O’Neil Swanson Detroit businessman O’Neil Swanson has been selected to receive a major award on Aug. 2 at the Marriott Hotel. Swanson is the recipient of the Lovejoy Award, which will be presented to him during the 2008 Grand Lodge Convention in Detroit. See story on page A-8.
Top Dominican official visits Detroit
Eddy M. Martinez, secretary of state of export and investment for the Dominican Republic, will be in Detroit starting Thursday, July 17, for a trade visit. Martinez will be a guest speaker on Saturday, July 19, at Jefferson Beach Marina, 24400 East Jefferson, in St. Clair Shores, starting at 11:30 a.m., on the Infinity Yacht.
Martinez has worked as the director of science, technology and innovation at the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, a non-profit think tank founded and headed by Dr. Leonel Fernandez, current president of the Dominican Republic. He has also served as the executive director for the Association of Free Zones, and an economic advisor to the Technical Ministry of the Presidency, focusing on international trade and investment.
For ticket information, call (313) 350-5952 or e-mail gwilson@fieldcollector.com.
Giles orders release of some text messages
Thirty-Sixth Circuit Court Judge Ronald Giles will release some previously unreleased text messages related to the scandal involving Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, on July 25.
Kilpatrick’s attorneys maintain the messages should not be made public, according to published reports.
Giles had indicated that he has decided to wait until July 25 to review the messages for possible privileged communications.
People Mover to close for a month
The Detroit People Mover will not be in operation from Sunday, July 20, to Monday, Aug. 18, while 1,800 feet of the track is being replaced. Within the past 21 years, a significant amount of wear and tear has occurred on six curves of the track.
Construction will be done at six locations along the People Mover and will not result in any major traffic obstructions.
Representatives said the construction window of July and August was chosen because there would be fewer major events occurring during that time.
