Some 400 government leaders from cities and villages across the state will converge on Dearborn from Sept. 21-24 for the Michigan Municipal League’s 112th Annual Conference.

“It is a great honor for Dearborn to host this important convention,” said Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. “The League works hard to help cities do the best job they can to serve their citizens, and this annual convention is critical to that mission. It’s also a chance for our city to shine. Leaders from all over Michigan will see the best Dearborn has to offer and get a taste of our hometown hospitality They’ll become ambassadors for us throughout the state.”

The 2010 Michigan Municipal League Convention programming is centered on eight critical assets for vibrant communities that the League says will drive the change that is needed to achieve “Better Communities. Better Michigan.” The assets are: physical design; walkability; green initiatives; cultural economic development; entrepreneurship; multiculturalism; messaging & technology; transit and education

Ford Motor Company President & CEO Alan Mulally and Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb are among the speakers on the convention agenda.

Convention sessions include two mobile workshops in which the City of Dearborn will provide tours and information about two major projects currently underway in the city: the Combined Sewer Overflow Project and the Dearborn Town Center development at Schaefer and Michigan Ave.

To encourage MML convention goers to visit local businesses, the City of Dearborn has organized a Restaurant Romp, including transportation to restaurants that are offering dining discounts to participants. The event was organized with the cooperation of the East and West Dearborn Downtown Development authorities and the Chamber of Commerce.

“We appreciate the many fine restaurants and caterers from Dearborn that jumped in when we asked them to help welcome the Michigan Municipal League to Dearborn,” O’Reilly said. “Their support not only shows visitors how much Dearborn has to offer, it illustrates to residents that businesses have a deep commitment to our City.”

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Dearborn resident Andrew Angel, who contributed a column here in December about Dearborn Schools, sent on this news to us about an interesting Gospel singing workshop this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dearborn’s Christ Episcopal Church at the corner of Military and Cherry Hill.

The workshop is being led by Dr. Kathy Bullock, Chair of the Department of Music, at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. You can check out Dr. Bullock’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/kathywbullock . Tickets for the workshop are $15 and include lunch.

Interim Rector/Pastor Bob Hart of Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn, says the program “Singing in the Spirit, Sacred Singing the African American Tradition,” led by Bullock, is being held to learn and experience more of the vast and creative tradition of African American Church Music, in particular the Gospel music tradition.

“This form of church singing has been enormously influential in American church and cultural life,” Hart said. “Our purpose is to introduce Gospel music to the wider community, in some cases, and to learn more deeply from this type of singing and music. We feel this will benefit the worship life of our own congregation and that of many others.”

Founded in Dearborn in 1866, Hart says the church has held jazz and folk liturgies and just last spring hosted a Shape Note/Sacred Harmony workshop. All, he says, have been quite successful and have been ttended by a wide variety of people around metro Detroit.

For more information, call the church at 313-565-8450.

If you are considering advertising in the 2011 City of Dearborn calendar you have until Sept. 27 to reserve space in it.

The calendar reaches 36,000 households through a direct mailing that takes place in December.

For $500, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to advertise in the city’s official calendar and help support the costs of producing it.

The ads will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Just one ad per month will be sold. Design services are available for an additional fee. Some restrictions apply.

If you need more information contact Debbie Lamita in the City of Dearborn’s Department of Public Information at 313-943-2285.

Taste of Dearborn East kicks off today and runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are just $25 in advance or $30 today at the door, a good price and great way to sample food from 16 restaurants throughout East Downtown Dearborn, along Warren Avenue, Schaefer Road, Dix Avenue and in the Fairlane Town Center.

Melissa Kania of the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority (EDDDA) dropped us a note this week asking that we help get the word out and remind people of today’s event.

This inaugural annual Taste East event is put on by the EDDDA and the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this successful event that will showcase the diverse variety of flavors that our local restaurants have to offer,” Kania said.

Here is what you need to do. Register online www.tasteofdearborn.com or download the online registration form and fax to 313-584-9818. You can also purchase a ticket at the door. Tickets for groups of 10 or more are $20. Participants must be at least 21 to participate and will receive a wristband during the check-in process at 5:30 at the EDDDA office, 13750 Michigan Avenue, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The wristband is to be worn by all “tasters” so restaurant workers will be able to distinguish them from regular patrons. Tasters sample free appetizers, purchase drink specials if they choose, then catch one of the passenger vans available for transportation to the next participating restaurant of their choice. Transportation is available to participating restaurants until 10 p.m.

For more information, you can contact Peggy Richard at 313-584-6100 or Melissa Kania of the EDDDA at 313-943-3141.

Participating restaurants include:

1. Adonis Restaurant
2. Alcamo’s Italian Market
3. Amani’s
4. Avenue Bar & Grill
5. Bravo! Cucina Italiana
6. Country Restaurant
7. Fuddruckers at Fairlane
8. Fuego Mexican Grill
9. Habib’s Cuisine
10. Joe’s Top Dog
11. PF Chang’s China Bistro
12. Prestige Café
13. Roma Bakery (at check-in)
14. Roman Village Cucina Italiana
15. Schmoocheese Cheesecakes (at check-in)
16. Shelby’s On Warren

If you are traveling west on Michigan Avenue coming from Miller Road you might have noticed a large painting on the wall of Green Brain Comics, 13210 Michigan Ave.

Katie Merritt (left) and husband Dan, co-owners of Green Brain Comics, and Michelle Hauske of the Detroit Institute of Arts, stand in front of the 'Dragon of Marduk.'

For those wondering, Green Brain Comics is one of 40 local businesses that have been selected to display a Detroit Institute of Arts digital reproduction as part of the DIA’s community outreach program called Inside/Out.

The Inside/Out program is part of the institute’s 125 anniversary. The life-sized, waterproof, vinyl reproductions will be installed at 40 locations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties.  Green Brain owner Dan Merritt says a big thanks goes out to the DIA, Dearborn City Hall and the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority for helping make this happen.

Once all of the paintings are up, the DIA is planning to have an interactive map on its website that will point people to all of the different sites. The DIA also has a flickr site so people can post pictures of DIA art sightings.

The artwork adorning Green Brain is actually a detail from the much larger “Ishtar Gate” called the “Dragon of Marduk.”

For a detailed image, click HERE.

Two upcoming events will explore the lore surrounding local cemeteries.

The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a public lecture on Detroit’s Woodmere Cemetery at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at the McFadden-Ross House. Join author Gail D. Hershenzon as she shares archival images of Woodmere Cemetery to look at the movers, shakers and ordinary citizens who have lived and died through extraordinary circumstances.

On Sunday, Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m. starting from the McFadden-Ross House, come tour the cemeteries of Dearborn and southwest Detroit. The three-hour bus tour will visit historic Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit where Eddie Slovick and the Ross family are buried; St. Alphonsus Cemetery, where Henry Ford’s grandfather is laid to rest; and finally, Mt. Kelly Cemetery. There is a $25 fee for the tour and includes refreshments afterwards. Space is limited and by reservation only.

For more information on both events or to book your spot on the tour please call 313-565-3000.

Green Brain Comics on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn will welcome writer Rob Worley to its store on Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a signing of the first issue of the new mini-series called Scratch9.

Scratch9 is a kid-friendly comic book featuring the adventures of a rascally house cat who gains the ability to summon any of his 8 other lives to his side to aid him in his adventures. Scratch9 is illustrtated by Harvey Award nominated artist Jason T. Kruse, creator of the Saturday-morning cartoon “The World of Quest.”

Worley broke into writing comics with the kung fu and sorcery book “Young Ancient One”, published by Marvel in 2004.  Since then, he’s written for DC Comics, Actionopolis, Arcana, Image, Desperado, IDW and numerous other small press publishers.  His junior novel “Heir to Fire” bowed to critical acclaim, with a sequel book recently published on the Kindle platform. Scratch9 is his first creator-owned comic, published as part of Ape Entertainment’s new KiZoic line all-ages titles.

That same afternoon, Silver Lake Animal Rescue League will be on hand with a special guest cat. They will be accepting donations in return for a limited edition Scratch9 trading card.

Green Brain Comics is located at 13210 Michigan Ave. in East Downtown Dearborn. For more information, click HERE or call 313-582-9444

Dearborn city officials say they have a serious bid on the table for the city’s Florida apartment building for retirees but it will be at least three months before any deal can be officially inked.

The unnamed potential purchaser has bid $6.7 million for the 50-year old Florida property. The bidder was one of four people who expressed interest in the building (although the city says just three of the bids were serious offers). In 2007, the Dearborn Towers apartment complex in Clearwater, Fla. was valued at between $8 million and $8.3 million, according to one informal appraisal. Another appraisal in March 2008 put the value of property at about $5.6 million.

So the current letter of intent the city has to purchase the building for $6.7 million is a good one but odds are good the company making the bid will come back with something lower. The potential purchaser has 45 days to conduct its due diligence on the building.

“Their will be negotiations at the end of this period,” Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., said at Monday’s city council meeting. “The best case scenario (for a sale) would be at least three months. I think it will be longer than that.”

When the due diligence is completed you can be sure the offer will be lowered to at least $6 million as part of the negotiations. Dearborn City Council will then have to decide whether the bid, whatever the amount, is a good one before entering into a purchase agreement.

For an earlier story on the Dearborn Towers, click HERE.

The Dearborn Animal Shelter is hosting a new fundraiser evening event at Park Place on Friday, Sept. 17 called the No Beast Feast.

According to organizers, the idea behind this vegetarian feast is to bring traditional comfort food favorites to the table made from vegetarian ingredients.

“People are seeking healthier food options for their families today and offering a traditional meal using imaginative vegetarian ingredients is a fun way for us to share in that trend,” said Elaine Greene, executive director of the Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter. “Many members of the community and our organization’s supporters are vegetarian, have vegetarian friends or are curious about expanding their food choices. This dinner is one way for us to bring everyone to the table to share in a meal.”

The No Beast Feast provides pre-meal snacks, a hearty meaty (meatless) entrée, potatoes and gravy, vegetable sides, fresh breads and delicious desserts. The evening’s activities also include door prizes, a tin can raffle, entertainment and more. Attendees will receive take home recipes to try vegetarian specialties in their own kitchens. All food is prepared to vegan.

The Friday, Sept. 17  event runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Park Place, located on the corner of Park Street and Outer Drive, just south of Michigan Avenue. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door and include dining, soft drinks, beer, wine and entertainment.

You can purchase tickets from the Shelter online at www.DearbornAnimals.org or by calling 313-943-2697. Proceeds benefit The Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter.

Jeff Karoub and Connor Garvey are bringing their Motown and Maine town roots to the same stage on Sept. 10 at the Raven Cafe in downtown Port Huron.

Port Huron is a hike, no doubt, but we wanted to mention the gig here because Karoub lives in the Dearborn Hills with his wife, three daughters and dog.

It’s the first collaboration for the two and a first appearance for both at the Raven, a well-known, music-friendly venue in the port city’s quaint downtown district. But it’s a homecoming of sorts for Dearborn-native Karoub, who worked several years ago at the daily newspaper in Port Huron and met the woman there who became his wife.  He also played some gigs at a restaurant down the street.

Karoub has performed throughout his native Michigan, either solo or as part of the duo ‘jar.’ Gigs of note have included the Flint Folk Festival, Baseline Folk Society, Manchester’s Gazebo Concert Series, the Riverfolk Festival and AJ’s Cafe’s world-record-holding Assembly Line marathon concert. He’s also played many of the region’s finer caffeinated establishments in and around Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor.

Karoub’s pop-folk sensibility comes with some sonic extras, courtesy of his classical training and musical lineage. His father is a Detroit Symphony Orchestra veteran and Motown session man behind the killer French horn lick at the top of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard it through the Grapevine.’ Jeff made sure that little history lesson made its way into ‘Made by Motown,’ a soulful homage he wrote that became a finalist in a theme-song competition for AJ’s Assembly Line concert in 2010. The singer, guitarist and fiddler is a professional journalist by day.

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