metromode - In The News

Missed the 70s? Check out Royal Oak's newest addition to retail

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

These two business partners are doin' what they love - sellin' weird stuff. But not just any kind of weird stuff. Weird stuff plucked right from the 1970s. Royal Oak's newest store, Bohemian Rhapsody, sit down with Hometown life and talk about opening up a niche retail store in challenging economic times.

Excerpt:

The 1970s had its virtues, most of which are on display in vivid color at the new Royal Oak store, Bohemian Rhapsody.

Co-owners Pam McLenon of Farmington Hills and Marianne Petrus of Royal Oak opened the unique boutique Nov. 8 with the goal of offering accessories, home decor, personal care products and art that's heavy on kitschy fun and low on price. Pick up a funky pillow and some handmade soap or some jewelry, a Superball and a Russian nesting doll. Like the 1970s itself, it's a potpourri of colors, tastes and moods.

The women own their own side businesses as well: Petrus started Girls in the Studio with Angie Yaldoo; McLenon owns the Forever Mick and Keith line of greeting cards and art. Many of those items are for sale in the store.

Read the entire article here.

Ferndale coffee shop gives out free joe if you promise to buy from the Big Three

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you plan on buying a Ford, GM, or Chrysler head on down to AJ's Cafe in Ferndale and grab a free cup of joe. Owner AJ O'Neil says if you plan on supporting the ailing domestic auto industry then he doesn't mind supporting your caffeine habit.

So, get on down there, and don't lie.

Excerpt:

You can taste the support for the Big Three at AJ's Café in Ferndale, Mich.

Manager AJ O'Neil is offering customers a free cup of joe if they promise their next car will be from one of the struggling domestic automakers, reported WDIV-TV in Detroit.

O'Neil said the deal is all about trust and promises.

Read the entire article here.

Michigan job Web site gets bigger

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Web site "Keep Michigan Working" that was launched last fall just got a little bit heavier - in terms of resources, that is. Not only does it list 30,000 jobs but it also now features programs to help train the unemployed for re-employment.

Excerpt:

The site, "Keep Michigan Working" (www.michigan.gov/jobs), unveiled this fall, now features programs to help dislocated workers get training for re-employment as well as links to public assistance to ride out the period of job loss.

The site also lists more than 30,000 jobs.

"We want people to have one place to go," Granholm said, encouraging employers throughout the state to post job openings on the site.

The resources are meant to give people "the dignity and opportunity of a second chance," she said.

Read the entire article here.

Loving Touch in Ferndale opens, not your typical pool hall

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So, what do you do when you have two bars on the two corners of one street? Well, if you're Chris Johnson, you open up a modern, sleek new pool hall, right next door. Loving Touch, the name of the pool hall, isn't your average billiards room, though. It's new, it's modern, it's hip, it's young, and people, so far, seem to love it.

Excerpt:

And despite not yet having a sign and being open just three weeks, the place has been filling up without much trouble. Perhaps it's the unique details -- a sky-lit atrium with vines growing up the walls, hand-carved seating made from Ferndale trees, a jigsaw puzzle pattern on the bar, the separate booth for each pool table nook -- that brings in the WAB/Emory faithful.

"It's the subtle things that tie everything together," says Jenni Dietz of Ferndale. "There's a lot of heart that went into it."

And while there are six pool tables, "it's not your typical pool hall," says Theresa Carano of Dearborn. "It's streamlined. And I like the wood. It's a modern pool hall."

Read the entire article here.

Making wine in Royal Oak

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Royal Oak! Welcome to wine country! Ok, so not exactly. But that's what two Royal Oak residents are doing here - making wine, locally produced Royal Oakian wine.

Excerpt:

Promoting local businesses and products is important to Lisa Berry and Sheryl Racey. And that’s why the two Royal Oak residents are proud that the product they sell is home grown.

“We produce everything here,” said Berry, as she sat inside the 2,200-square-foot Vintner’s Cellar wine shop in Royal Oak. “Everything that is on our racks, we made.”

Berry and Racey opened the store, 325 E. Fourth St., in mid-November and feature 20 varieties of wine along with the ability to alter any recipe for a custom batch. The store has varieties of white and red wines, along with four different types of fruit wine and two types of dessert wines.

Read the entire article here.

Ypsi non-profit is looking to rebuild the city one energy efficient light bulb at a time

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's time to change it up a bit. The old ways aren't working as well as they used to. Time to push for more clean energy technologies, more alternative energies, and longer lasting, energy-efficient light bulbs. And this is what Clean Energy Coalition, an Yspi non-profit, plans to do with their new project "Rebuild Ypsi."

Excerpt:

The project is intended to reduce energy costs by assisting in energy efficiency improvements for commercial buildings such as offices, retail, restaurants and multifamily residential.

“We're extremely excited to work right here in the community towards energy efficiency practices that will benefit building owners and renters financially because of the continuous increase in energy prices," said CEC Executive Director Sean Reed.

Rebuild Ypsilanti is part of a larger effort in the State of Michigan, not surprisingly called, Rebuild Michigan. The Michigan Energy Office, headed under the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth, provided $102,213 to Ypsilanti’s CEC and four other communities as part of a start up assistance grant.

Read the entire article here.

Techy teenager develops Web site to get more girls involved technology

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For some kids it's art, for some it's music, and for others it's sports. For 16-year-old Michelle McCarthy it's math, science, and technology. And she's created a website to get girls like her involved in technology. The website, mind you, won first place in a statewide contest sponsored by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation.

Excerpt:

For 16-year-old Michelle McCarthy, math and science are her favorite subjects at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills. But she knows the two subjects are not as easy or pleasurable for some other girls, so she created a Web site in September to help draw more females into technology.

The GT, or Girls into Technology, Web site, www.lestara.com/004chris35/index.htm, won Michelle first place Nov. 22 in a state contest sponsored by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation.

"I really am a tech girl at heart," said Michelle, a junior at the all-girls school who lives in Commerce Township. "It's a way of expressing myself."

Read the entire article here.

IT hirings still on the up and up

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A survey of metro Detroit CIOs produced some positive results in the IT field and it seems as if there should be some hiring in the future.

Excerpt:

"Businesses remain cautious in their hiring outlook, recruiting IT staff who can help them maximize the use of technology to improve efficiency, achieve cost savings and gain a competitive edge," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Investments in Web 2.0 initiatives continue to generate demand in areas such as web development and help desk."

Lee added that a growing number of companies need IT personnel to support systems upgrades. Seventeen percent of CIOs polled cited this as the primary factor behind their technology hiring plans for the first quarter, up from 7 percent projected for the fourth quarter of 2008. Information systems security also is driving more IT hiring quarter over quarter: 12 percent of CIOs seek more IT personnel to support this area, compared to 7 percent last quarter. The need for professionals who can install or develop new enterprise-wide applications has decreased, cited by 11 percent of CIOs for the first quarter of 2009, compared to 21 percent projected last quarter.

Read the entire article here.

Bloomfield Hills' International Academy ranks 6th in best public schools in the nation

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's always nice to be recognized, that's for sure. Especially if you fall into the top ten of something - as long as it's positive, of course. So, Bloomfield Hills' International Academy should be proud of themselves for they have been ranked as the 6th best public school in the nation.

Excerpt:

The International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, routinely recognized for being among the top high schools in the nation, ranked 6th in the U.S. News Media Group list of the 100 best public high schools. The list was announced today and will be highlighted in the America’s Best High Schools issue of U.S. News and World Reports, on sale next week.

More than 21,000 high schools were evaluated based primarily on college readiness and academic achievement.

Read the entire article here.

Ferndale is turning green with new program

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Going green is all the rage these days. With global warming, a push for energy independence, and trying to leave a smaller carbon footprint, going green should be all the rage... for the rest of your days.

So, Ferndale is looking to take charge through the "Adopt-a-Watt" program that would provide sponsorship for solar energy lighting and other energy-efficient systems for the city.

Excerpt:

"This council is always looking at ways to be greener," said Mayor Craig Covey, after Royal Oak resident Tom Wither presented his Adopt-a-Watt initiative to council members at the regular meeting.

The council agreed to consider a resolution at a future meeting supporting the program, which would provide private sponsorship of solar-lighting devices that would be used by municipalities and other public entities. In exchange, a sponsor gets naming rights and/or public acknowledgment.

The point is to encourage private sponsorship through public cooperation, said Wither. "We're going to take a business-based approach to this."

Read the entire article here.

Take a ride on the southern Oakland County trolley

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's not exactly mass transit but it's a start. On Saturday night southern Oakland County will be providing 40-seat trolley cars for people lookin' to hit the town - without the burden of driving.

Excerpt:

The trolleys are to make 10 repeated stops, from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, in Berkley, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak. Stops include two city community centers, restaurants and a nightclub.

"We're hoping this will be as big a hit as it was when we did it in October" -- when Pleasant Ridge rented a trolley for a night just to run to Ferndale and Royal Oak, said Pleasant Ridge City Manager Sherry Ball.

"This time, we scheduled it to see Ferndale's ice sculptures," which will be on display after Saturday's daylong Ferndale Holiday Ice Festival.

Read the entire article here.

Get some gas and watch some TV

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

TV at the gas pump, and a lot of them. Gas Station TV is a real thing, as crazy as it sounds. It's so real, in fact, that the company has just expanded and now has a network of 1,000 stations.

Do they get HBO?

Excerpt:

Oak Park-based Gas Station TV, a company that puts flat-panel TVs atop gasoline pumps, Monday announced that it has grown its network to 1,000 stations and quadrupled its DMA presence to more than 100, with a presence in 22 of the top 25 DMAs and more than 60 of the top 100 DMAs.

This expansion further cements the company as the largest at-the-pump network. And it says its network now rivals films in reach and penetration, with close to 30 million viewers per month.

Read the entire article here.

'Tis the season to save energy

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The holidays are a time of giving, not usually saving. However, for some cities across SE Michigan they are doing just that, and in a festive way. These cities are turning toward cost-saving, energy-efficient LED lights for their holiday displays.

Now, residents not only can enjoy the Christmas lights but they can do it with a clear conscience.

Excerpt:

In Southfield, city workers typically spend a week of "frustration" going through light strings determining which ones work and replacing bulbs, said Bob Murray, parks and operations supervisor. The five-man crew spent only a day decorating this year because of the new LED lights.

The new lights at the civic center are expected to last up to 100,000 hours, which should span at least a 20-year period, he said. Instead of abrupt burnouts, the lights dim gradually over time and use less energy.

"We are looking at a savings of about 98 percent than with normal lights, which will be huge for the city," Murray said. "And we don't have to worry about blowing fuses anymore and spending money every year to replace defective bulbs."

Read the entire article here.

Million dollar vibrators in Hazel Park

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it's not exactly what you think, but kinda. A Hazel Park-based adult novelty company, PriveCo Inc., purchased the telling domain name - www.vibrators.com - for $1 million from an Arkansas-based business that sold industrial vibrating machines.

The only difference now is that www.vibrators.com isn't selling industrial vibrating machines but, one could say, domestic vibrating machines.

Excerpt:

Hazel Park-based PriveCo Inc. has paid $1 million to purchase a popular domain name - www.vibrators.com.

PriveCo has operated the site since 2002, said Tom Nardone, who founded that company years ago with flagship domain www.shopinprivate.com.

Vibrators.com, Nardone said, took in $30,000 in sales last month. Vibrators.com and bachelorette. com, PriveCo's other adult novelty site, have grown more than 40 percent, twice the companywide growth rate of 20 percent. PriveCo, he said, should finish the year with between $3.8 million and $4 million in sales.

Read the entire article here.

Loyalty and passion go a long way when talking about economic growth

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There seems to be a link between loyalty and passion for a community and its economic growth. Whodathunkit? No, really, with all kidding aside, if you love an area, care about an area, stay in an area, live to serve that area, and there are more than one of you then economic growth in some capacity probably isn't far behind.

Excerpt:

A new Gallup study of six Southeast Michigan counties and 25 other U.S. communities shows a possible link between economic growth and residents’ loyalty and passion for the area they live in.

The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation funded the "Soul of the Community" study as part of a multiyear effort in the 26 areas its founders owned newspapers.

The study included telephone surveys of nearly 14,000 adults between February and the end of April.

Read the entire article here.

Pontiac resident moves into metro areas first eco-friendly home

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A Pontiac resident just moved into the metro areas first "green" house. No, not where you grow tomatoes and tulips, that would be just too cold during the winter. Camisha Byrd now lives in a "green" built, eco-friendly, energy-efficient 1,200 sq.-ft. home.

Excerpt:

Earlier this year, Byrd and more than 200 volunteers built the single-story house, the first environmentally friendly home Habitat for Humanity has erected in southeastern Michigan.

With all the low-energy features, Byrd will cut her use of utilities 30 percent to 50 percent, saving her up to $1,000 a year.

"We are embracing greenness to the fullest of our capacity," said Sally LePla, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County. "We're demonstrating you can build attractive, affordable green homes."

With the help of the Clawson-based building and design firm Gontina, the 1,200-square-foot dwelling was constructed according to the strictest standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The building is awaiting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the federal agency.

Read the entire article here.

Michigan ranks No. 2 in online learning

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to online learning, there aren't many states ahead of Michigan. In fact, there is just one. Out of all the states that encourage and are proficient in online learning practices Michigan ranks in at No. 2.

You can't get much better than that. Well, you can. You can get one more better, but still No. 2 isn't bad.

Excerpt:

Michigan ranks second among all states for policies and practices to encourage online learning and proficiency among students prior to graduation, according to a report by the Center for Digital Education.

The Folsom, Calif.-based research and advisory institute on K-12 and higher education ranked only Florida above Michigan among the 50 states, in its 2008 Online Policy and Practice Survey of the States.

"Michigan has provided significant leadership for the rest of the nation in online learning and is routinely looked to as a pioneer," said Marina Leight, director of the center, in a statement this week about the survey.

Read the entire article here.

MichBio and MEDC hook up to promote state's biotech services to the nation

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Go, spread the word of Michigan's biotechnology industry throughout the land. Travel far and wide and preach the word of biotech. That's what MichBio, with the help of the MEDC, is planning to do. They are going to hit the road on a national campaign to promote Michigan's biotech services to all the land.

Excerpt:

"When we go out on business development trips, we can spread the word and it will start to build on itself," said Stephen Rapundalo, MichBio's president and CEO at an afternoon panel discussion Tuesday at the fourth annual MichBio Expo at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.

He said the message will be spread at national conferences and trade shows around the U.S. next year.

"We haven't done this well in the past. Michigan needs to build a brand for itself. The service model is taking root. We need to sell that brand, that we can do everything from start to finish," said Rapundalo, who was part of a 16-member panel called the Biosciences Policy Summit.

Read the entire article here.

Michigan group looks for cutting edge investments

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Some high-profile names got together to figure out Michigan's next step in investment. Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Roger Penske, and a handful of others, met to announce InvestMichigan's first two investments as well as the direction to take for the state's investment future.

Excerpt:

"Michigan is at a tipping point, economically," Granholm told me as the meeting broke up. "We need to move in a direction, growing these green, cutting-edge technology companies right here, where we're leading the nation."

Charles Rothstein of Beringea, a Farmington Hills venture capital firm and one of three program managers for InvestMichigan, said the Penske-led council is impressive.

"We're not just giving firms a pile of money. We're giving them smart money and connected money," he said, referring to people like Penske, Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris and Charter One regional bank president Sandra Pierce, who are available to offer advice in many industries and provide connections to tap key talent.

Read the entire article here.

Get TiVo, order a pizza

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The future, here it comes. Michigan-based Dominos pizza and TiVo have hooked up to offer a unique option. You can now, if you have a TiVo, order a pizza right from the darn thing. You can pick it up or have it delivered and, if delivered, track it like a UPS package.

Man, what's next? Flying cars?

Excerpt:

TiVo subscribers can order pizza through several advertising entry points on the TiVo user interface including Gold Star Sponsorship, Program Placement, Interactive Tags in live TV spots, and through Music, Photos, Products, & More by clicking on "Order Your Dominos Pizza Now."

TiVo subscribers can set-up a user name and password on Dominos.com so that each time they use their TiVo remote to place an order, they can log-in with a simple account number. Alternatively, TiVo subscribers can enter their delivery address, build their pizza order right from the television set by selecting type of crust, toppings, and sauces, and get the pizza delivered by their local Domino's Pizza.

Read the entire article here.

Dearborn's Arab-American National Museum wins national art award

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dearborn's Arab-American National Museum was honored for a digital photography program for middle schoolers.

Excerpt:

A free digital photography program for middle school students offered by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

The SURA Arts Academy is one of 15 programs nationally that received the committee's Coming up Taller award Friday in Washington. First lady Laura Bush, the committee's honorary chairwoman, presented the award.

Read the entire article here.

Freep finds the best burgers in town

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Whether you like Dearborn's Miller's Bar or Royal Oak's Red Coat Tavern, you favorite burger joint is bound to show up somewhere on the Freep's list of best burgers in town. Not into red meat? Don't worry, check out No. 24. Ferndale's Flytrap has a salmon burger just waiting for consumption.

Excerpt:

When we asked readers this fall to point us toward Detroit's best hamburgers, hundreds of you sent recommendations. We read every one, picked the places that sounded best and then hit the streets in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to taste them. Six weeks and innumerable antacids later, here are our favorites.

Read the entire article here.

Bicyclists asking Royal Oak for a little help

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Bicyclists are organizing and asking Royal Oak to put together some non-motorized friendly goals to increase the safety of riders. Signage and bike paths along roads are key to improving the well-being of these bicyclists.

Excerpt:

The group wants Royal Oak to create a non-motorized transportation plan that will set goals to increase safety for bikers and walkers by adding bike lanes and signage to roads that remind everyone streets are meant to be shared by cars, bicyclists and pedestrians.

"The situation is bad here. We have to plan change carefully. Cyclists are riding on the sidewalk; they are getting struck crossing driveways or at corners," said Regan, a Royal Oak resident. "We want that to change. Motorists need to know that they are legally entitled to be there."

At the meeting, commissioners appointed Regan and two other cyclists to a task force to write up some recommendations. A meeting between the task force and City Manager Tom Hoover is being planned, Regan said.

Read the entire article here.

Michigan's future economy is in alternative energy, experts say

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When an expert says something, you gotta listen. And, so, experts are saying that Michigan's economic future is in alternative energy, energy efficiency measures, and climate-change solutions. Not only will these points help bring Michigan out of it's flickering economy but they'll also help the world.

What sounds better than helping yourself and helping the world? Nothin', that's what.

Excerpt:

Michigan's economy could be substantially buoyed by 60,000 or more "green jobs" in response to renewable energy production, increased energy-efficiency measures and other climate-change solutions, according to Michigan and national experts from such organizations as the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan.

The experts cautioned business leaders, policy makers and the news media to take with a grain of salt the expected denial of global warming science and "economic alarmism" likely to be central themes at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event to be held Tuesday in Detroit. For more information on what is wrong with such fear mongering, go to http://www.CO2MediaGuide.org.

Read the entire article here.

Ann Arbor ranked among the best places to raise rugrats

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor racked up another superlative - this time for raising kids in America. Business Week went out and pulled together a number of the best cities in the nation to raise children and Ann Arbor was one of them.

Excerpt:

We knocked out towns with populations of fewer than 50,000 and median household incomes of less than $40,000 or more than $100,000. And we ended up with a list that included some well-known places such as Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, and Ann Arbor, Mich. But we also found some hidden gems such as Euless, Tex., smack in between Dallas and Fort Worth, which according to Sports Illustrated has the nation's top-ranked high school football team, and Murfreesboro, Tenn., a college town outside Nashville.

Read the entire article here.

Rail between Dearborn, airport closer as stops determined

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Inch by inch that commuter rail is getting closer to realization. And, here's another inch. Rail stops have been sketched out on the commuter rail line connecting Dearborn and the airport.

Excerpt:

Six miles from the new North Terminal, a planned station on county-owned land at Michigan and Henry Ruff would connect commuters to their flights via an airport shuttle. The station would be one of five along the line that would share track with Amtrak and freight trains and include stops in Ypsilanti and at the New Center in Detroit.

Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, said the train line is a key component of the ambitious plans for a mass transit system that could complement and add to the region's economy.

"The site gives us a lot of accessibility and with getting to and from the airport, it gives us good travel time," Palombo said.

Read the entire article here.

SE Michigan IT security conference says watch your home computers

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You gotta watch your home computers. That's the advice Gordon Mitchell told a couple of hundred IT professionals at the Secure World Detroit conference in Dearborn. It's at home where the biggest threats lie. What is the triple threat of a security breach? File sharing, games, and pornography.

Excerpt:

The threats to data security are most severe at home, a Seattle security expert told the Secure World Detroit conference at the Ford Conference and Events Center in Dearborn Wednesday.

Gordon Mitchell, president of Future Focus Inc., told the audience of a couple of hundred IT security professionals how to "become a counterspy in three easy lessons."

Mitchell said good counterspies must figure out what information is valuable, think about who could be a spy, think likea spy would and protect the information.

Companies and institutions are constantly surrounded by people who are spying on them, Michell said. The strategies can range from the sophisticated to the simple -- like the biotech client that actually had an employee listening to board meetings by using a drinking glass up against a wall.

Read the entire article here.

Bikes racks turned into city art

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Who says a bike rack has to be just a bike rack. It can be a snake, a dragon, a bunch of metal that some call art. Bike racks across the nation are becoming civil works of art. USA Today looks at these and visits Mount Clemens, checking out their bike/art racks.

Hey, they should call 'em bart racks. Hmm, maybe not.

Excerpt:

Cyclists can chain their bikes to a dollar sign on New York City's Wall Street, a pair of giant toothbrushes in Portland, Ore., and sea creatures in Louisville and Mount Clemens Mich.

Bicycle racks that combine the utility of security with the aesthetics of art are popping up across the USA.

"It creates a better environment for people who live here and visit here, and it gives people a place to park their bikes," says Lacy LaBorde of the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Read the entire article here.

It's parade time in Royal Oak

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone loves a parade and magic and the holidays, right? Well, what happens when you combine all three? No, your joints won't lock up with excitement. So, the answer? Go on down to Royal Oak on Nov. 22 and check see for yourself. That's the day the city is having their Downtown Royal Oak Holiday Magic Parade.

Excerpt:

This year's parade offers something for the entire family. The fun begins at 9 am with special parade day sales in participating downtown stores. The parade runs from 10 am – 11 am, with the route starting on Washington at Lincoln and heading up to Fourth Street. Plus, there is free parking downtown from 10 am to 2 pm.

There will be floats, marching bands, and a variety of other performers from over 50 different area groups. And, to top off the event, Santa will be arriving from the North Pole for one of his first stop in metro Detroit to kick off the holidays. Kids will have the opportunity to visit Santa at Stagecrafters at the Baldwin Theater from 11 am to 1 pm.

To volunteer or for more information contact Stephanie McIntyre, Downtown Manger for the Royal Oak DDA, at 248-246-3286 or visit www.downtownroyaloak.org.

Ann Arbor's 'Greenbelt' gets bigger

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor's greenbelt program just got considerably bigger. This program is designed as a preservation initiative to hold onto the green land around Ann Arbor. The city has purchased two plots, adding nearly 400 acres to its greenbelt land.

Excerpt:

The combined 336-acre deal preserves farmland proximate to other protected open space.

It also fulfills a a long-held wish, said Mayor John Hieftje, who remembers using the Whitmore Lake Road property as an example when he promoted the idea of a greenbelt program in 2003.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to preserve agriculture around Ann Arbor for a very long time to come," he said.

Read the entire article here.