To date, 13 residents have filed to run for Dearborn City Council.

We’re still eight months away from the November general election but the race for seven open Dearborn city council seats is already heating up with 13 candidates, including three current council members, lining up to run for the more than $14,400 a year part-time job.

What’s interesting is that 10 of those candidates don’t currently serve on the council. Combine that with the remaining four council members who will likely run again and you could suddenly surge to 17 candidates on the ballot. The filing deadline for council is May 12.

Councilmen Robert Abraham and Tom Tafelski told the Dearborn Press & Guide  they would be running for reelection. Councilman Doug Thomas, who was absent from many council meetings in 2008, said he hasn’t made a decision to run yet. Councilwoman Suzanne Sareini also will likely run again.

That means a primary will have to be held in August for the race, further shortening the time candidates will have to campaign.

The candidates so far include:

1. George Darany, current councilman
2. Nancy Hubbard, current councilwoman
3. Mark Shooshanian, current councilman
4. David W. Bazzy, former Charter Commissioner
5. Mark J. Dawdy
6. Sharon Dulmage, former Dearborn School Board member
7. Scott J. Marquette
8. Maureen A. McIlrad-Noland
9. Brian C. O’Donnell
10. Mark A. Otlewski
11. Adrenne M. Wygonick (wife of 19th District Judge Richard Wygonick)
12. Vincent Laing
13. Bradley Hajec

As for mayor, just Dearborn resident Ziad Abdul Malik has pulled a petition to challenge Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr., who also plans to run again.

It isn't clear how soon or what will move in, but the sign promises it all.

A Dearborn eyesore vacant for more than a decade will be redeveloped, according to owner Norm Newman.

As we reported here a couple days ago (for first story click HERE), the long vacant Inca and Pier 1 buildings owned by Norm Newman on Newman Street appear to be getting prepared for new construction. White paper was pasted over the glass windows of the store fronts last weekend. Now new signs have been added saying a “Redevelopment Coming Soon.”

It isn’t yet clear what will go into the buildings or how soon, but speculation still centers around the possibility of a grocery store occupying the two vacant properties. Newman officials confirm a new large store is coming but so far remain coy about the exact type of business only saying that it could be operational in about a year.