Last Pickup for Leaves Raked in Street is Friday, Dec. 3

The City of Dearborn is reminding residents that curbside yard collection will take place on trash days until Friday, Dec. 17, weather permitting. That means residents can place yard waste, including leaves, in proper containers on scheduled trash days through the week of Dec. 13-17.

Yard waste pickup continues through Dec. 17, weather permitting.

The 2010 City of Dearborn calendar states that the curbside collection of yard waste will end on Friday, Dec. 3, but that information is outdated.

The City extended the curbside yard waste collection season when it chose a new trash, recycling and yard waste collection contractor in the summer. The extended season is part of the City’s expanded curbside service made possible by the new contract.

Residents are reminded that yard waste must be properly bundled. It also must be in a properly marked 32-gallon container or paper landscape bag. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be picked up.

The City’s loose leaf collection of leaves raked into the street is scheduled to end Friday, Dec. 3.

However, residents may still bag leaves and place them in proper containers on their trash day the week of Dec. 13-17 as part of the curbside collection service.

Restorations are underway at Dearborn's St. Alphonsus church.

What does the future hold for Dearborn’s St. Alphonsus Church?

With just 500 parishioners, it is hard to say but this architectural jewel at 7469 Calhoun is undergoing a substantial restoration project.

Traverse City artist Christopher Moran has the delicate job of transforming St. Alphonsus’ 35-foot altar piece, including 12 statues.

You can see the restoration project (courtesy of WDIV Channel 4) and the artist by clicking HERE.

The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a Victorian Christmas open house 1-7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, at the Museum’s Commandant’s Quarters, 21950 Michigan Avenue (corner of Mason).

The free event features Christmas music, holiday decorations and refreshments. Children’s activities, including holiday crafts and a visit with Santa, take place from 4-7 p.m.

For more information, call 313.565.3000.

The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, titled “Detroit’s Movie Palaces.”

The presenters will be authors Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon. Hauser is marketing manager for the historic Detroit Opera House. Weldon is curator of collections for the Detroit Historical Society.

Their book, Images of America: Detroit’s Downtown Movie Palaces, was released in 2006.

Detroit has always been at the forefront of film exhibition. This lecture will explore the history of how downtown Detroit’s movie palaces evolved. In the glory years, 10-foot crystal chandeliers dangled above eight floors of seats and a 2,500-pipe Wurlitzer organ set the mood for movies.

The lecture takes place at the McFadden-Ross House, 915 Brady Street. It promises to renew wonderful memories for generations of film buffs who enjoyed the opulence of these “Detroit Movie Palaces.”

 Santa is coming to the Dearborn Fire Department’s Fire Safety House on Dec. 3 and 4.

Children can see Santa arrive on ladder truck at 6 p.m. both nights. He will stay until 8 p.m.

The Fire Safety House is next to Fire Station No. 2 at 19750 Outer Drive, just down the street from Dearborn High School.

After seeing Santa and the display, children can visit the Fire Safety House for balloons, cookies, and hot chocolate.

All proceed will benefit the Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive and help firefighters purchase toys for children in the hospital.

The Dearborn Commission on Disability Concerns is seeking new members.

If you are a Dearborn resident interested in disability concerns from a personal or professional perspective, the commission would like to hear from you.

The Commission promotes full access to city programs and services for both communication and physical barriers. It also provides educational forums and up-to-date information about the implementation of the Americans with Disability Act.

Appointments to the commission are made by the mayor. To receive an application to be considered for an appointment, please contact the Dearborn commission at (313) 943-2789 TTY, call (313) 943-2835 or email Marsha Koet at mkoet@ci.dearborn.mi.us

(Source: Dearborn Youth Symphony Press Release)

The Dearborn Youth Symphony (DYS) will present its premier concert of the 2010-2011 season on Sunday, December 5 at 4 p.m. in Dearborn’s Michael A. Guido Theater of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

 The DYS was formed in 1975 to provide young musicians with symphonic ensemble experience and to foster interest in instrumental music. Today, with the sponsorship of the Dearborn Recreation Department, strong parental volunteer efforts, and dedicated conductors, the DYS continues to nurture and challenge young musicians with their orchestras and flute choirs.

The Season Premier concert includes performances by the Combined Flute Choirs, Concert Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra. Featuring Saint-Saen’s Bacchanale from “Samson and Delilah” and Suite #1 from “Carmen” by Bizet, the Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by DYS Artistic Director, Tim Cibor. Joining Maestro Cibor will be Assistant Conductor, Joseph Deller and the Flute Choirs’ Conductor, Donna Olkowski.

General admission tickets for the DYS December 5 concert are $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. To purchase tickets please visit the Center box office at 15801 Michigan Avenue at Greenfield or call (313) 943-2354. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The box office is also open one hour before show time. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted.

The unfortunate part about any person seeking public office is that politics is ugly business. We saw it this year in Dearborn in the State House race between council members George Darany and Suzanne Sarini.

Tom Tafelski

It was also ugly during last year’s general election. In the city council race, Dearborn Council President Tom Tafelski became the target of an anonymous attack/smear campaign both on the Internet and in the mail.

We approached Tafelski when the mailings began, providing him the opportunity to set the record straight last November but he declined. Instead, he said he would speak openly to us when this investigation was done.

True to his word, Tafelski took time out to discuss the results of the investigation, which are now public. There are many tails to the origins of the Tafelski attacks.

While it isn’t yet crystal clear who actually penned the mailing or email, an investigation did reveal that the email was forwarded by a Dearborn councilwoman. The investigation also turned up evidence that one of the mailings was stamped from the company of a Dearborn councilman to-be, Tafelski tells DeepsaidWhat. And, a Wayne County commissioner apologized to Tafelski for forwarding the email once.

Worth noting is that Tafelski had this information ahead of the November election. But he decided against releasing it because he said he didn’t want to stoop to the negative campaigning he so despises, which was a good call on his part.

While it is unlikely anyone will be charged for any of this, Tafeslki tells DeepsaidWhat he is going to refer the information to the city’s ethics board, along with the county and state election commission. He also said he is evaluating filing civil lawsuits. So this has the potential to live on and get a littly messy.

“What they all did was unconscionable. The fact remains it hurt my family because they wanted to get ahead in politics. And shame on them. Now they are scurrying behind the scenes. When you start talking to attorneys and possible charges . . . people dime out people pretty quick,” Tafelski said.

But first a recap from last November.

(more…)

Switch is Official: Panera Cares in Dearborn Opens Today, Nov. 21

Eat what you want, pay what you can at Dearborn's Panera Cares, located at Michigan and Howard.

Dearborn’s Panera Bread officially switches to Panera Cares today, a non-profit restaurant where customers pay what they wish for their order.

We wrote about this switch earlier in the week (see that story HERE.). Dearborn becomes the second store that we know of to go to this new business model. The first opened in Clayton, Mo., earlier this year.

Readers of this site seem to be tracking neutral to negative with this change, questioning the wisdom, the people it may attract and what it will do to other businesses who can’t afford to give away their product for discount prices or even free.

Interesting that our Dearborn store is sandwiched between a Panera Bread in Dearborn Heights on Ford Road and another in Allen Park atop of landfill mountain. Kind of feels like the Panera corporate folks are hedging bets with this experiment in Dearborn.

Two employees of the Dearborn store say the same experience Panera Bread offered patrons will continue with the switch to Panera Cares.

Here is what an employee by the name of April Kersey and Rachel Sleger posted in our comments section (the typos and misspelled words are not ours):

April Kersey says:

Okay, I work at the panera cares in Dearborn Mi. We open tomarrow and we are on fire for the switch. This switch means nothing but great things for the community! The fereshly baked yesterday goods are only in the bakery section and taste exactly the same, dont belive us, let us give you a sample. We want you to taste our product before you donate for it. Our store is still held to the same standards. We only give product to our customers what is quality! The bread that your sandwhichs are on is freash baked daily and the food is all the same. We enocurage those with the means to pay at least suggested donation level, to do so and if you cant, well thats okay too. thats what we are here for. its not a hand out its a hand up. We open tomarrow – Sunday. Come see us. We’ll show you what were all about.

Rachel Sleger says:

I am also a worker at the Panera Cares in Dearborn, MI. This is something that is great and exciting! Everyone should be happy for this change because that’s exactly what we are doing…we are making a change. We are helping others who are in need and also still here for those regular customers that come in every morning to order their bagel with cream cheese and coffee before work. Panera is all about warmth. We want everyone to feel welcome. As April stated above, if you are at all concerned about the quality of our bakery items or cafe items everyone in the bakery cafe is more than willing to open their arms and answer any questions or hand out samples to ensure our product tastes no different. Our sandwiches are made on baked fresh daily bread along with the baguettes we serve as a side with any entree. The product is to the same standards as before. Our bakery section is baked fresh yesterday items. Our grand reopening is tomorrow Sunday, November 21! We encourage everyone to stop in to learn a bit more of what we are about and support our non-profit community cafe.

The two employees make a valid point. Before anyone writes off the switch, we should at least drop in once and try it.

A reader of DeepsaidWhat.com sent this news along, asking us to inform the greater community of a new Christmas tree lighting tradition being started this Thanksgiving weekend in Dearborn.

The Church of the Divine Child in west Dearborn will be hosting a Community Advent Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. on the front lawn of the church, 1055 N. Silvery Lane, marking the start of the four week Advent season. All are welcome to the tree lighting event.

The Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations observe Advent as a time of preparation and joyful anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Christmas trees and other traditional decorations are typically not displayed in Catholic churches until the vigil celebration on Christmas Eve, which officially begins the Christmas season for the Church.

“This Advent tree is going to be different,” says Divine Child Pastor, Rev. James Bilot. “It symbolizes the anticipation of Christmas and will serve as beacon throughout the weeks of preparation; a reminder of what the season is really all about. We hope that residents throughout our neighborhood will pause to enjoy it and will be intrigued by what it represents.”

The festivities will include caroling and refreshments leading up to the lighting of the 50-foot tall live blue spruce. The evening concludes with Advent Night Prayer inside the church at 8:00 p.m., which will last for about 15 minutes.

“Night Prayer involves a recitation of traditional psalms which really allow an opportunity to reflect,” says Fr. Bilot. “Everyone is welcome to join us just for the tree lighting or also for the prayer time, whether they are Catholic or not. If you haven’t attended church in a while, take this opportunity to join us for a brief service. If you’re curious, come have some hot chocolate and check it out. There’s no need to worry; it’s a very simple service.”

Since its founding in 1950, the Church of the Divine Child has been a strong Catholic presence in Dearborn and an anchor in the Levagood Park neighborhood. The parish serves over 2500 member families and the elementary and high schools have the largest coeducational Catholic school enrollment in Michigan. For additional information call 313-277-3110 or visit www.divinechild.org