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Our mission: to inform and involve ALL Birmingham citizens.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Barnum 'angel' wanted by many, sought by none
By John McTaggartAt least two members of the five-member Ad Hoc Barnum Design Committee favor saving a portion of the Barnum School building if an “angel” can be found to pick up the tab, one of the members says.
But neither they nor any members of the four ad hoc Barnum committees, nor any city official, has approached the most likely angel of all -- Beaumont Hospital, which owned the building for more than 20 years, still occupies and maintains it, and has expressed a keen interest in staying.
The two Barnum committee members join a significant number of Birmingham residents and city officials, including members of two of the four Barnum ad hoc committees, who believe the building can be put to good public or private use, and that such use could defray the cost of improvements to the property.
One of the members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the committee voted to ask the City Commission to demolish the building next year because, without an angel, “the only feasible option at the present time is to demolish the building. The likelihood of finding someone, no matter how badly you want someone to come along, is very slim.”
But finding someone appears to be the last thing on anyone’s mind. The third Barnum Ad Hoc Property committee gave short shrift to development options, and the only serious investigation by the city into long-term use of the building was for a community center, which was studied thoroughly and rejected by the second Barnum ad hoc committee. Few, if any, other options for use of the building by public or private interests have been considered seriously by the ad hoc committees or city staff.
A spokesman for Beaumont Hospital told the Buzz last week that no one from Birmingham, officially or unofficially, had approached the hospital.
John Labriola, senior vice-president and director of Beaumont-Royal Oak, said the hospital is “happy” at Barnum, that it currently uses about 30,000 of the more than 100,000 square feet of space for in-house training and storage, and that the hospital would welcome the opportunity to stay at Barnum. He said the hospital views Barnum as an ideal location because of its proximity to Beaumont’s Royal Oak and Troy campuses.
But the hospital’s use of Barnum is under threat for the second time in just six months, as the commission is set to consider again Monday night a request from the ad hoc committee to evict Beaumont. The commission rejected the same proposal when it arose in January.
Mayor Tom McDaniel -- a member of the property committee who with Commissioner Don Carney supported the January proposal to evict Beaumont early and proceed with demolition -- has said the committee tried to attract such organizations as the Birmingham Area Senior Coordinating Council (BASCC), but the organization’s coordinator, Theresa Monsour, told the Buzz in April it had never been approached, and had never considered the idea.
And in a May 21 letter to the commission, Monsour and BASCC directors Russell Dixon and Donald Jensen said a statement from the commission that BASCC "didn't want" Barnum "may have been a bit misleading."
"The Barnum location could be viewed as a promising option" for future expansion, the BASCC letter said.
“My feeling is that even if we get this [the demolition] through the City Commission, then we still have about a year or so for an angel to come along and deal with the original Barnum School building,” the anonymous ad hoc committee member said.
The committee voted 4-0 last week to ask the city to move forward with demolition, even though the commission asked it only to issue and evaluate responses to an RFP for the design of Barnum Park. Commissioner Rackeline Hoff, a member of the committee, abstained from the demolition vote saying it was outside the scope of the committee.
The committee expects to issue an RFP for a park designer soon.
The commission meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
Poll on Shain underground parking ramp
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Explosion in Oakland foreclosures hits home; 11% of Birmingham is for sale
By John McTaggartDespite Birmingham’s affluence, the long arm of Michigan’s troubled economy has grabbed hold of some residents and resulted in a sharp increase in the number of unsold homes and foreclosed properties.
“The numbers are staggering to look at," Oakland County Housing Counselor Kathy Williams said. "We have seen a dramatic upturn in the number of foreclosed properties.“
Neither Williams nor officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could provide specific numbers for foreclosures in Birmingham. But in Oakland County, the number of foreclosed properties increased 679 percent since 1998, from 715 in 1998, to 4,855 in 2006.
The number of homes for sale in Birmingham is more readily available. Currently, 998 homes are on the market in Birmingham, according to a Realtor.com search of the 48009 Zip code. That represents 10.9 percent of the 9,131 households counted in the most recent census in 2000. Not counted are the number of homes that would be on the market if it were not depressed.
Foreclosure “affects people from all walks of life,” Williams said. “The size and value of your home really isn’t a factor. Larger, more valuable homes and properties can be just as difficult to afford. It’s all relative.”
“I honestly never thought I would see the day,” said former Birmingham resident Franklin Seebe, 43. “But once it started, it just seemed to snowball out of control.”
Seebe, and his wife, Mattie, lived in Birmingham for the better part of a decade, deciding to settle here for many of the same reasons many Birmingham citizens make the town home.
“We fell in love with the atmosphere first of all,” Seebe said. “It was safe, the downtown was vibrant and growing, and it had that old-town feel. We loved that. It was someplace we probably would’ve stayed for the rest of our lives, even if we moved to another house in another part of town.”
With those feelings in mind, the young couple purchased a home on Webster in 1998 and began remodeling before they even moved in.
“Looking back, we probably over-mortgaged a bit, and made a poor choice in going with an adjustable rate mortgage. Then we made it worse by adding the costs of the upgrades to the house with credit cards,” Seebe said. “We just didn’t know any better. We just never could’ve imagined what would happen..”
What happened was Seebe lost his job in the fall of 2005, and his six-figure salary, then lost the home he and his wife loved so much just nine months later. They now live in a rented condo in Sterling Heights.
“We tried everything we could, but there just weren’t any jobs out there for me making anything close to what I made before,” Seebe said. “I believe there are a lot of families in that kind of position, some even in Birmingham.”
The Seebes tried to sell their home at first, but couldn’t find a buyer.
“It’s embarrassing, especially when you stop to consider how well we were doing just a few years before that,” Seebe said. “In fact, we never did say anything to the neighbors. Maybe they figured it out, but you just don’t want to have to admit something like that to people living right next door to you, in a house like yours, one they’re able to pay for. The lesson we learned is to be better prepared. It’s tough though. You’re young and excited and feel like those things just happen to other people. It doesn’t happen to people living in Birmingham.”
It does happen to people who live Birmingham, as well as those beyond its borders, according to Chicago-based mortgage banking analyst Dustin Mannis.
“Michigan’s economy troubles are far-reaching,” Mannis said. “It really doesn’t matter what your economic status is. Although Oakland County is generally viewed as a very well-to-do region, there are real people with real financial hardships. Unless you have cash reserves for these rainy day situations, then foreclosure is a real possibility when you lose your primary source of income. For most people, their home is both their biggest investment and their biggest expense. And with every investment there is risk.”
Like the Seebes, many homeowners facing foreclosure never really weigh the risk factors involved with their home, nor the possibility of unforeseen troubles.
“It’s just not something most people view as a real possibility,” Mannis said. “They just never think, when they buy their home or piece of property, that it can be lost. It’s avoidable, certainly, but it also can happen, and does happen all the time, even in Oakland County.”
Williams says there are many reasons for foreclosure, but some seem to crop up more than others.
“Generally, there are three or four reasons that can lead to foreclosure,” Williams said. “Of course, one is the loss of a job or a decrease in income. Then there is the loss of equity in some homes, the ease of over-mortgaging, and finally, adjustable-rate mortgages. These are probably the most common reasons. There are others, of course, but these seem to be the most common.”
“There are ways for people to get help, however,” Williams said. “They just have to seek it and not be afraid to utilize it.”
The Oakland County Community and Home Improvement Division is one option, says Williams. “It’s free of charge, and we provide residents with totally unbiased recommendations. We’re here to help.”
The division can be reached at (248) 858-5402, and is located at 250 Elizabeth Lake Road, Suite 1900, in Pontiac.
Mannis’ advice is simple: Keep in close contact with your mortgage company. “Let them know the situation, and let them know often,” Mannis said. “They really don’t want your house. There are significant costs that go along with foreclosing on a property. They don’t want to incur those costs and the hassle of trying to sell it themselves. They will work with you. Believe me, they will do everything they can. Property owners just have to reach out to them.”
For the Seebes, help never arrived.
“In a way, we miss it everyday,” Seebe said. “But we’ve moved on and are trying to start over. It’s been tough, but we’re getting through it. I just would like to say that just because you may have a nice home in a nice town, it doesn’t mean something like this can’t happen to you. It can.”
Architect leads campaign to change commission decision on Shain ramp
By John McTaggartBill Finnicum is so charged up about the Shain Park ramp issue that he's leading a letter-writing campaign to change the commission's mind. He was glad to see the banner headline in this morning's Eccentric: "Clash looming over Shain Park entrance," and he'd like to see others join the parade of residents sending letters and emails to the City Commission.
Planning Board Chairman Robin Boyle, Community House President and CEO Shelley Roberts and members of the Parks & Recreation Board are just the most recent influential people to urge the commission to reconsider its February decision to put the parking ramp on Bates Street, instead of on Henrietta, where they think it belongs. They join the city's Planning Board, Architectural Review Committee and other boards that have voted to urge the commission to place the ramp on Henrietta.
Finnicum, who owns a Victorian home on Townsend, adjacent to Shain Park, says, "“I think what’s happened here is the City Commission has chosen the convenience of limousines over the safety of pedestrians.”
The commission made its decision after an appeal from the Townsend Hotel, which said a ramp on Henrietta would get in the way of its own parking ramp, and of the VIP limousines and buses that park on Henrietta. He said that no pedestrian study had been done, and that a traffic study used by the commission was flawed.
Finnicum is hoping that his letters, along with the letters of others, will sway at least two votes on the commission when the issue comes up on Monday.
“It seems like such a no-brainer to me, to choose safety,” Finnicum says.
“They say that moving the ramp now is simply too costly a proposition. I say, and I am an architect, and several other architects agree, that it’s not. It’s just a matter of having the ramp go from east-to-west, or west-to-east. Nothing about the garage or park would change.”
“Currently, there are six ways in and out of the lot at Shain Park. They’re proposing to add to the capacity of parking, and change the number of ways in and out to one. ... That’s going to create a traffic mess, and it’s going to be very dangerous for pedestrians on Bates, very dangerous. In my opinion, this is easy to see.”
“This ramp just shouldn’t be there. It’s that simple.”
Finnicum is asking residents to call, write or email City Commissioners on the issue. He is also urging interested residents to show up at the commission meeting on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
for city officials' contact information.
Finnicum can be reached at (248) 851-5022 or at
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Drumbeat continues on Shain parking ramp
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 17:18:05 -0400To: mcdaniel_tom@hotmail.com, dcarney@unalink.com, rackyhoff@hotmail.com, DJMcKEON@aol.com, sdm984@sbcglobal.net,
jap1103@aol.com, stuart.sherman@sbcglobal.net
From: Robin Boyle
Subject: Shain Park Underground Car Park
CC: Jecker@ci.birmingham.mi.us, Tmarkus@ci.birmingham.mi.us, shelleyroberts@communityhouse.com
Commissioners:
I was unable to attend the meeting of the Planning Board (April 25, 2007) when the matter of the entrance to the proposed Shain Park Underground Car Park was on the agenda.
I wish to let it be known that I am opposed to the entrance to the underground parking facility being located on Bates Street. I firmly believe it is the long term interests of the City of Birmingham that the entrance be located on Henrietta Street.
My principle concern is that a Bates Street entrance will seriously impact the Community House, increasing traffic volumes and turning movements directly in front of their building.
Secondly, this location would, on my opinion, adversely affect pedestrian traffic on Bates, not least visitors to the Community House.
Third, the Bates street entrance will irreparably change the appearance, amenity and ambience of this street and of the frontage of the Community House.
In contrast, the Henrietta option places the entrance on a city thoroughfare that already operates, at that point, as a "service" street. At present there are entrances to the Shain Park/Community House Parking Lot and the entrance to the Townsend Hotel underground car park. Unlike, the situation on Bates Street, there are no key pedestrian attractions on this section of Henrietta.
I believe one of the arguments for not having the entrance on Henrietta is for the accommodation of on-street coach parking for the hotel. I am sure such occasional parking could be accommodated at a location agreeable to all parties. Put another way, I do not believe that critical and permanent, high-profile, site design issues should be compared to, and considered in the same vein, as occasional, temporary, flexible parking issues.
Last, I am led to believe there are no significant cost differences between the construction of the Bates and the Henrietta entrances. Moreover, the logistics of traffic circulation within the underground car park will not be affected by the location of the entrance. That being the case I would urge that you take this opportunity (in a cost-neutral environment) to make the right decision that is in the long-term interest of city's residents and clearly in the interests of the Community House.
It is my judgment that the entrance to the Shain Park Underground Car Park be located on Henrietta Street.
Respectfully,
Robin Boyle
Chair
City of Birmingham Planning Board
--
Robin Boyle (r.boyle@wayne.edu)
Professor of Urban Planning
Chair, Department of Geography and Urban Planning
3198 Faculty/Administration Building
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan 48202
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Commission should put Barnum committee on track
The Ad Hoc Barnum Design Committee didn't take long to show its true colors. At its fourth meeting Monday, the committee laid bare its single-minded approach to Barnum: Give Beaumont the boot and tear down the building as soon as possible, ensuring for a small but vocal group of neighboring residents an oversized, underplanned 8.3-acre backyard park.With its letter to the City Commission (see story below) the committee dashed any residual hope in the community that it is truly interested in and capable of master planning a park.
The effective design: A vacant lot, "some grass and trees," as committee Chairman Jeff Van Dorn put it.
Given the committee's conclusion, it might as well have asked the City Commission to abandon the idea of an RFP altogether. Nobody needs a professional firm to design a vacant lot.
We feel like we're on a merry-go-round.
As recently as January 23, the commission voted down a virtually identical proposal to evict Beaumont early and tear down the building. The proposal failed for good reason. No firm plans exist for the park, and no reliable official estimates exist for cost of demolition and park improvements.
That's why the commission appointed the Ad Hoc Design Committee: So that the community could rest assured that a master plan is put in place to take us from Point A, which is where we are today, to Point B, which is what a master plan would show.
Contrary to Chairman Van Dorn's assertion that demolition is "what the citizens want," two previous ad hoc Barnum committees have extolled the virtues of the well-maintained Barnum School building as an asset to the community that can be put to good use -- use we hasten to add that could help fund park improvements.
Since January, little has changed. The design committee hasn't yet issued an RFP, and so we are not much closer to a master plan.
The City Commission should either put the Barnum committee on track, or put the task of evaluating potential planners into the hands of a committee willing and able to do the job.
Barnum design committee urges early Beaumont eviction
By John McTaggartStraying from its charge to solicit and evaluate proposals for a design firm, the Ad Hoc Barnum Park Design Committee Monday night approved sending a letter to the City Commission urging that Beaumont Hospital be prematurely evicted from the premises so that demolition of Barnum School can begin as early as next summer.
The committee was formed by the commission in February to develop, issue and evaluate responses to a request for proposals (RFP) for a design for Barnum Park. It has met just four times and has not yet issued the RFP.
Beaumont’s current lease with the city expires in December 2008. Beaumont is paying 100% of the maintenance costs associated with the building – estimated by City Manager Tom Markus at $300,000 to $400,000 annually.
City Commissioner Rackeline Hoff, a member of the ad hoc committee, abstained from the 4-0 vote saying the committee was overstepping its bounds. “This is outside the scope of what the commission has asked,” Hoff said. “At no time did the commission ask this committee to set time frames. I just don’t see a reason for it.”
“I think it’s what the citizens want,” Van Dorn said. “I can’t imagine anyone not liking the idea of pulling ahead with this as soon as possible. It’s already been years in the making. This way, we can at least get some grass and trees in.”
The letter, which asks the commission to vote at its June 11 meeting on the Beaumont eviction, says the committee “believes that a plan acceptable to the City Commission and residents of the city can and will be developed to do necessary demolition and to implement a basic park with infrastructure for future park features for the $1.5 million set aside by the City Commission.” It surmises that “such a plan will be developed no later than spring 2008. This allows new park infrastructure and planting of greenery to be done before the winter of 2008. This timing allows use of the park the following spring 2009.”
The committee did not define “park infrastructure,” nor specify the features it expects in a “basic park” or “future park features.”
The letter asserts that “members of the community have strongly indicated that they are willing to begin fundraising for the park as soon as notice has been given to Beaumont to leave Barnum. Until such notice is given, they believe that promise of a park at Barnum will not be kept and fund raising is moot. Initial estimates of private fund raising are in the range of up to $250,000 over a period of 2 years.”
Friday, June 01, 2007
Community House opposes Bates parking ramp
The City Commission should reconsider its decision to place the Shain Park underground parking ramp across from the Community House, and heed the advice of four of its advisory boards that said the ramp should be placed on Henrietta St., the president and CEO of the Community House says.“Up to this point, I have not taken a position with respect to the location of the ramp for the underground parking garage,” said Shelley Roberts in a May 30 letter to the city.
“However, after reviewing the findings of the Planning Board, the Parks and Recreation Board, the Architectural Review Committee and the Historic District Commission, all of which unanimously recommended that the ramp be located on Henrietta Street, I have realized that it is vital for our city to adopt their recommendations. I think that the location of the ramp on Henrietta Street is in the best interest of the city and the users of the park, City Hall, Baldwin Library and The Community House.”
City officials had told the City Commission that Roberts supported the recommendation to place the ramp on Bates. Neither Roberts nor city officials responded to messages left for them on Thursday and Friday. The commission voted 5-2 to place the ramp on Bates. Commissioners Julie Plotnik and Dianne McKeon, both of whom live within a few blocks of the site, voted to place the ramp on Henrietta.
Roberts joined Community House chairwoman Judith Hoeffler in questioning the commission’s decision. Hoeffler last month wrote to the commission asking whether a pedestrian traffic study had been done, and what consideration will be given to installing public restrooms in Shain Park. The preliminary plan presented earlier this spring to city boards did not include restrooms.
Roberts went further than Hoeffler in her outright opposition to placing the ramp on Bates St.
“Hundreds of pedestrians a day will stream from the parking structure across Bates. These pedestrians will be endangered by cars exiting the structure that make right turns and by cars approaching from Maple to enter the structure. In contrast, there is very little pedestrian traffic on Henrietta,” Roberts said.
“The current design has the ramp emptying traffic on to Bates Street, which is the residential side of the park,” Roberts said. “The ramp should empty on to Henrietta, which is the commercial side of the park and will be used less by pedestrians entering and exiting the park.”
“The logistics of pulling out of the parking structure and entering The Community House pick-up queue southbound on Bates are problematic,” she said of the approved design. “It cannot be done without turning left and circling the entire block or by turning right out of the garage and immediately doing an illegal U-turn. In contrast, if the exit is on Henrietta Street, a car can pull out and circle one-half block to pick up guests of both The Community House and the Townsend Hotel ballroom.”
Celebrity masks to benefit Hospice of Michigan
The Bob Seger mask available at auction June 7
By John McTaggart
Celebrity designed and signed masks will be up for auction at the Hospice of Michigan Face Behind the Mask fundraising event June 7 at the Palladium Theatre.
“We have about 115 masks autographed by celebrities,” Hospice of Michigan Development Manager Michelle Antonini said. “This event is so unique and so much fun. It’s very casual, summer chic we call it, and it’s just a great time for a great cause.”
Over nearly two years the autographs were collected, and in some cases, Antonini explained, the celebrities decorated the masks.
“We saw that some masks were coming back with just signatures, and thought we could partner up with another great community charity, the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. This group of local artists was gracious enough to decorate the masks we had returned with just signatures. So, these really are works of art, along with being really unique pieces of memorabilia.”
Celebrities represented include Kid Rock, Bob Segar, Elmore Leonard, 50 Cent, the Detroit Pistons, Goo Goo Dolls, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Jay-Z.
Other items will be included in the live and silent auctions.
“We have golf packages, spa gift certificates, estate jewelry, Tiger suites, a lot of great items available,” Antonini said. “The businesses in Birmingham … donated some really great items to the event.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Maggie Allesee Center of Quality of Life at Hospice of Michigan, which is dedicated to education, research and community outreach for the terminally ill and their families.
The fundraiser begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are $50 per person. Included are a strolling dinner, live entertainment and valet parking. For reservations, visit http://www.hom.org or call Antonini at (313) 578-6259.
Comments sought on Triangle master plan
An artist's rendering of the Triangle District
By John McTaggart
If you’ve got something to say about Birmingham’s proposed Triangle District Master Plan, city planners want to hear it. Comments from a wide range of interested parties are being sought as the plan nears completion.
A 40-day review period for neighboring communities and other agencies will expire July 1. The Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on the plan for July 11, and the City Commission is expected to hold a hearing on the plan in August.
The plan would transform the district, bounded by Maple, Adams and Woodward, into a vibrant live-work-shop-recreate area with public plazas, tree-lined streets, mixed-use neighborhoods and unique architecture.
“We want the Triangle District to be a compliment and a companion to the downtown area,” said LSL Managing Partner Brad Strader, who led the planning effort. “We don’t want it to be just an extension of the downtown. We want people to feel they’re in the Triangle District and not downtown. That’s a very important point.”
Click here for LSL’s powerpoint presentation on the plan.
Click here for a draft of the plan.
“It can’t be done soon enough,” said Danielle DiValencia, a district resident. “I think this part of town has been largely ignored over the past 10 years. It’s a beautiful area with a lot of potential.”
“I’m looking forward to its completion,” Alan Kurtz said. “This section of Birmingham doesn’t have as much character as other parts of town. Woodward seems to separate us from the rest of town. From what I can see, this plan will give this section of Birmingham much needed character.”
The 20-year plan will depend on significant public and private investment, and particularly on development of parking structures that will allow the specified density.
“They didn’t build Rome in one day,” said district resident Bonnie Wheeler. “I think 20 years is a good pace for something this big. We’ll see real improvement along the way. I’m sure.”
Comments can be presented at any of the hearings, or sent to city Planning Director Jana Ecker at or 151 Martin St., Birmingham, MI 48009.
Anonymous forum posts now permitted
We've figured out a workaround to the problem of our system not allowing anonymous posts on our discussion forum. The answer was to create a username that anyone can use.The username is buzz.
The password is comment.
These are listed for your convenience right at the forum entrance. So click here, or use the link at left to access our forum. Posts are, as always, subject to moderation.
Our old software allowed anonymous posts, so the result was an extraordinarily lively forum. Unfortunately, the software didn't notify us of posts, and so another result was that spammers used our forum to post links to their often odious websites.
Let's see if our new policy can revive the liveliness we once knew and loved.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Park organizer turns attention to Darfur
By John McTaggartTim Page, who spearheaded the community built playground at Booth Park last year, is broadening his horizons with a new cause -- ending the genocide in Darfur.
As Page accepted an award for his park effort May 21 and credited the efforts of many others, he was already thinking about the new cause. “This cause is going to take the help of a lot of people, too,” he said.
This time, the stakes are higher and the task taller.
“We’re looking to do something about the horrors that are happening in Darfur,” Page said. “We want to get people out there and raise awareness. We’re going to start a coalition here in Michigan, and we need help.”
In Darfur, in western Sudan, government-backed militias known as the Janjaweed along with Sudanese government troops have attacked civilian ethnic populations, killing an estimated 400,000 and displacing more than 2.5 million people.
The United States government, along with much of the world media, describes the situation as “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide.” But the United Nations has stopped short of calling it “genocide.”
“We really want to get the U.N. in there,” Page said. “We’re hoping our coalition, The Michigan Darfur Coalition, can combine with others across the nation and make this happen.”
“There are lots of ways people can help,” Page said. “And you can help right away, you can get involved immediately with this effort.”
To spread awareness, Page and his Michigan Darfur Coalition are bringing God Grew Tired of Us, an award-winning documentary, to the Palladium at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 21. Tickets are $10 and available in advance at www.detroitjcrc.org or by calling either 248-642-5393 or 248-515-8688. They also will be available at the Palladium the night of the show.
God Grew Tired of Us is a stirring and inspiring account of three of Darfur’s estimated 25,000 orphaned children. You can view a trailer of the movie in Quicktime on the film’s website, or you can view it on YouTube.
Known as “Lost Boys,” the 3- to 13-year-old boys fled villages, formed surrogate families and sought refuge from famine, disease, wild animals and attacks from rebel soldiers and overcame insurmountable odds.
“The movie is incredibly inspiring, and we plan to have one of these Lost Boys in attendance for a Q & A after the movie,” Page said.
“I can’t stand what’s going on over there, and I know that other people feel the same way. They’re just not sure what they can do,” Page said. “That’s where this organization comes in. We want to show people what they can do and what their donations do, how it helps.”
Page encourages people to come to the movie, research Darfur on the Internet, and get informed about the atrocities taking place over there. Once people do this, Page believes, they’ll want to get involved.
“I don’t think we can go in there and stop everything that’s going on,” he said. “But we can start the ball rolling and make a real difference in the lives of these people.”
The presentation June 21 is the unofficial kick-off of the Michigan Darfur Coalition, and along with the movie, several other organizations will be represented at the event, thus allowing people even more opportunity to help.
"We can’t sit by and watch as hundreds of thousands of people are killed and raped and millions are fleeing their homes. We must create pressure through awareness-raising and grassroots organizing," Page said.
“We’re in our infancy now, but I really believe the people of this community will rally around this cause, I really do. I’ve seen what people in Birmingham can do firsthand. It’s amazing.” Page said.
For more information on the Michigan Darfur Coalition contact Tim Page at
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
O'Dow's plans June opening of cafe
Architect's rendering of the approved outdoor cafe at Dick O'Dow's on W. Maple.
By John McTaggart
Dick O'Dow's will have an outdoor cafe by the middle of June, after the Planning Board last week approved plans for two 2016 Plan-style cafes in the city's rights-of-way.
“Our target date is the middle of June, but we’re working to get it up and running as soon as possible,” said Mitch Black, O'Dow's Managing Partner. "After 11 years in Birmingham, we wanted to be on the forefront" of the city's implementation of the 2016 Plan idea.
The plan, commissioned by the city in 1996 from renowned urban planner Andres Duany, called for outdoor cafes on platforms in the street. The cafe at O'Dow's will occupy two city parking spots. A second, similar cafe was approved for Canella's pastry shop on Hamilton Row.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Two new outdoor cafes are proposed
By John McTaggartOne more goal of the downtown Birmingham 2016 Plan may finally be achieved if Dick O’Dows and Cannella’s Pastries are permitted to establish outdoor cafés in city rights-of-way.
Both have applied for site plan approval from the Planning Board to construct elevated platforms seven feet into the street. Such cafés were recommended in 1996 by urban planner Andres Duany.
At the urging of the Buzz, the City Commission last year gave the go-ahead for quicker approvals for outdoor cafés. It also last month changed city ordinances to allow serving liquor in rights-of-way.
City planners have recommended approval of the plans.
Dick O’Dow’s is at 160 W. Maple, and Cannella’s is at 300 Hamilton Row. The Planning Board meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
State senate bill would incent restaurants, bars to ban smoking
From the Michigan Information and Research ServiceRestaurants and bars that decide to prohibit smoking could receive a financial incentive from local governments if a bi-partisan bill introduced today gets through both chambers.
Sens. Jason ALLEN (R-Traverse City), Alan SANBORN (R-Richmond), Jim BARCIA (D-Bay City), Randy RICHARDVILLE (R-Monroe) and Valde GARCIA (R-Howell) introduced a bill that's designed to encourage restaurants to ban smoking.
SB 0514 would give local governments permission to pass an ordinance that would give food establishments that prohibit smoking a fiscal incentive that would look like a partial property-tax exemption.
The idea behind the bill is to encourage private business to move to smoke-free environments without imposing mandates on small businesses. The smoking ban debate generally has Republicans claiming that government shouldn't be able to step in and tell business owners what to do while Democrats argue that smoking is a public health risk so the government should step in and ban smoking in restaurants and bars.
Sen. Ray BASHAM (D-Taylor) has repeatedly introduced bills that would ban smoking in these places.
