The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office is expected to announce charges Thursday in the case involving the housing of hundreds of Chihuahuas.

According to the paper, one charge that could result from the investigation is aggravated animal cruelty, a felony that carries a penalty of up to 4-years imprisonment.

More than 100 live and dead Chihuahuas were discovered in a house packed full of debris and animal waste on Orchard in Dearborn in July. The man who lived in the house, Kenneth Lang Jr., 56, was taken for psychiatric evaluation after the discovery, but recently has been living in a group home in Oakland County, his attorney told the Free Press.

For the earlier story, please click HERE.

Au Bon Pain, Caribou Coffee, Hot Spot and Super Cuts are all businesses that were once located in the Burton-Katzman development known as West Village Commons. Today they are closed and the development that promised such hope for west Dearborn now sits nearly empty.

And Burton-Katzman, the Bingham Farms developer, that sold the project to our city leaders is now being sued by the City of Dearborn for failing to complete what they promised (for that earlier story, click HERE.)

All that remains in the West Village Commons is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a new bar set to open soon called The Well and two businesses owned by Najib Rizk: La Cigar and Maestro’s Restaurant.

Maestro's Restaurant is one of many along Michigan Avenue offering meal specials in hopes of attracting more customers.

Like many businesses along Michigan Avenue, Mr. Rizk is doing all he can to keep his business open. While La Cigar is doing relatively well, the restaurant that he and his cousin opened a couple of years ago is struggling, he freely admits.

“We tried to work with our landlord Burton-Katzman to get our rent lowered but now with the city lawsuit Burton-Katzman isn’t doing anything,” Mr. Rizk says. “We are advertising in Hour magazine, the Detroit papers and WNIC radio. We have done a lot of advertising but it hasn’t helped. I don’t know what can be done. And my landlord seems to be okay with having an empty building.”

Mr. Rizk has cut back the hours at Maestro’s, serving just dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. On Friday and Saturday he offers entertainment and is open until 2 a.m. Two weeks ago he began offering bargain prices on all of his entrees: half off on all entrees or essentially $7 for a good dinner.

Hoping to attract customers, Mr. Rizk approached the city with the idea of offering valet parking. He says Dearborn officials killed that idea saying they were worried about traffic backing up onto Michigan Avenue. His suggestion to move the valet parking location drop-off to the rear of the parking lot farther away from Michigan Avenue or even on to Village Road also was rejected.

“Trying to get things done in this city can be so hard,” says Mr. Rizk, a Dearborn resident. “The dispute between the city and my landlord has put a clamp on things. We are stuck in the middle.”

The impact of Michigan’s struggling economy isn’t just hurting Maestro’s. All along Michigan Avenue, restaurants are struggling and doing all they can do to stay afloat, offering both lunch and dinner specials. Bob Evans is offering free Internet and special prices on all its meals, Mr. Pita is offering $1 sandwiches, Kiernan’s Steak House, Parisian Bistro Post Bar, Crave and many others are also offering great specials, as well.

We realize there are many food options available to all of us but if you are going to go out and dine let’s at least try and include Dearborn restaurants on our consideration list, too.

Mark your calendar for Sept. 15 that is when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and Music Director Leonard Slatkin present a free concert in Dearborn at 8 p.m. in the Michael A. Guido Theater at Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are free but reservations are required. To reserve tickets for the Sept. 15 performance, call The Center’s box office at 313.943.2354. Parking at The Center is free.

The DSO also is performing for free on Monday., Sept. 14 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center located at 22305 W. 13 mile, Beverly Hills; Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center located at 1627 W. Fort St., Detroit and Friday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Detroit School of Arts located at 123 Selden St., right behind the Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit.

These concerts will culminate with a sixth free concert held at 3:00 p.m. during the DSO Open House running from 1 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Sept. 20.

“In these difficult times, bringing music to a larger public is more important than ever,” said DSO Music Director Leonard Slatkin. “The DSO is committed to expanding its audience and it is my hope that as we reach out to different constituencies, they in turn will come to visit us as well.”