, begun over one hundred and thirty years ago by Port Huron's own Thomas Alva Edison, will build a $100M technology, manufacturing, and software research center in Van Buren Township near Belleville. The facility will employ over 1,200 scientists and engineers working on next-generation manufacturing and technology products such as renewable energy and composites.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Old School Friday: RIP Michael (no last name needed...)

Nothing else needs to be said about any other parts of Michael...

His talent speaks it all for him.

One of my favs (besides "Thriller" of course) is "Bad"...

Who's "Bad"...Michael is still the "Baddest"...

 I LOVE this video of people in the Phillippines doing "Thriller"...

 

Please leave your kind memories of Michael in the Comments Section...

Things to Do Thursday: 4th Fridays at Campus Martius

4th Fridays by Ford returns this year to Campus Martius! 

This Friday, the theme is "Celebrating 50 Years of Motown"!

From the Campus Martius website:

6:00PM, features live music variety, drink specials and opportunities for networking in the beautifully landscaped Park.

From 6:00-7:30PM, the best of Detroit’s music and entertainment will be featured at the Park.

The Ford Half-Time Show, 7:30-8:00PM, will include give-aways and raffle prizes from 4th Fridays sponsor Ford Motor Company.

The 4th Fridays with Ford monthly headliners will take the stage at 8:00PM and perform until 9:30PM.

Contemporary film classics with musical themes, projected on the big screen in the Park, will close each month’s 4th Fridays with Ford celebration, beginning at 9:30PM. Bring your blanket or pull up a Park chair and enjoy the films.

Or, you might end the night of music on a free walking tour led by Inside Detroit. Each month will “spotlight” four restaurant or bar locations in a different downtown district, offering special 4th Fridays discounts. The tour will end at the official Inside Detroit After Party location with food and drink specials and insider fun.

Featured 4th Fridays with Ford events on June 26:

A sampling of entertainment during Lunchtime Arts, from 11:30AM- 1:30PM in the Park, will feature preview artists from Concert of Colors July event. 

A mix of music and dance is highlighted on the main stage, 6:00-7:30PM, including a Tribute to Motown’s 50th Anniversary featuring a powerhouse band led by Edward Gooch, road musician for The Miracles and The Four Tops, The Funk Brothers, musical director Robert Jones, and more performers to be announced.

From 7:30-8:00PM, a “Happy Anniversary Motown” cake-cutting will take place with the Motown Historical Museum, plus prizes for “Detroit Trivia” audience game players.

Making an appearance as the headliner is long-time Silver Bullet Band saxman Alto Reed, leading a band of Detroit Classic Rock all-stars including drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek and guitarist Jim McCarty, both formerly of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. This special evening marks the launch of Alto’s new classic Detroit Rock album, “Tonight We Ride.” Alto Reed and the Detroit Classic Rock all-stars will perform from 8:00-9:30PM.

Continuing with the Motown theme, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” is the film classic that will be shown on the big screen at 9:30PM in the Park to culminate 4th Fridays with Ford. 

The featured downtown district and official after party location in June is Bookies Bar & Grille in North Downtown. The address is 2208 Cass Ave.

 

Find the complete poster here...

Wordless Wednesday: Detroit International Fireworks!

 

51st Annual Detroit International Fireworks

June 24 2009

Detroit Riverfront

Celebrating Canada Day (July 1) and 

US Independence Day (July 4) 

Tuesday Tidbits: Djenne Beads and African Imports

 The International Center Waterfall

 Mahamadou Sumareh is the owner of the elegant and fascinating Djenne Beads and African Imports located inside of the International Center at the corner of Beaubien and Monroe in Downtown Detroit. Mr. Sumareh travels to Africa several times a year to stock his shop with African clothing, incense, beads, perfume oils, jewelry, furniture and decorating items. Djenne's faces the Greektown Casino and can be reached by the Greektown exit of the Detroit People Mover.


Djenne Beads and Art African Imports

1045 Beaubien, Suite No. 153 (International Building), Detroit
313-965-6620.

Monday Milestones: Grace Lee Boggs

 

Grace Lee Boggs (1915-  )

Grace Lee Boggs was born Providence, Rhode Island in 1915 of Chinese immigrant parents. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Barnard College in 1935 and her Doctorate of Philosophy from Brywn Mawr College in 1940. Dr. Boggs has been an activist in the Labor Movement, Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movement, Asian American Movement, Women's Movement, and Environmental Movement for over sixty years.

In 1953, Dr. Grace Lee moved to Detroit and married James Boggs, an African-American writer, strategist, and labor movement activist. They worked together building grassroots projects for over forty years until Mr. Boggs' death in July 1993. Their book, Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century, was published in 1974. Her autobiography is titled Living for Change. It was published in 1998 and is still currently used in university classes on social movements and about Detroit Michigan.

 In 1992, along with her husband and fellow activist Shea Howell, Dr. Boggs founded "Detroit Summer", a youth program incorporating intergenerational and interracial programs to help to rebuild and redefine her adopted hometown of Detroit Michigan.

Dr. Grace Lee Boggs is still active with many grassroots groups and campaigns in Detroit, and writes a weekly coumn for the Michigan Citizen newspaper.