That is the premise behind “Detroit Up North,” an extravaganza that takes city residents into the Thumb of Michigan. The destination for this diverse group was Port Austin, the definition of rural beauty. It was a weekend of beaches, biking, kayaking and friendly rummaging. The three-day getaway (which took place June 7-9 this year) is loosely organized in that you only have to participate when you feel like it. But it is hard to avoid the pull of this friendly crowd, full of youth and sass.

This is the second year Detroit Up North has invaded Port Austin, and you could see how the town embraced the participants. There were signs up in many storefronts, welcoming “The D” and thanking them for making the trip. Truth be told, organizer Jim Boyle and his family are sort of royalty around these parts, and Boyle’s likeability quotient is pretty much through the roof since he admitted his love and admiration for his mother in The Detroit Free Press a month ago.

So what is the point to this strange journey two-and-a-half hours north of Detroit? It was simply to slow down, let go, change the conversation, create new friends and honor the simpler moments that bond us as a community. Did you need to leave Detroit to do this? Probably not. But it certainly helps to be in a tiny burg like this to see one another in new ways, and, more importantly, to embrace the beauty of the urban when contrasted against the rural.

There is room for conversation about what makes Port Austin similar to Detroit. There are empty storefronts – small restaurants that couldn’t drum up enough business, vacant lots where old buildings burned down and no one has redeveloped. There are plenty of barns falling apart, like a rural form of ruin porn. And there are desperate people aplenty, willing to rob or sell drugs to make a living. No one ever said lakefront property makes you any better than anyone else.

Surely there were many memorable moments, but for me the dinner Saturday night was the highlight of the weekend. I brought along a willful 5-year-old kid there (she was feeling poorly and wasn’t in a social mood), so my stay was briefer than I would have liked. But the vignettes I saw there were so charming that I would have stayed all night.

The location for dinner was a small, grassy field next to the the Little Yellow Cottages, where many of the Up Northers were staying. These cottages housed a couple here, a family there. Let me set the scene: These cottages are squished within inches of one another, painted like something out of a “Hello, Kitty” cartoon. They are far from any commercial coffee joint. But these small inconveniences fade when you see that you are within a hundred feet of Lake Huron, a postcard perfect beach and a grand breakwall that let you walk out over the water like a rusted tightrope.

The jamboree was in full swing when we arrived. There were kids playing together outside, sharing last generation’s Barbie dolls. Some Gen Xers were playing bags, setting up teams among any takers. The older generations sat on lawn chairs and chatted. The young moms and dads sipped beer and talked about the summer break about to begin.

Yet it still felt like Detroit. There was Andy Didorosi’s velodrome bus, a marvelous piece of The Detroit Bus Company right there amid the blacktop roads, humble churches and humbler homesteads. There was evidence of city pride everywhere you looked, whether it was the McClure’s Pickles t-shirts or old English Ds on faded sweatshirts.

We weren’t forgetting Detroit. It was a respite from the emergency managers, the talk of art museums and who deserves our van Gogh. There was real talk besides what city you REALLY live in, whether you understood the gentrification issue or what you do for a living. The mood was light, the food was smoky and filling, and I’m sure no one went home without meeting someone new.

It was sublime to see the faces of people I only know on Facebook or Instragram. It was downright heart-warming to have perfect strangers greet you with a high five and a plate full of warm, roasted pig (yes, there was a massive pig roast-slash-community meal involved). And I adored the conversation around the amazing installation of BARN art (really, a barn! There were multiple barns in the running for the honor) via Steve and Dorota Coy of the Hygienic Dress League. The front is the iconic pigeon, the corporation’s logo. The back will be a kind of American Gothic. It’s worth the drive north just to see the detail and colors on these large images, painted so dramatically against the faded barn wood. The locals took notice — enough to wonder why someone would paint a barn in the first place.

By Sunday afternoon, people shook the last of the sand from their Tevas and headed back to reality. Port Austin is wonderful to visit – it is the kind of place you’d love to stay if you were retired or could telecommute from a beachfront cabana. My parents live there about six months of the year, enjoying the quiet lullaby of the water, the bright pink-and-orange sunsets and the “shorts in church are OK” lifestyle. That’s what Port Austin is all about.

But there is a city that needs these travelers, and Detroit wouldn’t be the same without them.

At the Detroit Zoological Society Sunset at the Zoo fundraiser, among other auction items will be the chance to have dinner on the Boardwalk, which overlooks the new habitat of Ward and June, the zoo’s North American beavers.

The Sunset at the Zoo “Boardwalk Bash,” is inspired by the new Boardwalk, which overlooks the Cotton Family Wetlands and the Jane and Frank Warchol Beaver Habitat, which will open soon.  The event takes place Friday, June 14 from 7:00-11:30 p.m. The zoo will close at 2:00 p.m. to prepare for the bash.

The “Boardwalk Bash,” presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions, is for those 21 years old and older and will go on regardless of what the state’s fickle weather does.  The food will be presented as a strolling supper and will be brought to the event by more than 40 restaurants.

Drinks? Zoo-themed cocktails.

There will also be boardwalk games, a Ferris wheel and performances by Detroit Flyhouse.  Of course, such a lavish event will not stop there. To keep the guests entertained there will be music by The Jerry Ross Band, dancing access to the award- winning animal habitats at twilight, and live and silent auctions (this is where the beavers come in).

The Jerry Ross Band

The company of beavers with your meal is not the only zoo-based prize at the auctions. You can also bid on the chance for 12 to have dinner with the giraffes, lions or polar bears.  For those who prefer to not eat with the zoo’s varying genus, you can bid on a fall hayride and a twilight tour of the grounds with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for 12.  Even the chance to name a baby animal is available.

Breaking away from the zoonique prizes at the live auction are a Fox Theater suite and dinner at Vinsetta Garage for 15, an autographed Henrik Zetterberg game jersey, the Detroit Tigers President’s Suite for 18, and an evening on a private yacht with dinner and drinks for 35.

For those interested, tickets start out at $150 and go up to $300. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.detroitzoo.org/sunset. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate the evening of the event.

Here’s a quick FYI on beavers. The largest beaver dam was over 2,750 feet long. These dams are the only animal-created structures that can be seen from space.  If a predator destroys part of the dam, it will be fixed overnight. Also just like men, they won’t stop building until the job is done – resulting in some massively huge dams being built along large rivers. Sounds like Detroit, doesn’t it? We keep building.

“We want to become the greenest neighborhood in Detroit,” said Rodney Gasaway, director of community development at the Joy-Southfield Development Corporation.

At each of the sites, a particular treatment (green infrastructure approach) was chosen and implemented, based on storm water management capabilities, appearance and upkeep requirements. Other Green infrastructure goals for the project include a reduction in street flooding following severe storms, general appearance improvements in the impacted neighborhood and the ecological benefits of improving the urban ecosystem.

The last of the 10 lots, located at 8601 Brace St. in the city, was treated with green infrastructure on June 6. Trees were planted on the site by neighborhood volunteers, creating a low-maintenance space that instantly becomes an asset, instead of an eyesore.

The sites and treatment plans were chosen by Cody Rouge residents, which engaged them in the collaborative process. Through several meetings, the community ultimately voted on the options of: a low-grow prairie grass, perennial wildflower mix, a rye grass and wildflower combination or tree planting for each site.

“We believe in increasing green infrastructure in the city,” said Sue McCormick, a director at DWSD. “Green projects help divert runoff from going into the combined sewer system and that could reduce costs that are passed on to our customers. The project in the Cody Rouge neighborhood is one of the first steps in a multi-year greening program at DWSD.”

 ”Our plan is to do 125 more of these sites this year,” said Rebecca Salminen Witt, president of The Greening of Detroit. “When houses go vacant or come down in the city, we really have a clean slate to start with. This kind of project increases the property values and gives the neighborhood a chance to reclaim an otherwise blighted location in the community.”

Residents and community partners are excited about the pilot project and the potential for the impact across the metro area. Detroit Future City Director Dan Kinkead says this vacant lot project fits right into their vision for a better Detroit. “This effort demonstrates how small community projects can have a huge impact on the city. Turning a liability into an asset helps everyone.”

Kenyetta Campbell, executive director of Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance passionately explained what a partnership like this means for the area. “As an organization, we have a mission of keeping Cody Rouge clean and safe. Our hope is that this will encourage people to begin to move back into the neighborhood.” Campbell grew up in the area and has lived there for more than 40 years.

The 10 site locations:

 Location                                             Treatment

• 8018 Ashton                        Low Grow Prairie
• 8898 Ashton                        Low Grow Prairie
• 8883 Ashton                        Trees
• 9046 Ashton                        Low Grow Prairie
• 9223 Ashton                        Low Grow Prairie
• 8601 Brace                           Trees
• 8412 Brace                           Trees
• 8247 Grandville                   Low Grow Prairie
• 9048 Minock                        Perennial Wildflower Mix
• 8114 Westwood                  Rye and Wildflower Mix

And if you have the goal of becoming a “known by his/her first name” kind of big shot around here, you’ve got to get busy. That’s because applications for some of the most financially advantageous contests are all due in just a few short weeks.

Want free rent to figure out of your store has a shot at success? Then check out D:Hive’s Pilot project (those applications are due June 20). Want to work with one of the most creative pop-up shop designers in the nation and put $10,000 toward your dream shop? Then you need to apply before July 8 to Revolve Detroit’s shout-out for proposals improving the Livernois fashion district.

The big daddy of them all is the Comerica Hatch Detroit contest, which provides one lucky winner with $50,000 and all of the business support a fledging entrepreneur could dream of in one grand package. But Hatch – and, honestly, all of these projects mentioned here – are doing so much more for the spirit of growth, development and retail in the city.

What these retail throwdowns are doing, in reality, is revving up people’s creativity. They are making the business of opening a business something fun – instead of frustrating, intimidating and, let’s face it, insurmountable for some. Because when you add the time element, the component of a public vote and tons of publicity for the top contenders, then you bring a whole new audience to Detroit’s need for shopping destinations.

That’s what makes D:Hive, Revolve Detroit and Comerica Hatch Detroit so innovative – they are a glimpse into the day-to-day work being done to dust off Detroit’s collective brain. Have an idea for a crazy flower shop with arrangements out of a Jim Henson fantasy land? Want to open a water-sports mecca? Think Detroit needs more coffee (yes, please!)? Then someone is willing to give you the resources and in some cases even the money to make it so.

La Feria in progress.

This is Comerica’s second year of supporting Hatch Detroit’s goals of opening more retailers and more minds to the potential of Detroit. The financial services company (bank to you non-industry types) provides both the $50,000 grant to the winner and support in areas of legal, marketing, accounting and information technology.

“What (Hatch Detroit) has done is to bring attention to the fact that there are so many newly minted and long-term entrepreneurs in Detroit,” said Linda D. Forte, senior vice president of Business Affairs for Comerica Inc. She also is a member of Comerica’s Senior Leadership Team. “When you see their energy and enthusiasm, you get a feel for the retail environment and business in general in the city.”

And the effort of just writing a business plan of sorts to apply for any of these monies is significant to Detroit’s creative spirit, Forte added.

“The money is critical – after all, cash and capital is king — and it does motivate people to create a plan,” Forte said. “Even those businesses that don’t win the money benefit because the process is an education in and of itself. And in the three years Hatch has been around, there are so many finalists who have moved forward with their businesses. We’re seeing the fruits of that entrepreneurial activity, and these businesses will employ people.”

Plus, Forte notes, when an idea receives Hatch-quality publicity, there is a greater chance that they will be able to find funding somewhere. Being part of the final 10 or Top Four means you will see your name pop up on blogs, traditional media and social-media sites across the state. It puts your idea in front of key decision makers. And having 40,000 people vote for you or your co-finalists invests them in your potential store. It’s like having an instant audience for your products or services.

Hugh, the 2011 winner, is making men across the Metro Detroit more fantastic every day from its location in the Auburn. Last year’s winner, tapas restaurant La Feria, is well on its way to opening. So when you see last year’s finalists (Rock City pies, Detroit River Sports, Detroit Vegan Soul and Pho da Nang)  opening up locations this year, it means that publicity and support has done its job.

“It gives them the confidence to take the next leap,” Vittoria Katanski, Hatch Detroit executive director. “They becomes a little more recognizable to funding opportunities. … But we need to do more beyond the contest in terms of supporting these businesses. We’ve spent the last year working with the semi-finalists and finalists to give them that encouragement. If there’s a way to help, we try to do it.”

That’s because in Detroit, the more retail, the merrier.

“It’s awesome to have one new business. But it’s even more awesome to have four,” Katanski said.

All applications must be submitted online at www.hatchdetroit.com. For complete submission guidelines and contest rules, visit www.hatchdetroit.com. The deadline for submissions is July 13, 2013. And here’s the legal stuff: Hatch Detroit is a Michigan based 501(c)(3) organization that champions and supports independent retail businesses in Detroit through funding contests, education, exposure, and mentoring.  Hatch Detroit was co-founded by Nick Gorga and Ted Balowski, Detroit natives who are passionate about the revitalization of the city and inspiring others in the community to create change.

Full Contest Schedule:
Submission Period:  June 3-July 13
Top Ten Announced:  August 8
Vote Opens Round 1: August 12
Top 4 Announced:  August 19
Vote Opens Round 2: August 19
Hatch Off/Winner Announced:  August 28

Dr. Partha Nandi

Dr. Partha Nandi, who practices in gastroenterology at Beaumont, started the show about two years ago after a dinner party where he got into a conversation with another guest whose father was battling pancreatic cancer. Nandi took the time to passionately discuss the disease at length with the guest, helping him understand what his father faced.

It turned out the guest was an independent TV producer from Los Angeles, who suggested the doctor had the skills to have these kinds of conversations on the air.

Ask Dr. Nandi was born. It started out airing in Detroit and California and now airs daily throughout the nation on Impact Network. A great supporter of Detroit, Nandi’s ultimate goal is to have a studio in Detroit with a free clinic attached.

Unlike other medical shows, Ask Dr. Nandi covers one subject per show so the information is more than a soundbite. “We look at real problems and offer real solutions,” Nandi said. “Our goal is to reach all people and inform them about their health needs without sensationalism.”

Another goal is to filter Google information. How many of us have Googled our symptoms and decided we have a deadly disease? Nandi wants to give viewers the information they need to understand what questions to ask their doctors. “You must be an advocate for yourself,” he says. “You must ask questions. We hope our show gives you information on where you can go for help and solutions.”

The show has covered everything from arrhythmia and autism to Tourettes Syndrome and restless leg to marriage and how divorce impacts children to end of life. “These are very emotional issues. I want people who watch our show to feel like they are coming into my office and talking to me.” That emotion is very clear in the segment where Danny Dzialo discusses growing up with Tourette’s Syndrome and tells Nandi how he took up music and art to help him deal with the disease.

“We try and show how life can be enjoyable even with difficult conditions,” Nandi says.

“I became a physician because I want to be there when someone’s world stops – I want to help people when they are most vulnerable and help them recover fully. I always tell the truth about a medical condition and work hard to ensure my patients fully understand their problem. My goal with this TV show is to eliminate intimidation and fear from health care and put the power in the hands of the patients.”

Early on Nandi and NFL All Pro Jerry Ball discussed the potentially devastating effects of multiple concussions called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Ball, who played for the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, the Los Angeles Raiders, the Oakland Raiders, and the Minnesota Vikings, recalls his first concussion at age 12 and countless hits during his college and NFL days. “Both the NFL and the players share responsibility,” says Ball. “We need to work together to find solutions to prevent such damage in the future.”

On the show Nandi and Ball discussed how multiple concussions can often lead to dementia, depression and even death. “We need to start in our schools,” Ball says. “Coaches need to be trained properly to teach kids how to tackle the right way. Then, you can prevent these damaging effects in the future.” This is a must watch for parents, fans and athletes.

Filmed at Detroit Public Television studios in Wixom, Ask Dr. Nandi is headed into Season 2.

The second Ask Dr. Nandi may include as many as 100 episodes and will again feature actual patients and practitioners that provide information and offer solutions for patients and their families on a range of issues.

“This year, we will go deeper to educate and inform our viewers so their families can live healthy, fulfilled lives,” he said.

Ask Dr. Nandi broadcasts at DPTV in Detroit and on Stellar Television in Los Angeles, Fresno, Sacramento, and Bakersfield and is filmed with a live audience. It airs every day at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on The Impact Network. In Detroit it’s on Comcast Channels 397 and 400 or on Dish Channel 268. You can go to www.AskDrNandi.com  and click on Stream Live. The show has gone international and its website has a great following in China and the Philippines.

The state’s film office has gotten into the act, as well. Season 2 was awarded an incentive of $972,518 on $3,152,623 of projected in-state expenditures. The project expects to hire 30 Michigan workers with a full time equivalent of 39 jobs.

“Dr. Partha Nandi has remained committed to filming his television show here in Michigan, and viewers will see the series continue to grow in its second season,” said Margaret O’Riley, director of the Michigan Film Office. “The show is filmed, produced and edited all here in Michigan, making it a great fit for our incentive program.”

Nandi was born in Calcutta, India, and moved to the US as a child. He graduated summa laude from Ohio State with a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in classical Greek civilization and was also the Rhoades scholarship representative from Ohio State. We aren’t going to hold the Ohio State thing against him since he received his medical degree at Wayne State University and completed his internal medicine training there. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Michigan.

Nandi believes mind and body are connected and true healing requires treatment of both. He closes every show with “Namaste”, a beautiful Hindi word meaning, “the light in me honors the light in you.”

At least, that’s how it seemed when we whipped around the 2.3 mile race track in one of the race’s Pace Cars on Thursday. Ask me any other details and you’ll get a vague answer.

It took complete concentration just to sit in that loaded Cadillac, air conditioning blasting, gaping as professional race-car driver Stefan Wilson worked the steering wheel around tighter-than-tight curves. Beyond that, everything was a blur.

And when the 23-year-old Brit tells you to put on your seatbelt, I’d recommend you do so.

So that was my moment in the spotlight. The real drivers in this weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will see our fair islet zoom by even faster as they scream around the turns and twists of the racetrack centered there. The official event, which starts today and runs through June 2, promises to be a grand event in every sense of the word: Loud, crowded, colorful and impressive to all five senses.

A select number of promoters (us media types) and lots of friends of the local car companies got to take a turn on the course for a few hours on a hot, humid morning. Seeing the change on the 982-acre island alone was worth the trip. The view of the city, Windsor and the changes there are awe-inspiring – our sleepy Belle Isle was a testosterone-laden fantasy land, all squealing tires, machines and movie-quality views.

Some background: This weekend, the cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Series and the Firestone Indy Lights Championship will battle wheel-to-wheel on the temporary street circuit constructed on Belle Isle.

It will feature the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans IndyCar doubleheader – that’s the big noise on Sunday. Today is Free Prix Day with the practices and qualifying races, and I highly recommend checking out the sight if you can get onto the island.

The beautification is impressive – there are freshly painted white-picket fences around the paddocks and elsewhere. Red, white and blue flowers have been planted along Belle Isle’s established walkways, adding warmth to an otherwise harsh landscape of tires, engines and high-performance vehicles.

The track has been repaved. They’ve added a half-mile straightaway that means more speed, more passing and more drama. There will be kids’ games, live entertainment, go-carts and tons of sights to see. More than 40 companies, including Quicken Loans and Chevrolet, are sponsoring the event, which will help raise funds for not only Belle Isle but for the city in general.

Some of the best things you’ll see aren’t necessarily on the track. Those white barrels all over the place? Those are from Next Detroit, and they represent the efforts to keep downtown, the city and Belle Isle clean. Everyone from out of town who sees even ONE piece of trash on the ground will tell others that Detroit is a wreck. These barrels will, hopefully, stop that from happening (as much).

Those flowers and other Belle Isle improvements? Those are here not only for the race and the summer. I hope they are here for long into the future. There is so much to love on Belle Isle: the koi, the fountain, the views, the long stretches of grassy relaxation, the epic play areas. The place should always be loved and maintained like this.

As for the track itself – the ride was fabulous. Anyone with a secret fantasy of racing should try something like this, even if you have to pay for it (and don’t get a free pass because you have an awesome blogging gig – thanks, Marge!).

Here’s what I learned from my two-minute ride. I am not fit to be a race-car driver; my nerves were wrecked just getting from my car to the track. Those curves are MEAN. Don’t chat with your driver – he’s trying to keep you from crashing, and your so-called pithy comments are superfluous. Appreciate American made cars (already got that one down, natch). And hold on tight because there is nothing like going 110 miles per hour on Belle Isle…it sure beats the normal 20-miles-per-hour standard.

It was easy to drive home Thursday afternoon. I had my speed rush for the day. I had a sunburn. I was dehydrated and blissfully happy. It was amazing to walk among such giants, and to ride beside these talented drivers was the stuff of legend. I will never look at Belle Isle the same.

Here are some proof points.

Michigan’s designers and architects defined the look of the 20th century with iconic pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair from Herman Miller as well as the office environments it has revolutionized, the expressive styling of the fins on a Cadillac and corporate campuses like the General Motors Technical Center.

Michigan is home to more than a dozen corporate design centers.

General Motors advertisement for the 1959 Buick Electra 225 on Cranbrook Academy of Art campus. Photo courtesy of General Motors 2013.

Design is central to Michigan’s complete portfolio of industrial talent, skill, experience and commercial success.

Michigan’s colleges and universities are training designers.

Michigan’s industry, prosperity, and educational institutions attract exceptional talent today just as they did in the past.

Design is intrinsic to Michigan’s key cultural centers.

Lafayette Park, Detroit, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Photographer: Steve Vorderman for the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.

Now our state wants the world to know more about our design expertise. The Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America symposium on June 13 – 16 on Cranbrook’s Eliel Saarinen-designed campus is designed (forgive the pun) to do just that. The event is hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Cranbrook Art Museum and MPdl Studios of Ann Arbor.

Reynolds Metals Regional Sales Office, Southfield, designed by Minoru Yamasaki. Photographer: Balthazar Korab. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

“The architects and designers met the challenge of a new century with optimism and spirit,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. “What happened in Michigan – in the automotive industry, the furniture industry, in architecture, and in education – influenced design throughout the country and internationally. This project looks to celebrate Michigan’s outstanding contributions to Modern design and the stories of the people who made it happen.”

The four-day symposium and four-month exhibition at the Cranbrook Art Museum will showcase how Michigan’s industrial and design history intertwined during the middle of the 20th century and created an epicenter of Modern design that touched nearly every aspect of American life.

William Muschenheim House, Ann Arbor, designed by William Muschenheim. Photographer: Rob Yallop for the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.

Those attending will hear stories directly from designers who were part of Michigan’s mid-century design boom, such as Gunner Birkets and Ruth Adler Schnee.

Michigan Consolidated Gas Building, Detroit, designed by Minoru Yamasaki. Photographer: Steve Vorderman for the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.

“In the late 1930s, a remarkable group of artists and designers were at Cranbrook – notably Eliel and Loja Saarinen, their son Eero, faculty members such as Harry Bertoia and promising young students like Charles and Ray Eames, Ralph Rapson, Florence Knoll, and many others,” said Gregory Wittkopp, director, Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research. “Collaboratively, and then individually, they used the Academy’s studios to experiment and create the furniture and products that became the icons of the 20th century. It is no exaggeration to say that mid-century Modernism was conceived at Cranbrook.”

Saarinen Tea with Eliel Saarinen and J. Robert F. Swanson (standing). May 1941. Photo courtesy of the Cranbrook Archives. (5681-16)

Thirty speakers will discuss Modernism’s Michigan roots during the symposium:

• Architecture critic and historian Alan Hess
• Paul Makovsky, editorial director of Metropolis Magazine
• Eames Demetrios, the grandson of Charles and Ray Eames
• Columbia University Professor and PBS History Detective Gwendolyn Wright.

Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, Midland, designed by Alden B. Dow. Photographer: Steve Vorderman for the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.

There will also be tours:

• A rarely offered tour of the General Motors Technical Center, designed by Eero Saarinen
• The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Palmer House in Ann Arbor
• Wayne State University campus, planned by Minoru Yamasaki
• Lafayette Park, which has the largest collection of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s International style residential work in the world
• A tour of Midland including the Dow Home and Studio where guests can have lunch in the drafting room and understand Alden Dow’s philosophy that “gardens never end and buildings never begin”

Aerial view of the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum, 2004. Landslides Aerial Photography. Photo courtesy of Cranbrook Educational Community.

The celebration of Michigan design doesn’t end with the symposium. The Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America exhibition at the Cranbrook Art Museum will open to the public on June 14 and run through October 13, 2013. It will establish Michigan’s role in American Modernism from the early industrial architecture of Albert Kahn to the role of the automobile and furniture industries that contributed to Michigan’s design explosion after World War II.

While you’re there check out Cranbrook’s two additional exhibitions in its lower galleries.

The first is What to Paint and Why: Modern Painters at Cranbrook, 1936 – 1974, which examines the productive tension between Cranbrook’s painting instructors Zoltan Sepeshy and Wallace Mitchell. The second is A Driving Force: Cranbrook and the Car, which is produced in conjunction with the new Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research and will explore the way Cranbrook has played a role in shaping the landscape of American automobile ingenuity. Both exhibitions will run from June 14, 2013 through March 2014.

Hours and Pricing

Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America
Symposium
June 13-16
Cranbrook Educational Community
Symposium registration is now open at michiganmodern.org. Advance registration is required. Registration closes June 7.
Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America
Exhibition
June 14 – October 13, 2013
Cranbrook Art Museum

Cranbrook Art Museum Summer Hours (June through August)
Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed: 4th of July and Labor Day

Cranbrook Art Museum Academic Year Hours (September through June)
Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission:
ArtMembers and Children 12 & under, Always Free
General: $8
Seniors (65+): $6
Students with ID: $4

For more information go to the Modern Modern website or download the brochure.

Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America is supported by the Kresge Foundation, Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, DeRoy Testamentary Foundation, Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, the McGregor Fund, Herman Miller, Knoll, The Clannad Foundation, Eleanor & Edsel Ford House, the Michigan State Historic Preservation Network, the Michigan History Foundation, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and Bob Daverman+AIA+LEED-AP – Architect+Designer+Planner.

Local Marvel Comics artist Ryan Stegman, who has been there as both a patron and guest, said, “It’s the busiest that I’ve ever seen it.”

Stan Lee holds the crowd in the palm of his hand

The big draw this year was Stan “The Man” Lee, a name well known by comic book veterans and newcomers alike. Heck, with the mass of Marvel movies hitting theaters in the past few years even many who have never read a comic book know about this co-creator of Marvel Universe greats like Spider-man, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four and the X-men.

This Stan, This Mirror

Aside from just signing autographs, for which the line was understandably massive, there was also a special VIP experience set up by the Comic Con.  Along with an autograph, holders of this pricey ticket also got a photo opportunity and a special meet and greet.

The meet and greet was by all accounts a rousing success despite the $150 VIP ticket accompanied by a cash bar.

Mike Wheeler, who bought his ticket a full month in advance and was “pumped” beforehand and afterwards, said it was a “great experience” and well worth the money.

The line to get into the Stan Lee VIP Meet and Greet

Those lucky enough to be part of the meet and greet were not disappointed. Lee held the crowd in his hands in a way that even a man in his twenties would be hard pressed to do, let alone a man in his nineties.  After allowing the female moderator to sit, he stood and answered a plethora of questions and revealed many things, including that he found the animal kingdom a good source of villains for Spider-man. He also said he will shoot his cameo for the next Spider-man movie the week following the Comic Con.

The answers were not only good-natured, but also witty, and reflected the personality of the icon so many comic book fans know.  He often used his trademark turn-of-phrase in response and jokingly claimed his cameo was why Avengers did so well.

The meet and greet lived up to its name. It was a friendly, relaxing evening with a real life comic book hero that assured many fans of his work, myself included, why Stan Lee is the face of comic books.

Of course, Stan Lee was not the only celebrity or comic book creator at the show.

Curtis Armstrong speaking fondly of his hometown

The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus drew a massive crowd with line longer than any other movie or TV star. At one point it looked like it might rival Stan Lee’s line.

Other celebrity guests included:

• Cary Elwes star of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Princess Bride
• Walter Koening, aka Chekov from Star Trek
• Eddie McClintock of Warehouse 13
• Meghan Rath of Being Human
• Margot Kidder who starred as Lois Lane
• Lou Ferrigno, who starred as The Hulk in the 1970s

However, for all the big names in attendance perhaps it was Curtis Armstrong who had the most interesting view of the area.  Armstrong, who is from Detroit, is the voice of the title character on Dan vs. He has appeared on such popular shows as Bones and CSI and a multitude of movies and is best known for playing Booger in Revenge of the Nerds.

He comes home about four times a year, and aside from just visiting his friends and parents has often taken his daughter and shown her “his Detroit.”

“To me it is still a place of … (a thoughtful pause here) … it’s my home town, I like coming back. I love it,” Armstrong said.

Other comic book creators at the show were Chris Yambar and Ken Wheaton, both of whom have been coming to the Comic Con for years.

Motor City regular Chris Yambar and his creation Mr. Beat

Yambar, a modern-age beatnik, best known for his work on The Simpsons comics, has been coming to the show since 1996.  The Motor City Comic Con was even one of the, if not the, first place he premiered the ashcan (rough draft) of his self-created character “Mr. Beat.”

He was especially pleased to talk about the relationships he had made over the years with the regulars he sees every year as well as the friendships among those also there as celebrity guests.  It is possible he feels a connection to this place because he is from Youngstown, Ohio, another industrial area plagued by negative stereotypes.

“There is a reason why they call (Detroit) rock city,” Yambar said. “The people here have the right attitude and they get the joke.”

Ken Wheaton speaking from experience

Wheaton, another largely small press comic book artist, said the Motor City Comic Con is his favorite show.  He has worked on The Simpsons comics, the Phantom and, most recently, Popeye. He also shared the joy in the friendships made with other guests at the show and with Detroit-area fans.

Wheaton, who came to the show for several years as an attendee before becoming a regular guest, said Michiganians are some of “the nicest people” and praised the area’s down-to-earth qualities.

For all of his praise of the show, however, he did lament the decrease in self-published comics in favor of pop-culture inspired prints that replaced many of them in Artist Alley in recent years.

Windsor based comic creator Chritina Marin says, äsk me about my comic!

Artist Alley did have a few people trying to get their small press comic out in the world including Christina Marin, creator of “Ball and Chain.” She’s a native of Windsor who came to the show to promote her comic after Comic Con was recommended by Border City Comics. Writer Robert Hoxey and artist Richard Bugbee from Jackson created a comic called “Aftermath Detroit.”  In just a day and a half they sold out of the original cover of their comic book.

Lorenzo Ross, who hails from Chicago, has been to the show four times but this time decided to sell his comics here.  In fact this was the first time he sold his comics at a show at all.  Ross was stunned by the size, and complementary about the people calling Detroiters “very nice.”

Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn compressed

There’s more to the Motor City Comic Con than celebrities, autographs and comics.

Though dressed like villains these Stormtroopers collect for charity

The 501st Legion Great Lakes Garrison returned this year.  All volunteers, this group of cosplayers dress up like Star Wars fearsome Stormtroopers.  However, unlike the fearsome figures in the films this group collects money for many charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The King of the Seven Seas Aquaman cosplayer

Daria

As you might guess there were many other cosplayers at the show dressed as characters from MTV’s Daria to Aquaman to the Muppets.

There were prints by local artist of pop culture icons available as well as merchandise related to genre-specific pop culture like sci-fi and horror that one would surely be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

The gaming section included board games, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering.  One of the people acting as authority over the gaming area was James Hooker who had been playing Magic: The Gathering for 17 of the 20 years and has become a certified judge. At one point he had to break up a fist fight over the game.  These people are serious players … maybe a little too serious.

Over the last few years the advent of “geek chic,” increased forms of media and more and more comic book movies have brought more people to the show.  That’s good news for comic bookstore retailers. The proprietor of Brad’s Comics and Collectibles says over the last two years he has seen a steady 30% increase in sales at the show.

Then there are the countless volunteers who act as not only the backbone, but the entire skeleton of the show.  They help with setup, check wristbands, clean up, aid with special events and guests and a whole host of other things. They get free admission as payment for their services. “I love it,” said frequent volunteer Doug Zawisza.

Yes, for another year the Motor City’s major pop culture event has come to a close. It drew in lots of people and dollars and was certainly more than your friendly neighborhood comic show. See you next year.

Photo Gallery by Damon Trestain

Brad’s Comics hoping for another profitable year.

Curtis Armstrong speaking fondly of his hometown.

Even a Ninja Turtle needs a break from time to time.

Giant Srarscream Costume.

Independent Comic Creators from Jackson.

Lifesize Tuntaun from Star Wars.

Motor City regular Chris Yambar and his creation, Mr. Beat.

Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.

Saturday’s line wrapped around the back of the building.

Some of the more pricey comics for sale.

Special wrestling event on Saturday.

Stan Lee’s animated responses thrill a room full of fans.

The king of the Seven Seas… Aquaman.

The line to get into the Stan Lee VIP meet and greet.

The Muppets have joined the Dark Side!

The VIP crowd listens to Stan Lee with adoration.

Though dressed like villains these storm troopers collect for charity.

Volunteer Doug helps to make the show run.

Perfect because few things express a young person’s inner monologue better than a poem. Poetry is a barometer of thoughts, feelings, reactions and anticipations. Add Detroit, its people and its problems as the tension, and you have the makings of something that excites the mind and spirit.

On Thursday evening, some of the 5,000 students who are positively affected by the InsideOut Literary Arts Project performed their poems at the Detroit Film Theatre. This majestic setting within the Detroit Institute of Arts pales, I dare write, against the weight and depth of the words expressed during this always amazing annual event.

“Get Versed” gives you a hint of the words exchanged during the thousands of hours spent between Detroit students and the InsideOut staffers. For 18 years now, Terry Blackhawk and her group of poets, writers, teachers and creators have helped bring another side of the arts to these classrooms. And it is clear that all involved are better for it.

Master of Ceremonies Khary Kimani Turner put it best: The poems the audience heard require integrity and authenticity. They are unfiltered and uninterrupted. They are original and outrageous. And they deserve our applause both in terms of hand claps and contributions (more on that later).

Poetry, Turner noted, “explains the space between raindrops…the hole in the doughnut…the song of the heart.” He called Blackhawk, a longtime friend to Detroit school children, a “die-hard believer” in their potential and the importance of performing and celebrating their words.

Carol Goss, a devoted supporter of InsideOut via the Skillman Foundation, added, “I see how young people can use the written word and spoken word to express their dreams.”

There are so many dreams. There is Ramon Morones of Clippert Academy’s beautiful vision of “The Marvelous Sea,” the first bilingual poem for InsideOut’s Get Versed. There was the nearly dripping description of a bee pursing a flower by Arzelia Williams of the Detroit School of Arts, describing her “plum-colored beauty.”

There were so many unforgettable lines. Eddie Stewart, a crowd pleaser from Garvey Academy, was asked to imagine “What is a Poem?” He easily drew the audience’s biggest laugh when he said, “It is a man riding a dragon, saying ‘This is the best day of my life!’” He followed that with, “A poem is the happiest mother on Mother’s Day,” earning him several iterations of “That’s right!” from the dark amphitheater.

There were eyes blazing as Nazifa Chowdhury of the Detroit International Academy for Young Women read her poem, “I am the One Who Was Chased by the Sun.” Her emotive verse silenced even the youngest audience members with lines such as,” I am the outrageous scribbles you drew on your notebook.”

And the incomparable Joseph Verge, an InsideOut graduate, took the anger from an absentee father and channeled it directly into his fast-paced, “Birds.” The image of a parent holding a child under its wing was ideal for this aggressive poem, read so passionately by Verge (dressed in a cardigan sweater that made him look so vulnerable and yet so old at the same time). “Hearts are like fire and you shouldn’t play around with them,” he growled at his not-so-fatherly figure.

There are so many moments during this evening that make it memorable. Garvey Academy’s Quintin Pope’s suit. Damon Brown of Clipper Academy garnering strength to speak into the microphone, breathing heavily for the audience to hear as he worked himself up to the first word. The circle of girls from Burton International School and Spain Elementary School, sharing their voices as one.

Let such an event remind us of the importance of words. Of the importance of childhood, of innocence, of how the things our kids see and hear are filtered and remixed. Of “The Sound of Silence,” told by A’leetzia Burns of the Detroit School of Arts, that “loud, obnoxious silence” that is so easily filled with noisy nothingness.

Another year of amazing work, Ms. Blackhawk and crew. As it should be.

You can donate to InsideOut and help the staff procure the matching $25,000 it hopes to earn. IO’s founding donor, Hollywood film producer, Bob Shaye, has just pledged a generous matching grant of up to $25,000. So every cent counts. Let your support be heard and felt here.

110 GM Student Corps team members

They’re part of a GM paid summer intern program called GM Student Corps. Guided by 60 GM retirees, 12 GM student interns from the University of Detroit Mercy and employee volunteers from teamGM Cares, the Detroit students will pitch in to improve neighborhoods as they learn the value of volunteerism and valuable life skills. The program begins in mid-June and runs through August.

The collaborative teams will work in groups of 10 to develop and implement the service projects. Every aspect from budgeting to planning to implementation is in their hands. Students from 11 United Way Network of Excellence Schools are represented and will gain life skill training through a curriculum developed by Junior Achievement.

General Motors North America President Mark Reuss championed the program and the value of service.

“Improving the quality of life in our communities means more than writing a check,” he said. “It also requires investing in our young people, teaching them how good it feels to see their hard work help others and providing them with the skills they need to lead and succeed as professionals and as citizens. Once you serve, you’re hooked for life.”

Students were chosen based on leadership potential, overall energy, enthusiasm, participation in school activities, citizenship and academic performance. At the end of the summer, leaders from each student team will formally present their programs and results to Reuss and his staff. In addition, the GM Summer Corps experience will be chronicled in a documentary film put together by U of D Mercy Professor Jason Roche.

Donniqua Alexander

Donniqua Alexander, a junior at Cody and a GM Corps member was told about the program by her high school counselor. She decided to apply and was accepted. Alexander plans to attend Michigan State University to eventually become an entertainment lawyer and sees this as great experience to add to her resume and help her with life-long skills

“I love giving back to my community,” she said. “There are a lot of people and resources coming together to make a difference.”

She and her other nine team members have decided to work on Stein Playground in Detroit. All of the fix-up, cleanup and hard work will mean a much-improved public space by the end of the summer. Her team, made up of students from three of the Cody Campus schools, will also support churches in the area of the playground, as well as helping other teams with their projects as time allows.

Besides funding the student projects, GM are providing Chevrolet Express vans and Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickups so adult mentors can transport materials and students to project sites and life skills classes.

Former GM executive Mike DiGiovanni is leading the retirees helping out on the project. He grew up on the city’s west side and is now a full-time professor of economics at U of D Mercy.

“As retirees, we look forward to joining forces with current company leaders as a unified GM to effect meaningful change in Detroit,” he said. “But most of all, we want this program to be rewarding, fun and life-changing for the students.

GM North America President Mark Reuss at announcement for GM Student Corps

“These students are going to work about 10 hours, three days a week out in the community. At the end of the summer, we want these young people to have had a positive, meaningful and life-changing experience. That’s what it is all about,” he said.

The 10-hour days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are not all sweat and work. Students will also get life, health and career exposure through visits to a number

Throughout the summer, students will be encouraged to document their projects on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #GMStudentCorps. And gm.com/student-corps will update the latest on Student Corps activities throughout the summer.

Schools participating in the GM Student Corps are Central Collegiate Academy, Detroit Public Schools Cody Campus, East Detroit High School, Hamtramck High School, Harper Woods High School, Henry Ford High School, Madison High School, Melvindale High School, Detroit Public Schools Osborn Campus, River Rouge High School and Van Dyke Lincoln High School.

Of course, the large draw for the Taste of the Lions fundraiser was all the players there to sign autographs, take pictures and shake hands with fans. Not only did event guests get a chance to have autographs and pictures taken with their favorite Lion player or coach, but they had the opportunity to meet quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson for a donation of a $100. Many people were excited to have the opportunity get an autograph and shake the hands of these two athletes, as evidenced by the long line.

Walking up and down the concourse at Ford Field with all of the restaurant choices, it was hard to not feel overwhelmed. I may (or may not) have had two types of mac and cheese during the night … one from Slows To Go and the other from Town Tavern. What can I say is, I love mac and cheese!

Beyond mac and cheese though, there really was something for everyone at the Taste.

Ferndale’s Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa was there with numerous salsas, and dips for people to try. An Eastern Market standard was also at the event. Russell Street Deli brought a selection of soups for people to try.

Some of my favorite stops throughout the night were Slows To Go with the pulled pork and mac and cheese, 2 Unique Catering for the mini cheeseburgers, and Town Tavern’s buffalo chicken mac and cheese.

The most eye popping moment of the night was when they opened up the curtain at the end of the concourse to expose a fog covered floor, like something you’d see on TV at Food Network.  Guests had the opportunity to enjoy three dessert stations while relaxing the lounge event planners had created. This was the perfect setting to enjoy the Jill Jack concert, and the silent auction winners were announced after the auction closed.

Some very lucky people walked away with signed jerseys from Stafford, Johnson and Barry Sanders. Signed helmets were also up for bid. They also had things for people who might not care for sports memorabilia, like Bon Jovi concert tickets.

It was exciting to see two businesses that are Eastern Market Market Day staples there for dessert options. Both Ferndale’s Treat Dreams and Ann Arbor’s Zingerman’s Bakeshop had some great choices.

Overall the event was a huge success. People were having a great time meeting the Lions’ players, eating great food and enjoying a nice glass of wine.

My most vivid memory of the evening happened as I was leaving Ford Field. On each side of the concourse we were greeted by clapping and cheers by Eastern Market employees. It was a great to see the gratitude that they all had for all of the people who came out to support Eastern Market.

Southfield-based personal injury law firm, Goodman Acker, P.C. is teaming up with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and Bishop P.A. Brooks to hold a gun buyback event on Saturday, May 18. Organizers say the goal of the event, which will give participants grocery gift cards for their unloaded guns, is to make the streets safer for residents and reduce the increasing number of gun-related crimes in the area.

From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the gymnasium of New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, any and all guns turned in can be redeemed (no questions asked) for a $50 Meijer gift card. “Groceries for Guns” is born out of the sponsor, Goodman Acker, P.C. growing tired of the issue of gun-related violence in the community.

The grocery cards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Gerald Acker, founder and senior partner of Goodman Acker. There are 300 gift cards, which means at least 300 guns off of the street. Organizers plan to do a similar event in the fall and hope other companies and individuals will step up to provide incentive funds for the effort.

“Every day, about 80 people die from gun-related violence in the U.S.,” says Acker. “Like so many others, my partner Barry Goodman and I just have had enough of the gun violence claiming lives and destroying families and communities. Fortunately, the leadership of Wayne County shares our frustration and is helping make our vision of fewer guns on the street a reality.  We can’t save the world, but if this program can help save just one life, it’s certainly worth it.”

The issue of gun violence is top of mind for residents as well as community leaders. When the idea for “Guns for Groceries” was first conceived, public and faith community partners supported the idea.

“Gun turn-in programs have proven to be successful across the country and we are glad to be part of this unique public-private partnership in Detroit,” said Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano. “Our goal is to encourage people to bring in unwanted guns, which will be a positive contribution to making our homes and neighborhoods safer.”

Although the buyback programs have their share detractors, citing the prevalence of hunting rifles and old weapons being turned in at some events, the fact remains that at the end of the day potentially dangerous weapons are collected and disposed of safely.

“Gun violence is taking a tragic toll on our communities.  Reducing the number of guns that wind up in the hands of those who use them illegally is an important step toward decreasing the crime that has us all fearful,” said Wayne County Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon.  “If you know of or have a weapon lying around, turn it in.  That one small move will make a world of difference in our neighborhoods.”

New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ is located at 15340 Southfield Service Drive (just north of Fenkell) in Detroit.  The event will take place in the church gymnasium, and will be staffed by sheriff deputies and volunteers from the Offices of the County Executive, Sheriff’s Department and Goodman Acker, along with members of New St. Paul Tabernacle church.

But that is where Michigan ranks in terms of its food-processing prowess. The state comes in second in terms of commercially grown crops, which means we have the stuff we need for our plates. We just cannot move it into the pipeline fast enough.

Thanks to a public-private partnership announced Wednesday, food entrepreneurs will benefit from monetary grants, physical renovations and site enhancements as well as other business-minded incentives aimed at getting more locally grown food into stores, restaurants and homes across Southeast Michigan.

Here’s why you should care: Better, locally grown food. Public health. Job creation. Cleaner, safer places to shop.

Here’s why this thing is so great: Detroit, my Dear Readers, hit rock bottom this week. We cannot pay our bills, and by “we” I mean the city, the suburb and the state. ‘Cause you already know this old song: If Detroit goes down, well, we all collectively go with it. So without business investment, without the aggressive plans to expand Eastern Market, without guys like Joe McClure and Will Branch and the dozen or so other risk-taking, foodie fanatics out there getting help and funding, this city is well and truly sunk.

You gotta love that Charter One saw the local-food industry as a viable investment option. Its Growing Communities program means feeding bodies, giving people a viable way to grow the state’s agricultural dominance in new areas. Consumers and retailers want quirky, niche products that have great backstories, interesting ownership and delicious product. By God, let’s produce those marketable faces and foods right here. But I digress.

Let’s start with the press conference. With the sweet, brine-y smell of McClure’s Pickles in the background, President Ken Marblestone of Charter One and RBS Citizens in Michigan and Ohio announced Wednesday the financial institution’s Charter One Foundation was committing to a second year of funding for its Charter One Growing Communities program (how’s that for name dropping! Three times in one sentence).

“We hope to grow even more jobs and contribute to the economy vitality of our city. Charter One believes in Detroit,” said Marblestone, who described this announcement as “one of the best parts of my job.”

“Food is a growth industry in Michigan with room to expand and create more businesses and jobs,” Marblestone said. “One of the great things about helping companies like these is you literally get to taste their success.”

For 2013, the Foundation will donate $160,000 to the program – that’s the private part. The public part is an additional $50,000 donation from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. This grant is one more way the state – and everyone else who has ever step foot in Detroit – hopes to further destroy the belief that the city is a food desert.

The Charter One Foundation once again partnered with the Eastern Market Corp. to ensure this funding gets right to the food entrepreneurs, small businesses and urban farmers who need it the most. It will be distributed in three ways: Microgrants of up to $5,000, neighborhood enhancements and contributions to the Detroit Neighborhood Farmers’ Market Network. Applications will be available soon on the Eastern Market website; funding will start flowing this summer.

Last year, Charter One initially invested $140,000 in its Growing Communities program. Those first 22 grants helped guys like Will Branch boost his Corridor Sausage go from a single line of tasty meats to multiple lines. And any program that brings more cured meats and salami into the world, in my mind, deserves to be praised.

What I also learned about Wednesday was the bold plans of the Eastern Market Corp. for making itself and its partners a “robust, metropolitan food hub.” This involves, in part, an $8.2 million renovation to Shed 5, where a community kitchen will allow people with an idea for a product to bring it to production that much faster. The project, which is about half funded, received a $1 million boost Wednesday through a funding promise from the MEDC’s President and CEO Mike Finney.

That is part of a much larger, grander project to take Eastern Market into its 125th anniversary in 2016. Eastern Market President Dan Carmody is heading a fund-raising drive that, ultimately, will complete core projects that will turn Eastern Market and its district a model of green, sustainable business incubation. It will take more than $75 million in total – but if you don’t dream big, it won’t happen. Picture a Healthy Market Halls, a Mixed Use Model Shed, the Local Foods Accelerator, better parking, better bridges and a greenway that connects the market to the rest of Detroit.

IN the meantime, there will be a new Sunday market day – that’s something that may roll out earlier, but has an opening date of Spring 2014. It also will feature a Sunday Brunch at Shed 5, where people can meet, eat and talk about the civic and food issues of the day.

And there are big plans for massive party to celebrate Eastern Market’s 125th anniversary in 2016, said Carmody. To honor its commitment to local and regional food systems, and to show off its community kitchen, business accelerator and so much more to come, there will be a food fest of epic proportions around July 4, 2016, Carmody told the crowd of press, bankers and last year’s microgrant recipients.

Again, why bother with investing in a sinking city? Because when you invest in guys like Branch, they can go from 400 pounds of sausage per week to 1000 pounds in a timely fashion. That ability to scale up doesn’t happen when a business person operates solo – it happens when a community stands behind a good, belly-filling idea and takes it to its logical next step.

This food incubator/business accelerator idea strikes me as brilliant. Where else but at Eastern Market could you see the revitalization of the city – the best sights, sounds and smells in the whole of Detroit? It seems the bright minds that put food on our tables have the guts and talent to also bring that food to the rest of the state and beyond.

This bigger commitment to Detroit’s local-food industry is testimony to how much we have to gain from investing in our small businesses. Trust me – I got to try Branch’s sausages via his new Grindhouse food truck. Serial entrepreneurship has never tasted so good.

This will be the 21st year the Detroit Zoo has participated in this event, which will have adoptable pets from more than 20 local animal shelters.  It is one of the nation’s largest onsite pet adoption events.

On Friday May 17 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturday May 18 from 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. there will be hundreds of animals waiting to be adopted … dogs and cats as well as their younger counterparts, puppies and kittens. The adoption is immediately available to a loving home.

“Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo” will take place beneath the well-known and incredibly visible Detroit Zoo water tower in the front parking lot.  The event is under a tent, so there is no reason to let weather dissuade you.  There is no cost to attend the event or for parking. However, those going on to the zoo will have to pay the usual fees.

Puppies, those rambunctious balls of cuteness and energy, will obviously be in high demand.  To help with this possible problem on Saturday morning “Puppy Passes” will be given out to 25 guests there for adoption.  Holders of these passes will be allowed into the tent at 9:45 a.m.

Fees for adoption are set by each group participating.  Anyone who wants to bring home a new friend, however, must also have a valid driver’s license or state ID.

Dog in front of tower – by Ed Serecky

Have no fear about certain health problems. All animals have been given age appropriate shots and received a proper medical check-up before the event.

There will also be a “getting acquainted” area so you can get a feel for the animal you are thinking about bringing home. This allows you to make sure it is a good fit.  Please leave your current companion animals at home for health and safety reasons.

Last year 431 animals were placed in new homes during the spring “Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo” event.  Since the event began in 1993, more than 18,000 dogs, cats and rabbits have been placed with new owners in the fall and spring events.

If you’re at the zoo on Friday, May 17, at 1:30 pm check out the Vanishing Species semipostal stamp cancellation ceremony. It takes place right outside the Detroit Zoo’s admission gates. The zoo has teamed up with the United States Post Office, Wildlife Without Borders, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Detroit Tigers to celebrate Observance of Endangered Species Day during this ceremony.

You’ll be able to purchase the collector’s stamp, which features an Amur Tiger.  The stamps cost 55 cents each, a full 9 cents more than first class postage.  All money raised by the sale of this special stamp will go to benefit the Wildlife Without Borders Multinational Species Conservation Funds for tigers, great apes, rhinos, elephants and marine turtles.

The Save Vanishing Species stamp marks the fourth semipostal stamp issued by the USPS and the first issued to raise funds for wildlife conservation. The stamp was introduced on September 20, 2011, and is available in post offices across the United States and online. To date, more than 20 million stamps have been sold, raising more than $2.1 million for the international conservation of wildlife.

The USPS has also created special envelopes called cachets to go with the stamps.  The cachets will feature the Detroit Zoo’s marine turtle, Amur tigers, western lowland gorillas, white rhinoceroses and retired Asian elephants.  They will sell for $5.00 each or you can get the whole set of 5 for $20.  The envelopes will be available during “Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo.”

“Meet your Best Friend at the Zoo” is presented by Purina One and supported by Petsmart Charities.

For more information on the Detroit Zoo, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.

Ryan Stegman

Stegman, a comic book artist, has worked on several Marvel Comics titles including She-Hulk, X-23, Fantastic Four and, most recently, Superior Spider-man, the newest rendition of the company’s flagship character.

Stegman was raised in Troy, attended Michigan State University, and currently resides in Grand Blanc.  He’s been drawing since he was a child. When he was younger, his father, who worked for GM at the Argonaut Building, took his son there so he could practice drawing buildings from the top of the Argonaut.

“I always liked to draw and was drawn to anything with drawing in it,”’ Stegman said. “I originally wanted to be an animator.”

As a youngster he carried three or four comics around with him.  As he got older, Stegman made friends who were more into comics, and they brought him deeper into the medium.  Soon he realized drawing comics was a job someone could have.

Super Spider-man by Ryan Stegman

As he expanded his passion for comic books and drawing he became very enamored with Spawn, whose creator Todd McFarlane had drawn an issue of Spider-man. That was one of the comics he’d carried around earlier.

Being a fan in the Metro Detroit area, he was a paying attendee at the Motor City Comic Con back then.  While not consciously aware of how big the comic scene was in the area, he did notice many big names showed up. One of those big names was comic artist Jason Howard, who among other things works on Super Dinosaur with Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman.

Super Spider-Man 9 variant

In recent years Stegman and Howard have become friends. While Howard did not realize it until he was later told, he had actually met Stegman at the Motor City Comic Con years earlier.  When Stegman was 16, 17 and 18, he would bring his art to get it critiqued by his now buddy. I’d say he did a good job.

Michigan Comics fans have been quick to embrace Stegman. He has done signings at several stores in the area when comics he’s worked on have been released.  Social media has also aided him. Local fans contact him via Facebook and Twitter and “hit him up” excited that comic book talent is in their own back yard.  He is often noticed it in Grand Blanc.

Stegman will be at the Motor City Comic Con all three days, May 17-19.  While no specific events are panels are planned around him, he will have a table in Artist Alley.  For fans who seek him out he will be signing comics and doing sketches. I’ll be there for sure.

For more information on the Motor City Comic Con check out the website.