DETROIT (WWJ) – A huge boost for the arts in Detroit as the Knight Foundation has announced $19.25 million investment in the arts here.

More than ten million is going to seven arts institutions, including: the DIA, the DSO, the Charles Wright Museum of African American History, and the Michigan Opera Theatre.

Reception for the announcement of the $19.25 Knight Foundation investment in Detroit arts.

“I have been very impressed with the resilience of these significant art institutions in Detroit, despite the financial times that everybody has struggled with over the last four or five years,” said Dennis School vice-president of the arts of the Knight Foundation.

“The Detroit institutions have been strong and they have spent a lot of time with audience engagement.”

Scholl, who says the foundation is also committing another nine million dollars over the next three years for a contest to find and fund the best arts ideas.

The grantees are:

Arab American National Museum

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Detroit Institute of Arts

Detroit School of Arts

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Michigan Opera Theatre

Sphinx Organization

Find more information, here. 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/23/knight-foundation-gifts-almost-20m-for-the-arts-in-detroit/

DETROIT (WWJ) - One of Detroit’s biggest fans, figuratively speaking, is now sporting the Old English D.

The Spirit of Detroit statue was fitted with one of the largest Detroit Tigers jerseys known to man Wednesday morning ahead of Game 1 of the World Series in San Francisco.

Theodore Jackson was among several fans snapping pictures of the 26-foot-tall bronze statue who tried to guess the size of the giant jersey.

“I’m guessing it’s probably a 16-X or something like that,” Jackson said laughing. “You know, something you couldn’t get at the normal big and tall.”

Nicholas Grunas was happy to see the jersey on the statue, but wondered why it didn’t go up earlier, say, at the start of the postseason.

“The earlier the better I think. It just gives something for Detroiters to come and take a picture of. With all the bad stuff going on in this city, it’s just something nice for us, you know, we deserve it,” said Grunas.

The team is footing the $8,000 bill for the jersey, which includes insurance, security and other related costs.

The Tigers play the first two games on the road against the San Francisco Giants before returning home for Saturday’s Game 3 at Comerica Park.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/24/spirit-of-detroit-statue-dons-giant-tigers-jersey/

DETROIT — If U.S. Federal District Judge Nancy Edmunds' courtroom were a boxing ring, former Detroit water boss Victor Mercado won Tuesday's round it seems.

Mercado is a defendant in a public corruption case alongside ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the mayor's father Bernard Kilpatrick and city contractor Bobby Ferguson, despite his efforts to separate himself from the trio.

Mercado is accused by federal prosecutors of being complicit in a scheme to steer city contracts and taxpayer dollars to co-defendant Bobby Ferguson.

Detroit Water and Sewerage contracts supervisor Daniel Edwards, who testified on behalf of prosecutors, gave Mercado high marks and called him a positive addition to the city's water management team.

"Mercado was a very good director," said Edwards on cross-examiniation. "And a very good boss to work with."

Mercado, selected by a third-party hiring firm after a nationwide search, came to Detroit in 2002 to operate the city's largest department. During his time in Detroit, Mercado earned between $200,000 and $250,000 per year.

Mercado took charge of an antiquated, vast, inefficient and outdated underground network of water and sewer pipes made, in many cases, of brick, stone and wood from as early as the 1800s.

Some of those same adjectives may also describe the department culture at the time of Mercado's arrival, based on Edward's testimony.

The Water and Sewerage Department, with a $1,2 billion budget, employed between 2,000 and 3,000 employees during the time Mercado worked in Detroit.

Mercado, in a position that in Detroit has often been bestowed upon attorneys and career politicians, is a water engineer.

He received approval to hire a third-party auditor to review the department.

Mercado made changes to cut excesses in the bloated department that had become lax with professionalism, Edwards testified. The number of employees has now dropped slightly below 2,000.

Mercado fired employees found to be drunk or high on the job, cut the number of jobs through attrition and began enforcing policies that had been ignored for years, according to Edwards.

Edwards said there were often personal relationships and friendships that were "too close" between engineering department employees — the front line for contract acquisitions — and contractors earning their livings from the city.

This is one of the prosecutions contentions that attorneys say led to Ferguson receiving $120 million in contracts during Kilpatricks' reign as mayor between 2002 and 2008.

In one example, Ferguson bid the second highest price for a contract among 10 bidders and won the contract.

Evidence presented Monday revealed Ferguson on at least two occasions petitioned the city for a "change-order" to adjust the price of his contracts, in some cases doubling and tripling the eventual price tag to the tune of millions of dollars.

Edwards said change orders are common due to the uncertainty of Detroit's unpredictable subterranean network of water mains and sewer pipe.

The bid granting process was refined, removed from the engineering department and a former method of selection by "jury" was revised so that decision makers each independently reviewed bidders without consulting one

Mercado, in a position that in Detroit has often been bestowed upon attorneys and career politicians, is a water engineer.

He received approval to hire a third-party auditor to review the department.

Detroit, after violating the Clean Water Act by dumping sewage into nearby rivers, signed a consent agreement in 1977 that turned oversight of the Water Department over to now-deceased federal Judge Feikens.

The agreement gave ultimate operational control over contracts to the "special administrator," who had traditionally been the mayor, as was the case during Kilaptrick's reign.

A 2006 ruling by Feikens stated that Mercado "promptly alerted" the court of problems as they arose and had set Detroit on a path to cleaning up Detroit's waterways.

Mercado accepted other municipal water management jobs since leaving Detroit but settled on something a little less bureaucratic.

Mercado now works at a hardware store in Florida.

Along with father Bernard Kilpatrick, friend and city contractor Bobby Ferguson and former Detroit water and sewer manager Victor Mercado, Kwame Kilpatrick faces 30 years in prison on charges of operating an illegal criminal enterprise involving extortion, accepting bribes and kickbacks, mail and wire fraud, contract rigging, obstructing justice and making malicious threats to extort money, the federal U.S. Attorney's complaint says.

Kilpatrick faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
 

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/10/kilpatricks_detroit_water_boss.html

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today signed legislation to protect young athletes from sports-related concussions.

“Research consistently has shown that concussions are a serious health threat to athletes,” Snyder said. “Coaches and parents need to be proactive in recognizing the signs of a concussion so we can protect injured children and teens from any further complications.”

More than 140,000 high-school athletes sustain a concussion each year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The brain does not fully mature until people are in their mid-20s, and damage from multiple or untreated concussions can be severe. More than half of the states already have enacted laws to protect against youth concussions, and many others have legislation in the works.

The governor signed two bills to inform students, coaches and parents on how to recognize a concussion. Senate Bill 1122, sponsored by state Sen. John Proos, requires the Michigan Department of Community Health to develop both educational materials and a concussion awareness program.

“As a father of three children, each involved in multiple sports and physical activities, my goal with this legislation was to ensure the health of our young athletes is always the top priority,” Proos said. “With the number of children suffering sports-related concussions rising at an alarming rate, we must help ensure parents, coaches and athletes can recognize the symptoms of these injuries and act in the athlete’s best interest.”

House Bill 5697, sponsored by state Rep. Thomas Hooker, requires that all youth sports coaches, employees and volunteers participate in the concussion awareness program, as well as provide the educational materials to athletes. Coaches also must immediately remove any youth athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion from competition, and only allow their return with written clearance from a health professional.

“As a former football and wrestling coach, I am proud to focus efforts to help protect young people from traumatic brain injuries caused by concussions,” Hooker said. “Our goal is to make Michigan a safe place to play sports.”

The bills now are Public Acts 342 and 343 of 2012.

Visit www.legislature.mi.gov for more information on the bills.
 

Stories of Detroit's emerging comeback often highlight the city's attraction to young hipsters. According to plentiful media reports, well-educated 20-somethings are streaming into the Motor City to test out new ideas, explore art and music projects or launch D-I-Y revitalization initiatives.

You can spot a number of once-dormant corners of the city now pulsing with activity thanks to young entrepreneurs. Corktown now sports pubs and restaurants that would fit in Brooklyn or Portland. Midtown shows all the makings of a creative class hub, complete with hipsters hanging out at the Good Girls Go to Paris creperie, the Avalon International Breads bakery and the N'Nmadi Center gallery, devoted to the rich tradition of African-American abstract art. Recent college grads can be seen all over town from the bountiful Eastern Market to bustling Campus Martius square to festive Mexicantown to the scenic Riverwalk to the yummy Good People Popcorn shop downtown, featuring flavors like cinnamon and chocolate drizzle.

This burst of youthful energy -- even in the face of the city's continuing economic and social woes -- debunks widespread opinion that nothing can be done to jumpstart the Motor City. While a new, more positive narrative about Detroit is welcome, there are problems in focusing entirely on idealistic young adventurers swooping in to save the city -- it reinforces the stereotype of native Detroiters as hapless, helpless and hopeless.

The truth is, locals have been working hard for years to uplift the common good in Detroit, which is now drawing the interest of outsiders. And newcomers aren't the only ones stirring up excitement around town. Good People Popcorn, for instance, was started by two sisters and a cousin, all of whom grew up here. Sarida Scott Montgomery, one of the founders who is also a lawyer and Executive Director of the Community Development Advocates of Detroit, says people are often surprised she grew up in the city. "Not in the suburbs," she says, "but in Detroit itself."

Regina Ann Campbell, Director of the Milwaukee Junction Business Center incubator in Detroit's North End, grew up on the Northwest side before earning a Masters in urban planning degree at the University of Michigan. "I welcome all the new people," she says. "But it's important for them to understand they are building on some things that have been going on for years. I want to help them appreciate the city though the eyes of the people who have lived here."

Scott Montgomery and Campbell are both part of a new initiative that matches the talents of bright, young professionals with local organizations working at the frontlines of reviving Detroit. The Detroit Revitalization Fellows Program (DRFP) selected 29 Fellows with backgrounds in urban planning, economic development, finance, real estate and related fields.

A lot of the buzz around the program highlights ambitious folks relocating from New York, Seattle, the Bay Area, Washington, D.C., Montreal, Chicago and Los Angeles to further their careers in Detroit, but in reality 10 of the fellows were already living in Detroit and nine others had grown up in the metro area or previously lived in the city.

For many of them it was a long-awaited homecoming, which shows that continuing loyalty from the Detroit Diaspora is a hidden asset in the city's favor. Jela Ellefson, who was working at a Los Angeles urban planning firm before moving with her husband, an architect, and two children back to Detroit, says, "We always followed what was happening in Detroit, and noticed that the urban planning world was paying a lot of attention." She now works to expand programs at the city's Eastern Market.

DRFP -- a Wayne State project financially supported by the Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Skillman Foundation and the university -- placed fellows at organizations identified as being "actively engaged in building the Detroit of tomorrow." The breadth and impact of these non-profit groups -- everything from the Data Driven Detroit research firm to the Community Investment Support Fund, which directs investment capital to low-income neighborhoods -- speaks to a strong sense of the commons that survives in Detroit even amid the economic setbacks.

Fellow Matteo Passalacqua works at the Vanguard community development corporation to rehab historic structures as affordable housing in the city's struggling North End, for instance, and Marcus Clarke at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and David Barna at Midtown Detroit Inc. are collaborating to help city firms acquire a larger share of procurement contracts from large local institutions.

Dan Varner, CEO of Excellent Schools Detroit who hired Fellow Eric Anderson as the organization's Director of Digital Media and Engagement, sees the DRFP as important in reversing Detroit's brain drain. "We've been losing talented folks for a long time. Part of what we have to do to recover our potential is stop that drain. The Fellows program represents that potential."

Allyson McLean, who grew up in the Detroit suburbs and has worked on brownfield redevelopment in Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority and on strategic planning for the Department of Homeland Security in D.C. is back in town aiding real estate development in low-income communities with the Community Investment Support Fund.

"Now that I am back," she says, "it's frustrating to hear from friends I grew up with who have no plans to ever return. In many cases they aren't necessarily staying in places like Chicago because they've landed great jobs, they simply think it's a cooler place to be. They have no idea what they're missing in their hometown."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-walljasper/detroit-revitalization-fellows-program_b_1997636.html

DETROIT, MI - Scott Moloney nearly moved into the wrong building, jammed his ice cream machine the first time he used it, and spent a summer weekend buying dry ice to keep his tasty creations from melting.
But the owner of Treat Dreams in Ferndale survived those twists - and many more - to create a thriving business over the past two years that's now looking to expand.

"You'll never have a week that goes according to plan," Moloney told Open City Detroit on Monday night. "You can't get too high when you have your best sales day ever. You can't get too low when you have your worst sales day ever."

Moloney and four other successful Detroit small business owners shared their experiences as part of the kickoff to Open City Detroit's 2012-13 season.

Dave Mancini, of Supino Pizzeria, Emily Linn of City Bird and Nest, Grant Lancaster of City Wings, and Moloney addressed the crowd at Cliff Bell's. Liz Blondy, owner of Canine to Five, moderated the panel.

Their collective message to would-be entreprenuers in Detroit is to find the right place, be prepared to do a lot by yourself, and be ready to work hard.

"It's a lot of work. It's a lot of late nights. ... It's also a lot of fun," said Linn, who owns the home goods and local art stores in Midtown with her brother Andy Linn. "I feel like I'm always learning things, not necessarily things I want to learn about."

"You'll never have a week that goes according to plan."
Mancini said the early stages of starting his popular, and nationally recognized, pizzeria in Eastern Market required patience. He spent years looking for the right location to open his restaurant. Once he did open he had to find people just as committed and he was to making it a success.

"One of the hard things about starting a business in the early stages is the weeding out process on who's giong to work with you, and who's not," he said. "You're going to kiss some frogs. You're going to hire people who aren't going to work out."

Lancaster started City Wings at 2896 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit without money to actually start his business. He signed a lease on the building and then took a couple of months visiting friens and family around the country to help him pay for the build out.

"I told people I've got a dollar and a dream and we're gonna make it," Lancaster said. "This 99 cents isn't gonna make it. I need your penny to come along."
Starting a business isn't a straight line, the owners said.

Moloney jumped into the ice cream business from an 18-year career in banking. He quit his job and decided to open the "Custard Shack" in downtown Royal Oak as a seasonal business. When the Royal Oak site fell through he almost opened in Warren before settling in Ferndale. The first batch of ice cream - coffee toffee - he made jammed his new machine in front of his inlaws a few days before the business was scheduled to open.

"I started making ice cream the first day we were open," Moloney said.
Lancaster hired a builder for his restaurant, but didn't have enough money for an assistant so he became the assistant.

"I told him, 'Whatever you need you'd better teach me how to do it,'" he said.
Monday's panel, hosted by Open City and co-sponsored by D:hive, was titled "Do It In Detroit."

D:hive, a hub for resources to live, work, engage or start a business in Detroit, joined the Detroit Creative Corridor Center and Model D Media to present this season of Open City.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2012/10/open_city_detroit_biz_owners_s.html#incart_river_default

It has been decided. After an impressive rally to come back from a 3-1 deficit, the San Francisco Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals nine runs to zero and win and the NL Championship. AL MVP Justin Verlander, Triple Crown hitter Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers will fly out to San Francisco for Game 1 of the World Series tomorrow night.

Verlander is scheduled to pitch at AT&T Park.
 

SOUTHFIELD — With the Tigers in the World Series, fans are ripe for ticket scams.

So the Better Business Bureau of Detroit & Eastern Michigan is warning sports fans to be alert for scammers selling bogus tickets or hotel reservations.

BBB says the secondary ticket market is now a $15 billion-a-year industry — and the source of hundreds of BBB complaints a year.

BBB says ticket scamming occurs most often when people buy tickets from individuals outside the stadium, on the street or through online auctions, classified ads and bulletin boards. Sports fans can be scammed by purchasing counterfeit tickets or paying in advance for tickets that never arrive.

In addition, hotel scams may involve invalid reservations or rooms advertised as close to the ballpark that either don’t exist or are nowhere near downtown.

The BBB’s database of BBB Business Reviews includes reputable, secondary market ticket firms that provide buyer protections, including some that offer money-back guarantees if tickets are fake. On some sites, sellers also must provide credit-card numbers so the site can charge a seller’s card for the cost of replacement tickets if they sell fake tickets.

“Any time you are dealing with a secondary market ticket firm, or someone claiming to be, make sure they are a National Association of Ticket Broker (NATB) member as their members pledge to follow ethical rules and procedures to protect the public,” said Hildy Randolph, SellTicketService, a BBB accredited business.

The Detroit Tigers have their own Web site, at this link, (http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/ticketing/postseason_info.jsp) for selling tickets held by season ticket holders.

The BBB advises fans to ask lots of questions and be wary of an offer that sounds too good to be true or that requires wiring money. When you send money by wire, it is almost impossible to get it back or to trace the recipient, who may be overseas.

The following are some BBB tips for buying tickets or finding housing for the World Series or other events:

For ticket purchasing:
* Read any ads carefully, making sure you understand what is being offered and what the total price will be.
* Ask the seller where he or she is located and how he or she may be contacted after the sale. If the seller is evasive, don’t pursue the offer.
* Do your research. Know the price of tickets and be familiar with the seating chart of the arena.
* Only purchase from reputable sources.
* Ask to see the seller’s original invoice from when the tickets were purchased.
* Try to meet the seller in person in a public place during the day.
* If you are purchasing online, use either a credit card or a PayPal account. Both of those options offer some protection if the tickets are fake.
* Don’t send cash or wire money to anyone you don’t know.
* Never be afraid to ask questions or request information.
* Check to make sure the firm is an NATB member.

For hotel reservations:
* Ask for the name, address and phone number of the hotel where the room is located, and call the hotel to verify that the room actually exists. Check the hotel’s Web site or a well-known travel site to be sure that the location is convenient for getting to and from the ballpark.
* Be wary of ads that pile on incentives to make the package look better. Often the items – such as lanyards, T-shirts or other trinkets – have limited value.
* Again, do your research. A variety of travel guidebooks and online reviews address services and amenities at hotels and motels. Check BBB Business Reviews of hotels by going to www.bbb.org.
* Make sure you get a confirmation number from the business when reserving a room. Also, make sure you know times of check-in and check-out, and clearly understand the type of room you are paying for (smoking or nonsmoking, queen or double beds, regular room or suite, etc.)
* If you have any concern about the quality of a motel or hotel, ask to inspect your room before moving in. You have a better chance to get satisfaction from staff or management if you have not already accepted your room. If you spot a problem, report it to the front desk immediately.

Before doing business with a company, check its BBB Business Review by going to www.bbb.org or by calling (248) 223-9400.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/22/bbb-warns-tiger-fans-about-ticket-hotel-scams/

DETROIT (WWJ) - More than 1.7 million pounds of Bob Evans breakfast sausage are being recalled due to misbranding.

BEF Foods Inc., based in Columbus, Ohio, is recalling approximately 1,768,600 pounds of Bob Evans Maple Links and Maple Patties because the products don’t indicate that they contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).

The products subject to recall include:

12-oz. packages of “Bob Evans Maple Links” with UPC numbers of “075900002300”, “075900000085” and “075900002324.”

12-oz. packages of “Bob Evans Maple Patties” with UPC numbers of “0759000025028” and “075900000795” and “075900002522.”

The products were produced between April 4, and Oct. 19, 2012, and will have the establishment number “M-952” or “M-6785” inkjetted on the side of the package. Product purchased fresh will have a use-by date between Oct. 14, 2012 and Dec. 4, 2012 listed. Instead of a use-by date, frozen products may be identified by any of the following Julian codes: 0264 through 0365, 1001 through 1365, and 2001 through 2293.

The problem was discovered by the company during a label audit. When the company reformulated their products, they discontinued the use of a spice blend containing MSG and removed MSG from the ingredient list on the label. During the label audit, the company discovered that the individual establishments were still using a spice blend containing MSG.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says MSG can cause an adverse reaction in people who are sensitive to the ingredient. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers should throw out the recalled products to return them to a local grocer for a refund. For more information, contact the company’s guest relations line at 1-800-939-2338.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/23/bob-evans-sausage-links-patties-recalled/

An assault that took place at a Detroit park this past weekend has left residents on edge, and even worried about a possible serial rapist.

Police say 45-year-old Tammy Freeman was attacked on Oct. 13 at Patton Park on the city's southwest side. A crime summary sent out by the department at the time said the woman "was found lying in the park unresponsive ... appeared to have been physically assaulted and was listed in critical condition." It listed the time of the incident as 10:05 p.m.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said the department had not confirmed whether the victim was raped.

"The circumstances pertaining to this incident [are] unknown and [are] still being investigated," she said in an email to The Huffington Post.

A family member of the victim told FOX 2 the woman's face was mutilated and her arms were broken during the assault. According to the local news station, doctors say she likely won't survive. Detroit police would not confirm that the woman had been mutilated, although they did believe she sought medical attention.

Neighbors are worried about the possibility of more assaults and have started a neighborhood watch, according to FOX 2.

"I just heard that there (were) two other victims and the same thing basically happened to them and they died," Freeman's relative told the news station. Something needs to be done."

Phillip Cook, a public information officer with the DPD, said he could not confirm these reports and didn't believe the attack was part of a pattern of assaults.

"We don't think or feel we're looking for any serial rapist," he told The Huffington Post.

Cook did say that several men had been arrested for sex crimes in the area during the past month, but added that the incidents were unrelated to the assault at Patton Park.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/patton-park-attack-detroit-rape-rapist_n_1982317.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit